Organizing for the neurodivergent
(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.
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!