Real-Life Tips to Make Running Your Home Easier (Even with ADHD or Overwhelm)
- Karissa Barker
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
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There's nothing quite like the one-two punch of being Type A and having ADHD. Whether your brain feels at constant war with itself like mine, or you just want to make running a household easier and smoother for yourself, i've got you covered. Here are some of the ways I've made running my household more simple over the years that you can utlize :to make running your home easier:
Room Reset Checklists
If you've ever found yourself avoiding cleaning a room because it was just SO overwhelming, you are not alone! Over the years, i've found that sticking to the same routine for each room helped beat the overwhelm and kept me on track (hello ADHD distraction). I went through each room and figured out how to clean it the most efficient way possible and wrote it out for every single room.
I put the resets in dry erase sleeves to check off the list as I go, which offers a little ADHD friendly dopamine hit!
Visual Organization (Behind Closed Doors)
The juxtaposition of needing visual reminders while also hating to have things out on the counter had me rethinking how to organize my home. I realized I wanted to be able to see all the things while not having to see all the things. The solution? Clear organization systems.
Whether it's using an over the door shoe organizer with clear pockets in our entryway closet for seasonal hats, gloves, sunscreen, and other items or using clear storage bins in my pantry cabinets and linen closet, being able to see things but still shut the door on the space has helped immensely.
Rhythm Over Schedules
I used to search Pinterest for cleaning schedules, print them off, and beat myself up every day until I finally threw it away for not beign able to stick with the schedule. When I finally let go of shame and decided to shoot for weekly rhythms things got so much easier. I made visual reminders based around a theme for each day (Shopping, Baking, Errands, etc.) so that I could give myself a reminder for all the things I wanted to get done in the week without the stress of a schedule.
Get Rid of Stuff
This one is simple. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to care for your home. Get rid of stuff on a regular basis. I promise it helps SO MUCH.
Simplify Meal Time
Make meal time as easy as possible for yourself to reduce your mental load. I stick with a theme for each day (Slow Cooker Monday, Taco Tuesday, Easy Wednesday, etc.), and have a list of dinner ideas for each day of the week. At the beginning of the week it's so easy to just go through my meal planner and circle what we will make for dinner each day.
I have also noticed that when I prep out snacks and breakfast we tend to eat a lot healthier. When there's fresh fruit washed and cut up ready to grab with a cheese stick it stops us from reaching for less healthy (but more convenient) options.
Have Non-Negotiables
I've talked about the "Clean Sink Club" often in the past. For me, going to bed with a clean sink is something I strive for. I'm determined to ditch shame, so a night where a few dishes are left in the sink doesn't send me into a spiral of negative self talk. I've noticed it's been helpful to decide on some non-negotiables like dishes done at night that make me feel like the house is put together and ready to serve us well the next day.
Once you decide on your non-negotiables, the next big step is how you talk to yourself about them. Instead of "I have to do the dishes or the next day is ruined and if I don't I'm just a terrible dirty person that can't get her act together", try something like "I love having a clean sink in the morning. I'm going to take a few minutes to do the dishes even though i'm tired", or "I'm the type of person who does the dishes every night. Go me!"
Running a household is such an important, stressful, difficult job. It is also one of the least appreciated and acknowledged. I see you, I acknowledge how hard you work, and I'm cheering for you. We are in this together- and the work we do at home matters.
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