ADHD folks can enhance their executive function—key for focus, memory, and emotional regulation—through strategies like writing down key information, using planners, practicing mindful reactions, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and engaging in cognitive-boosting activities. These approaches help manage daily challenges more effectively, improving both personal and professional aspects of life for those with ADHD.
ADHD can make it hard to get organized. You try your best but somehow your schedule is always a mess, your house isn’t any better, and everything is spiraling out of control.
It feels like you’ll never get the hang of it and you often just want to give up. Despite the way you feel and what you may have heard, there’s hope. This article will help you understand why organizing feels so hard for you and how to get organized with ADHD.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder usually diagnosed during childhood, but with symptoms that persist into adulthood. Telltale signs include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, but the umbrella of ADHD symptoms is very wide and can look different in different people.
Having trouble getting organized is a common ADHD challenge. A 2020 study showed that problems with working memory, a key part of the executive function, are a symptom of ADHD and an important factor in low organizational skills.
Some people learn to thrive in the chaos, though even for them, the lack of organization can come with problems. It can increase stress and anxiety, decrease your ability to stay focused at work, time management issues, and poor performance at work.
Building organizational skills requires time and effort, but it is not impossible. Here are a few tips to help you on your journey.
Big tasks can feel like insurmountable mountains. You don’t even know where to start and they take forever to complete. Whether it’s tasks at work or around the house, break them down as much as possible.
You wouldn’t try to build an entire house all at once. You start with the foundation, move on to the first floor, brick by brick, room by room, then go to the second floor, and add the roof. Do the same with all your tasks.
This will make things feel a lot less messy and it will give you a clear path forward, helping you tick things off your to-do list much faster, giving you a sense of accomplishment.
Time management apps won’t solve all your problems, but they’ll help get your day organized. Once you divide your tasks into small steps, you can use your preferred time management system to get everything sorted out.
Some people prefer to keep things on paper, as writing everything by hand may help them focus better. Others prefer using apps as they can give you more freedom and are easier to take with you everywhere. Some apps, like Tiimo, will also give you the option to plan your entire day hour by hour and make use of colors and stickers to highlight tasks.
Putting routine and ADHD in the same sentence may sound weird to some. But before you completely give up on the idea, know that the two can go together. People with ADHD can create a routine, though you may need to have more flexibility than others.
For instance, you can start by waking up and going to bed at the same time. This will not only improve your sleep quality, but it will give you a sense of daily organization.
You can also try to have your meals at the same time each day. Apply the same pattern with any other repetitive tasks you know you have during your day. For the rest of the time, you can give yourself some flexibility if a rigid routine feels scary. All this will help you work towards a daily routine, keep your day more organized, and help you stay accountable.
That includes your home and your office. We know the idea can sound overwhelming, but remember, you don’t have to and shouldn’t tackle everything at once. Go back to item one on the list—small tasks, big wins.
For instance, start by making your bed. It will help keep your bedroom clean and will tell your brain it’s a new day. Continue to your office space. If you work in a big office or at home, start with one corner. Your desk is usually a good place as it’s where you do most of the work. Continue with the rest of the house until everything is in order.
When we talk about decluttering and keeping everything clean, we usually think of physical spaces like our homes and offices. Digital decluttering can be just as messy and a real impediment in your way of getting organized.
Have you ever opened an inbox and saw 5,284 unread emails, some of which may date back to 3 years? It may seem like there’s no harm in that, but starting each workday looking at that number can significantly increase anxiety and make it hard to focus.
You may be familiar with body doubling, a practice where you shadow someone you trust. That doesn’t mean imitating their every move. But they’ll be by your side as you work, creating a productive atmosphere, sitting by your side, and taking care of their own tasks.
A body double may not always be available, especially if you live alone or work from home. An accountability buddy can be anywhere in the world and you don’t even have to meet face-to-face each day.
They can help you set goals and check up on you to see how you’re progressing or what challenges you’re facing. Choose someone you trust and who is also knowledgeable of ADHD challenges. Otherwise, they might push you too hard, causing you to feel you’re constantly failing.
Do you have a task at hand that should normally take 2 hours? Plan for 3 instead. This doesn’t encourage you to be a slacker, but it takes some of the pressure off and could lower your anxiety.
You no longer have to rush and have a perfectly productive 2 hours. If you can—great! You get an extra hour to work on a different project. If you can’t, then you have an extra hour to get everything done. Plus, the risk of going over the allocated time is lower, so you’re schedule is less likely to get messed up.
