I cannot even BEGIN to tell you, how often my room is….let’s just say, “less than perfect”, ok? Lol. 

 

My room, just like my mentally ill little mind-brain, are both just as messy and disorganized. 

 

Do I like the clutter? NO. Do I like the laundry pile up? NO. Do I like having to step over stuff just to get to my bed? NOOOOOO.

 

“So, why don’t you just clean up and you’ll feel better?” you may be asking me. 

 

BECAUSE I LITERALLY CAN’T.

My first problem is that I love stuff. I collect things like bones/taxidermy/oddities. And then I collect clothes (that eventually end up never being worn). I also collect a lot of souvenirs and trinkets and t-shirts from vacations. So yes, I have a lot of stuff. 

 

Problem is, that “stuff” means a lot to me, so most of it I just don’t have the heart to throw out. Insert: clutter. 

 

Then comes the problem with my ADHD and what’s called “executive dysfunction” and “ADHD paralysis”. You may have heard these terms before. 

 

Executive dysfunction is basically a set of difficulties that make it difficult for someone with a mental illness to get things done. 

 

For example: 

• Difficulty with procrastination or time management

• Forgetfulness and losing things

• Poor planning and organization

• Difficulty starting tasks or completing them on time

• Problems with multitasking

• Impulsivity and difficulty regulating emotions

• Difficulty with problem-solving or decision-making

• Difficulty with attention and focus

Most people deal with some of these at least some times. But those of us with ADHD/depression/BPD/etc, deal with a lot of these at once, and can make our lives so much harder. 

 

Then there is the dreaded “ADHD paralysis”. Where you feel so overwhelmed by your tasks, that you are immobilized and cannot start or finish them. (No, you are NOT lazy, your brain is just overwhelmed and refuses to get up and do anything).

 

I would say I get ADHD paralysis most of my week when it comes to cleaning up. I find it “easier” to lay in bed and “rot” or “doom scroll”, than completing a chore that would take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. 

 

Yes, a 15 minute task can end up taking me MONTHS to finally accomplish. All because I am so overwhelmed and honestly anxious about completing the tasks. 

 

Throw a little bit of physical difficulties in there, and you’ve got yourself someone who is barely able to complete anything on their to-do list.

 

Most days I wake up, go to work, come home, and go to bed. I have ZERO energy left to do anything else. Whether it be cleaning, other chores, or even just hobbies I like to do. You’d think I’d get up to do those right? You’d be wrong. 

 

So what do we do when we experience these symptoms and are struggling to accomplish tasks, clean our spaces, and just get past these ADHD/mental illness blockades? Well, to be frank, I really don’t know either. 

 

I’ve gathered a list of ideas/tips from the internet about how to better accomplish these tasks without the main tip being “just do it”. Because we know that one doesn’t work. 

 

And I will be testing out these tips over the next few months to give them a fair try and to report back what my findings are, and to hopefully help some of you find better ways of coping.

 

So far I have:

• Do not stop moving if you have that burst of energy

• Set a timer for jobs/breaks

• Rest when you need to rest, but learn to recognize what is rest and what is not

• Body doubling

• Giving yourself rewards after completing tasks/group of tasks

• Break jobs down into smaller tasks

I am hoping these tips and tricks help me get some more use out of my 24 hours a day. But like anything else in life, it takes time and patience. 

 

How do YOU deal with executive dysfunction/ADHD paralysis? Let me know! 

 

Anyway, I’m going to lay down now that I’ve completed this blog post (my accomplishment of the day I guess you could say haha). 

 

See you next week!