Unmotivated and all over the place?
This pro offers a perspective shiftplus actionable ideasto tackle a messy home.
We all know cleaning is a chore.
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But for folks with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, its more than that.
Cleaning can be an overwhelming, seemingly interminable task thats hard to motivate to startor complete.
And it compounds over the day, so its hard to keep things tidy, she says.
We chatted with Davisalong with other mental health cliniciansfor their best cleaning strategies for people with ADHD.
I love to say,everything worth doing is worth doing half-assed, she laughs.
For most tasks, good enough is perfect.
Thats when I use my favorite tool, the Five Things Tidying Method.
Shell go through all five, making piles if need be, before moving on to the next space.
If I take something out of the room, Ill get distracted, she says.
Davis notes that her Five Things approach works for both big messes and for day-to-day maintenance.
Laundry on Mondays, bathrooms on Tuesday, groceries on Wednesday, and so on, she says.
Davis notes that routines should also change when theyre no longer working.
Changing that mindset will help you stay motivated to keep trying to find a system thatdoeswork.
It creates a situation where you’re able to have total focus, says Davis.
Thats why Davis finds its easier to do a household task when shes already on her feet and moving.
People have different schedules, physical capacities, preferences, and energy and ability levels, says Davis.
you gotta figure out whatfunctionalmeans to both of you, then figure out how to get it done.
Instead, she says, its to grant everyone the chance to be off the clock.
And the buddy system doesn’t have to operate in person, eitherit can be done anywhere.
When it’s time to clean up, consider calling a friend who you love talking to.
“Instead, go into one room with the intention of making one noticeable change.”
Create a Reward System
Reward systems are essential for giving ourselves more credit than we typically do.
Instead, think about cleaning as a means toward getting your home to serveyoubetter.
But you deserve a home that takes care of you, even when youre not functioning.
