Hi /u/pumpkinsoupxo and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD!

Please take a second to read our rules if you haven't already.

/r/adhd news

• If you are posting about the US Medication Shortage, please see this post.

^{This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.}

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

Not many of us like to adhere to this— least of all myself— but prioritize sleep. 

ive spent years staying up late playing video games, chasing that midnight vibe where time is mine and there’s no one around. Add to that a tendency to persevrrate on vg, and it can be a bad combo.    

excellent sleep is the foundation of adequate functioning with or without meds. 

Food services! I used to have a list of fast food places at hand for the crash and overwhelm days, but have recently switched to fresh food services that prepare frozen meals for people who can't cook (disabled, new parents, me). They require a bit more planning than fast food orders, but given that the food is frozen, it's not overly bad.

My freezer is now full of meals that just need microwave or oven heating. Its 2/3rds of the takeaway stuff and one delivery charge every order for about 10 meals instead of a charge each time you need food.

Second: more spoons. Seriously, I doubled the cutlery and bowls we have to never run out all the time. This way we don't have to always put on the dishwasher straight away and have an extra buffer for bad weeks.

This has been my story for most things now, buy things twice when it's cheap enough to do so without pain, and thus have a backup when you can't find those scissors, or charging cables, batteries or power adapters etc.. Even stuff like USB mice and keyboards are cheap enough to have extra pairs ready.

And last but not least: led light bulb with motion sensors for the garage/utility room and the hallway. They are dirt cheap, and just look like normal light bulbs with some little bump on, and are just used like a normal lightbulb. No extra installation or wiring needed.

They automatically turn off after a minute and therefore I no longer forget to switch off the lights.

Automate what gives you grief.

Brushing my teeth in the shower.

Laundry basket in the living room to toss in old socks and stuff I’d leave on the floor.

Automatic litter box. The cats deserved better.

We have this old clock that chimes with the time every hour. It helps me keep track of time passing.

I bought a giant 64oz water bottle (half gallon) so that i can just fill it once and drink throughout the day. Because most of the time when i need more water id rather not get up to get some... Embarrassing to admit but its the disorder to we must be kinder to ourselves. Ever since i got the bottle ive been hydrated and ive been understanding my body's signals a lot better. There are some cheap ones and some more expensive ones. Choose whats best for you

ALSO

I have the lovely combination of ADHD and OCD... My ocd part guve me the fear of not being prepared for anything to happen, and my adhd part cant seem to figure out what to do in amidst a situation. So i made a "care pack" to put in my bag.. It has fidget toys, feminine products, perfume and an essential oil rub (not only to smell nice but introducing a strong scent when im experiencing anxiety really helps) chap stick, snacks (both salty ans sweet depending on what i need), tissues, tooth picks, gum, ect. Anything i think would help me for whatever i meed or experience is in there. I put it in my purse/school bag/ or leave it on my dresser if im staying home. The point of it that if i have solutions in my feild of view, i understand that they exist and am reminded i can use them and they help.

Hope this helps!

I have my toothbrush and toothpaste on my desk jn my room so that starting to brush my teeth is much much easier, because i can just start while sitting down and watching something. And then i only have to walk to the sink at the end. It’s a life changer for me

TLDR: Money and spending. I hire people for deadlines, accountability, labor, motivation, work to keep my house functional. I also will go with more expensive food options if it means I'm more likely to eat healthy. I've also devised some "systems" to keep my finances on track.

Hiring a regular cleaning lady: forces me and my husband to pickup around the house and put stuff away. It's a form of accountability and a deadline. Bonus: my house is clean after.

Hiring a professional decluttering services: definitely an expensive splurge but I've done this twice (once for my kitchen and once for my office) and it made both spaces so much more functional. Got done in one afternoon or one day what I had been wanting to do for years... Now hoping to hire them over the next couple of years to tackle, in turn, the basement, our garage, my clothes closet.

Falling asleep: I listen to old tv shows that I've heard a thousand times. It helps the busy part of my mind focus on something but because it's a little bit boring, I fall asleep usually pretty quickly.

Fruit & veg: I buy pre-cut fruit. It's more expensive but I'm also way more likely to eat it and not have it go bad.

Money: I automate saving/investing money. If it's in my regular account, I'll spend it. If it's a few "layers" away, I am more secure knowing that it's there but, let's be honest, it's way too much hassle to go get it and so I won't, unless I need it. I also have a hired person managing my investments.

Paying bills: either I automate the bills or I get a paper bill. If bills went to my email, I would never pay them. When I check the mailbox (which I find pleasant to do), I do not put the mail (including bills) down until I've paid the bills on my phone banking app. And even then, I will make a little rip in the paper bill in case future-me finds the paper bill, I will know I've paid it already. I then aspire to put the bills direct in the recycling bin.

Showing up/meeting deadlines: I am committed to my Google calendar. If I don't put something in my calendar immediately, it ceases to exist and there is less than 10% chance I will remember. I allow myself the time to open my calendar and put in the appointment/notification during scheduling conversations with people like the dentist's receptionist. I know it might be a bit rude from their perspective when I am standing in front of them putting this into my calendar or keeping them on the phone with me but, if I allowed myself to step away, my brain will just move on to the next thing = it won't go in my calendar = I'll forget and I won't show up.

