The current full retirement age for Social Security benefits is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. At 50, you still have almost two decades to save toward retirement.

Maximize Retirement Savings

The key is to get the ball rolling. For the years to come, put as much of your money as possible into a retirement plan. Don’t delay — sign into your accounts today and maximize your contribution elections through any employer-sponsored retirement plans. Depending on your income, you can contribute to your employer’s plan and may be able to also contribute to a separate deductible IRA for tax savings.

[Read: “Will I Ever Recover from Past Financial Ruin?”]

If you work independently, there are retirement accounts that you can maximize for savings, like a SEP IRA, which is like a personal profit-sharing plan. You can still contribute through a regular IRA, but the contribution limit is lower.

Revisit Your Budget

Do you have a good sense of where your money is going? Where can you reduce your spending? If you have consumer debt, prioritize paying it off, as this type of debt can seriously cut into potential retirement savings. In addition, are there ADHD-related issues — impulse spending, emotional dysregulation, “out of sight out of mind” and so on — that are affecting your ability to manage your hard-earned money?

Delay Retirement

No one can predict the future, but if you reach full retirement age and are in good health, continuing to work past age 67 may be a solid option for you. Retirement benefits increase by 8% annually beyond full retirement age up to age 70. If you wait until you’re 70, you could boost your monthly benefit by 24%. (Past 70, though, your monthly benefit stops increasing even if you continue to delay.)

Plenty of people continue to work past retirement age for these benefits and because they enjoy what they do. The Social Security Administration website has calculators and other tools that can help you plan.

Retirement and ADHD: Next Steps

• Free Download: ADHD-Friendly Budgeting Guide
• Read: 16 Ways to Better Manage Your Money with ADHD
• Read: The ADHD Guide to Saving Money

The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “Smart Money Habits for People with ADHD” [Video Replay & Podcast #522] with Otto Rivera, CFP®, EA, which was broadcast on September 24, 2024.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Start with Taxes

After setting aside money for your needs (rent, groceries, etc.) make paying taxes your priority. Don’t ignore the IRS’ notices or delay any further, as penalty charges and interest add up quickly. Contact the IRS to discuss your options, including a potential payment plan. A payment plan will not remove any penalty and interest charges, but it will provide structure and a path forward to paying your tax debt. (Can’t call right away? Decide on a date and time to pick up the phone.) The risk of other difficulties with the IRS will go down the sooner you address your late tax payments.

Replace High-Interest Loans

If you are dealing with high-interest or predatory loans (with an interest rate of 40% or higher), research ways to pay off those loans quickly if your credit permits. Explore loans from local community banks or credit unions, which often extend more flexible loan terms, making refinancing easier and more affordable. Opening an account with one of these institutions may allow you to consolidate by paying off the predatory lender first and then repaying the bank or credit union at a lower interest rate.

[Get This Free Download: Your ADHD-Friendly Budgeting Guide]

Is Filing for Bankruptcy an Option?

If your debt is extreme and you can no longer afford to pay your bills, you may qualify for bankruptcy. While a serious step with significant consequences, bankruptcy can offer you a fresh start. If you do go through the process, don’t take it lightly. This is the time to become diligent about managing your finances. Learn to budget effectively and reflect honestly on the factors contributing to your financial challenges. In the future, consider working with an ADHD-informed Certified Financial Planner® for tailored support.

Grow Your Income

Especially at your age, explore career opportunities to increase your income to avoid reliving the financial troubles of your past. Find a career that aligns with your passions and strengths and contributes to your financial goals. More income will put you on a path toward saving for a house and becoming financially independent.

You have your work cut out for you, but I have no doubt in your ability to fix your money problems and get your finances in order. You’re in your 30s — the prime of your life. You can do this.

Money Problems and ADHD: Next Steps

• Read: 16 Ways to Better Manage Your Money with ADHD
• Read: The ADHD Tax Is Draining — Financially and Emotionally
• Q: “My Idea of Self-Care Is Overspending.”

The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “Smart Money Habits for People with ADHD” [Video Replay & Podcast #522] with Otto Rivera, CFP®, EA, which was broadcast on September 24, 2024.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Getting Rid of Clutter: Questions to Help You Decide

1. Do you use it on a semi-regular basis?

Semi-regular use means you actually use the item — not just intend to — a couple of times a year. The exception is seasonal items, like a Thanksgiving platter you’ve consistently used for years.

2. Is it currently making you money?

• Is the item helping you generate income?
• Do you use it for work?
• Does it help you pay your bills on time?

The item(s) must be actively helping you make money. The pile of stuff that’s been gathering dust for years that you might sell online or through a garage sale doesn’t count.

Online selling: Is it worth your time?

