I finally got to the point of being totally fed up. I could no longer close the drawer in my bathroom- well- 3 drawers- that contains my makeup and family medications. The irony of this is that I rarely wear make up, so why do I have a drawer full of products dating back to the 90s?

The meds drawer was also overflowing with everything from expired cold syrups to ancient Band-Aids.

There’s this misconception (see my longer list in my previous newsletter HERE) that people with ADHD don’t care about the clutter we accrue in our homes, offices and cars. I would venture to say, from the hundreds of emails I get from people all over the world, that nothing could be further from the truth: we care SO much, that we are constantly criticizing and shaming ourselves and searching everywhere for answers to the problem. We cut out magazine articles, read books on organizing, join Facebook groups and more.

We are obsessed with organizing stores. As I walk down the aisles of such stores- the islands of hope- my heart begins to race and my mouth waters- not because of the candy aisle next to check out, but because I’ve found the Holy Grail of Home Organization. I scour the shelves for solutions to all of my clutter problems and start grabbing. More often than not, I lug home bags of Lucite and plastic containers, mesh desk organizers and other things that I just know will cure the part of my ADD brain that causes me to create piles and clutter. {smurk}

Yesterday, I went to Bed Bath and Beyond (for those of you unfamiliar, it’s a home goods store). I have yet to leave that story without dropping at least $50. But this time, I had a very specific mission. Ok, I always have a specific mission, but yesterday, something clicked. Because I was so sick of seeing the over-stuffed drawers in my bathroom, unable to even find Tums if I needed them, I decided enough was enough.

ADD adults often ask me: “How do I get started on a project? I get overwhelmed, anxious, angry and then shut down. I don’t even know how to prioritize.”

I followed my own advice on this home project. Stick with me for a minute and see if this works for you, too.

We have a tendency to look outside of ourselves at our clutter, piles and other things around us- and what we see mimics how our brain functions, which is: here, there and everywhere. Up, down, over, around, and then we shut down.

What I’ve learned is that by going inward, we can find the answer fairly quickly and easily by asking this one simple question:

What is bothering me the most RIGHT NOW? And if I could cross that “thing” off my to-do list, which project would make me feel a whole lot better? In other words, what around you is making you feel sick or angry? What is giving you a migraine? What is causing you to snap at people you love? Unfiled tax returns? A desk loaded up to the sky with paper? Your unbalanced checkbook? A closet full of out of season clothes?

Ask this question yourself now and I promise you, you will know what you need to do to make yourself feel better. And once you do, leave a message in the Comment section below so we can help hold each other accountable.

Now back to the medicine drawer!