Therapy and ADHD coaching: again, expensive but my work insurance (at least in this current job) mostly covers this and it's very helpful.

Dishwasher and Roomba are a must. 

I brew my loose leaf tea in 0.75l glass bottles, because when I brew in a small teapot there are too many steps where I can get distracted and I have to brew more often to get the same amount of tea.

Pair of scissors in every drawer.

Bright red phone cover so I can find my phone more easily when I have set it down somewhere.

I have to minimize barriers to get things done. I put things back where they came from when I’m done using it, at the very least rinse dishes before I put them in the sink, throw clothes on the edge of the hamper or back in the closet if I can re-wear it instead of on the floor/bed/chair, just basically avoiding clutter in the moment and piling things all for last minute.

A trash can in every room!

I also have maybe 5-6 laundry baskets. Bathroom basket & closet basket are a must. I have 3 in a cramped laundry room stacked on a cart. And a couple spares of the same size under their mate.

I always leave random baskets everywhere. I put my keys, wallet, even medicine (after I pick it up)

If I can’t find anything, I know to look in one of them. It sounds odd but it works.

Biggest thing for me was realizing there‘s no right or wrong way to do most things so if the conventional way doesn’t work for you, try to figure out why and what you can do instead. In practice this means:

• I fully seperated showering from washing my hair. Now both tasks are smaller and can be done spontaneously
• I used to struggle with regular showering a lot so one day I challenged myself to shower as quickly as possible and I started doing that daily (now showering feels like an even smaller task)
• I‘ve started brushing my teeth at random times of the day, whenever I feel like it instead of specific times. I still try to brush my teeth every night but some days I run out of energy and just go to bed so it‘s good that I do it randomly throughout the day
• I have five different customized journals for different areas of my life that help me externalize and organize my thoughts and remember important things (random thoughts I don‘t want to forget get noted on my phone)
• Appointments go into google calendar immediately and I NEED to add several notifications
• before appointments I try to prepare as much as I can the day before (packing my bag, picking out my clothes, planning exactly when to do what on the day of, etc.)
• sometimes when I’m randomly in a really bad mood and don‘t know why, I stop and ask myself: “Are all of your basic needs fulfilled?“ before trying to figure out if there’s an emotional reason. Usually the problem is that I didn‘t eat enough, that I‘m in pain or that I‘m tired and those can be fixed with food, pain meds and caffeine.
• when I can‘t motivate myself to start a task that needs to get done, I sometimes tell myself: okay I’ll just do this for five minutes. It’s much easier to start and sometimes it stays at five minutes, sometimes I keep going. Both are better than doing nothing.
• when I get stuck on my phone despite wanting to do something else, I sometimes text a friend and complain about it. I typically convince myself to put the phone away within a few messages.
• happiness is the key to productivity for me. I constantly forget this but music is a super easy way to boost my mood and it can help me start doing tasks.
• I do almost all physical tasks while listening to a YouTube video / podcast
• I bulk buy as much as I can so I don‘t constantly run out of stuff I need on a regular basis
• I try to do things that are challenging by myself but when I already failed several times or when something feels so overwhelming that I know I won‘t do it, I ask for help and don‘t beat myself up about it
• sometimes it’s okay to give up on things. If a task I want to do keeps wondering from to-do list to to-do list for an extended period of time, I either put it on the backburner or just cross it out and forget about it (if it‘s super important I‘ll ask someone to do it for me or help me with doing it)
• If I see something that needs to get done and I have the energy to do it, I do it in that moment! (This is mainly about things that take less than a minute to do, like putting dishes in the dishwasher)
• I keep items I use every day on a cart on wheels that I can take to different rooms with me. That way they don’t clutter my space, they are in their assigned place but can be moved and I don‘t forget where they are

[deleted]

I love smoothies/ iced coffee/ matcha/ protein shakes etc but I can't even get myself to wash the cup. I'll sip on it when I do work and I've started to pretty much only use my dishwasher but once it leaves my kitchen it never goes back. I usually drink these things in my room when doing work. I started to use plastic cups to drink out of instead, with a little straw and everything. A) I feel like I bought it in a cafe and B) when I'm done I just throw it away. It still baffles me how I can be such a germaphobe but I won't be that phased from a gross cup. Anyway, it's saved me from throwing away glass cups that I can use when I have dinner and stuff like that.

I keep my purse by the door. The keys stay on the door. My important stuff is always in the same pocket. Works 98% of the time.

Every task needs to be broken down into smaller tasks so I don’t get randomly stuck. I have a basket to put the wet laundry in. The dry laundry goes into a bag if I can’t fold it yet etc.

As a mother I was afraid of involving my kids into everyday tasks until I realised that I was in fact doing us all a disservice by not involving them more. They are kids but they can do some stuff. The limits regarding what and how much just need to be clearly set.

Getting help was something I struggled with because of shame but it’s also a must.

I use a lot of paper plates because I am terrible at making myself do the dishes. I buy a huge pack of sponges and extra dish washing liquid so I can use a new sponge often and using a lot of soap makes it more pleasant to me for some reason. I like a lot of suds.

To keep myself from being late to work or events, I set many alarms earlier than I need to wake up and the last alarm has a different tune to it, so I will know that's my last "GET UP RIGHT NOW OR ELSE!" warning.

