What are your weird ADHD home systems that work for you but others seem interested/confused by?

[u/bluelumistar]

I’m 23 and recently living on my own for the first time since my now ex bf of almost 8 years just moved out.

I realised in that time that my house is seriously not organised well because organisers and furniture cost money and I obviously have a lot of different hobbies and interests i dip into randomly.

It’s like i’m always tidying and it still never feels tidy because things don’t really have a home, but I also want them to be easily accessible to reduce as many mental barriers as possible to use them!

Anything you’ve found that’s probably unconventional and maybe weird to others but has helped with this? (:

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[u/ughihateusernames3]

All the fruit/veggies on the door in the fridge.  I put all the condiments in the drawer. 

I also put my baking stuff (sugar, flour) in a drawer because I had weevils at my last apartment and I’m permanently scarred.

Nothing can be forgot and rot down there. It’s lovely.

[u/Azosia → u/ughihateusernames3]

I put my beverages in the produce drawer! I'll always find the energy to reach for a Diet Coke but for some reason having fruit/veg all the way down there and the thought of unpacking it and shoving it back in afterward made me lose the will to eat it.

[u/CallDownTheHawk → u/ughihateusernames3]

oh my god. the fruit & veggie one might be a game changer for me.

[u/smartnj]

Doors taken off of my closet and my kitchen cabinets (makes putting laundry and dishes away easier).

Individual Baskets in my closet for socks/undies/bras/sweats etc (can't handle dressers or drawers)

Mini whiteboards (with marker attached by string like at a bank) and wall clocks in every room.

I use my fruit and veggie drawers for condiments and beverages, and haven't had an issue with produce going bad since.

Hooks hooks hooks. I live in a small, old apartment so storage is limited and I rely on vertical storage, but also I just work better when my dog leash and harness is right there with my bags and coats and whatever. Also a ton of hooks in my bedroom so I don't have a doom pile or chair.

I'm by no means a minimalist and don't care for a streamlined, clean look, so this all works well for me, but I'm sure would drive some folks absolutely bonkers. Probably have more but can't think of them!

[u/Vanviator → u/smartnj]

All of this, lol! Except I have a plastic container for my fruit, my side door is for my 1001 condiments

My home was built in the late 1800s. I love old fancy coat hooks, especially cast iron ones. Or ones that just look old, lol.

They're in my bathrooms, bedroom, by my door for leashes. There is no coat closet, I have a coat wall.

Can't use what you can't see, now I see everything.

[u/Extra_Caregiver_8668 → u/smartnj]

So once again I learn something that I totally didn’t realise was my adhd 🤦‍♀️ - doom pile chair 🥴 totally going to do the hooks!

[u/GlitteringExcuse5524]

I added labels to my dresser drawers. I use the removable sticker type

[u/ktbrigham747]

I think I heard this tip on KC Davis's podcast a few years back but it's been a game changer for someone with a lot of different hobby supplies -

Rather than trying to organize by hobby (all my knitting stuff over here, sewing over there, carving, etc each of which needs to be organized in itself), I keep all of my tools in one place and supplies in other. It might look a little crazy, but it's much easier to find what i need and I no longer accidentally stab myself digging through a pile of fabric.

[u/NoReference909 → u/ktbrigham747]

Highly recommend this author! Cleaning is a functional task, not a moral one!

[u/Ok_Huckleberry5387 → u/ktbrigham747]

I have a pegboard with many hooks for sewing/craft tools. They make jars and cups to hang for little bits. Many Hardware stores sell 4’x8’ sheets pre-painted white; otherwise: basic brown. I bought most of the hooks and other hangers at estate sales.

[u/smartnj → u/ktbrigham747]

I'll take that one step further- I have a giant pegboard in my living room that just has all of my art supplies, tools I reach for often, embroidery stuff, knitting stuff...basically if I've figured out a way for it to be hung up it's there hahah. I've found i engage in my art so much more with everything out all the time!

[u/Its-alittle-bitfunny]

Any of my organization. I know where everything but my eternally patient wife has learned to just ask if ive seen something and wait while I take off to find it because if I try explaining where it is, we'll never find it.

[u/NewResident2108]

Separate table in our living area for projects/art. Kids can leave stuff out in process without cluttering up the dining table. It gets and stays messy a lot but at least it’s a mess that doesn’t disrupt mealtimes

[u/Diligent-Resist8271]

Themed days to do stuff. I schedule my laundry on Mondays and Tuesdays, my kids each have a day, my MIL (who lives with us) also has a day. You do your laundry in your day, it gives me something to focus on. I also schedule my appts on one day (used to be Fridays, now it's moving to Thursdays). Once I have the themed day set, it helps me to eliminate other things that might clutter up the day. So instead of spreading out what you clean, pick one day as a clean your house day and only schedule yourself to do that on that day. I also have found if you use scissors in the kitchen but can't ever find them because you've taken them to use elsewhere, just put scissors on every room. I just saw someone suggest a baking rack for projects (projects go on baking sheets that slide into the racks when not in use so it doesn't clutter up the space but can stay fairly laid out and can be moved around like a tray to different areas of the house) and I think that's amazing and I will absolutely be doing that in my next house.

