How to Clean Your Room When You Have ADHD
Because it can be downright impossible sometimes.
If you’re anything like me, and you have ADHD (which you probably do if you clicked on this article), your parents scolded you when you were younger for not having a clean enough room.
But one thing always struck me as weird. My parents told me to clean my room all the time, but they never told me how exactly I was supposed to do it. I guess they just assumed I would instinctively know, but since I have problems with executive function, breaking the process up into manageable chunks was nearly impossible for my little brain to handle.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve gotten a slightly better handle on my executive function. I’ve learned how to keep things clean and mostly organized. So, I thought I would share some tips I’ve gleaned over the years for those who may need them.
Break things up into categories.
This way, your internal search engine will think, “Okay, I’m cleaning up this kind of thing. Oh, there are other things like it? Might as well clean those up too.”
Whether it be clothes, trash, shoes, papers, or what have you, breaking things up into manageable categories is a lot easier than trying to handle the whole room at once. Your brain might even be able to hyperfocus on just that type of item.
Don’t expect to finish it all at once.
Cleaning your whole room at once, especially if it has been a while, can seem like a Sisyphean task. While it’s certainly easier if you break it into smaller chunks, it’s hard to expect to finish the whole thing in one go. This is especially true if you have let your room get pretty messy like I have been known to in the past.
A good rule of thumb is to handle one type of item a day. It might be easier if you plan your cleaning process out a few days in advance. Wash and out away your clothes one day, clean out the trash the next, and go through your papers the day after that, for example.
I know that sometimes as people with ADHD we struggle to put together plans. But I promise you that this will be worth it. Studies have shown that people with cleaner rooms are generally happier.
Ask someone to hold you accountable.
This is so much easier if you have a roommate, spouse, or family member who lives with you. If you live alone, however, that doesn’t have to mean that this task is impossible.
Simply call a friend and invite them over, specifically mentioning something about your clean bedroom. Give yourself a time frame, say a week, in which to make your room presentable for guests. Sometimes the pressure of having a time crunch can blast your motivation into overdrive. I know that it certainly does for me.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to figure out if these tips will help you clean your place of residence. I hope this advice can assist you because I can attest that it worked for me.
