![]() Step 4: Put infrequently used electronic equipment in an old inbox. It also groups similar items together, so M and J could find them quickly. The wallet fits nicely on the bookshelf, minimizing the space a CD collection takes up. ![]() To build M and J’s confidence, I had them do another easy task: placing CDs (or CD-ROM software) in a CD wallet. I had M store often-used office supplies in the top two drawers, and less frequently used computer accessories in the bottom drawer. The key is to store a staple of supplies, of the same general type, in a single drawer. On a bookshelf, items are visible but not cluttered: You see a shelf of books, not other objects, when scanning it.ĭesk drawers are tricky for adults with ADHD, who have “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome. We placed books on the bookshelf and office supplies in desk drawers. M and I found a home for some items from the Keep box. Step 3: Start with an easy task, to avoid getting overwhelmed. We ended up with papers, CDs, books, electronic equipment (computer accessories and cables), and general office supplies (pens and paperclips). Step 2: Do a detailed sort of the items in the Keep box. ![]() If you can’t maintain your focus for 30 minutes, set a timer for 10-minute work periods. You can always decide later if you want to transfer them to a different category (from Belongs Elsewhere, for example, to Keep). This step enables adults with ADHD to break through the obstacle of not knowing where to start and the fear of throwing away valuable items. I call this a “quick sort” because everything, except trash, will be re-sorted, so you can make decisions quickly. Trash/Recycle and Shred should be your biggest piles. We used three cardboard bankers boxes (Keep, Shred, Belongs Elsewhere) and two trash bags (Trash and Recycle). Step 1: Quickly sort clutter into four categories: Keep, Trash/Recycle, Shred, and Belongs Elsewhere. M half-jokingly said, “You saved our marriage.” J said, “You changed our work life.” The couple was shocked at how little time it took. ![]() In less than two hours, M, J, and I transformed the desk - and the room. She wanted to open up the room by reducing the clutter - and to minimize the friction between her and her husband with ADHD. J reached out to a professional organizer to help M. When asked how he felt about the desk, M said, “It’s an embarrassment, and I know I should do something about it. J asked her husband to clean up the mess a year ago, and, although they didn’t fight about the clutter, J was upset over M’s lack of progress. M’s clutter left her no space, and this created friction between the couple. M shares the workspace with his organized wife, J, who needed to work at home. ![]() M saw the desktop as an all-in-one inbox, piling items - files, CDs, computer cables, T-shirts - on top of each other. He did freelance work at home when not working at his full-time job. M, a successful web designer with ADHD, struggled to control clutter atop his desk in his home office. Are there ADHD-friendly ways to declutter your office?” It got so bad that we had to keep our toddler daughter out of the room, because office supplies would spill from the desktop onto the floor. Reader organization problem: “My desk was crazy messy, and my wife and I couldn’t work there. ![]()
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