#adhd systems

I've spent the past week trapped in a "too stressed to write/work" cycle where every time I sat down at my desk to do something, I'd fall into an anxiety spiral. I was becoming so avoidant of the situation I made a "joking" post about having done a lot of labor-intensive chores just to avoid writing. And while brains sometimes need time to procrastinate as part of the rest/creative process, in this instance, it wasn't productive but distressing procrastination.

I could still write in bed or on my phone, but the work I needed to get done required me to be at my desk, so today, I sat down and really looked at my surroundings to see what was causing the dysfunction.

Was it the unpaid water bill I'd left in my line of sight so I wouldn't forget about it? My diary left open with several important dates, creating an impending sense of doom due to the spiral I was already in? Was it the journal I used for therapy sitting open? Was it the bag of chips/water bottle/mug/my ring splints/mobility aids/my meds sitting out/the two books I need to read this month/Holly's toys just visible in my line of sight??

The answer was likely all of the above. Individually, these things might not cause much background noise, but when you suffer from visual exhaustion, any minor mess can become part of a greater background radiation that seeps into your visual awareness and adds visual stress to your already limited capacity for processing.

So, what do I do about it? Do I take my time to sort everything out, use up more vital energy on dealing with the mess, and still risk not getting any writing done?

Nope. I prioritized paying the bill, and everything else got swept into a handy basket and moved to the threshold to be dealt with later. That way, things that belong in other rooms can be returned next time I take a trip around the house to get water/go to the bathroom/see whatever the Mop is up to. This is the system I use in every room to keep on top of my ADHD and reduce the amount of background stress caused by clutter. It might not work for your flavor of brain, but I'm throwing it out there (again) in case it helps someone else.

An admin hour once a week, to get all the admin tasks I need to do, clear my email box and also this is the only time I can buy things so that should stop be spending randomly on things

A cleaning hour once a week (my flat is tiny, it only takes twenty minutes to clean anyway)

A music half hour each evening (I love music but I keep letting it slip each evening)

Writing time once a week

And I already have workout time set

So hopefully this will encourage me to do things I need and want to do, stop me worrying about trying to do these things at any random time and make sure these things get done instead of letting it all drift because I’m not in the right mood

And this system will work for about three months until it stops working for me and I have to think of another way.

I really like fork theory for ADHD. I came across it from Catiosaurus on TikTok. It’s the idea that what most people consider one task breaks up into multiple tasks when you have ADHD. For example, taking a shower seems like one task. But when you actually go to do it, your brain gets stuck on multiple steps: get out of bed, pick an outfit, get undressed, take the shower, dry off, get dressed. And that many tasks can feel really daunting, especially when everything is that way. I can’t just take out the trash or just eat lunch or just clean the countertop. Each of these breaks down into multiple steps and they quickly feel overwhelming.

One thing that helps me is being able to not finish a task at any point. To just do a little bit. I don’t have to finish it. And I build systems that allow me to do that.

For example, folding laundry is daunting. Folding and sorting and putting away breaks down into so many steps and sometimes I just can’t. So a lot of times the clothes just end up in bins and that makes it really hard to find the clothes I need later in the week. So I got bins for specific things, and I don’t require myself to fold the things before I put them away. Underwear go in one bin. Socks go in another. Pajamas in a bin. Workout/leisure clothes in a bin. If I have the capacity to fold everything, great! Each bin is a bit more organized. If not, totally cool. It’s still organized enough that I can find stuff later.

Another example is putting groceries away. So many steps. But I have the have to’s: put the cold and frozen food away before it spoils. But then I have a space for groceries to just sit. I don’t have to put them away right away. I can just take them out of the bags and leave them. Then next time I walk away I can move what needs to go upstairs to a bin on the stairs. Maybe next time I walk by I put the snacks away. But the point is I didn’t have to do it all at once. I do just a little bit at a time. This makes it feel less daunting and I get a lot more done when I give myself permission to not finish it right now. Just do a little.