Organizing for the neurodivergent

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(or Neuro-spicy if you’re fancy!)

I’m not your typical type A organizer unless A stands for ADHD (ba-dum-ch!).

Bad jokes aside, I’m happy to share how we can help neurodiverse folks get organized.

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Here are some beliefs we hold and share with the people we serve:

We do not should on ourselves

One thing I hear a lot from folks with ADHD is they feel like they SHOULD be able to get organized on their own. Anytime we tell ourselves that we “should” do something, we heap shame on ourselves. And with ADHD, we always have a list that is a mile long because we have so many great ideas! It’s a lose / lose battle if we think we’ll get it all done someday AND harp on ourselves for not getting it done quickly. I want this space to be a shame-free zone. So we’re renaming this.

It’s a bold act of bravery to ask for help. Let’s focus on that. Because shame comes from believing someone else’s standard is right, but who decides what is right anyway? We will work together to find what is right for you and your home and what will jive best with your brain.

Our brains work differently; some things are a breeze for us, and others are… less breezy

Just because we struggle to keep a tidy home doesn’t mean we’re not a good person or lovable person.

We’re good at other things!

We’ve confused cleanliness with goodness, and they’re not connected. For some reason, tidiness and being organized are seen as good, and words like disorganized, chaotic, or a little messy (I prefer the term “creative”) are seen as bad. But that’s not true, so let’s try to create a new neuropathway here: These are morally neutral descriptions. The people who pull their laundry from a pile on the floor can also be lovely humans who are kind to dogs. The end.

We’re also ditching the negative things people have said to us

While we’re on the topic, let’s clear up another thing.

You’re not lazy. 

You might be… depressed, lonely, scared, anxious, TIRED. But not lazy. I know your brain. I know all the things you’re managing. You’re going at a mile a minute in your mind. Lazy is the opposite of you.

It takes one to know one

We are a team that is made up of ADHD and Autism ourselves, so we speak it fluently! We get you and your family. Maybe you need help getting motivated (always chasing that dopamine!) We have a bunch of creative ideas to try to keep it fun, engaging, and progress you can see!

You deserve a peaceful home

And who are we comparing ourselves to, Martha Stewart? (Whom I respect by the way, have you seen her new documentary?)

We will never win when we compare our home to her level of Pinterest perfect. But what if we told ourselves that we deserve to enjoy our home as much as Martha Stewart does? Because that is definitely true!

You deserve a calm and peaceful place to go out from and come home to each day. Full stop. Read that again if you need to because I wrote it for you.

What gets in the way of doing this on my own?

It might be that your executive functioning skills are all used up at work or with managing the home and multiple schedules. So, by the time you or the family get home, there is literally nothing left in the tank. Add in caring for kids, parents, pets, plants, or a relationship, and phew, I’m impressed at all you are managing! It’s okay if the house has fallen to the bottom of the priority list. Maybe you are in survival mode. You get all the free passes!

The truth is, you can’t do it all. Maybe for a little while, but not long-term. I know this flies in the face of our culture, which tells us we can do it all. But we do not have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé! She has staff to help get things done (thank goodness because that Cowboy Carter album was my most listened-to in 2024!)

If the house needs a little TLC, this is where we can come in. If you’re not sure where to start, or how to start, we can help with that. If you want to let go of things but need a little help talking things through, that’s our specialty. 

We’d love to help you create more peace and calm at home, at work, and in your mind. You ABSOLUTELY deserve it!

Every home is a slide puzzle

I love a good analogy, and here’s my new favorite that I want to shout from the rooftops— all homes are a slide puzzle! If you’re feeling stuck about a space in your home, it can feel like puzzle pieces that can’t move. There may be too many pieces in the slide puzzle (stuff in our homes), and some need to come out (be donated, recycled, or trashed) so the puzzle pieces (items) can shift again.

I’m Ron Burgundy?

To take this a step further—- I believe EVERY home has puzzle pieces with wiggle room. Look for a stuffed closet, a storage area, or unpacked boxes. Maybe some wiggly items (things no longer being used) can be donated to make space for items in the main living areas that don’t need to stay there. Quick truth: Even after things get donated, the pieces aren’t in the right places quite yet. No worries; step two is coming right up!

We see this in almost every home. An item in the kitchen that is only used 2-4x a year. Could it move to a storage/out-of-the-way area and bump out (donate) a box of home decor from a room where you changed the style years ago? Then, viola, a small appliance can move off the counter into the kitchen item’s old space (presuming it’s not used daily). The stuff in our homes is part of a slide puzzle! We keep working and shifting things until everything is in the right place.

The end puzzle is the peaceful, organized home you’re envisioning. We are experts at asking good questions to learn how + where you use your items. Then we shift + organize so everything is in its best place. This is our favorite part!

If you want to play the slide puzzle game, here are some questions to ask yourself.

