26/03/2022
This is an interesting insight from Stories of a Mum now living in Perth, Stories of a Mum has an Instagram page and I love this article !
*ADHD adults:*
In case you need to hear this, the Marie Kondo organization methods are not designed with us in mind. I repeat, Marie Kondo will not likely spark joy for your brain. And by joy, I mean dopamine.
The Marie Kondo method includes dumping all of your things out into a huge pile, then choosing the ones that spark joy for you -or are super useful - and then putting them all back in a new way or new place.
The problem is:
1. You pull it ALL out, usually starting with all of your clothes in a massive pile on your bed.
(ADHD brain = visual overwhelm)…
2. Then make hundreds of quick decisions one after the other… “Keep or donate?”
(ADHD brain = mental fatigue sets in quickly)…
3. Then sustain the interest and focus long enough to create new systems while putting it all back.
(ADHD brain = out of dopamine, no motivation to finish)…
4. Finally, take all of your “no” piles to a donation place
(ADHD brain = “What piles? I don’t notice any piles. They’ve all just blended into the background.”)
Here’s the thing.. I love the results!
While there is a small chance you can successfully hyper-focus long enough to work this method as she teaches it, but I suggest these tweaks:
1) Do much smaller sections at a time with specific start/end points. One nightstand. One drawer. One category of item.
2) Have a friend do it with you to act as a body double to help you stay focused.
3) Plan music, hydration, breaks, and snacks ahead of time.
4) Do it on a school day or get a sitter if possible, or plan something to greatly reduce distractions.
Minimalism is FANTASTIC for our brains, but we won’t always get there the same way our neuro-typical peers do. That is OKAY!
🦋🦋🦋