Extra cash is nice, but selling items online should be a worthy investment. Consider the many steps involved: photographing the item, writing a description for it, posting it, watching the sales, fielding questions, preparing it for delivery, and dropping it off at the post office. Is this all worth how much you’d be getting from the sale? Consider how much work goes into selling and if you have the time to spare.

[Get This Free Download: 22 Clutter-Busting Strategies for Adults with ADHD]

3. Can you buy it again for a reasonable price or borrow it?

Are you hanging on to items in hopes that they’ll come in handy someday? Worse, are you wasting money storing the unused item? Consider getting rid of it entirely. Take camping equipment. Keep it if you’re an avid camper. But if not, sell off the items and, when a camping trip does come up, either buy some items cheaply or borrow them from a neighbor.

4. Do you have a place to store it within your space?

The key phrase here is “within your space” — do you have room for your item? If not, then a) don’t keep the item or b) get rid of something else to make space for the item. To stay organized, you must acknowledge and work with the space you have. Don’t build a shed or rent a storage unit that will cost you hundreds per month.

5. Do you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it?

We all have items that make us happy and remind us of special moments or people. Keep those items. But as you decide if you really love an item, remember: If everything is special, then nothing is special. The rooster collection you adore and have been working on since childhood? Keep it! The Beanie Babies that you keep in storage because you swear they’ll make you millions one day? Probably not. (FYI: “Collectible” is a marketing term.)

Still not sure if you love, love, love an item? Try the “poop rule,” a decluttering method espoused by TikTok creator @adhdorganized that’s gone viral for its unusual ask: “Pick up an item and think — is this important enough that I would wash poop off of it?”

[Read: How Do I Get Rid of My Sentimental Clutter?]

Overcoming “But I Don’t Want to Be Wasteful”

• Try Buy Nothing groups, where you can give and receive items for free in the name of decluttering, sustainability, and community.
• Some stuff is just trash. When you hesitate to throw something away — especially if it’s broken and unusable — because you don’t want it to end up in the landfill, you’ve effectively made your home into a landfill. Holding on to trash won’t solve the landfill problem. Instead, not consuming and avoiding purchases of items you don’t want, need, or use will make a difference.

Click here for a handout version of these questions and more decluttering tips from Tracy McCubbin.

Getting Rid of Clutter: Next Steps

• Read: How to Motivate for Cleaning House When You Really Don’t Want To
• Read: How to Win the War on Clutter — One Battle at a Time
• Q: “How Do I Know When to Declutter Vs. Organize?”

The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “How to Organize a Messy Home: Strategies for Clutter and Stress in ADHD Families” [Video Replay & Podcast #520] with Tracy McCubbin, which was broadcast on September 10, 2024.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Keeping a clean house with ADHD — especially when all household members have it — is an exercise in teamwork. It requires planning, communication, routines, and lots of patience.

Focus on the Why

Especially with kids, talk often about how striving for organization and less clutter helps them and the family. Say:

• When we do the dishes and put them away, it means that we have clean dishes for our next meal.
• When we put our laundry in the hamper, our clothes get washed, so we have clean clothes to wear.

Bring up frustrating moments they’ve experienced due to disorganization and how a system could help them. Say, “Remember how anxious you felt that one morning when you couldn’t find your backpack? If you put your backpack away in the same place, you can find it every time.” Consider using visual reminders.

Other helpful scripts for all family members:

• “If you decide where something lives and you always put it back there, you will always know where to find it. That’s the reason that we’re organized.”
• “Don’t put it down, put it away. If you put something down, you’ll only have to deal with it later.”
• “Take the extra 10 seconds to put it away. Then it’s over with.”
• “This household is a community. We all live in it together.”

[Get This Free Download: How to Tidy Up Your Home Like a Pro]

Declutter Before You Organize

“Declutter” and “organize” are not synonymous; the latter means putting your things in places so you can find them when you need them. Organizing before decluttering often leads to headaches, as you’re trying to find spots for things that you don’t use.

Having less stuff is the key to being organized. If your home quickly becomes messy again after organizing, it’s a telltale sign that you have too much stuff and need to prioritize decluttering.

Avoid the “Right Vs. Wrong” Vortex

There is no “right” way to keep an organized home. But your family can agree to goals for common spaces and commit to systems that work for everyone, even if unconventional. One client of mine kept sunscreen in the kitchen; the only time her kids sat still enough to apply it was when they were eating. Brilliant! Rather than force her to store sunscreen in the “right” place, we made a sunscreen station for her in the kitchen.

Set up a routine that the family can do together, like a two-hour tidying session every Sunday after lunch. A practice, even if imperfect, can control mess before it explodes.

[Read: How to Win the War on Clutter]

Everyone Needs Space to Be Messy

Not everyone has the same standards for organization and tidiness. As much as possible, allow family members to maintain their personal spaces as they see fit. Trying to control every inch of your home can lead to conflicts, so it’s best to let go. Take it from me, a professional organizer with a messy husband: I stay away from his home office because it’s his space, and our marriage benefits from that.

