How do you start organizing when it's so overwhelming?

To be honest I hired a cleaner. Not always within someone’s budget but it truly helped me. I find that when she’s there I’m also cleaning. She doing the “hard” stuff like dishes my shower and toilet as well as sweeping and moping and also vacuuming. I’m doing things while she’s there because she’s my body double.

Yeah I've had to learn and still working on it but the way you talk to yourself is huge, I always try to approach as if I was talking to a friend and when I feel disappointed in myself in my head and not going to lie out loud at times that no one is perfect and that whatever it is I wanted/needed to do will be there tomorrow it's not going anywhere, sometimes it helps and sometimes I'm just so sick of myself and my ways that it is like a childish back and forth conversation but changing the way I talk to myself is a game changer it was difficult at first and seemed stupid but overtime it becomes more natural and it really helps it's always hard to learn new habits or change your ways but never give up and I'm sure you're just like me and almost everyone dealing with adhd, we aren't quitters, so have grace with yourself and remember we are all just trying to do are best with what we were given and as long as you're trying that's all that matters!!! Keep your head up and I think you're doing an amazing, even on the bad days, you're trying and the proof is right here reaching out and asking for help, so keep it up and you'll get to where you want to be!! I've always said I'm the true definition of a late bloomer, but I know in my own time and in my own way I'll get there if I want it bad enough!!

Yeah break everything down to the smallest task and write it all on a list. Take it piece by piece. I like to have about 3 things in the works so I can move between them and still make progress towards the goal.

My entire house is a complete wreck. Embarrassed to even have my kids or grandkids over. I moved into my house in 2015 and then ended up in a verbally & emotionally abusive marriage for 4 long years. I already had a procrastination problem… but it got 100 times worse after the divorce as I was trying to heal & get my life back together. I’ve decided to stop being so hard on myself with organizing. So I’ve allowed a month per room. I divide the room up into 20 small sections and work at least 30 minutes per weekday. I still get to have my weekends free… but I AM slowly accomplishing it… even if it’s only 30 minutes at a time. Hopefully it will all be clean & decluttered by Christmas. It didn’t get this bad overnight… so I have to forgive myself and stop being such a perfectionist and realize that 8 months is still a reasonable goal.

You’re so welcome!

I feel the shopping as a coping mechanism in my soul! I have mountains of clothes, shoes, and purses; straight insanity. Thank you for the advice. I will utilize all the advice in every comment and try my best to achieve at least a little something each week. I will try not to beat myself up so much, but it is so hard!

A small victory is still a victory! I find it hard to get the motivation to start because it's so overwhelming, then I tend to procrastinate and end up saying it; it's too much anyways. I want to get things done, but it's like everything in me is fighting against it. It doesn't help that I have CFS and fibromyalgia, either. I run out of spoons easily.

I am currently having panic attacks. My bedroom is the worst; the rest of the house is somewhat manageable if I work for a few hours straight. But my room, man, its just mountains upon mountains. I'm researching executive function coaches; I struggle very badly with that and desperately need help. I appreciate your suggestions and your support. Thanks for commenting!

This is a game changer, thank you!

Someone told me this once and it changed my life. You do level a, then b, then c, then d. Level a is just getting things into the right room. B into the right place. C is by shape and size and D is getting rid of things you don’t like and making decisions. Just pick one quarter of one room or one drawer or one management spot, and just do A level organization. Life changing! hope this helps!

When I have made my place like a hoarder’s episode. First I take a big garbage bag and i start throwing garbage in if there are any. Then I start taking things to their rightful room just room. Then I put the dishes to soak or in the dishwasher. Then a laundry. Then I go into each room and start organizing the most used and important areas. Having less stuff helps. Now when it reaches a normal point I try to maintain i with OHIO method. Only handle it once. Also I have called someone to help me in the past either a friend or a cleaner. It is very hard I understand the overwhelm. I used to have anxiety attacks. Also 3 years ago I tried the Marie Kondo method it helped me with my organization a lot. But still

I do the same thing 😂 Yesterday, I threw out everything in my sock draw because I couldn’t find any pairs. Then I bought 12 pairs of identical socks. (On special at T K Max)

Thanks for mentioning the Tools section. I’m new and haven’t noticed it yet.

honestly the “touch” thing in the tools section of this app was really helpful to me for reframing how i approach my overwhelming tasks. so instead of “clean my room” a really vague idea, you reduce it to “throw away that wrapper” the task is specific and the most easily doable thing i can think of, and that’s been helping me initiate and even hyperfocus on my worst overwhelming-to-even-think-about-starting kinda tasks. kinda feels like i’m tricking myself into being productive lol