Large storage spaces, both in your house, your office, and even your computer, can lead to chaos. Using smaller storage spaces will force you to keep everything more organized. It might also make you think twice before adding another item to your collection, as you’ll first have to figure out where it can fit.
Whether you’re trying to get through more tasks at work, organize your office, or declutter your inbox, give the Pomodoro technique a try. This involves choosing a task and working on it for a set amount of time, usually 25 minutes. Once the 25 minutes are up, you’ll take a 5-minute break, then repeat the process.
After 2 hours, you can take a longer break if needed, or you can keep going until all your tasks are done. If the 25-5 feels too short, you could experiment with a different format, like 50-10 or something else entirely.
If focusing is difficult for you, shorter periods will often be better, as it will be easier to stick to one thing, knowing the break is just a few minutes away. The set focus time will help you organize your day and go through your to-do list with more ease.
Getting organized with ADHD is not always easy, but it isn’t an impossible mission either. Remember to start small and take it one day at a time. Sometimes you’ll win and have the best-organized house and workday.
Other times, you might fail, and your organization will leave a lot to be desired. Embrace the process without being too hard on yourself. It’s a journey, so learn from your mistakes, and try again the next day.
ADHD folks can enhance their executive function—key for focus, memory, and emotional regulation—through strategies like writing down key information, using planners, practicing mindful reactions, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and engaging in cognitive-boosting activities. These approaches help manage daily challenges more effectively, improving both personal and professional aspects of life for those with ADHD.
ADHD can make it hard to get organized. You try your best but somehow your schedule is always a mess, your house isn’t any better, and everything is spiraling out of control.
It feels like you’ll never get the hang of it and you often just want to give up. Despite the way you feel and what you may have heard, there’s hope. This article will help you understand why organizing feels so hard for you and how to get organized with ADHD.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder usually diagnosed during childhood, but with symptoms that persist into adulthood. Telltale signs include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, but the umbrella of ADHD symptoms is very wide and can look different in different people.
Having trouble getting organized is a common ADHD challenge. A 2020 study showed that problems with working memory, a key part of the executive function, are a symptom of ADHD and an important factor in low organizational skills.
Some people learn to thrive in the chaos, though even for them, the lack of organization can come with problems. It can increase stress and anxiety, decrease your ability to stay focused at work, time management issues, and poor performance at work.
Building organizational skills requires time and effort, but it is not impossible. Here are a few tips to help you on your journey.
Big tasks can feel like insurmountable mountains. You don’t even know where to start and they take forever to complete. Whether it’s tasks at work or around the house, break them down as much as possible.
You wouldn’t try to build an entire house all at once. You start with the foundation, move on to the first floor, brick by brick, room by room, then go to the second floor, and add the roof. Do the same with all your tasks.
This will make things feel a lot less messy and it will give you a clear path forward, helping you tick things off your to-do list much faster, giving you a sense of accomplishment.
Time management apps won’t solve all your problems, but they’ll help get your day organized. Once you divide your tasks into small steps, you can use your preferred time management system to get everything sorted out.
Some people prefer to keep things on paper, as writing everything by hand may help them focus better. Others prefer using apps as they can give you more freedom and are easier to take with you everywhere. Some apps, like Tiimo, will also give you the option to plan your entire day hour by hour and make use of colors and stickers to highlight tasks.
Putting routine and ADHD in the same sentence may sound weird to some. But before you completely give up on the idea, know that the two can go together. People with ADHD can create a routine, though you may need to have more flexibility than others.
For instance, you can start by waking up and going to bed at the same time. This will not only improve your sleep quality, but it will give you a sense of daily organization.
You can also try to have your meals at the same time each day. Apply the same pattern with any other repetitive tasks you know you have during your day. For the rest of the time, you can give yourself some flexibility if a rigid routine feels scary. All this will help you work towards a daily routine, keep your day more organized, and help you stay accountable.
That includes your home and your office. We know the idea can sound overwhelming, but remember, you don’t have to and shouldn’t tackle everything at once. Go back to item one on the list—small tasks, big wins.
For instance, start by making your bed. It will help keep your bedroom clean and will tell your brain it’s a new day. Continue to your office space. If you work in a big office or at home, start with one corner. Your desk is usually a good place as it’s where you do most of the work. Continue with the rest of the house until everything is in order.
When we talk about decluttering and keeping everything clean, we usually think of physical spaces like our homes and offices. Digital decluttering can be just as messy and a real impediment in your way of getting organized.
Have you ever opened an inbox and saw 5,284 unread emails, some of which may date back to 3 years? It may seem like there’s no harm in that, but starting each workday looking at that number can significantly increase anxiety and make it hard to focus.
