Comments on: Getting organized — ADD/ADHD style

By: Getting organized: learning what works | Edge Foundation

Getting organized: learning what works | Edge Foundation — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:07:53 +0000

[...] this article? Check out Getting Organized ADHD Style var addthis_pub = ”; var addthis_language = ‘en’;var addthis_options = ‘email, favorites, digg, [...]

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:27:00 +0000

The two main principles of staying organized are: (1) Group Like with Like, meaning keep items that fall into the same category together. An example would be storing all of your first aid supplies in one clear plastic box that is labeled, instead of having to find everything in various medicine cabinets and closets when you need them in an emergency. Even keep the book on first aid in the same box, instead of being buried in a bookcase.
(2) Everything needs Home. Maintaining organization is much easier when you know where everything ‘lives.’ Having a consciously designated home for an item, whether incoming mail or scissors, makes it more likely that you will put it in that spot then just drop it anywhere there’s room. This also makes it easier to find things when you want them, with less time spent ’searching.’ Take that first aid box and keep it in one easily reached location that everyone in the family knows about. Also, adjust the amount of space you allot for a category’s home. When a designated home gets too crowded (too many books for the bookcase or clothes for the wardrobe closet), it gets messy and more difficult to keep organized. Time to either prune what you have (declutter - bless someone else with your stuff), or allocate a larger ‘home.’

By: Teri

Teri — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:51:30 +0000

I can’t wait to read this book…it totally sounds like a keeper. I do not have ADHD but my 9 year old daughter does, and her disorganization seems to affect every part of our home. Tips that make sense and can be actually implemented? Genius!

By: Maddie

Maddie — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:29:51 +0000

A great book on organizing, not specific to ADHD but it has really helped me, (so much so that when asked about it, I can even find the book!!!) is called Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern. She suggests organizing for your habits, rather then trying to change your habits to fit an organization system. For example, if you tend to pay bills at the kitchen table, keep the billpaying things in a portable box in the kitchen that you can clean up and put away when done, but is also there when you need to pay bills. I keep cleaning supplys for the bathroom IN the bathroom, rather then in another part of the house now, because then I don’t have to run around finding the toilet cleaner… I don’t need toilet cleaner in the living room… why keep it anywhere else but where I would actually use it? She makes A LOT of sense. Okay, so I am babbling now. note to self: maybe not a good idea to post before my meds kick in.