Hi friends! Lately, I have been finding ways to make my living space more functional. I love to find new ways to have a cozy home that also serves my everyday routines. Whether this be keeping up with my cleaning schedule or organizing my things, I find so much peace when it’s done for the day. There are small routines that you can incorporate into any schedule – no matter how busy. At the end of the day, the goal is to make your life easier.
The thing about mental health that nobody tells you is there WILL be hard days. Healing is not linear and anyone who tells (or sells) you otherwise is giving false hope. I would love to tell you that after reading and subscribing to this blog you will be cured, but that’s simply not true. If it was true, I’d be a millionaire. The unfortunate thing about healing is it takes a lot of work. This isn’t passive work either, there are lots of conscious actions that need to be taken in order to heal properly.
The key word here is properly.
The timing of healing is funny in the way that it comes when you’re least expecting it: more on that later. Today we’re going to talk about all things organization, clutter, and ways that your home can better serve you. Yes, I said your home can serve you. Like clothes, shoes, or anything else in life, the things meant to make our lives easier are supposed to actually make life easier, not more complex. Can you tell I have a lot of thoughts on basically everything?? Plenty of reading material (and podcast material, wink wink)!!
So, How Can I Organize My Home?
Your home should be a safe space for you mentally and physically. Here are some easy things that you can do to ensure functionality and maximize comfort:
Out of sight = out of mind
One of my favorite organization tips for my ADHD friendly home is to organize my fridge and kitchen in a special way. I need to be able to see the food that I have available, so that I don’t forget it’s there. This is especially true with fruits and veggies, so I’ve taken to using clear containers to organize them in my fridge. Some even come with lids to ensure an airtight seal. I also use these containers to store my medications and vitamins (speaking of, I use this monthly pill organizer that is SO convenient. Only filling it up once a month saves time.)
The single most important thing in my kitchen is my coffee maker. I love my little keurig, and it makes single serve coffee so much easier. It also has a smaller reservoir so your water doesn’t get stagnant like the big machines. This is way less cleaning that a regular coffee pot, and I keep my K-Cups right next to the machine. Along with setting out my mug the night before, this works like a charm.
I sometimes struggle with brain fog in the mornings, so having everything I need in front of me is super helpful. Remember to make your kitchen work for your desired routine, not the other way around.
Trashy, trashy, trashy – Trash cans EVERYWHERE
One of the best ADHD friendly tips that I’ve picked up along my journey is to keep a trash can in every room. You read that right, every single room in my house has a trash can including my living room and bedroom. This will be sure that trash doesn’t pile up around you, including those snacks that you enjoy on the couch or in bed. They make really cute, compact ones that you can match with any style of décor, and you can reuse your shopping bags as trash bags!
It honestly doesn’t take much time at all to empty them (see more in my lazy girl cleaning hacks article) and the fact that my life is easier because of it makes the extra 5 minutes worth it. It makes me feel cluttered when I have food wrappers or fast food drink cups in my space, so this makes it easy enough to toss them in a tiny trash can. (I have these ones, but any will work!)
Keep It Simple
I know I’m huge on telling you to journal, but seriously, do it. Besides a cleaning schedule, I recommend keeping mental notes on things that you do every single day. We all have routines, so why not make them easier for you to handle?
For instance, if you always do laundry on Saturdays, move the laundry basket closer to the door on Friday. This will help to avoid procrastination, and make sure you stay on track as much as possible. I also highly recommend finding smaller, portable laundry baskets instead of huge ones – this can help the task of laundry feel slightly smaller and feel like less of a chore. You deserve to have clean clothes every day, in case your mental illness told you otherwise.
If you want to take a supplement before bed, keep it on your night stand with a glass of water.
What if you need to make lunches in the morning? Set out the open lunch boxes to fill in the morning.
And if you need to take your dogs for a walk daily? Keep your shoes and their leashes by the door.
Don’t be afraid to do things “unconventionally.” If it helps you, that’s what matters. Our homes are meant to serve us and be functional! Sidenote, functional does not mean always clean. This is your reminder that your house is allowed to look lived in. Newsflash, people live there. My bottom line is this: If it makes your life easier, do it.
Thanks for reading, Friends!
Veronica – Weekly Wellness