Bring In Help If You Can

If you find yourself feeling exhausted, resentful, and hopeless about the state of your home, consider hiring a professional organizer who understands neurodivergence. They can demystify decluttering and organization, reduce your stress, and create efficient systems tailored to your needs.

How to Keep a Clean House with ADHD: Next Steps

• Read: How to Motivate for Cleaning House When You Really Don’t Want To
• Read: 33 ADHD-Friendly Ways to Get Organized
• Q&A: “How Do I Know When to Declutter Vs. Organize?”
• Free eBook: Declutter Your Life (and Home! and Office!)

The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “How to Organize a Messy Home: Strategies for Clutter and Stress in ADHD Families” [Video Replay & Podcast #520] with Tracy McCubbin, which was broadcast on September 10, 2024.

“Do not save what is left after spending but spend what is left after saving.” — Warren Buffett

We’re taught this money-management principle from a young age and the advice is sound, but hardly straightforward — especially when ADHD impulsivity, time blindness, and executive function challenges make it difficult to plan and meet financial goals.

In a recent ADDitude survey, 47% of adults with ADHD said they are dissatisfied with their money management and budgeting. The top challenges were:

• Resisting impulse buys (46%)
• Sticking to a budget (35%)
• Reducing debt (27%)
• Creating a budget (26%)
• Saving for long-term goals (24%)

When asked to size up their money-management skills, the 1,869 respondents largely pointed to problems with execution, not education. “I know ‘what’ to do,” wrote one ADDitude reader. “Getting my brain to apply this to tangible actions is the crux of the problem.”

Some said they dodge the topic of money altogether: “I don’t go to meetings with my financial planner. I find it far too stressful with dyscalculia and dismal impulse control. It just becomes a blame game. My partner goes for the both of us.”

Another wrote: “I can’t resist impulse buying, so I cannot get out of debt and can’t save for anything. I know nothing about investing because I’ve never had money to invest.”

[Download: The ADHD-Friendly Budgeting Guide]

Where to Find Financial Support

The most helpful money-management services and support networks, according to ADDitude readers, include the following:

• A financial planner (3.64 average ‘helpfulness’ rating out of 5)
• Spouse, family, or friend (3.21)
• Free services (3.18)
• Bank services (2.96)
• Budgeting app/service (2.95)
• ADHD coach (2.89)

Ninety-three percent of respondents reported hiring an ADHD coach, making it the most popular option. However, it was reported to be the least helpful relative to money management.

“You do not have to be rich to use your bank’s (or credit union’s) financial services,” one respondent wrote. “Appointments don’t cost anything, and it’s a great place to ask questions and make a plan to work toward your financial goals. And if you don’t mesh well with your advisor, just book an appointment with a different one until you find the right fit.”

[Read: Smart Money Management for Adults with ADHD]

“Find a free service group that does financial budgeting until you find the best budget template that works for you,” another respondent wrote. “It might take several tries before you find the right one, but the simplest is best to get started.”

Other Popular Resources

The money-management mobile apps and services recommended most often by adults with ADHD include the following:

1. You Need a Budget uses a step-by-step system for “assigning every dollar a job.”
2. Monarch Money was voted the best budgeting app of 2024 by Wall Street Journal.
3. Rocket Money finds, tracks, and cancels unwanted subscriptions.
4. Every Dollar uses zero-based budgeting principles and spotlights simplicity.
5. Quicken/Quicken Simplifi is an established, best-selling finance app offering personal and business plans.
6. Dow Janes for Women was founded by women, for women. It empowers users with easy-to-grasp financial strategies to build wealth.
7. Notion is a productivity app with free, ADHD-friendly budgeting templates.
8. Debtors Anonymous is a community-focused meeting space for people with problematic debt to come together and find support.
9. The Budget Mom helps women find financial fulfillment through its Budget by Paycheck® Method.
10. Acorns is an investment app that helps customers build wealth with spare change.

DIY Money Management & Budgeting Strategies

Money is a taboo topic for many, and asking for help can carry a lot of shame. As one ADDitude reader said, “Admitting you have money issues can be harder than admitting you have ADHD.”

It may take some trial and error, but good, helpful support exists. Using strategies that work for your ADHD brain (not against it) can make a world of difference.

“It’s a pain before you do a budget: the agony of knowing it’s going to demand your full attention and a sharp brain,” one respondent wrote. “But once you can really see your expenses, the stress settles. It’s a much calmer feeling to know than to guess.”

Below, ADDitude readers recommend do-it-yourself strategies and approaches to reach your financial goals.

“My dad told me to measure items in work hours. If I make $10 an hour, and I want something that costs $40, would I be willing to work four hours for that item? Labor is a more real way to measure value vs. price.”