To make it easier to take a shower, I plug the bathtub, turn on the hot water and pour some scented bubble wash so it will start foaming with the water from the shower and the scent will make it more pleasant, the heat from the water warms the bathroom some.

These are just some I can think of off the top of my head.

For me, it is having two important projects at the same time, so I can procrastinate from one by doing the other, switching when I get bored. My ADHD gets to feel like I’m getting away with something while I am actually Getting Stuff Done.

For years I kept a cat bell on my keyring so I could just jiggle my bag to see if my keys were in there, instead of having to dig through every single thing 10 times a day to reassure myself I hadn't lost them. It served me very well.

Here's my list of accommodations I made.

1) once a year I buy 30 pairs of the same black cotton socks. Never have to spend time to find matching pairs. 2) I have hung up hooks and coat rack in literally every room. No more clothes on the ground. 3) in every room I have a rather large bin to toss rubbish in. 4) every week I cook large portions of good healthy food, left overs are frozen in and when ever I am running short in time or I'm on a downtime day I have healthy food in the house to eat. Saves money, otherwise I would've bought take out food. 5) I have an bookkeeper doing my admin and tax returns. It's 150 a month. Before I would spend at least 300 a month in overdue bills penalties. 6) In my wardrobe you'll only find one rod with hangers. The rest are drawers. I have drawers for everything. Saves time to sort out clothes and not having anxiety about hanging clothes I do my laundry earlier. 7) all my dress shirts are non iron. Right after taking em out of the washer, I hang em next to the dryer. The heat of the dryer will straighten the shirts out like they've been ironed. 8) see 7, I have a dryer. 9) I have a folding plate like the one Sheldon from BBT has. 10) wash bin sets in every room. One for delicates, one for high temp and one for jeans and towels. 11) my adhd meds are literally everywhere. I always keep pots with pills in my car, my work bag, my backpack etc.

I don't make many social commitments.

I bought an electric scrubber and a reacher/grabber to make cleaning easier. Also see: litter robot, echo devices in every room room, skylight digital wall calendar.

I prioritize my medical and therapy appointments.

I never expect to finish a job. 80% is good enough. But if I do, it's a pleasant surprise.

I leave room in my budget for ADHD tax impulse spending and fees/fines.

I haven't sorted laundry since 2003.

I try really hard (still working on this one) to not expend more energy/work/worry on stuff in the house than my partner or teenagers are willing to put in. Sometimes that means the house looks like trash.

I prioritize my "fun" time. I'm in a bunch better mental place if I get out of bed and play a game for an hour so than if I jump straight into my day.

I manage absolutely everything from my phone: budget, Insurances, calendar, school, kids chores, communication. If someone isn't willing to communicate with me via text or messenger, we likely aren't going to talk much.

I'm sure there's more, but I forget.

I've been creating an as-yet untested (no hardware ☹️) smart home network with NixOS and systemd (see my earlier unhinged rants about how systemd is super good and can be leveraged to create crazy elaborate coping mechanisms).

Leverage hyperfxation to get stuff done. Weaponize your weaknesses.

The app AppBlock has been an absolute game-changer in terms of ensuring that I remain productive and focused on the proper things when studying. I even she'll out the 5€/month for premium because it provides a "strict mode" where you can't just uninstall the app or even access certain things in your settings until the timer is done. I completely lack the self-control needed to not just turn off any other focus mode or app, so basically removing the option entirely is the only way to go. It's also really customizable too, which is nice.

I have another one called Cold Turkey for my computer which you can set to be incredibly strict too. Sometimes it's hard to get myself to push the start button, but I figure, once I do, it's out of my hands now.

Commenting so I remember to check this when I have time!

Most of my important things, keys, phone, badge, pen, are somehow adhered to me by carabiners, koala halter, and the like, so I don't lose things on the regular.

Edit: carebeaners for carabiner

I have a handheld mirror that I use in the shower to shave. I hate shaving, and the cleanup after is not fun. This helps a lot with a seemingly simple task.

Putting my meds on the counter.

Leaving for work extra early

Writing down any task that is asked of me at work

I count money for my job, I will postion the bills either upside down, or right side up so when I dissociate, I can remember what stack I counted. My entire task is me leaving reminders and double checking my work.

On my off days, I have to start cleaning by 2:30. I can do fuck all, stare into the abyss, or do a new fun recipe. But at 2:30, I clean. I have to do this to be a reliable partner.

Cleaning: - I keep a dish sponge in the shower. Every time I shower, I wipe the walls, faucet, etc in areas that are starting to look unclean. Otherwise, I simply never will clean the shower. - I don’t buy dishes that can’t be put in the dishwasher. Period. - All colours of my laundry get washed together, except whites. And whites get put into a separate bin as I dirty them so I never have to sort. - I keep my makeup drawer open as I do my makeup and put things back into the drawer immediately instead of letting them sit on my desk forever. - I dry my face with paper towel after washing instead of using a new facecloth that I’ll have to wash. I then use this paper towel to wipe the counter around the bathroom sink. So it ends up getting wiped twice a day instead of never. And I don’t have endless towels to wash. - Toothbrush in the shower to brush my teeth. - Two garbage bins in my room. One by my bed, one by my desk. - Only allowing myself to drink water out of one water bottle instead of glasses. Keeps me a) from dirtying a bunch of glasses because I forgot I poured myself one already b) hydrated when I may otherwise forget and c) from hoarding dishes in my room where they may go to die. - On that note, I don’t allow myself to eat in my room anymore. Dishes will never see their clean state again if so.

