When working with clients, the laundry room is very telling and often out of control if the client has ADHD. Laundry is a task, with many steps, which makes it difficult to stay on track and complete – especially with ADHD challenges. Setting up a routine for this task is what gets you to the finish line. Here are 10 ADHD-friendly laundry tips for helping you to tackle that laundry and keep it under control:
(1) Build your routine:
Routines are the key to finishing a task. Laundry requires starting and finishing a task, so it is important to set up a simple routine that gets you to the finish line. Managing time, not allowing yourself to wait, just going for it instead of letting yourself think of all the options, and staying focused from beginning to end is much easier when you are following a routine.
(2) How will you do your load?
Decide on how you will do your load. Do you want to do a load everyday? Or do you prefer to have one day of the week completely devoted to laundry? Whatever you decide, your goal is to build this into your routine so that you are doing the load at the same time everyday, or setting aside one day where you just focus on laundry.
(3) Commit to the end:
When you go to start a load of laundry, aim to be committed to the task until it is finished. This means that you are engaged in your load from the time it goes in the washer, until the time that the clothes are put back into their drawers or closets.
(4) Focus, focus, focus!
Don’t give yourself the leniency to get distracted. Knowing the steps to follow and following up succinctly with each step will keep your mind on the task at hand and help you to complete the task. You won’t have a chance to lose focus if you keep checking in with your load and adding in these tips.
(5) Use alarms to keep you on track:
Set an alarm for when the laundry is done in the washer to remind you to put it into the dryer. Then, set an alarm to take the laundry out of the dryer. Setting alarms will help you remember and keep you from forgetting about the laundry. If you are motivated by racing against the clock, you can even set a timer to beat for folding your laundry.
(6) Folding is part of the routine:
As soon as it comes out of the dryer, fold it right then and there. You can fold it in your laundry room, or in another pre-designated spot if you prefer a different space. For clothes that are hung, just put them in a pile so that you can carry them to the closet and hang them all at the same time.
(7) Pair folding with a fun activity!
Pair folding your laundry with something that you really enjoy and look forward to! Here are some of our team member’s favorite ways to pair an activity with folding laundry: listening to podcasts, watching reality TV shows, listening to music and dancing while folding, putting the phone on speaker and having a call with an out of town friend. What do you want to do while you are folding? This will make it something that you actually look forward to!
(8) Laundry is not done until it is put away…
After folding, immediately gather up the folded laundry and put it away. Don’t leave it on the couch or in the laundry room to be done later. If you are listening to a podcast, you can still take it with you as you are putting the laundry away. You are so close to the finish line and should be soooo proud of yourself!
(9) An organized laundry room can really help!
Organize your laundry room – after you are finished with the laundry, of course! This can really help you with your laundry routine. Having your washing and drying accessories easily accessible, will keep you from having to stop and look for them. It’s also important to make sure you have the proper space for sorting, hanging, and folding laundry. Read the article for more tips.
(10) Less is always more:
Think about it. The less clothes you have, the less you have to wash. If you haven’t gone through your clothes recently, now is the perfect time to do so! Seasonal clothing swaps help you to let clothes go that have not been used and that you do not think you will use in the coming season. Less is always more. So keep the clothes you love and let the others go.
Stick with us this month. We will be sharing tips and tricks we teach our clients to stay focused and to stay on task. Instead of fighting your ADHD, work with it! Have you joined our Abundance Declutter Group yet on Facebook? Let us know what tips really help you with completing laundry.