Organizing with ADHD: 4 practical solutions that reduce the mental overwhelm

SALT LAKE CITY — Life with ADHD, or any neurodivergent brain, can feel like having a hundred tabs open at once. Which means the traditional "just put it away" organizing advice doesn't always work. The key is to create systems that remove friction and reduce mental overwhelm.

Jen Martin, the founder of "Reset Your Nest," has helped countless families in this situation.

"The desire is there, but the ability to execute is really challenging," she explained.

She shared some practical tips that can help you get organized.

When you have ADHD...

• Starting tasks feels impossible
• Finishing a project is hard
• Hyperfocus takes over
• Decision fatigue creeps in
• Prioritizing feels overwhelming

Martin said ADHD is more complex than just an attention problem. For someone with ADHD, even the small decisions feel overwhelming when dozens of competing thoughts are all demanding attention at once.

"It's just that ability to executive function and choose priorities and make a decision and move forward," she explained.

That's why organizational strategies that work for one person don't for another.

Make Storage Overly Simple

Martin always starts with making things simple.

"Really, really basic, simple locations and homes for things," she said. "This hook is for the backpack. This bin is for shoes."

The smaller and more specific the category, the easier the system is to use. The goal is to reduce the mental effort it takes to make decisions.

When we start an organizing project, our first instinct might be to tackle one big room all at once. Martin said to avoid starting that way.

"Don't start with a garage. Don't start with a storage room. Don't start with your whole room," she emphasized.

Large projects get overwhelming quickly, making it hard to keep going. She said to narrow your focus to just one thing.

"Maybe just your desk surface," Martin suggested. "Something really, really small."

Your much more likely to succeed at one manageable area rather than the entire house.

Hyperfocus is often associated with ADHD. It's the ability to become intensely concentrated on a task for a period of time. While that can be beneficial, it doesn't always help.

"That focus… only lasts so long," she explained. "Use that hyperfocus skill to start small."

Finishing smaller projects builds your confidence and creates visible progress, which boosts your motivation.

Think Visibility Over Perfection

Although Martin loves aesthetically pleasing spaces, she said function should always come first.

"Sometimes clear bins are really useful," Martin said. "You can see what's in there instead of having to go to the effort to read a label."

Being able to immediately see what's inside a bin gets rid of a mental step. With ADHD, eliminating even small barriers makes a difference.

Create Drop Zones for Daily Life

One of Martin's favorite organizational tools is the drop zone.

"I think it's nice when you are coming and going… having a place where things go," she said.

Drop zones keep important items from wandering throughout the house. Keys, backpacks, chargers, sports equipment and other things you need on the daily benefit from having a designated home.

"When you're leaving, you know where your keys are," Martin said. "Your kid is never running around trying to find their backpack ... Making sure that things stay in their drop zone makes the entire family's life exponentially easier."

Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

Martin said to acknowledge and celebrate when simple systems are maintained.

"Your backpack made it on the hook three days in a row. That is amazing," she said. "That's progress."

Celebrating those small things reinforces your positive habits and increases the likelihood that your systems will keep working.

Find more advice from Jen Martin at resetyournest.com.

This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL's editorial standards are upheld.