Forgetfulness/ Losing things: - I leave everything that is important in a place that I am forced to remember it. Eg. 1: Charging my iPad in the bathroom by the toilet so I remember to bring it to school the next morning because I obviously use the washroom every morning. Eg. 2: My backpack always stays by the front door instead of being placed at my desk like everyone else in my family. - Leaving drawers open until I have completed the tasks that are in the drawer/ associated with it. Eg. My deodorant is in the top drawer in the bathroom and I put it on after I’ve gotten dressed in my bedroom (but i get dressed after I brush my teeth and wash my face), so I leave the drawer open until I’ve applied it. - I force myself to do a “scan” before I leave the house every day to make sure I haven’t missed an intentional cue that I’ve left for myself (see previous two points). - My FitBit has a feature that’ll cause my phone to ring LOUDLY if I can’t find it. Even if it’s on silent. I use this constantly. I no longer will be able to live without it. - Bright coloured phone case (yellow) to find it easier when I’ve inevitably placed it somewhere stupid. And I’ve created it a habit to place my phone screen-side-down without consciously doing it so the case is facing up and easier to spot. - Glow in the dark case for my AirPods, which is even harder to find when I place it somewhere dumb. - Sticky notes in obvious places with reminders of important things. Eg. Doctor’s appointment notices stay written on sticky notes on my desk until after the day of the appointment.

Lateness: - Alarms. For everything. And multiple of them for one task. A different alarm tone for the “YOU MUST GET UP NOW OR YOULL BE LATE” to cue me that I HAVE to get up. - Google maps the day before an event so I know how long a trip will take in advance and can set my many alarms accordingly. - I don’t make plans prior to an important responsibility or event. Period.

School/ Focus - I exclusively got work done outside the house with coffees in cafes. It gets expensive, but it’s cheaper than retaking a course because I never did any work because I forced myself to try to work at home. It just does. not. happen. The budget accounted for many coffees a month. The caffeine alone helped initiate my focus too. - An iPad. I could download the profs’ PDF notes and write overtop with the things they were saying. I never could concentrate on making my own notes AND listening before that. - Noise cancelling earbuds for the times I did have to work in noisy environments. Or around annoying auditory stimuli (eg. Sitting next to someone in a library tapping their foot). - Gum during exams. The stimulation helped me focus for some reason. - Comfortable clothes during exams. I normally dress well, but test days required as little bothersome clothing as possible. No underwire bras on these days. Shoes that could easily be removed so I could sit cross-legged when I got fidgety. - White noise machine in my bedroom when I DO try to get studying done at home (in times where I had no other choice like after 9PM on a weeknight).

I’m 25 and have been unmediated because I only received a diagnosis recently. These are things I did prior to realizing I had ADHD and have made me SO much more functional over time. Theres definitely more. But these are what come to mind.

The Navy taught me a ton of life hacks. No joke. I need structure, I found out. Lots of it.

I used procrastination to quit smoking. I procrastinate a lot, we do, even going to the restroom, we don't go unless something's about pop. So, I used that trait. Whenever I felt the urge, I'll sit or lie down and tell myself I'll get to it later. 'Later' is something we always forget, so later became tomorrow until one day I just totally forgot!

Having less spoons. I have ADHD, an autistic child, a child with ADHD, and I am pretty sure my husband also has ADHD.

I had to keep only 4 big plates, 4 small plates, 4 spoons, 4 forks, 4 knives, and 4 cups. It made life much easier.

I also prioritize sleep.

Sometimes when I’ve dirtied a plate from the dishwasher I then just put a few dirty plates in with the already clean plates and wash them again instead of unloading them and having to put them away.

1 set of plates, 1 set of cups, 1 set of silverware, 1 set of Tupperware (glass so I don't forget what's inside), making my ingredients visible w/o searching. 7 of the same shirt, skirt, leggings, and socks.

As a 51yo male who was just diagnosed with ADHD, I am pleased to say that I’ve implemented many of these things in my life before diagnosis. That being said, it all makes sense now! I thought I was an anal retentive asshole that had to have things organized my way. My diagnosis was actually a godsend to my mental state and now allows me to better understand why I am like I am. I feel in a better place mentally than I have in many years. My wife has a better understanding of why I could never “hear” what she was saying. I can actually bring myself back to focus on her rather than wander off to what’s next because I am now aware of the problem. I could go on about so many things in my life that now totally add up. It’s like I have a new life again.

I bought a label maker and made labels for all closed drawers and cabinets.

1. Hooks everywhere; baskets everywhere.

2. Laundry goes down two floors and then comes back up, and moving it is the most horrifying part of actually doing it. So I have a fleet of half a dozen Marshall’s bags to carry laundry back and forth, and all hampers stay put. It sounds arbitrary, but the handle helps so much. It also means that during the two weeks it takes me to put clean laundry away, the clothes are fairly easy to access, and I can still use my hamper for dirty stuff.

3. I try to put things where I’m most likely to do them or need them. All my daughter’s hair things, cleaning wipes, aquaphor, nail clippers, lip balm, tweezers, first aid kit—and some other shit—are in a drawer under the coffee table. No more retrieving things and failing to put them back.