“To prevent impulse buys, I try to enjoy the ‘free’ dopamine (e.g., taking a picture of that funny shirt instead of buying it). If I still want it tomorrow, I can come back for it. But usually, it’s just the one-time appreciation (or text to a friend) that’s enough.”

“I set up my bank account so that every time there is a debit, I get an email. That not only helps ensure that it is me making the charges, but it also reminds me to spend less. The goal is to have fewer emails from the bank!”

“I like to create no-shopping challenges for myself to help gamify avoiding impulse purchases. Sometimes, I’ll designate a whole month as ‘no shopping month’… If I find things I would have otherwise bought on impulse, I’ll save them to a wish list for later and either buy them after the no-spend period ends or realize I didn’t actually want/need them by the time it does.”

“Consider where you’re going to put the item you are thinking about purchasing and if you really want to take care of it once it comes into your house. Is it useful? Do you love it? Need it? Sometimes it’s fun to put things in your cart, both online and in person. Then, after a little time, you realize you don’t actually want or need these things, so you take them out and leave them for someone else.”

“Make sure to allow money for having fun in addition to necessary expenses. We are impulsive people, and shutting it completely down backfired for us. So my husband and I set aside an allowance for ourselves every month — ‘me money’ that we can use for whatever we want. It’s worked really well so far. We can choose to be impulsive or save up for a bigger purchase, and no actions impact our ability to pay our bills.”

ADHD Budgeting Strategies: Next Steps

• Watch: Smart Money Habits for People with ADHD
• Read: 6 Ways to Build Wealth After Retirement
• Read: How to Curb Your Spouse’s ADHD Impulse Spending
• eBook: Getting Things Done with Adult ADHD

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Home is where the heart is — and if you have ADHD, there’s probably a bunch of clutter there, too. Poor executive functioning compromises organizational skills, leads to procrastination, and impedes planning and prioritization. The result? Countertops covered in paperwork, beds littered with laundry, kitchen tables strewn with homeless items, and a looming sense of overwhelm.

In a recent survey of 1,885 ADDitude readers, 30% said that clutter and home organization caused them the most stress in life. Sixty percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with their home organization and de-cluttering skills; only 1% said they didn’t experience trouble in this area.

The aspects of home organization that prove most challenging for readers include:

• Big decluttering projects (closets, garages, attics): 62%
• Managing daily clutter: 59%
• Finding space where items should ‘live’ in your home: 42%
• Organizing bills and other paperwork: 35%
• Curbing the impulsive spending that brings more items into your life: 27%
• Getting buy-in and cooperation from family or roommates: 22%
• Identifying items to donate or recycle: 12%

“A big challenge is having an ongoing system that works to deal with items that need decisions made about them,” shared one ADDitude reader.

Another reader said that their biggest issue was “unfinished projects like unbuilt furniture, flooring that covers 75% of a room or a half-painted room.”

[Read: 16 Organization Rules You Can Follow]

Decluttering Support: Calling in Reinforcements

The key to taming encroaching clutter? Readers say that getting the right kind of help can be indispensable. Toward that end, nearly 40% of readers report that ADHD medication helps them tackle clutter and home organization.

These supports were rated most helpful by readers (out of 5):

• Housekeeping service: 3.90
• Junk removal service: 3.53
• Professional organizer: 3.37
• ADHD coaches: 3.32
• Spouse, family member, friend: 3.06

[Read: 13 Clutter Hacks for the Easily Overwhelmed]

“Donation centers and groups that do home pick-up, like the Salvation Army, are helpful,” one ADDitude reader explained.

Another reader tip? “Planning a party or visit. It forces a panic sweep of clutter.”

Housekeeping, junk removal, and coaching services are powerful but also pricey. Here are 10 low-cost tools recommended by our readers:

• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (book) by Marie Kondo
• How to Keep House While Drowning (book) and Struggle Care (site) by KC Davis, LPC
• Decluttering at the Speed of Life (book) and A Slob Comes Clean (site) by Dana K. Whi
• The Minimalist Home (book) and Becoming Minimalist (site) by Joshua Becke
• Clutterbug, podcast by Cas
• The Home Edit, YouTube organizing show
• FlyLady, online organizational coach
• Sweepy, cleaning app
• Dubbii, body doubling app
• Rock The Housework, guided cleaning session
• And, of course . . . ADDitude

Decluttering, Home Organization, and Cleaning Hack

To get to the ultimate goal — an ordered home that feels like a sanctuary, not a stressor — there are myriad paths. Here, our readers share a slew of successful clutter and home organization strategies that have worked for them:

“What helps me the most is everything having its own designated place. It makes it easier to put something away because I’ll know where to find it next time.” —Mariana

“Baskets! If an item doesn’t have a home, it goes in the basket until I figure out where it goes. I go through the baskets at least once a week.” —Mary, Pennsylvania

