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The Power of Paring Down: Minimizing Possessions
If your tiny apartment is also packed with ADHD, it can feel like your space is doubling as a jungle gym for your disorder. The first step in reclaiming your home starts with downsizing your belongings. Those living with ADHD often struggle with impulse buying. With little room for storage in a small apartment, this can lead to a disordered, chaotic environment that exacerbates ADHD symptoms.
Use the popular “one-in, one-out” rule to keep your belongings in check. Every time you bring a new item into your home, one item must leave. This helps avoid accumulating unnecessary objects and keeps your home balanced.
The Zeigarnik Effect: Utilizing Open Loops
Those with ADHD often struggle with task completion due to an inability to stay focused. However, there’s a psychological loophole that can be exploited called the Zeigarnik Effect. This is the principle that we remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than the completed ones.
To utilize this effect, start with decluttering small, manageable areas of your apartment. Once you see the progress, your brain will push you to continue with the task due to the distress caused by having an open task. Small wins at the beginning of your decluttering process can go a long way.
Creating a Decluttering Schedule
ADHD can often lead to procrastination, especially for tasks perceived as boring or tedious like cleaning. To combat this, develop a specific cleaning and decluttering schedule. Have a clear start and end time for your decluttering activities and consider splitting them into several short periods over time for effective decluttering.
The Magic of Visual Markers
People with ADHD often perform better when they have a clear visual understanding of their goals. To leverage this, try using visual markers in your decluttering process. Use colored bins for waste, recycling, and donations. Map out areas of the room to be organized with sticky notes or colored tape. These visual cues can help guide and maintain your focus during the decluttering process.
Leveraging the Power of Decisions
When decluttering, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the multitude of items you need to decide on. By putting off the decision, anxiety builds up. But remember that deciding itself can alleviate anxiety. Try to keep in mind the four-category rule: trash, donation, keep, or relocate. Thinking about each item in these basic categories will simplify the process, and you’ll make progress faster.
Using Technology Tools
In the digital era, there are countless tools available to make decluttering simple for those with ADHD. Apps like Decluttr, Sortly, and Tody can guide you through the processes of selling unwanted items, keeping track of what’s where, and cleaning schedules, respectively.
Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you make decluttering a routine, the easier it gets. Keep your small apartment clean and organized and you’ll find that managing your ADHD symptoms can become much more manageable too.