You may be familiar with body doubling, a practice where you shadow someone you trust. That doesn’t mean imitating their every move. But they’ll be by your side as you work, creating a productive atmosphere, sitting by your side, and taking care of their own tasks.
A body double may not always be available, especially if you live alone or work from home. An accountability buddy can be anywhere in the world and you don’t even have to meet face-to-face each day.
They can help you set goals and check up on you to see how you’re progressing or what challenges you’re facing. Choose someone you trust and who is also knowledgeable of ADHD challenges. Otherwise, they might push you too hard, causing you to feel you’re constantly failing.
Do you have a task at hand that should normally take 2 hours? Plan for 3 instead. This doesn’t encourage you to be a slacker, but it takes some of the pressure off and could lower your anxiety.
You no longer have to rush and have a perfectly productive 2 hours. If you can—great! You get an extra hour to work on a different project. If you can’t, then you have an extra hour to get everything done. Plus, the risk of going over the allocated time is lower, so you’re schedule is less likely to get messed up.
Large storage spaces, both in your house, your office, and even your computer, can lead to chaos. Using smaller storage spaces will force you to keep everything more organized. It might also make you think twice before adding another item to your collection, as you’ll first have to figure out where it can fit.
Whether you’re trying to get through more tasks at work, organize your office, or declutter your inbox, give the Pomodoro technique a try. This involves choosing a task and working on it for a set amount of time, usually 25 minutes. Once the 25 minutes are up, you’ll take a 5-minute break, then repeat the process.
After 2 hours, you can take a longer break if needed, or you can keep going until all your tasks are done. If the 25-5 feels too short, you could experiment with a different format, like 50-10 or something else entirely.
If focusing is difficult for you, shorter periods will often be better, as it will be easier to stick to one thing, knowing the break is just a few minutes away. The set focus time will help you organize your day and go through your to-do list with more ease.
Getting organized with ADHD is not always easy, but it isn’t an impossible mission either. Remember to start small and take it one day at a time. Sometimes you’ll win and have the best-organized house and workday.
Other times, you might fail, and your organization will leave a lot to be desired. Embrace the process without being too hard on yourself. It’s a journey, so learn from your mistakes, and try again the next day.
ADHD folks can enhance their executive function—key for focus, memory, and emotional regulation—through strategies like writing down key information, using planners, practicing mindful reactions, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and engaging in cognitive-boosting activities. These approaches help manage daily challenges more effectively, improving both personal and professional aspects of life for those with ADHD.
ADHD can make it hard to get organized. You try your best but somehow your schedule is always a mess, your house isn’t any better, and everything is spiraling out of control.
It feels like you’ll never get the hang of it and you often just want to give up. Despite the way you feel and what you may have heard, there’s hope. This article will help you understand why organizing feels so hard for you and how to get organized with ADHD.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder usually diagnosed during childhood, but with symptoms that persist into adulthood. Telltale signs include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, but the umbrella of ADHD symptoms is very wide and can look different in different people.
Having trouble getting organized is a common ADHD challenge. A 2020 study showed that problems with working memory, a key part of the executive function, are a symptom of ADHD and an important factor in low organizational skills.
Some people learn to thrive in the chaos, though even for them, the lack of organization can come with problems. It can increase stress and anxiety, decrease your ability to stay focused at work, time management issues, and poor performance at work.
Building organizational skills requires time and effort, but it is not impossible. Here are a few tips to help you on your journey.
Big tasks can feel like insurmountable mountains. You don’t even know where to start and they take forever to complete. Whether it’s tasks at work or around the house, break them down as much as possible.
You wouldn’t try to build an entire house all at once. You start with the foundation, move on to the first floor, brick by brick, room by room, then go to the second floor, and add the roof. Do the same with all your tasks.
This will make things feel a lot less messy and it will give you a clear path forward, helping you tick things off your to-do list much faster, giving you a sense of accomplishment.
Time management apps won’t solve all your problems, but they’ll help get your day organized. Once you divide your tasks into small steps, you can use your preferred time management system to get everything sorted out.
Some people prefer to keep things on paper, as writing everything by hand may help them focus better. Others prefer using apps as they can give you more freedom and are easier to take with you everywhere. Some apps, like Tiimo, will also give you the option to plan your entire day hour by hour and make use of colors and stickers to highlight tasks.
Putting routine and ADHD in the same sentence may sound weird to some. But before you completely give up on the idea, know that the two can go together. People with ADHD can create a routine, though you may need to have more flexibility than others.