“Don’t look at the big picture. Instead of trying to organize your house, organize one drawer, or one dresser. As the saying goes: ‘The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.’” – An ADDitude Reader

“Clear plastic containers and clear plastic boxes, strategically placed to hold some of the D.O.O.M. piles I inevitably create in certain rooms of the house.”— Ryann, Pennsylvania

“If a large empty box comes into the house it has to be filled for donation in order to leave. I keep the box in the hall and we all add to it until it’s full.” — Amanda, Canada

“For each thing you bring into your home, remove one thing.” — Cynthia, Ontario

“O.H.I.O. — only handle it once.” — Ellie, Virginia

“I use the ‘Just 5 Things’ technique: I pick up and put away five items in a room, on a table, or another discrete area.” — Teresa, Ohio

“Having a friend come over to chat while I work on clutter is super helpful, even if they just sit and watch! Just having another person to help me decide where to start, what to do next, or what I should do with something is great.” — Nicole, Nebraska

“While I’m de-cluttering, I designate a space in the room for items that go somewhere else in the house, so I don’t get distracted.” — An ADDitude Reader

“Tackle a small area at a time, asking yourself 3 to 5 questions for each. For the closet, it would be: Have you worn it in the past year? Does it fit? Do you love the way it makes you feel?” — An ADDitude Reader

Decluttering & Home Organization: Next Steps

• Read: Home Neat Home – An ADHD Organization Plan
• Read: Organize Your Chaos to Find Calm
• Read: The Ultimate Room-by-Room Organization Guide

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

From boredom to shame, here are the emotional states tangled up with decluttering, along with strategies to calm or circumvent these feelings so you can stay organized.

Unpacking the Emotional Web of Clutter: Disorganization Solutions

1. Shame

Does your disorganized home spark feelings of humiliation and inadequacy? Fear of rejection and criticism due to clutter are common, and they may be so overpowering that you feel driven to escape the task of decluttering and organizing, leaving the problem to grow.

Solution: Shift to self-compassion

Acknowledge your feelings of self-loathing and treat yourself with the same kindness that you would offer a friend in a similar situation. Keep on hand a few positive phrases that you can easily read when shame appears. Remember that no one is devoid of clutter, and that yours doesn’t define your worth. Recognizing and challenging your shame will open the door to taking small steps toward a more organized space.

[Read: Making Peace With Your Clutter]

2. Overwhelm

When organizing a cluttered space, how do you know when to start, take breaks, and call it a day? Executive function weaknesses, common in ADHD and hoarding disorder, make it difficult to identify the logical and explicit steps required to declutter and organize living and working environments. Often, the result is procrastination and task abandonment.

Solution: Grab a Hula Hoop

Lay a hula hoop over an area that needs organizing and commit to cleaning only the space within the hoop. Set a realistic amount of time to organize (preferably under 30 minutes). Don’t have a hula hoop? Use tape, string, shoelaces, or any other method to clearly mark the boundaries of your focus. By concentrating on a single area, you’ll see a more obvious transformation, which will help maintain motivation. Take it a step further by covering ancillary areas with bedsheets or drop cloths.

The key to reducing overwhelm is to break down tasks into manageable parts, whatever that looks like for you. That may mean setting timers and taking breaks, identifying specific to-do list tasks, and/or separating items to organize into a box that you can chip away at little by little.

3. Anxiety and Fear of Regret

When decluttering, do you become anxious about discarding items you may later want? You may have once regretted cleaning out an item of sentimental value, or something you ended up needing after all, and so you avoid making that mistake again by keeping everything. The fear of regret is often strong in individuals with HD, who believe that they cannot tolerate any remorse from unwisely discarding possessions.

Solution: Recognize that regret won’t last forever

Regret is an emotional state that, like all other emotions, passes with time. Chances are that you’ve felt regret before, but you don’t feel the same intensity of regret today as you did in the moment. You are more capable of tolerating and coping with difficult feelings and mistakes than you know.

[Get This Free Download: 22 Clutter-Busting Strategies for Adults with ADHD]

4. Boredom

Boredom is a catastrophic and even physically painful state for people with ADHD, who have steeper and higher mental effort hills to climb. Any task that requires lots of mental effort to initiate and sustain — like decluttering, organizing, and maintaining tidy systems — will be experienced as boring and aversive.

Solution: Gamify It!

• Set a timer for a short period (e.g., 10-15 minutes) and see how much you can clean or declutter in that time. You can make it a race against the clock or try to beat your previous record.
• Create a bingo card with different cleaning tasks in each square. Mark off tasks as you complete them and aim for a full row, column, or diagonal.
• Turn cleaning into a scavenger hunt by making a list of specific items to find and put away.
• Create an upbeat playlist and challenge yourself to finish your task list before it repeats.
• Team up with a friend or family member and turn cleaning into a cooperative game.
• Treat yourself to something you enjoy, like watching a movie or having a special snack, after finishing a certain number of organizing tasks.