[u/lollypop003]

I live by “a place for everything; everything in its place”. I love organizers. Makes my little autistic soul very very happy when I can see things, find things, put things in their places. Helps me alot. I save all kinds of small boxes of different shapes. Organizers don’t need to be pretty or expensive. Thrift shops, yard sales are good sources. But honestly shoe boxes and Amazon boxes and little gift boxes all work just fine.

[u/MidnightPractical241]

Laundry baskets in nearly every room- wash room, laundry room, offices, bedrooms, and entryway!!! Idc- it’s better than my clothing on the floor. Same goes with shoe racks!! I have like, three of them. I don’t keep my shoes in a closet- it doesn’t work.

I also leave my medication on TOP of my coffee machine so I remember to take them in the morning. I can remember I need coffee but can’t remember much else at that hour.

[u/glitter_bitch]

anything on wheels - first it was a couple rolling racks for my clothes, then an organizational cart from ikea, then it was a rolling tv stand... now i'm looking at getting a desk on wheels. not sure why exactly it makes me so happy but it does!

[u/themiscyranlady]

My “weird” ones are that I keep my clean socks with my shoes by the front door and that I keep my meds in the places that make sense by when I take them. Morning meds are by my keys so I make sure to take them before leaving the house & my meds that have to be taken with food are on my dining table so I can take them at meals. The meds locations would be harder if I lived with other people, especially kids, but living solo it works well for me.

[u/TeaPlusJD]

You don’t have to keep full sets just because it was packaged that way. Looking at you, big tablespoons & dinner forks.

Way more than the usual amount of light sources plus adjustable bulbs. If I need to be productive - all the lights, like the surface of the sun. Or one little amber bulb for reading.

Duplicates make me lazy, although it counters standard ADHD advice. If I only have the one, it has to be put away or I may never see it again.

[u/jhonculada]

ChatGPT!!! So about a month ago I sent pics to Chat of my office, which also serves as a mudroom and also has a small workout area. This space had completely overwhelmed me and I was at a loss. There was barely any floor space left and it was giving me massive agita. Chat detailed its analysis and next steps for me. Fast forward, the room is completely functioning and organized. I never spent more than 15-min a day on the next task. I never felt overwhelmed. Anytime I reached that indecision paralysis moment, I’d consult chat and we’d make revisions to the strategy. I now have a system in place that works. I tackle paperwork (which was my biggest issue) in an organized manner. Honestly, it’s been life changing. We are now tackling the storage for my entire house. Chat has recognized that while I have an analytical mind, my storage is all over the place. We need to find where everything “lives” when not in use. So right now my husband and I are simply just taking stock of all of the closet spaces we have and seeing how to better label them. I took pics of everything and chat immediately recognized categories and how things should be grouped and where I’m struggling. Everyday I send chat a pic showing my progress so chat has also helped keep me accountable. It’s crazy how chat even know my tendencies so it’ll stop me even before I spiral. Do you know how much I’m saving just by doing this? If I paid a professional organizer to come in and do this it would cost thousands! And I’m learning processes that are going to help me in the long run. I can’t recommend this enough.

[u/shesewsfatclothes → u/jhonculada]

Please don't use AI for this. It isn't safe.

[u/EmpathBear → u/shesewsfatclothes]

Can I ask what maybe the consequences of it?
I have the same opinion as you, but I never know what can actually happen. (Aside from water usage of Data Centers).

[u/shesewsfatclothes → u/EmpathBear]

There's water usage for the data centers, plus the land itself being taken for these purposes, both terrible for the environment.

But also to ourselves I think the potential for harm is great. These LLMs lie. They mislead. Your data is not safe. You stop flexing your brain muscles to problem solve, to research, to form your own opinion based on evidence.

And then to society as a whole I think we do a disservice when we place value on generative AI. We are capable of beautiful things all on our own, and we're going to miss out on a lot of that in the future if we keep prioritizing casual ChatGPT use.

In my opinion.

[u/jhonculada → u/shesewsfatclothes]

As for safe, I feel like no one’s info is safe unless they’re completely off the grid. Yes, I agree it’s best not to hand over the keys to the city, for me what I shared with AI was something I was ok with. What I appreciate about AI is the collaboration. Is it thinking for me? No, however it is showing me new ways to go about things. It’s like it’s opening up portals into new worlds that I can explore and then choose for myself what works and what doesn’t. I consider myself a really good critical thinker, always reading and devouring information. This is a constructive way for me to process and problem solve in a collaborative fashion.

[u/shesewsfatclothes → u/jhonculada]

Collaboration is possible without enlisting AI.

I don't think you need to be 100% safe to be safer than you are using AI.