For instance, you can start by waking up and going to bed at the same time. This will not only improve your sleep quality, but it will give you a sense of daily organization.
You can also try to have your meals at the same time each day. Apply the same pattern with any other repetitive tasks you know you have during your day. For the rest of the time, you can give yourself some flexibility if a rigid routine feels scary. All this will help you work towards a daily routine, keep your day more organized, and help you stay accountable.
That includes your home and your office. We know the idea can sound overwhelming, but remember, you don’t have to and shouldn’t tackle everything at once. Go back to item one on the list—small tasks, big wins.
For instance, start by making your bed. It will help keep your bedroom clean and will tell your brain it’s a new day. Continue to your office space. If you work in a big office or at home, start with one corner. Your desk is usually a good place as it’s where you do most of the work. Continue with the rest of the house until everything is in order.
When we talk about decluttering and keeping everything clean, we usually think of physical spaces like our homes and offices. Digital decluttering can be just as messy and a real impediment in your way of getting organized.
Have you ever opened an inbox and saw 5,284 unread emails, some of which may date back to 3 years? It may seem like there’s no harm in that, but starting each workday looking at that number can significantly increase anxiety and make it hard to focus.
You may be familiar with body doubling, a practice where you shadow someone you trust. That doesn’t mean imitating their every move. But they’ll be by your side as you work, creating a productive atmosphere, sitting by your side, and taking care of their own tasks.
A body double may not always be available, especially if you live alone or work from home. An accountability buddy can be anywhere in the world and you don’t even have to meet face-to-face each day.
They can help you set goals and check up on you to see how you’re progressing or what challenges you’re facing. Choose someone you trust and who is also knowledgeable of ADHD challenges. Otherwise, they might push you too hard, causing you to feel you’re constantly failing.
Do you have a task at hand that should normally take 2 hours? Plan for 3 instead. This doesn’t encourage you to be a slacker, but it takes some of the pressure off and could lower your anxiety.
You no longer have to rush and have a perfectly productive 2 hours. If you can—great! You get an extra hour to work on a different project. If you can’t, then you have an extra hour to get everything done. Plus, the risk of going over the allocated time is lower, so you’re schedule is less likely to get messed up.
Large storage spaces, both in your house, your office, and even your computer, can lead to chaos. Using smaller storage spaces will force you to keep everything more organized. It might also make you think twice before adding another item to your collection, as you’ll first have to figure out where it can fit.
Whether you’re trying to get through more tasks at work, organize your office, or declutter your inbox, give the Pomodoro technique a try. This involves choosing a task and working on it for a set amount of time, usually 25 minutes. Once the 25 minutes are up, you’ll take a 5-minute break, then repeat the process.
After 2 hours, you can take a longer break if needed, or you can keep going until all your tasks are done. If the 25-5 feels too short, you could experiment with a different format, like 50-10 or something else entirely.
If focusing is difficult for you, shorter periods will often be better, as it will be easier to stick to one thing, knowing the break is just a few minutes away. The set focus time will help you organize your day and go through your to-do list with more ease.
Getting organized with ADHD is not always easy, but it isn’t an impossible mission either. Remember to start small and take it one day at a time. Sometimes you’ll win and have the best-organized house and workday.
Other times, you might fail, and your organization will leave a lot to be desired. Embrace the process without being too hard on yourself. It’s a journey, so learn from your mistakes, and try again the next day.
Get started with Tiimo’s innovative, neuroinclusive planning tools with guidance from Inclusion and Belonging Lead, Beaux. This course covers Tiimo’s core iOS features, showing you how to organize tasks, schedule reminders, and focus your day visually. Created with neurodivergent folks in mind, Tiimo makes planning intuitive, flexible, and fun by breaking down tasks, building routines, and customizing reminders with colors, icons, and visuals. Discover how Tiimo’s tools can help you manage your day more effectively, whether it’s for work, study, or daily self-care.
Discover the transformative power of body doubling with Tiimo's Inclusion and Belonging Lead, Beaux. This course explores the science and practical applications of body doubling, or working alongside another person or group to enhance focus and productivity. Designed for neurodivergent folks, this course offers strategies to use body doubling for various tasks, from work and study to self care and daily chores. Learn how to create supportive environments that improves task initiation, completion, and overall productivity.
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Tiimo for web is here, bringing all the planning tools you love to your desktop with a bigger, easier-to-use layout. Seamlessly synced with the mobile app, Tiimo for web makes organizing your week simple and keeps you focused, wherever you plan.