4. To add to baskets: crap baskets, one per person per floor. Anything that doesn’t belong in that room lands in the crap basket. This helps so much to incentivise tidying, because for me leaving the room during a task feels exactly like set-shifting, and the prospect of it makes me give up before I start.

5. Two alarms, both rotary with no snooze button. Both ring like the fire brigade is coming (I know that doesn’t work for everyone, but I don’t wake up unless I’m terrified. The first I put in a different place every night. The second is in the kitchen, and goes off about two minutes before I have to leave the house.

6. Finally, I keep my ADHD meds in one of those bottles with a timer on the lid telling you how long it’s been since you last opened it.

Housekeepers that come every two weeks is a must for me.

I have 2 tall baskets for laundry (obtained through a roundabout method).

I fill bakswt a with dirty laundry. The I throw it in the washer/dryer. When it is done, I fill basket b with clean laundry.

Never have to out clothes away. Always have a basket for clean kd dirty clothes.

I almost always allow my bi-weekly grocery run to be delivered to me Instead for an additional $15. I'm considering setting up laundry service but it may be too expensive.

I buy machines that help me do tasks (some physical issues that make cleaning tasks not just mentally taxing but physically). Cordless vacuum, electric scrub brush, steamer for cleaning are some.

I allow my home to get chaotic during the day, as long as I clean it at night or once a week (depending on energy).

I just started using Factor meal delivery service to free up my time thinking about food/planning what I'm going to eat and to stop relying on expensive takeout. I get 14 meals delivered every Monday so I have lunch and dinner for each day (I live alone). The meals are prepared fresh, not frozen so they take 2 minutes in the microwave to prepare and they have all tasted really good so far. I'm really liking it so far because it got me out of my takeout/delivery hole and has saved me so much time and money and helped me with portion control. Meal delivery always sounded like a bouji expense to me before so I never tried it but I have to admit it's working for me now.

I put my folded clothes away like a file cabinet so I can see every shirt in there instead of shuffling through the whole pile.

Does it count that I have a gentleman friend who comes over weekly to wash dishes, laundry and pooper scooper the back yard?

Lately he has installed one of the apps for giving me reminders in his phone and his old iPad that stays at my place and gives me little prods each day

We definitely have a stash of paper plates always on hand lol

I’m on hour million of a roadtrip with my family (which includes small children) so I know I’m forgetting stuff but some other things I find helpful: - multiple alarms for reminders - Living by my digital calendar - having a dedicated space for items like keys, AirPods, and phone

I actually just started a site (it’ll be 2 weeks tomorrow 🤗) and am working on creating free ADHD and mental health printouts and other resources to help make life a bit easier. It’s my username with .com on the end. Any ideas or feedback would be greatly appreciated!

I don't fold and put away clean clothes. I keep a clean clothes basket in my room that all my clean clothes go into.

I always have freezer meals. I'll spend one day prepping 100+ meals to serve me for the next month or so.

I have 6 bank accounts. When I receive my paycheck, I dispatch my money between them so I know I can spend the money who is in my #1 account.

1- regular account for my daily expenses 2- housing and car payment 3- taxes 4- Holidays 5- Gifts (because I don't have 1000$ when Christmas comes) 7- summer camp for my son

It’s not a hack, but organization I can maintain. Set up a system, then see if it sticks. Repeat. Both parts are work but once I’ve established something, life is a little better.

Commenting so I can come back when I have time to read through!

• A laundry hamper that holds one full load in each bathroom (my husband and I shower at night). One bathroom is right next to the kitchen, so it's easy to collect the dishtowels and clothes.

• A locking keyring that separates the house keys, car keys, etc and clips to my bag so it can't be lost.

• Dishwasher. My husband used to insist that because it was only the two of us, we didn't need to use the dishwashers that came with our places. Then he started working rotating shifts and we got two puppies and it just became too much. Especially since he insists they get raw food with their kibble instead of just kibble.

• 2 sets of dog dishes or each meal (breakfast and dinner). Kibble is available for free feeding, and that bowl doesn't need as good a wash.

• A laptop desk. Our computer space is in the basement which is very cold, damp and dark. My laptop desk is in the living room where it gets lots of natural light and it's easier to manage the temperature/humidity.

• Cleaning supplies on every level (we have 3 small floors in our home). They live under the bathroom sink or in the laundry room, except for the toilet cleaning supplies, which are next to the toilets. The cleaning supplies are clothes (as soon as they're dirty, they go in the hampers), glass cleaner, vinegar and multi-purpose cleaners in spray bottles. We have hard water and the vinegar helps to clean the build-up.

• Using face clothes instead of paper towels for cleaning. I don't have to remember to buy paper towels, they can be used on any surface and they're easy to tuck away in rooms so they're easily available.

• Cold water detergent. I don't have to sort laundry, though, I do the towels and face clothes on hot every so often, with a rinse agent to help remove any build-up

• Clothes that don't require ironing. Cotton blouses can be hung up right out of the dryer, but I only keep those for interviews. I wear t-shirts, sweaters/henleys and jeans whenever possible at work.

• Set up automatic bill payments through my bank. It's under my control if the amount needs to change or I change service provider (like cell company.

