Managing Clutter and Stress in ADHD Families

Clutter, and the stress that comes with it, can often be the cause of a domino effect of mishaps in daily life. Individuals with ADHD tend to struggle with organisation and keeping things tidy, which can lead to challenging consequences such as missed appointments, late bill payments, missed experiences, and much more.

For those with a neurotypical brain, it can be hard to wrap their head around why it is so hard to keep things in their place, reduce clutter, and ultimately stress. People with ADHD are not just being lazy or thoughtless, their brains struggle with the skills needed for organisation.

In this blog, we’re going to investigate why individuals with ADHD struggle with clutter, how this can cause conflict among families, and how to best reduce clutter and keep it that way. 

Understanding the ADHD Brain and Why it’s Prone to Clutter

The executive functions in the brain of an individual with ADHD do not work the same as they do in the brain of a neurotypical person. These are functions that control planning, focus, memory, and self-control, which makes it a huge challenge to even start to declutter a space.

Working memory is another function that is impaired in the ADHD brain, which makes it not only more common to make messes but also to walk away from them, despite being told many times to complete a task.

There is a catch-22 where those with ADHD find it difficult to focus and concentrate when there is mess and clutter all around them, but they also find it challenging to either tidy up or stop making the mess in the first place.

Common Struggles with Organisation for ADHD Families

Individuals with ADHD have many struggles with keeping on top of decluttering and organising their spaces. Some of the most common struggles include:

• Starting and finishing a clean-up task.

• Paying attention to what they are doing.

• Remembering what they have been asked to tidy up.

• Keeping on track of the task they are performing.

It’s also really common for more than one person in a family to have ADHD, so there may be multiple people in your household who all struggle with organisation and clutter, creating an overwhelming and overstimulating environment that is prone to stress its residents out. It can be even worse when there is one individual in the family who doesn’t have ADHD and seems to be the only one who can plan and execute a tidy-up task with minimal struggles. This person must feel very stressed out trying to direct a group of ADHD individuals to tidy up whilst trying to tidy up themselves.

Strategies to Help Reduce Clutter and Stress in the ADHD Family Home

If you find that stresses and conflicts run high in your household due to messiness and disorganisation it’s important to set up a system that is easy to follow and visible for all involved. Checklists can be a great visual tool for this, something that can be checked off by everyone and let them know what their next task is. Another way you can help reduce clutter and stress in the home is by following the below steps.

1. Break Down the Task – instead of directing with “tidy your room” break the goal down into smaller tasks that can be ticked off, enabling the individual with ADHD to stay on track and receive a small dopamine hit at the end of each task.

2. Give Items a Place – label boxes, tubs, crates, etc. with specific items and keep them visible so it’s easy to keep things in order and clutter-free.

3. Get Used to Repeating Directions – individuals with ADHD often need reminders to keep them on track so you can expect to repeat yourself more than once.

4. Don’t be Frightened of Using Incentives – the ADHD brain needs dopamine, and incentives can be a great way of providing this once a task is completed. It could be taking a break to watch a favourite show or going to the park etc.

5. Pick Your Battles – take note of what is going on in your and your family’s life right now. Even though clutter and mess can cause stress, it may be better to leave it until everyone can join and share the load. 

Having Less Means Gaining More Control

When we touch our belongings that hold meaning to us it can set off an intense emotional response that can get in the way of making practical decisions about whether to keep or dispose of items. A good way around this would be to work with a friend or family member and have them hold up the items for you to decide, which may mean that you don’t get as sentimental and can make a practical decision about whether the item is important or useful to you.

Beyond Clinics: Comprehensive ADHD Assessments for Adults and Children

The stress and overwhelm that clutter can create is intense, so much so that it can make your home somewhere you don’t want to be. Understanding your or your family members' ADHD is important here, Beyond, a private ADHD clinic in Manchester can help with this.

We provide comprehensive ADHD assessments for adults and children, alongside an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan from professionals who all walk the ADHD path themselves.

Speak to our friendly team today at our private ADHD clinic in Manchester and see how we can help you and your family take control of your life.