Where do I use this? Can you store the item near where it’s used?

How often do I use this? If it's used daily or weekly, keep it in an easy-to-reach spot! If it’s used once a month or less, keep it further from your high-traffic areas.

And if this feels overwhelming, you know where to find us! We’d love to help you put those puzzle pieces in order so you can have more peace + calm in your home and mind.

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Clutter-free gift ideas

Many of these are experience gifts that you can give to your people or things you can do with them! I love experience gifts because they create memories and stories to share over and over, AND they don’t add clutter to the home. Also, if you’re shopping last minute, most of these are easily accessible online or in a handwritten note, “Let’s visit your favorite brewery together in January!”

KIDS

Okay, admittedly, this first one could create some clutter, but it’s mainly in the use it up category: Crafts (we have gifted Mondo Llama from Target), games (taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza is a favorite among our nieces), zoo membership, children’s museum, children’s theatre, High school plays, one-on-one dates with kids with these AWESOME PUNCH CARDS (click the second photo to get a better view), amusement park day, bowling night out, nature hikes at a local park, indoor play area (Maple Grove Maze if you’re local!),. Fun fact: I have given every single one of these kids gifts on this list so far. But wait, there’s more! Snow tubing day, ice skating, skiing, state parks pass.

ADULTS

Do they like to travel? Try an Airbnb gift certificate, airline gift card (we received Delta gift cards one year, and it was awesome!), or gift cards to restaurants and/or breweries you know they like (hint- ask them!). If they like craft beer, I cannot more highly recommend these: Twin Cities Pubpass covers Minneapolis and St. Paul breweries, and the Hop Passport here is more regional, with some ND, SD, and IA locations included. If you’re not local to Minnesota, some have options in other states! In most cases, it’s a buy-one-beer-get-one-free. Do they like activities? Board games (We’re big fans of Code Names, Blokus, and Clover), tye-dying kit, pretend you’re in a hallmark movie: take a day off midweek and tour a town with a bakery + cute shops (for locals we’ve done Osseo, Stillwater, Rush City, Rochester), visit a winery, tour a museum (history, art, etc.), massage, gift actual wine and cheese if your person is into that.

PLAY

For the folks that need a little fun in life (all of us?) invite your person to try something new they might not be good at. If nothing else, it’s a memory, AND it feels good to laugh! A painting class, cooking class (we received this, and it was SO FUN), dance class (check your local community education website!), apple picking, peony farms, sunflower farms, THEATRE tickets (we have so many options in the Twin Cities!), music, skiing, curling lessons (a few locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul!), roller skating (hilarious! or maybe it’s just me having completely forgot how to do it), bowling.

It’s not clutter if they WANT IT. Ask people what they want. They’re usually delighted you asked and ready to share what’s on their wish list. And if they hem and haw and say they don’t need anything, maybe they don’t! That’s a great opening to ask if they still want to exchange gifts or if a meal or time together would be better. 

TIME TOGETHER for FRIENDS + FAMILY

Sporting events, movie nights, cooking classes, whirly ball, escape rooms, wine-tasting class (check your local liquor stores- Haskells does this!), whiskey-tasting night, distillery day, glass blowing class (Duluth has one here that offers gift certificates. It is excellent!).

CONSUMABLES

Anything you can use up. Candles, wine, cocktail mixes, their favorite snacks or candy, Harry and David monthly or quarterly subscription (we’ve received this and enjoyed fresh fruit!).

SERVICES

Car washes, car detailing (I’ve received these first two in the past and LOVED them!), house cleaning (if my family is reading this, please gift me hours with Janice’s company!), spa day: manicure/pedicure/facial/massage, professional organizing (you know I couldn’t leave this off the list ;)

I hope this helped you with a few of your hard-to-shop-for folks or gave you ideas of things you’d like to do with your friends and family this year. Let me know if you try any of them!

Small Kitchen? No problem!

We were named a top organizing and decluttering expert by Redfin. Check out the article we were featured in: 26 Small Kitchen Organization Ideas to Simplify Your Home |Redfin

And ask Missi about the time she organized a kitchen in Minneapolis that had one drawer and it was only 7 inches wide! (What can we say, we love a good challenge!!)

The Fifth Pile

This is a guest post written by Natalie Ralph, Founder of Storied- A Home Concierge. Natalie helps people in the Twin Cities rediscover and repurpose their homes using their existing items that hold special meaning. We’re honored to share her voice with you today. Enjoy!

Keep, Donate, Throw, Recycle.

There can be another option; a way to organize and utilize items you value at the same time.

It’s the fifth pile.

Organization and décor within your home truly go hand-in-hand and the connection goes beyond pretty storage containers.

I offer a refreshing perspective and way to address some of your organizing needs.

It will be gentle with your feelings because understandably there are many emotions attached to why we hold onto ‘things’ as well as bring beauty to your home. This is the Storied approach that you can use before things get out of hand and when they do.

