Let's focus on that.
Now, without further ado, my latest post.
Rivi's Top 10 Tidying Tips
So, as many of you know, I have ADHD. I choose to take medication, but there are many symptoms of this disorder that are not easily treated by medication. Rather, these are ingrained habits that require effort and lifestyle changes to adjust. One such habit is cleanliness.
I am not talking about basic hygiene and self care, though I may cover that in a later post. I am talking about my bedroom floor, or lack there of. For the majority of high school and into college, my room would all too often look as if a tornado of clothes had vomited all over my bed and floor.
This is not just an ADHD issue, either. Many teenagers and adults have a difficult time tidying up and keeping their spaces in line. Specific issues regarding ADHD, such as impulse control and effective system management, can make these issues worse. But these tips can work for everyone who needs a little extra motivation or quick and easy tips to build effective habits.
The difference between "cleaning" and "tidying"
I do not use the terms "cleaning" and "tidying" interchangeably. Although many people see them as similar, I distinguish between "cleaning my room" and "tidying my room"
Rivi's definitions: Cleaning refers to dirt. Tidying refers to clutter.
For example, laundry. Cleaning would entail putting my dirty clothes in the washing machine and then dryer. Tidying would refer to collecting the mountain of dirty socks that is accumulating on my bed and the scattered outfits lining the floor putting those in the laundry basket. Tidying is mainly about the appearance of cleanliness. Although cleaning often goes hand in hand with tidying, I find it most beneficial for my mind to tidy first, get my space clear, and then go in and clean.
Top 10 Tidying Tips
These tips are ones I have accumulated over the years since being diagnosed with ADHD. I began to envision my life as one I wanted to strive towards, and looked for specific tips and ideas that would help me to conquer the daunting task of getting my life in order, in whatever way that looked.
1. Visualization
I cannot stress enough how helpful visualization has been in helping me to manifest the life I desire. If you follow my Instagram, you may see that between photos of yarn and travel, I post a lot of very similar photos of my work space. These images help to motivate me and visualize the type of productive style I want to embody.
I have Pinterest boards filled with images of tidy and minimalist rooms, and I have a YouTube Playlist called "Visualization: Cleaning" which I put on if I need some motivation. I am a visual learner, so watching others clean works really well to inspire me. If you are more of an audio learner, try listening to audiobooks or Ted Talks related to tidying/cleaning. Anything that can get you thinking, "yes, this is the kind of space and work I want to accomplish. This is what I aspire to."
2. The 10 minute rule
One rule I don't follow as much as I should, but is extremely helpful, is the 10 minute bedtime declutter. This means that before bed, spend 10 minutes tidying up your bedroom. Toss dirty clothes in the hamper, straighten your sheets, clear off your nightstand. It's just 10 minutes, but it makes a big difference and really helps to limit the amount of clutter that can pile up if you leave it be for just a couple days.
Although you could also do it in the morning, I usually prefer to spend my morning energy checking off my to-do list and getting things done. At night, when I'm kind of out of it and winding down, it's nice to do some simple tidying. Plus, it lets me wake up to a clean room, which helps motivate my productivity.
3. No "dead time" while cooking
This is a tip I heard on a YouTube channel, VasseurBeauty. The idea is that you avoid any dead or empty time when you are cooking by tidying up. I always heard my parents say "clean as you cook", but this tip helped me to make it a reality.
When the pasta is cooking, or the grilled cheese is frying, take those few minutes to tidy up. Even just 2 minutes here and there can be very helpful.
Here the tidying vs. cleaning comes in handy too. First focus on what can be tidied up: butter back in the fridge, flour back in the cupboard, etc. If you have extra time, you can clean too (wipe down the counter, hand wash the pan), but if you leave the cleaning to the end it's much easier than if you leave the cleaning and tidying to when you are finished.