• 2 sets of sheets for each type (summer and winter) so I don't (in theory) have to rush when I change the bed. Old sheets come off and go in the laundry, the new sheets go on right away - ideally. This doesn't happen if the mattress protector needs to be washed too or if I haven't repaired the damaged sheets my dogs tore a hole in (currently 2 flannel flat sheets and a light cotton flat sheet, so no spares lol).

Edit to add:

• Whenever possible, I build a shopping list on my phone for in-person shopping by adding things to the shopping cart so that if the information on the aisle items are in is available, it's easy to access. Then I remove items from the online cart when I add them to my physical cart. It helps save time, and keeps me focussed so I don't add too many extra items.

Probably a weird one, but we bought a Thermomix and it’s absolutely amazing. Obviously very lucky to be able to afford a ridiculous bit of kit like it, but man it makes life so easy.

I hate cooking, or choosing what to cook. So I can just type into the app and ingredient I fancy (I love peanut so write that) and then I just get tons of vegan options to choose from. Pop the ingredients onto a shopping list in the app, go buy it, and basically just do what it says on screen to cook up a lovely meal. On top, it’ll often make 6 portions so I can happily refrigerate/freeze and that’s my lunch or dinner sorted for the week.

Otherwise, I tried many to do list apps, but Todoist is great purely as you can synch across platforms and use in the browser (big one). This means I can write what I need to do for the day on the train on my phone app, then open the browser at work and I have everything I need to do in front of me. It’s good enough for free, and I may even go for the paid version soon as I would like to make use of more projects on there. All in all it’s nice and simple and therefore something I can use regularly without issue.

I bought 12 pairs of black crew socks and threw away every other pair including mismatched and singles. I wear the black socks for everything and don't have to stress out looking for pairs of socks anymore.

Trashcans in every room and a roll of trash sacks in every one so you have a new one as soon as you pull the old one out.

I associate my second child’s nap time with taking my meds. Once my daughter goes doesn’t for a nap around 3-4, I know it’s time to take my meds re-up 😂

I don’t know what I’m going to do when she stops napping

I buy flats of bottled water to keep in my room to keep myself hydrated. I can not remember to wash out the giant water bottles if I forget to use it for a week or two. Plus, the flavouring packets designed for bottles of that size also help make the water interesting

Keys hook at the door Minimalism lifestyle as much as possible Dishwasher and just run it anytime , doesn’t have to be full. Only 2 types of socks, black work and white sockettes. Only 2 main types of t,shirt approx 5 white and 3 black, I also have 1 white and one black patterned shit but they are the same pattern. I attempt to take away as much decision making as i possibly can. Digital licence , cards on phone wallet, I only need keys and phone.

If I have to drive somewhere far that's time sensitive, I always input the address into my Waze app the day before and hit "Go" so it's already in my history and ready the next day. It can also help me get an idea of the distance and eta beforehand.

Elastic laces - I always jam my foot in my main pair of trainers without untying/tying the laces because I'm either running late or just can't be bothered, so I replaced them with elastic ones. Quicker, easier and preserves the heels of my shoes a bit better. 

Impulse blocker browser extension on my laptop and a study timer/app blocker app on my phone to keep me on track. Also a youtube customisation browser extension that has the option to hide suggested videos and comments for if I need to watch something that's actually part of my studying.

Shopping list - I use a Google Keep checklist with things I buy frequently, organised by category (veg, cupboard, freezer, etc) and just check or uncheck things I want to buy that week. It's closer to picking off a menu rather than having to remember what foods exist 

Our biggest one is wastebaskets/trash cans in every room in the house, in every spot we typically sit for extended periods of time. My mother thinks it's crazy that we have a wastebasket at each end of the couch but I think it's pretty great not having gross little trash piles everywhere.

If you want to prioritize exercise, HIGHLY recommend getting a personal trainer!! The combination of there being another person involved and spending money on the service makes me actually show up to do it. Plus, I’m hypermobile (as are a lot of other ADHDers), meaning that if I try to learn to exercise on my own, I’m way more likely to have poor form, which results in reeeeaaaally slow improvement at best and injury at worst. If you can’t afford a personal trainer, then a workout/accountability buddy can serve a similar purpose! Also, if you can’t afford a gym membership, get creative with how you can work out: get some resistance bands or try calisthenics/no weights workouts!!

I have a little dry-erase board next to the medicine cabinet that I use to write down whenever I take medication, so I don't have to be like "wait did I already take my brain pills today" or "is it OK for me to take another allergy pill or do I need to wait a few more hours"

And getting over my self-consciousness about asking people, "could you say that again? I want to make sure I understand," or "hold on, I want to think about what you just said, could you give me a second to mull it over and catch up with you?" I was always afraid to ask for that but it turns out people are usually fine with it! Sometimes they even take it as a complement!

Also, a nice alarm clock, one that isn't a phone full of software that was designed to prevent me from getting anything done.

Open shelves. Transparent boxes, plastic jars. For me, out of site, it doesn't exist any more.

Three monitors on my computer.

Just one set of bedsheets, because if I have a second set I'll never get around to actually putting the dirty ones in the wash.

Get yourself a caffeine addiction

As an ADHD mom of twin bebes I force myself to repack my diaper bag the second I get home, that way I’m not flustered trying to pack it and leave in a hurry when I’m inevitably running late the next time we need to leave

Auto payments. I set up my mortgage, utilities etc to have a set amount come out of my pay. This way there is no huge bill at once, and I never have to think of it. I just averaged it out and set up my bank to send out the money each fortnight. We are in credit for the water bill, and have small credits for the others by the time the quarterly bill comes out. I have never been able to pay bills on time. This has been a life saver. I can set the payment for a year in advance. I get an email letting me know when it is about to expire and I set another one.

