Keeping a paper or whiteboard calendar where everyone can see it can be a good everyday visual reminder of upcoming projects. It may also let the other members of the household know you may need support staying on track. If you’re trying to complete a task, talking out loud about it may help you focus. You can also streamline your morning preparation by setting aside your outfit the night before. If you have outfits you wear regularly, keeping those clothing items together can save you time. Set aside outfits, not individual clothes “If not, electronic banking is the next best option.” Use clear binsĬlear bins can help you quickly scan for the things you need instead of pulling down each storage unit to search through the contents. “If possible, move this job along to a partner or trusted family member,” she says. Quinn points out that tasks such as managing a checkbook and paying bills might be more of a challenge for individuals with ADHD. However, having one go-to place for important paperwork can save you time and space. It can be tempting to have a separate stack for every important document type. Keeping items near where you use them can make them easier to put away or handle on the day you need them.įor example, keeping your clothes hamper in the laundry room can make dirty clothes easy to grab on wash day. Setting yourself up for success can be a big part of organization. Research suggests that red and yellow are remembered more easily compared to blue and green. The color you select for your labels can alert you to urgency, but it can also help you remember important tasks. Labeling the storage bins or containers you use while organizing can help you quickly put things away and may decrease the amount of time you spend looking for items you need. “Now make a separate list for today and tomorrow that has at least two urgent items and two important items for each day.” Check off completed tasksĬhecking off your tasks as you complete them can help create a sense of forward momentum and accomplishment. “Look at each category and put a label on each one: A, for something that’s urgent because there’s a time limit, and B, for something that’s important but not under pressure,” Dr. Lists can be powerful tools, but adding details to those lists may help you even more. Sit down and write down everything you can think of that should be on your to-do list, dividing items into categories like home, work, family, etc.” Get granular “Sometimes the list is too long and they don’t know where to start. Saline notes, “Many people with ADHD tell me that it’s easy to do a brain dump of the things they need to do but then they get stuck figuring out an order to do them. They can help you identify everything that needs to be done and can help you set a starting point.ĭr. Lists can be great tools to get organized. When you’re getting low on shampoo, for example, turning the bottle upside down may help you remember to buy a new one. You may also find it helpful to use object orientation to help stay organized. You can assign a color to mean “immediate attention,” or you can pick a color that represents each day of the week. Use visual remindersĬolor-coding items may help you stay on track with tasks. “If you have too much stuff and need to get rid of things, set up four bags and label them: keep, give-away, trash and unsure,” says Dr. Quinn, who lives with ADHD herself, states, “Minimalism is the way to go for an overwhelmed executive-functioning system.” Create decision bagsīeing undecided may cause a delay in your organization process. Kimberly Quinn, psychology professor at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, and TEDx speaker on ADHD.ĭr. “Clutter on the outside causes clutter on the inside,” says Dr. Getting rid of extra or unnecessary items around the home means having fewer items that need to be put away or organized. Signing up to receive these electronically might help eliminate stacks of papers around your home. Go paperlessīills, invoices, and monthly statements don’t always have to come in the mail. A box for unimportant mail that can be recycled and another one for bills and items to attend to,” she adds. “Set up bins and containers where items can be placed or stored. Saline is a licensed clinical psychologist, speaker, and author of “What your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew” and “The ADHD Solution Card Deck.” Sharon Saline of Northampton, Massachusetts. “When you feel overpowered by stuff in your life, it helps to set up specific places where things go,” says Dr. Have a place for everythingĪssigning items a “home” may help you find them and put them away more efficiently. Try these tips and see what works best for you and your lifestyle.
#How to organize your life in 2017 how to
But with small changes and some trial and error, you can learn how to get organized. People with ADHD often have difficulty with getting organized.