4. Make a list
This tip I heard from HowToADHD, which has got to be one of my favorite YouTube channels ever. She suggests breaking up your rooms into tasks, so that you don't get sidetracked by all the different tasks that need to get done.
For example, I might start picking up my laundry, but then I see my desk is cluttered, oh and my bed needs to be made, and by the end of my available time nothing really looks much tidier.
Before you clean, take a step back and evaluate what needs to be tidied. Write it in short-hand on a piece of paper (dirty clothes, laundry --> washing machine, clear desk top, make bed) and finish each task before starting another.
Plus, you get the satisfaction of crossing off all your completed tasks, which to me is super fulfilling. Then again, I am easily entertained.
5. The Pomodoro Method
The Pomodoro method is a super helpful technique that consists of breaking up your work time into 25 minutes of work with a 5 minute break. 1 Pomodoro = 25 minutes work + 5 minute break. Once you complete 4 Pomodoros, you get a longer, 15 minute break.
I usually get through just one or two Pomodoros before I get drained. I'm also not super great at giving myself JUST five minutes break (come on, I just worked for 25 minutes I think I deserve a longer break!). Make the method work for you. Which leads us to our next tip:
6. Break it up
If the Pomodoro method is too strict for you, or just doesn't suit your fancy, you can do what I do and set a timer for work time. Usually I set my timer for 15 minutes and tell myself I have to work through that before I can take a break. You would be surprised the amount of work you can get done if you aren't constantly sitting down to check Pinterest for new interior design ideas.
You can also break up your work time with other measures, like music or TV episodes. For example, I will tidy my room for one episode of Parks and Rec, or the first 5 songs of Hamilton. The key is to only do your designated task for that time block.
7. Make a challenge out of it
I once found $100 in cash doing a 100 items challenge. The challenge was to discard 100 items, either by throwing them out or giving them away. About halfway through my bottom desk drawer, I found an old birthday card from my grandparents with 5 twenties in it! My grandparents weren't thrilled with my, err, lack of responsibility with that, but it was really exciting and an unexpected bonus.
Challenges can range from setting a number of things to discard, to challenging yourself to clearing one area of your space per day, to finding all the old t-shirts in your wardrobe and making a quilt. Pinterest has some fun ideas; the key is to make it fun and competitive (even if it's only against yourself)
8. Reward Yourself
Set goals for yourself and reinforce your tidying habits. Maybe every night you complete your 10 minute tidying ritual, you add a sticker to your journal. And maybe after five stickers, you get to go to Barnes and Noble and get that knitting book you've been looking at. And maybe after ten stickers, you treat yourself to that 80% merino wool light blue fingering weight yarn at the yarn store by Starbucks. Or you know, something else entirely. Just throwing out ideas here.
9. Keep cleaning products accessible
This tip is for cleaning, not necessarily tidying, but it's been very helpful for me. Keep your cleaning products close by, whether that is an all-purpose cleaner, washcloths, or trash bags. Visual cues can be very helpful-- if you see a bottle of cleaner on top of your dresser, that may encourage you to not only clean the dresser, but also clear off other table tops so you can spritz those as well. Seeing a large empty garbage bag by your desk could motivate you to quickly clear out the trash in your top drawer.
10. Clean and Clear Surfaces
The #1 thing that changes my room from visibly disaster area to arguably tidy is the appearance of the surfaces around my room. The other day, I cleared off my dresser, which had been piling up with papers and photos and scrap yarn. That one change suddenly made my whole bedroom start to look tidy, which motivated me to tidy more. It is kind of a cheater's tidying trick, but if you need to make your space presentable quickly, clearing off surfaces works wonders. I have a couple of medium size bins I can gather clutter and slide under my bed in a pinch. It's not a long term solution, obviously, but it does make my space look much nicer and much more presentable.
I hope this list helps you to develop your own habits for cleaning and tidying. Have an awesome and productive week, and we will learn together again very soon.
From strength to strength,
Rivi
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