10-Minute Tips To Tackle Organization | Life Skills Advocate

In addition to the differences in brain structure, those with ADHD often have differences in attention span, making it harder for them to focus on tasks for extended periods. When organizing or cleaning out a space, their thoughts might jump from one thing to another, leading to unfinished tasks and an even messier environment.

This distractibility also makes it difficult to prioritize tasks and follow through, adding to the struggle to stay organized.

Do these challenges with organization, time management, and attentional control sound familiar for you or your learner?

It’s no secret that living in disarray can take an emotional toll. For someone with ADHD, the weight of disorganization can bring additional emotional baggage, from feelings of anxiety and depression to embarrassment and low self-esteem. These feelings can create a vicious cycle; as the disorder becomes harder to manage, the emotional consequences pile up even more, creating a continuous struggle.

These simple tasks not only make daily life more manageable but also help reduce stress, create a sense of accomplishment, and ultimately, pave the way for a clearer mind.

The key to successful decluttering is starting small and resisting the urge to multi-task. Simply set a timer for 10 minutes and choose a single room or area to focus on. Pick up items that no longer serve a purpose or belong in that space, and either toss them, donate them, or move them to their designated areas.

Make it a habit to routinely perform this 10-minute decluttering exercise, and your home will become more organized with each session.

Whether you’re in the kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom, countertops quickly become catch-all areas for clutter. Instead of letting it pile up, take 10 minutes to clear off the surfaces and only keep frequently used or essential items. This will not only make your space appear tidier but also save time when searching for items.

Every morning build in time to emptying and organizing the contents of your purse, backpack, or workbag.

Start by removing items that don’t belong or are no longer useful.

Then mentally review each of the major tasks in your schedule for the day (or take out your calendar and review each appointment. Think about the items you will need for that task, and make sure they’re in your bag for the day.

As you put items back in the bag, consider using pouches or other compartmentalizing tools to keep the remaining items sorted.

Maintaining an organized bag will make it easier for you to find what you need on the go and prevent unnecessary clutter.

It might seem simple, but one of the most effective ways to feel more organized each day is to make your bed. Taking just a few minutes to straighten sheets and fluff pillows can help you start each day with a sense of accomplishment, while also instantly improving the overall appearance of your bedroom.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by large organizational projects (think closets, garages, or storage rooms), set a timer and spend 10 minutes listing what needs to be tackled and breaking those tasks down into achievable chunks. This will make it easier to plan how and when to address each subtask, ultimately boosting productivity and reducing stress.

One of the most critical steps in staying organized is making a to-do list – and actually using it!

Take just 10 minutes each day to jot down the tasks you need to accomplish. Make sure you’re consistent; whether you prefer to write your list in the morning or evening, stick to that time frame.

To further streamline your to-do list, consider categorizing your tasks. Separate tasks by their urgency, difficulty, and context (personal, work, or school). By doing this, you’ll be able to create a more organized to-do list and minimize the feeling of being overwhelmed.

By taking the time to think through which tasks belong in each category, you help solidify their importance in your mind, making it easier to prioritize and focus on what needs to be done first.

Time blocking is the practice of dedicating specific blocks of time to individual tasks or groups of tasks. Instead of mentally juggling several tasks at once or getting sidetracked, you allocate, say, 10 or 20 minutes to devote to a single task.

By doing this, you’re forcing yourself to prioritize your tasks, take breaks, and make the most of your time. Time blocking can be a game-changer for those with ADHD, especially when used in combination with your categorized to-do list.

If you’re feeling too overwhelmed by a task, try setting a focus time – which is the amount of time you dedicate to work on a task without distractions. By setting aside 10 minutes at a time to focus on a single task, you can quickly make progress without feeling overwhelmed.

Plus, when you break things down into smaller increments, it’s easier to manage the time and maintain your focus. It’s a win-win situation.

Let’s face it; we’ve all got that one email inbox filled with messages we no longer need. Take 10 minutes to purge unnecessary emails, unsubscribe from newsletters you never read, and organize the remaining ones into folders. By doing this, you eliminate distractions and make it easier to find important information when you need it.

In this digital age, staying organized extends beyond our physical spaces. Investing 10 minutes in decluttering your phone screen can work wonders for your productivity.

Remove unused apps, organize the remaining ones into folders, and only keep the necessary widgets and tools on your home screen. By reducing visual clutter, you’ll be able to focus better and minimize distractions.

Everyone has that infamous junk drawer – the one that accumulates random items over time. Set aside 10 minutes to sort through it, discarding anything broken or unwanted, and placing items that can be used elsewhere in the appropriate spaces.

Organize the remaining contents in small containers or use drawer dividers to ensure everything has a place. Saying goodbye to your cluttered junk drawer will feel liberating and make finding things much easier in the future.

This tip requires a little bit of discipline, but it’s well worth the effort. Spend 10 minutes at the end of each day tidying up and returning items to their designated spaces, or “homes.” This daily habit will help keep clutter from building up and can help to maintain the organization you’ve implemented with other tips.

For those of us with ADHD, organization can often feel like an impossible task. But the truth is that anyone can get organized in 10 minutes or less with just a few simple steps. Start by making a list of all your tasks; then set timers for each one and reward yourself when they are complete.

Organization doesn’t have to be complicated; all it takes is a little bit of effort and creativity!

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