One of my favorite ways to organize is to decorate.

That collection of cutting boards, arrange them beautifully on your countertop or hang them in a gallery on a wall. How could it be any easier to grab one when you need it. This is called functional décor.

Those letters from a loved one you’ve been holding onto, frame one or two of them and find the perfect spot to hang your new artwork in your home. You could even store a couple more within the frame. This is meaningful décor.

A collection of hats you inherited, select your favorite ones and display them in a fitting spot in your home, perhaps near an entryway or bedroom closet. This is repurposed décor.

The blueprints from an old family homestead or a new home you painstakingly designed can be gifted. Perhaps the elders in a family are no longer living, wouldn’t it be lovely to frame a portion of the blueprints for each member of the family. The prints from your new home would be a thoughtful gift for the anniversary of your wedding or move-in date. This is unique décor.

All of these items, the cutting boards, the letters, the hats, and the blueprints have found a place (organization) and a purpose (décor) that will provide relief from the stress of not wanting to part with them, yet knowing they’re often in the way. Not only that, but will they will now bring you joy.

The fifth pile is “decorate”.

Like what you read? Learn more about Natalie and Storied - A Home Concierge here!

Small Storage Solutions

Clear Spaces Organizing was asked to contribute to an article about how to make your space more efficient when it comes to storage solutions. Efficiency is one of our favorite things and we were thrilled to contribute! Please follow the link here to read the article.

Why hire a professional organizer?

Why hire a professional organizer?

People work with organizers for a variety of reasons. Here are a few of the most common ones.

If you’re short on time

Many of our clients have a lot on their plates. Some don’t have the time to organize but love having us create a system they can maintain. This often involves the kitchen, pantry, closets, okay, we love tackling any space! But those 3 are top favorites for people on the go. No two projects are alike so we learn your preferences and organizing style to create a solution that is intuitive for you to make your life easier.

If you’re moving

We have helped people declutter before a move and unpack and organize once they moved into their new home. We can add product so every drawer is beautiful right from the start. Our team arrives just after the movers and we can unpack and organize in tandem to have you feeling at home as soon as possible. We always unpack the coffee maker and mugs first. ;)

When you’re ready to declutter

One client hired us to sort all their items in the basement that had become a bit of a drop zone for things over the years. Our team did an initial sort of kids clothes, toys, home + holiday decor, and business products. Our client would come downstairs periodically to look at the items and determine which ones would stay and which would be donated. At the end of this project, 4 carloads of items were donated. We organized and labeled everything that remained. This left our client with an open basement, ready for walls to be built to create a movie zone, bar area, and workout corner.

Accountability

Some of our clients just need another person there to help ensure the project gets done. We’re happy to be your encouragement and gently keep the project on task to reach the goals you have for your space.

For hidden clutter + product ideas

Some of our clients are naturally tidy people. They may want to streamline their spaces even more by taking the organization to the next level. This often involves adding organizing products to maximize the function and style of their space. As one of our clients said, “I want it to look like a magazine cover” and it does! If there is a space that’s bugging you, even if you think it wouldn’t bother others, we can help you kick the organizing up a notch.

If you have ADHD

Have you ever started an organizing project, been distracted, or unsure of how to finish it? We have worked with several clients with ADHD and understand the unique challenges that can prevent you from getting your space completed. We will spend time together discussing your goals and priority spaces. We’ll also ask a lot of questions about things that have and have not worked for you in the past to ensure we’re creating a system you can maintain and feel good about going forward.

If you’re in transition

Getting our homes in order can free up mental clutter to move forward with the new thing happening in our life. It could be a new job, home, partner, child, a home renovation, growing a business, divorce, or loss. We love celebrating life changes with our clients and walking with them through life’s hard times too. Resetting your space during times of transition can be incredibly freeing.

If you’re ready to learn more about working with Clear Spaces, contact us below. We can’t wait to answer any questions and schedule your free consultation.

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Grief, loss, and organizing

Grief, loss, and organizing

If you’re reading this because you’ve experienced a loss in your life- I’m so sorry for your pain. Grief is so tough and disorienting. Whether your loss is from a change in relationship, health diagnosis, job loss, or the death someone you love— all loss leaves us rattled. And it can show up in our space when things begin to pile up in the home. This is so incredibly normal.

I learned the most about compassion and space for people in grief when my brother died in 2015. When my world was in shock, I felt like I was floating through my days, disconnected to anything happening in the world.

I have had the honor of walking with several clients through various seasons of loss in their lives. I never tire of seeing clients experience the feeling of relief when their space is gently restored. Stress and extra stuff leave their home and more peace returns.

If you are looking for organizing services due to a loss in your life, I would be honored to walk through this time with you. I will offer compassion, gentleness, and care as we work together at your pace whenever you’re ready.

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