Organizing with ADHD: Letting Go of Guilt and Finding What Works
For years, I carried a heavy sense of guilt about not being able to follow traditional organizing advice. No matter how hard I tried—color-coding, decluttering, or diving headfirst into Pinterest-worthy systems—I couldn’t make them stick. After being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, I finally understood why. It wasn’t a lack of effort or willpower—it was that those methods weren’t designed for how my brain works.
Letting go of that guilt wasn’t easy. But when I finally did, it was liberating. It gave me the freedom to embrace strategies tailored to my needs, allowing me to create spaces that worked with me instead of against me. In this post, I want to share what helped me shift my mindset, reclaim my confidence, and finally make my home a place I love.
Drowning in My Stuff
A few years ago, I was completely overwhelmed. My house felt like an endless game of whack-a-mole: I’d clean the living room, but then the bedroom was a disaster. On a good day, I’d tackle my office, only for the kitchen to stage a mutiny. My stuff didn’t have homes, and I was constantly shuffling it around in a desperate attempt to keep some semblance of order.
I tried everything:
Pulling everything out of a room to declutter in one heroic go (spoiler alert: I’d give up halfway).
Buying more decorative bins and baskets, hoping they’d magically solve my storage issues.
Putting every single thing away at the end of the day (cue exhaustion by day three).
Even praying nightly to the gods of organization.
No matter what I did, the clutter always came back. It wasn’t just draining—it made me feel like a failure. My all-or-nothing mindset was wearing me down, and I couldn’t see a way out.
A Lightbulb Moment
After my ADHD diagnosis and a few weeks of therapy, I started searching for organizing solutions designed for brains like mine. That’s when I stumbled on a podcast: Clutterbug by Cass Aarssen. The title intrigued me, so I hit play, starting with the very first episode.
Her suggestions and kindness pulled me in, but what truly stuck with me was her encouragement to find what works for you. Not what works for your neighbor, your mom, or some influencer with a spotless pantry. You.
For the first time, I felt like someone was giving me permission to organize in ways that actually made sense for my life. I could tackle one drawer at a time. I could throw my pajamas in a bin in the closet instead of folding them Marie Kondo-style. I could even (gasp!) keep my everyday items on my vanity instead of hiding them away.
It was a revelation: It didn’t have to be all or nothing.
The Journey to Less
Inspired by Cass, I started my decluttering journey. It wasn’t a whirlwind transformation—I didn’t suddenly wake up in a minimalist utopia. It was a slow, steady process that took months. I made countless trips to the donation center, tackled one space at a time, and allowed myself the grace to fail, reassess, and try again.
Eventually, my house started to make sense. With fewer things to maintain and systems that worked for me, I no longer felt like I was constantly cleaning just to keep my head above water.
Why I Want to Help Others
Anyone can listen to Cass Aarssen’s podcast—and I highly recommend that you do. But I know that not everyone has the time, energy, or confidence to take on big changes alone. Sometimes, we need someone else to help guide us through the overwhelm.
That’s why, after experiencing the peace and clarity that came with decluttering and organizing my own home, I want to help others do the same. Because everyone deserves a space that feels calm, manageable, and theirs.