How to Deal with Clutter Anxiety: Next Steps

• Free Download: Hoarding Disorder Vs. ADHD Clutter
• Read: 17 Ways To Cut Back on Clutter
• Read: How to Declutter with an ADHD Brain — Organization Solutions for Real Life

The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “Clearing the Chaos: ADHD-Informed Strategies for Tackling Clutter and Hoarding” [Video Replay & Podcast #510] with Michael Tompkins, Ph.D., which was broadcast on June 18, 2024.

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

It’s a question I throw at the end of coaching sessions with my clients. I stole the question from the Coursera version of Yale’s most popular class ever, “The Science of Well-Being,” led by Laurie Santos, Ph.D. In this course, you’re tasked with writing down the things for which you’re grateful every day for a week.

Why Is Gratitude Important

The idea is two-fold. One, it breaks you out of negativity traps by training you to focus on and acknowledge the real good in your life, which helps you develop a positive outlook. Two, if you recall the things you’re grateful for in detail, your brain thinks it’s experiencing them again — so you’ll have multitudes of goodness in you.

[Read: ADHD and the Power of Positive Thinking]

Gratitude is an essential practice for those of us with ADHD, as we often harbor a nagging assumption that we’re less than. The extended logic is that because we are less than, we must have crappy lives – a self-defeating cycle that doesn’t make our lives any easier.

But we’re not less than. Our lives are full of beauty that we often don’t acknowledge. Noting the good around us and within us is a type of reality check that sparks awareness, acceptance, balance, and happiness.

If you’re looking for ways to practice gratitude in your life, try this fun exercise with friends and family. Propose that everyone join in on this gratitude game at your next gathering.

How to Practice Gratitude: A Group Gratitude Exercise

1. Gather a group of people together — around the Thanksgiving table, in the living room, at the beach, in the car during a long drive. Whatever works.

[Read: For to Log Daily Victories for Your Family]

2. Take turns answering the following questions.

• What’s one thing you’re grateful for in your life? (This could be your whole life or just this past week.)
• What are you grateful for about each person in this group?
• What are you grateful for about yourself?
• What are you grateful for about the natural world?
• What was your favorite answer that each person gave?

Each person should take the time they need to formulate an answer and should wait for others to formulate theirs. Go where your heart leads and have fun with it. Be chill. (I view this exercise as a game, though this is very different from the cutthroat card tournaments I played with my extended family growing up, where being chill was never an asset.) Beyond this one-time activity, make gratitude a daily practice in your life. Challenge yourself, in particular, to reflect on the positive aspects of your neurodivergence.

How to Practice Gratitude: Next Steps

• Free Download: Bonding Activity Ideas for ADHD Families
• Read: The Key to ADHD Emotional Regulation? Cultivating Gratitude, Pride & Compassion
• Read: “The ADHD Characteristics I’m Most Thankful for Are…”

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Few things spark more ADHD dread, anxiety, and overwhelm than the thought of sitting down and creating a budget. What’s more monotonous and depressing than meticulously calculating what you can and can’t afford? At the same time, bravely facing your cash flow is the only way to gain control of it. That takes a budget.

Use the following ADHD-friendly steps to get started. In this download, you will learn how to:
– Rethink how you define a budget
– Build a budget you can follow
– Review income and expenses
– Identify spending patterns
– Determine your monthly discretionary income
– Monitor cash flow
And more!

Smart money management eludes ADHD brains for various neurological and psychological reasons. Emotional dysregulation and dopamine-seeking ADHD brains can drive impulsive spending — an unhelpful coping mechanism. Executive functioning weaknesses can get in the way of paying bills on time, budgeting, and planning for financial success. And weak working memory may mean buying (and losing) the same item over and over again.

Here’s how the ADHD Tax affects some of my clients: They forget to pay their bills on time, incurring mounting late fees, even though they had funds in their bank account to cover the initial expenses. Some struggle to save for emergencies, such as losing a job or making a house repair. Others make a good salary but live paycheck-to-paycheck, wondering how they’ll be able to afford a child’s college or to live comfortably in retirement.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to harness the strategies and habits that have helped many of my neurodivergent clients live their best financial lives. You will understand how to set your intention and overcome common ADHD-related money struggles to score small wins and even save for longer-term goals. We also will address several readers’ most pressing financial struggles so that everyone listening can benefit from sound practical advice.

In this webinar, you will learn:

• How ADHD traits get in the way of reaching your financial goals
• How to short-circuit impulsive spending
• How to use automation and technology to budget, pay bills on time, reduce debt, and get other small financial wins
• How to identify goals and harness the motivation to stay on track and ignite financial success
• How to build a financial plan for today, tomorrow, and the future

Watch the Video Replay

Enter your email address in the box above labeled “Video Replay + Slide Access” to watch the video replay (closed captions available) and download the slide presentation.

Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the  symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Audacy; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO 

How to Budget with ADHD: More Resources

• Download: ADHD-Friendly Budgeting Guide
  
• Read: The ADHD Tax Is Draining — Financially and Emotionally
• Read: “A $400 Adrenaline Rush:” Stories of Impulse Buying with ADHD
• eBook: Secrets of the ADHD Brain

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on September 24, 2024, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Expert Speaker

Otto Rivera, a certified financial planner and enrolled agent with the IRS, was diagnosed with ADHD in his 40s. His ADHD struggles have made him stronger and more empathetic, traits that help him in his business. He is a financial planner with White Lighthouse Investment Management, an SEC-registered investment advisor firm. He also provides tax preparation services through the company he owns, Emergent Tax Services LLC.

Rivera is a member of the Financial Planners Association and is the host of their national Neurodivergent Planners Circle in which neurodivergent financial planners and other advisors share insights and education about neurodiversity. He lives in Florida with his wife and daughter and enjoys listening to history podcasts and classical music while jogging.

Listener Testimonials

“Otto lifted blame and provided helpful insights for ADHD brain challenges.”

“Excellent and exceptionally practical webinar. His expertise was so valuable, and the problem-solving segment was very relatable. Thanks.”

“Thank you so much, Otto. I am putting those four questions on a card for my wallet.”

Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is….

Does keeping track of your expenses feel impossible? Do you feel like your impulsivity gets in the way of your financial well-being? We’ve been there. Here at Inflow, we know that staying on top of finances can feel hopeless, but we’re here to help. Developed by leading ADHD clinicians, Inflow is a self-help program that uses CBT principles to teach effective strategies that can help you successfully manage your ADHD to stay on track and hit your financial goals. Get your ADHD score today to kick off your Inflow journey.

ADDitude thanks our sponsors for supporting our webinars. Sponsorship has no influence on speaker selection or webinar content.

Follow ADDitude’s full ADHD Experts Podcast in your podcasts app:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Amazon Music | RadioPublic | Pocket Casts | iHeartRADIO | Audacy

Your child can’t find their backpack and the school bus is here already. Wait, they found it. But where’s their homework and the permission slip for that field trip? Oh no, Dad misplaced his wallet and keys — again. Ten minutes later, he’s still searching. Now he’ll be late for work.

Does this sound familiar? Few things cause more strife in a household than clutter and disorganization. When a home is messy, and things are hard to find, it can make everyone feel stressed. Families touched by ADHD can thank weak execution function skills for this all-too-common scenario.

And here’s what can add another layer of conflict: When only some family members have ADHD and struggle to keep things organized and tidy, and others in the household are the opposite — and neat. ADHD or not, you can take control of your surroundings and optimize your spaces with our decluttering techniques and efficient storage solutions. We will bring harmony back to your newly organized and functional environment.

In the webinar, you will learn:

• About the common struggles families face when only some in the household have ADHD, and the conflict that ensues when all family members have ADHD
• About techniques to help kids and parents get started on their goal to become organized and create spaces to put things where they belong
• How having less stuff is key to being organized, and the techniques to help you decide what to keep and what to toss
• How to compromise and bring harmony back to your household

We will also tackle readers’ real-life situations, as well as recount my own experience as a professional organizer who is married to a very lovely but very messy man.

Watch the Video Replay

Enter your email address in the box above labeled “Video Replay + Slide Access” to watch the video replay (closed captions available) and download the slide presentation.

Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the  symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Audacy; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO 

How to Organize a Messy Home with ADHD: More Resources

• Free Guide: Hoarding Disorder vs. ADHD Clutter
• Q&A: “Should I Hire a Professional Organizer?”
• Read: How to Motivate for Cleaning House When You Really Don’t Want To
• eBook: Declutter Your Life (and Home! and Office!)

Obtain a Certificate of Attendance

If you attended the live webinar on September 10, 2024, watched the video replay, or listened to the podcast, you may purchase a certificate of attendance option (cost: $10). Note: ADDitude does not offer CEU credits. Click here to purchase the certificate of attendance option »

Meet the Expert Speaker

Tracy McCubbin has always lived by the motto, “Don’t put it down, put it away.” But who knew she could turn that philosophy into a booming business? While working for a major television director in Hollywood, Tracy discovered she had the ability to see through any mess and clearly envision a clutter-free space. Coupled with her keen time management and organizational skills, Tracy soon found fulfillment in helping people discover real solutions by getting to the root of their clutter. That’s when dClutterfly was born.

