By Cori McDougald, Certified Professional Organizer ®
As the leading professional organizing team in the Twin Cities metro area (Saint Paul & Minneapolis), Meat & Potatoes Organizing is once again championing organizing trends by finding the most efficient and effective organizing solutions for our clients with ADHD.
Maybe it’s just me, but recently, I’ve had so many friends, family, clients and colleagues get diagnosed with adult ADHD. This is a topic really close to my heart!
As a professional organizer, I want to find as many unique and successful solutions for my clients, friends, and families that are struggling with the everyday load of ADHD. Today’s post will describe a small snippet of something we have found to be very effective for organizing for clients with ADHD.
The most common complaint that we get from those struggling with ADHD is that there is relatively no working memory. We forget. What this means from an organizer’s perspective is that if we (as organizers or family or friends) put your items in containers or “behind closed doors”, they will now become nonexistent to you. And this feels extremely uncomfortable for someone with ADHD! It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it.
So what ends up happening over time? We leave things out, they pile up over time, new to-do items are placed on top of old to-do items, and…the…pile…keeps…growing. The clutter keeps cluttering. And now the things are affecting our everyday functions. Fast forward to a day where we feel we want to tackle the problem. And now, the overwhelm sets in HARD. Where do I start? How do I start? This seems IMPOSSIBLE!
Cue, call your professional organizer. It’s time to set up the bones of your organizing system.
I’m currently working on a project where we are creating memory boxes for all of the random items, memories, important documents, and to-do items that need a home, need to be easily accessed – and easy to find.
I have been using The Container Store Weathertight File Boxes, putting hanging file folders and sub folders inside. From there – I let the client create as many working categories as to what makes sense to them. That is the most important part for retrieval of items!
We slowly work through all piles (what needs to stay, needs to go, needs to be donated)- and let me tell you, this part takes time, tenacity, and some unique body doubling. However, as we slowly chip away, create homes that make sense, we are setting up your life to function optimally for years to come.
After all piles have been gone through, memory boxes clearly labeled, we put away the boxes and your space is now clear. But your items still exist! And it makes sense. And your brain is clear. Your space is clear of the clutter. And we can function again. Ahh..sweet sweet clarity.
As you might be able to tell, I also stuggle with a bit of ADHD and know these feelings all too well. I truly hope that someday we can help you set up your own unique and custom system that will help you feel clarity in your space. Reach out for a complimentary consultation. We’ve got you!
