Neurodivergent

Have you been trying to clean your house when what you actually needed was to tidy? I ask because I do this to myself constantly. My brain sees the state of the kitchen and defaults to clean, meaning bench spray, mop the floor, wipe every surface. And this is usually where the pile-on starts. I glance at the lounge room, that’s a mess, that needs a clean. Dining room, last night’s dinner plates, that’s a mess that needs a clean. Insert all the need I repeat in my head, and both PDA and freeze kicks in. Hours of work. The size of that job locks me up and I do none of it. The dishes stay on the sink. The floor stays sticky. My brain calls me a failure and I go make another cup of coffee. ...

People always apologise at the door. “Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess.” “Don’t look at the kitchen.” “I would have tidied but, " I get it. I’ve done it too. We’ve been taught that someone seeing your house honestly is a moral failure, and a professional organiser walking in feels like inviting the judge into the courtroom. So let me tell you something, properly: I’m not looking at your mess. ...

Let me just say it, one of the most hectic things about the summer holidays is keeping organised. I’m human. I’m neurodivergent. And yes, there are shortcuts even a professional organiser and cleaner takes in their own home. I’m not above it. None of us should be. The Holiday Washing Spiral Over the holidays, keeping on top of washing is genuinely difficult. The kids are home, changing three times a day, throwing their PJs in the wash after one night. If you miss just one of your two loads a day, suddenly you’re two weeks behind. ...

I spent years thinking I was just bad at organising. I’d read the books. Watch the videos. Buy the cute matching baskets. Follow the step-by-step systems. And within a week (sometimes days), it would all fall apart. The problem wasn’t me. The problem was that traditional organising advice is designed for neurotypical brains. Let me show you why it doesn’t work for ADHD-and more importantly, what to do instead. Problem #1: “Put Everything Away Where It Belongs” Why It Fails: ...