The Organized ADHDer
You’re already doing something
If you have or suspect you may have ADHD, there’s a good chance that the executive function skill of organizing may be a challenge. The organization of stuff, time, tasks, etc. may feel like a constant fight with yourself. There’s also a good chance that you’ve heard all the tips. Maybe you’ve tried some, maybe you’ve scoffed at others. I’m not going to give you organizational tips here, but rather I’m going to suggest a way of using the tools you already know that might be helpful. The kicker is that there’s a good chance you are already doing things that partially work for you. These things may come with shame or anxiety because they don’t quite fit the neurotypical mold. From what I’ve seen in my own lived experience and the experiences of my clients, working out what actually matters to you, and leaning into a large dose of chaos can be a real game changer for ADHD folks.
Pixabay - chenspec: Pictured is a rainbow gradient background and organizational tools such as a laptop, phone, tablet, glasses, a notebook, and sticky note.
You already have patterns
I’m assuming that you are a human. We naturally have patterns as human beings, but your patterns may be different from those without ADHD. For example, if you find yourself waiting to the last minute to complete a task, but always get it done “well enough.” Maybe consider if it actually matters to you to do things at a slow and steady pace. Is there a way you might remove the expectation of consistency and work with what your current pattern?
Another way you may change the way you interact with patterns is noticing how you operate on a daily or weekly basis. For example, are there times of day when you notice you can do more tasks that are less appealing? Are the patterns in the week where you may notice you absolutely cannot do any more cognitive (thinkie) tasks? Are there ways that you might feel in your body or emotional mind during the day that may be a sign to you that you might be able do tasks you don’t like right now? Finding your patterns and learning to notice when they’ve changed is something that can help you have a little bit more self compassion, and be a bit more organized.
Leaning Into the Chaos
When thinking about organization, it’s important to remember that novelty seeking is an ADHD trait. Staying organized and clean requires repetitive and boring tasks daily, weekly, and monthly. Leaning into the chaos is a necessity if you have ADHD. A rule I’ve given to myself, and share with my clients is if you use a tool for a week or even just half a day, that’s a win. And a win is a win. If I have a new planner or schedule and I use it for one day, it helped me for one day. When the novelty wears off, let it, and move on to the next tool. Trust me, there are infinite. Is this annoying? Yes. Is it just the way it is? Also, yes. Letting go of the shame you might feel in your brain’s need for novelty if you have ADHD is a huge leap toward self acceptance and (counterintuitively) getting more done.
Giving Yourself Space
Unfortunately, leaning into chaos can cut into productivity. Fortunately, we are human beings and productivity does not say anything about our value. Finding ways to give yourself more time, space, and autonomy can be so helpful. This isn’t always possible. If you have to work two jobs or if you have kids, this isn’t going to be super easy. But finding ways even small ways to give yourself some space to succeed is one way to work with our ADHD. For example, if you have time blindness (the experience of not being able to accurately estimate how much time something will take or how much time has passed) you may start by giving yourself more time to do things than you think they will take. This does unfortunately bump up against the cultural value that every moment of the day must be productive. Figuring out your true connection to that value or lack there of can support you in making a little bit more space for yourself.
Getting a Neurodivergence-Affirming Therapist
A therapist who knows about neurodivergence can really help with the process of decreasing the amount of shame and anxiety you may feel as the result of ADHD. If you’re able to accept that all tools are temporary, and it’s pretty unlikely you will become consistent, things might get a little easier. A therapist can help support you in finding the self compassion needed to actually be able to help yourself in the ways that work best for you. We don’t have to live by some unknown entity’s neurotypical standards.
