Creating an ADHD Friendly Routine for Decluttering
- Zoe Lewis
- Feb 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 16
Decluttering can feel overwhelming, especially for those with ADHD. It's so much more than "just tidy up" or "just get rid of clutter". Distractions, difficulty starting tasks, sustaining focus, and decision fatigue all add up. The good news is, you don't just have to buckle up and power through. By understanding how ADHD impacts you, we can create a supportive routine that makes decluttering feel approachable. This is how you can build your own ADHD friendly routine for decluttering.
Understand Your Challenges
The first step in designing your routine is taking a moment to understand your needs. This is the foundation of your routine and goals. What do you find are your biggest struggles and barriers when it comes to decluttering? Here are a few common challenges with ideas on how you can support it.
Not knowing where to start
Start with what you feel will be the easiest space to build momentum.
Choose a space with little to no items that have emotional attachment (such as a bathroom or laundry room).
Perfectionism
Focus on progress over perfection by celebrating the small wins as you go.
Decision making
Identify your "why" behind decluttering and anchor it somewhere you can refer back to.
Check out my decluttering decision support kit!
Physical fatigue or energy levels
Pace yourself
Make sure you have snacks and hydration available
Utilize any other supportive tools you use (seating, heating pads, braces, etc)
Getting distracted
Listen to a podcast or music while you work
Set up body doubling (check out my blog post on body doubling to learn all about it!)
Finding the time
Identify a pre-existing habit you already do where you could add 15 minutes of decluttering afterward.
Sustaining motivation
Reconnecting with your "why" behind doing this.
Set realistic goals, track progress through photos and celebrate your wins.
Doing something fun before decluttering to fuel up your brain.
Setting Realistic Goals
Now that you have a better understanding of your challenges with some strategies to support it, we can look at goal setting. Setting realistic goals is a very important part of sustaining motivation, especially for larger projects. It helps to break it down into small chunks so we can notice the progress being made -- even when it doesn't feel like much. Progress of any size is still progress and worth celebrating!
The key to setting realistic goals is basing them on what we believe we can actually accomplish, not necessarily what we want to accomplish or feel like we "should" be able to accomplish. As a general rule, it's always better to undershoot with your goal.
Frame your goals in terms of effort instead of outcome. Make them clear and specific. Break them down into smaller chunks you can check off as you go instead of something overwhelming and vague like "declutter the main floor". Here are some better examples:
Spend 15 minutes decluttering underneath the kitchen sink
Declutter my bedroom bookshelf
Throw away any expired makeup in my vanity
These goals are small, clear, specific and can realistically be completed in one sitting.
Keep it Simple and Flexible
Rigid routines can feel suffocating, and don't account for the inconsistent energy levels folks with ADHD often experience. You don't need a 15 step action plan to see results, keep it simple and create different options to choose from based on your energy levels for the day.
Instead of planning for a rigid time, plan around another activity (instead of "declutter at 2pm", plan to declutter after you eat lunch lunch.
Plan for high-energy days, low-energy days, and a baseline. You can sort your goals based on these categories, or create a routine that would work for each energy level.
Minimize Distractions
It's easy enough to get sidetracked when decluttering, we don't need extra distractions to be begging for our attention!
Silence notifications on your phone
Let other members of the household know how long you plan on working for, and not to disturb you during that time
Use Supportive Tools
The tools that work will be different for everyone, but here are a few ideas to get you started!
Visual timers help you maintain a better sense of time
Take progress pictures to remind yourself that you're actually making progress
Utilize whatever systems you already have in place to remind you to declutter
Keep up the Momentum!
Instead of consistency, I prefer to focus on momentum. To me, this shifts the focus away from doing the same thing, the same way repeatedly and onto maintaining whatever we can.
Becoming fixated on consistency can lead to our perfectionism popping up. "If I can't do it the exact same way, I just won't do it at all" type of thinking.
Focus on progress over perfection, small steps instead of an overnight transformation
Reflect on what feels supportive and what's working
Celebrate your wins, even if they're small!
You might fall into a "slump", and that's okay. Just take baby steps to get yourself restarted again.
Ask for Support When Needed
You don't have to do it alone! Asking for support when you need it is a strength, not a weakness.
Ask for help or set up body doubling sessions with friends and family
Join online communities or in-person support groups for added accountability
Consider working with a professional organizer who understands ADHD, or working with an ADHD coach to make managing your ADHD related challenges feel easier in general.
I offer 1:1 ADHD coaching where we can explore strategies that will work for you! If you'd like to learn more and see if we would be a good fit, you can book a free 20 minute discovery call.
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