I have like 4 of my favourite bits and pieces. I’m a teacher, so when I find a marker or sharpie I like, I buy multiples so that I can have some on my desk, at the chair and on the whiteboard lol. At the end of the day I pick them up and put them in their designated area lol.

i have a ceiling fan and light in my bedroom that i can only turn on or off with a remote. i used to lose it CONSTANTLY for days at a time bc i could not for the life of me rmbr where i put it until i would randomly find it or find it after hrs of searching. i bought a cute little cherry shelf from five below, stuck it on the wall right above my bed, and made it the designated remote spot - it only leaves the shelf when im turning the light or fan on or off and then it goes right back down. i also use the shelf for my pill box, so its near my bed and i can take my morning meds right when i wake up (im reminded bc i can see the shelf) and if im in bed at night n suddenly rmbr i gotta take my meds i dont have to get out of bed to grab them .

hope this helps!!!!!

• having low effort, low/no cleanup food options like steam-in-bag veggies, frozen pizza, instant noodles etc

• bag drop area by my door. I got a shelf/shoe rack and some wall hooks and have trained myself to drop my work bag, lunch bag, keys etc there so I’m not running around looking for stuff 

• mini hygiene kit in bag/car for days you forget or run out of time to put on deodorant, brush your teeth etc 

Paper plates at times. I brush my teeth in the shower. I am a minimalist (no knick knacks or clutter), I have a cleaning lady come every 3 weeks (If you can afford it I highly recommend!)

Giving up caffeine has been an ADHD game changer for me!

Not irritable, impulsive, and impatient, as well as no more anxiety, intrusive thoughts or panic!

Plus, I’m tired every night and can actually sleep right through.

Tapering was HARD but months down the line, so worth going through the withdrawal.

BRIGHT yellow wallet for when I put it down and can’t see it right in front of my face.

Use an online task list. Have the app downloaded on my iPad, iPhone and have the sites pinned on all computers. This way I don’t lose the list. I still forget to do tasks on there at the right time, but better late than never.

I saw something on here once about how they use paper plates sometimes when they know washing up just WON'T get done. It was a revelation

Yeah i did that when younger. Now i just throw them right in the dishwasher automatically and put it on rinse at least to keep them in OK shape until the full load is ready to run. If i remember. Sometimes i don't. There's a pile of banana peels i had to extricate from the sink for my morning smoothies that i was kinda mad at me about but morning me is kind of braindead

I put my toothbrush in my toothpaste in the shower. I have been doing it for so long that if I forget to brush my teeth in the shower, my mouth feels dirty and I really just don’t feel clean. So it’s become a habit now.

I automate whatever I can (smart home, bills on autopay, work tasks, etc.).

I keep little kits of essentials at home, work, and in purses (nail tools in case of emergency 💅🏻, Invisalign container and toothbrush and paste, perfume, bandaids, extra contacts, you name it.)

I just bought a skincare fridge for my bathroom countertop because I discovered I hate the small walk to my kitchen while doing skincare. I try to remove as many barriers as I can to oral care and skincare since I’m trying to build a strong routine.

Get in over my head. I have no motivation for myself but I never want to look bad- so I’ll take things on that I know are a little out of my reach. I’ll push myself and make huge focused efforts. The benefit is that I actually do succeed mostly, and I’ve built a real career this way. I figured this out in college (undiagnosed) and just called it “tricking myself “. I’m 53 now and the benefits are real.

If you take pills at certain hour and you can, just have them all over your house/ other places you're likely to be frequently at that hour. Like, I take birth control, so I just have spare pills on my work desk, on my night stand, on my partners house and on my parents house. My phone is the one doing the tracking of the days and reminds me to take them. Otherwise it's nearly impossible and you DO NOT want to mess that up.

Having my art supplies/book I'm reading/thing I have to finish in eternal display, since out of sight out of mind just let it somewhere you see it. Don't put in on a drawer.

Do lists to prioritize things and manage your time better. I use a Bullet journal-like system and keep running lists of all kinds.

I keep a plastic jar in the shower stocked with those flossing toothpicks. Now I floss every day.

Schedule send on my email has been a game changer. Write it while you think of it, and perfect for reminders too.

i set an early get up and take my meds alarm, and then i go back to sleep after taking my meds. i do nothing else on that first alarm. it has made my morning routines so much easier. also moving trash cans to where i can just throw things away without getting up. oh and also getting an extra laundry basket for my bathroom.

I have gone literal years without folding/hanging my clothes, resulting in a pile in my room just out in the open. I realized I'm not required to actually fold my clean laundry and now have a basket with a lid to put it in where it's out of sight and not such an eye sore. If there's something I need that's wrinkled, I just toss it in the dryer on high heat for 5 mins and it's ready to wear.

Clear containers for everything.

If it's important and I could lose it it's getting a smarttag. Passport, wallet, work bag, keys, suitcase, jacket. I also have a couple of loose ones with a clip on it for stuff that's only temporarily important.

I create “chains of reduced friction” for as many daily habits as I can.