Almost two decades and thousands of decluttered homes later, Tracy knew it was time to take what she had learned working with her clients to help others around the world dealing with clutter. She authored two best-selling books: Making Space, Clutter-Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need and Make Space for Happiness: How to Stop Attracting Clutter and Magnetizing the Life You Want, bringing the beauty of organizing to homes everywhere. (#CommissionsEarned)

Tracy is also a regularly featured expert in The New York Times, Forbes, goop, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo News, CBS, NBC, FOX, Real Simple, and more.

#CommissionsEarned As an Amazon Associate, ADDitude earns a commission from qualifying purchases made by ADDitude readers on the affiliate links we share. However, all products linked in the ADDitude Store have been independently selected by our editors and/or recommended by our readers. Prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

Listener Testimonials

“I have heard Tracy before, and I think about what she says when I stare at boxes or piles. I have made small improvements. This motivated me to make a plan again and move forward.”

“Thank you SO much! I’m 74 and still trying. Best takeaways: If you’re keeping it because you’re afraid it’s going to the landfill, your home is the landfill; and keep putting it away in the same place, like your toothbrush, and you will eventually always know where it belongs.”

“This seminar really made me reflect on how I have improved my skills regarding decluttering. I remember years ago when I used to ‘shut down’ whenever the time came to get rid of things. Now, I do things differently, and I feel pretty good about these changes in myself.”

Webinar Sponsor

The sponsor of this ADDitude webinar is…

Play Attention: Boost Brainpower and Regain Control. Overwhelmed by daily chaos? ADHD can make managing family life challenging, but there’s a solution. Play Attention’s personalized program is designed to help parents and kids alike improve executive function, focus, and organization. Our NASA-inspired technology, backed by research from Tufts University School of Medicine, helps you develop cognitive control to enhance organization, regulate emotions, and improve productivity, creating a calmer, more structured family life.

Ready to turn the mess into success? Take our ADHD test or schedule a consultation to kickstart your journey to sharper focus and a better quality of life with Play Attention. Call 828-676-2240 or visit www.playattention.com.

ADDitude thanks our sponsors for supporting our webinars. Sponsorship has no influence on speaker selection or webinar content.

Follow ADDitude’s full ADHD Experts Podcast in your podcasts app:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Amazon Music | RadioPublic | Pocket Casts | iHeartRADIO | Audacy

ROADTRIP: 8 Road Trip Safety Tips

Review it: Map your route ahead of time, taking note of tolls, planned road work, and other happenings that may impact your travel. While GPS is very helpful, a general understanding of your planned path improves your ability to adjust quickly to possible reroutes and other shifts that may be needed.

Give yourself more time than you think across your road trip and be realistic about the activities you can undertake along the way. By allowing plenty of time for your trip, you’ll avoid the temptation to rush, speed, and ignore details that could be important as you navigate the roads. You’ll also be able to stop for breaks to stretch, move, eat, and rest until the next leg of your drive.

Out of reach: Put cell phones and other potentially distracting items in secure places that are out of sight and out of your reach to reduce distractions.

Air it out: Turn on air conditioning or roll down the windows to keep cold air flowing inside the vehicle. Avoid warm temperatures that can make you feel drowsy.

[Read: “I’m Too Distracted When I Drive”]

Dine right: Stay away from sugary and salty junk food or jolts of caffeine when road-tripping, as you may feel sleepy when their effects crash out of your system. To maintain steady energy levels, hydrate with cold water (which will also help keep you alert) and eat small, energy-boosting snacks such as nuts, popcorn, seeds, bananas, kale, hummus, spinach, lean meats, dark chocolate, or whole grain cereal before you hit the road.

Track your eyes: Stay focused, especially on long stretches of road, by shifting your eyes every few seconds to scan the roadway or check your mirrors. Consistent eye movements increase alertness and awareness of surroundings while also avoiding the trance-like state that can occur over the monotonous interstate miles.

Revitalize: Give your brain sensory stimulation with gum or essential oils. Chewing refreshing mint gum can increase alertness and keep you from continually reaching for a snack while driving. Smelling invigorating scents such as peppermint can trigger the brain for alertness and focus.

Insert reminders: Set reminders to refuel, hydrate, and take bathroom and movement breaks. Consider programming location-based reminders to go off as you approach gas stations, service areas, and even touristy spots you don’t want to miss.

[Read: Road Trip Hacks for (and from) ADHD Families]

Prep before you go: Make sure you’ve adjusted your mirrors, seat, and car temperature before you hit the gas. Have a pre-made music playlist (so you won’t be tempted to look at screens to search for the right song) and consider adding upbeat tunes that keep you alert.

Road Trip Safety Tips: Next Steps

• Read: Driving with ADHD — Pumping the Brakes on Vehicle Safety Risks
• Read: 8 Travel Essentials for Adults with ADHD
• Read: Stop Distracted Driving with These Safety Tips

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.