ADHD And Managing Your Clutter

Is your clutter causing you anxiety and overwhelm because you are worried about what you are missing or because you can’t find what you need when you need it? 

Whether it is physical clutter or electronic clutter, as it increases, so does your stress level, right? But right now, because you don’t know how to tackle it, you may be avoiding dealing with it. 

Because it seems just too insurmountable. 

Is it your email or mail piling up? Stack of papers on your desk/table or electronic documents in the cloud or hard drive, in no particular order. Maybe the clutter is filling your closets, basements, garage, etc. 

Clutter can be anywhere and everywhere, whether it is on your computer, in your living space or workspace. 

It’s taunting you, telling you you can’t get a handle on it. But you can! 

Ready to see how?

How Does Your Clutter Build Up?

First, let’s look at the reasons your clutter builds up in the first place. If you have a hard time getting rid of physical or virtual items, it’s usually because of three main reasons:

• One, there is something sentimental about the item.
• You think you might need it one day, whether it’s an electronic or physical item.
• You spent a lot of money on it. So you think you should keep it.

And the pile keeps on growing bigger and bigger.

Why Is It Hard To Make Decisions About Clutter

Once the clutter builds up, your ADHD challenge with decision-making can also make it hard to decide what to do with the clutter, as you have too many thoughts at once and have difficulty processing them. Maybe it sounds like this.

I should get rid of this email, paper, stuff, etc. But I might need it later. Maybe I should keep it. Perhaps I should get rid of some of it. How am I going to decide? I might regret getting rid of some of it. I’ll figure it out later.

Then, when you are so overwhelmed trying to figure out what to do, you might either:

• Give up trying to decide on the clutter
• Make a decision impulsively – like throwing something out – so you can stop thinking about it.

Because it feels like a game of pinball in your head that you just want to get rid of. 

But neither of these options serves you well, right?

What Does Good Enough Look Like For You?

When you are ready to deal with your clutter, you want to be sure you are not trying to create an idealized version of what your physical or virtual space should look like. Because if you strive for this and are not able to reach it, you might feel evewith the above help, you might consider hiring a professional organizer. If you decide to work with an organizer, make sure they have expertise in ADHD organizing. You may be able to find a professional organizer through  Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).

Next Steps For You

• Follow the steps in #1 so you can start to reduce the amount of clutter.
• Then choose a room to start decluttering.
• If you get stuck, decide what kind of help you might need.