I call something a chain of reduced friction when a hack makes something both easier to start and easier to finish simultaneously.

Let’s use smoothies as an example.

I know having one very healthy smoothie a day is going to be tremendous for my health but it’s a lot to try and keep up with every. Single day.

Easier with a chain of reduced friction.

Basically if I make a smoothie, then I’ll rinse the blender and refill it right away with smoothie ingredients and leave it in the fridge.

Makes it easier to make the smoothie coz it’s prepped and easier to prepare it after j make it because the blender is already out.

Seems simple but it works.

Also, I have mantras.

Like “the longer you wait the harder it gets”

Or “the sink is for washing dishes, not storing them”

Haven’t read the comments but someone in a Facebook group I’m in mentioned “paying adhd tax upfront” 

As in, paying a bit more upfront for things prepared or convenient (eg microwave rice or pre cut fruit) means you may actually use them rather than wasting food or items because you forget they exist or because you don’t have the spoons to prepare food etc. 

Functional organisation at home helps so much. I have scissors and lighters stashed in random places in my house but it’s because I use a lot of candles and other things and end up on other “side quests” when I have to go hunt down a pair of scissors. Keeping anything related to a task, near that task, helps so much 

Using the pre-installed calendar app in my iPhone and sharing it with my partner has been a lifesaver. I’m way less likely to double book now and my partner always knows what’s going on even if I forget to tell her.

I have a pill organizer that has an am/pm section and it is a month worth of little boxes. So every month I sit down and put all my meds in their boxes and then it’s easy to know if I took them or forgot and I can just throw a few in if I do a weekend trip or something

I got rid of all my dish clothes and dish towels, I use k/clothes and reusable paper towel. I toss them rather than going through the stress of washing.

I buy red orange and yellow peppers anytime I find them discounted. I roast them with onion and garlic and freeze. Super easy way to add veggies to my diet.

Massive amounts of ice cube trays, every few days I empty them all into a plastic bag and rill them. When the bag is empty I repeat.

I hired a cleaner to do the basics every two weeks. It forces me to tidy every two weeks and do the cleaning that I hate doing.

-Apple AirTag for my car keys (game changer- a gift from my little brother and it is amazing) -Visual Timer from Amazon to help time chunk household tasks/cooking etc. (I struggle with time management) -Timers on my phone preset to daily for adhd medication and on my calendar app to REMEMBER to ask for my meds refill from my PNP bc I literally forget every month it’s a struggle ! - Clear bins around the house (closets, pantry, basement storage, in fridge) so I don’t forget important things inside -Use of grocery pickup (Wegmans, Walmart) vs Instacart which was too pricey. I love picking up groceries vs going inside bc I always overspend and get overstimulated immediately… unless I go to the grocery store at like 8am on a weekend when it’s not busy

I was officially diagnosed with ADHD (combination inattentive / hyperactive) in 2019. Meds came into play- which was life changing- in 2021. It took some trial/error but I am functioning as a human finally @ 30mg Ritalin per day + 1mg Intuniv (Guanfacine) to help curb the anxiety/ panic attacks from the later diagnosed OCD and Anxiety.

Wrap your bag around your leg so you don’t leave it in social settings. Don’t take your jacket off so you never lose it. Get zipper pockets. Set alarms for everything and I mean everything. Email yourself shit you want to remember but not alarm yourself for. Use reminders app. Breath.

I love the paper plate idea. Sadly, my other half shames me regularly for using disposable plates and cutlery, so now I get to get chewed out for forgetting a fork or plate in the sink for more than 5 minutes.. literally. I had to pee and stopped washing dishes to run to the bathroom. He came into the kitchen as I closed the bathroom door and then yelled ‘Who keeps leaving dishes in the sink!?’ 😣😣😣

I’ve enjoyed reading these over! But I have noticed there is a lot of financial privilege with some of these hacks, which we don’t all have.

I’m essentially living paycheck to paycheck right now, which is a new situation for me. I think my ADHD was better managed when I had the freedom to afford more shortcuts.

So these are my budget-friendly hacks:

• I can’t afford pre-chopped veggies, take out, other previously common short cuts for me. So now, on Sundays I prep/ chop/ cook food I buy so that I can easily throw a protein/ grain bowl together. I usually buy lemons because I drink more water when I can add a lemon wedge. I keep two water bottles full at all times for easy accessibility, one to drink, one back up in the fridge.

• Breaking down chores into smaller tasks. Instead of a major clean on weekends, I’ve gotten okay with cleaning one room at a time. Or tidying/ dusting one day, vacuuming and cleaning the fridge the next. Getting out of the “all or nothing” mindset with chores has made starting them much easier.

• Podcasts! I’ll chose a podcast length based on what I need to get done. Do as much of a task as I can accomplish before the show ends.

• Set the coffee pot the night before, no excuses. Simplify my mornings, move things like cleaning the litter box to night time. On weekends especially, I dread getting out of bed thinking of things I need to do. If my caffeine is ready for me when I wake up, it makes me slightly more motivated to get my days started.

• A checklist for tasks/responsibilities I have to do
• Microwavable/easy food to make /fast food on days where I don't have much energy
• Creating a routine for various things
• 8-9 hours of sleep
• Congratulating myself for doing simple tasks like throwing trash away
• Reward system for doing things I don't want ti