ATTENTION deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that can cause above-normal levels of hyperactive and impulsive behaviours.
Repetitive tasks that do not spark interest are often hard for people with ADHD as the energy to perform certain tasks is closely linked to how interested we are in it and how we feel while doing it. Coming from African culture, uncleanliness is something that’s censured and can earn you people’s disgust. And in varying degrees, people with ADHD are often untidy. If you’re someone who is neurodivergent or just struggles with keeping a clean environment, don’t despair. You’re not gross or lazy, you just need a little more help to accomplish your daily tasks.
Here are some ways to keep you interested and keep the environment around you clean.
- Write a Detailed To-Do List
Something that I’ve found helped me even though it’s assumed that people with ADHD hate repetition is having a to-do list that goes into detail about what to do. Literally, write down the sweeping of the floor and add the amount of time that you’ll take to do it. That will trigger your brain to realize that there’s something that has to be done. Make sure that you keep the to-do list within eyesight or with reminders on your phone.
- While Cleaning Listen to Energetic Music or A Youtube Video of Someone Cleaning
Part of ADHD is hyperactivity and hyper-focus which can help in completing tasks when its energy is focused on the task at hand. It’s a common trigger to enter hyper-focus when you listen to music that livens you up (if you don’t get distracted by dancing). One thing that I’ve noticed that helps me is cleaning with another person. Another person isn’t always available so watching YouTube videos where someone is cleaning and talking helps to complete the tasks at hand. There are cleaning videos available on YouTube for people with ADHD and depression that need to clean their room or dishes. That’s where I learned the phrase “You are not lazy or disgusting,” It’s motivating to clean with someone that understands and doesn’t judge you.
- Use medication
If cleaning is generally too overwhelming a task for you then you might want to consider medication. Medication in the right doses helps people with ADHD to complete daily tasks that are often overwhelming. It may take time to figure out which medication works in the right doses but many people say that it has helped them complete projects that were once too much for them to handle including keeping their environment clean.
Just to reiterate, you are not lazy or disgusting. You just function a different way. And it’s okay if it takes you some time to find what works for you. But realize that you are improving and you should be proud of that.
