Typical ADHD- I find it really difficult to not lose motivation mid UFing and have a tendency to leave more mess than I started with. A billion piles and nothing to show for it.

So I have created a little game that solves this problem for me. If you want to play here's how it goes.

The rules:

1. Grab a carton/crate/laundry basket/box that you can carry easily with one hand against your hip.

2. Pick a space you want to UF and start filling the basket with things that need to go elsewhere in the house. Any and all rooms- don't discriminate.

3. When that box is as full as you can comfortably carry- pick it up and start walking through the house putting each item away.

The catch is that you're not allowed to put that basket down until it is completely empty.

You win the round when your basket is empty.

Rinse and repeat if motivated. If not- that's ok. You haven't left any ungodly piles in your wake.

I dnt know yall… i dont want to speak too soon but I think I may have officially unfu*ked myself. My last post was a before and after of my side of the bedroom room. I’ve been constantly trying to figure out how to keep it tidy and haven’t been able to since I’ve lived here for 7 years!! Nothing has lasted more than a week or so. Just hitting 20 days feels incredible. I’m coming on here to talk abt my excitement bc I dont wanna say anything to my type-A wife. Who STILL hasn’t said ANYTHING abt it. I think she might be thinking the same thing as me, that as soon as she says how proud of me she is, it will go back to the mess).
What helped/changed??The clear surface in made indicates to me that I need to clear it off. When I had multiple things up there, it was hard. Now that there is basically nothing up there, it’s a cue to out whatever ends up there to put it away.
Also, now that I donated bags of clothing, everything has a place. It’s so easy to just put things back in their home.
The two top drawers look crazy but it’s organized from how it previously was. Last two photos are of how it started. Good luck everyone!!

EDIT:One thing I just thought of to include that has helped me is ve been focusing on how good a clean space feels. When I feel in a bad mood or just off, I’ll clean something or tidy something and I feel at least a little better abt life/myself.

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Snapfind are QR code labels that you can put on containers or doors. And then you use the app and indicate what's in that area.

I had been using ToteScan and it was difficult to add items and even to search for them. So while it was helpful, it wasn't what I needed.

I decided to try Snapfind this week and it's amazing. The app is great but it's side effects are what's amazing.

**Note: the labels are about $15-$18 and the app has a free option, but you'll want paid subscription that costs either $10 a month or $60 a year. However, I do not work for them and I am not getting paid for this.)**

It uses AI. So you just take a picture and it there's a really good job of figuring out what your item is. It's not perfect. But it really good. So it makes adding items very easy.

It's also searchable. And it even allows you to take pictures of the container so you can find it easily.

And I just started using these yesterday. And because I don't have to worry about remembering where I put something, it's freed me. I've been taking a container, and anything that doesn't have a place gets put into the container.

And the side effect is that I'm realizing I have places for a lot of things that are sitting out. I just got so overwhelmed with so much clutter that I couldn't see it. So I'm getting things put away. I'm not freezing because I'm overwhelmed with how many items are sitting out on my counter (table, shelves, etc.)

My goal is to get everything into bins. And then I organize the bins later and get rid of stuff. But even if I don't organize them if I need something, I can search the app and find it.

I hope this helps someone else.

i just joined this subreddit and ive been scrolling through it to give myself some motivation to clean up myself.

it is incredible how many people decluttered, cleaned, organized etc even though they were struggling bad.

you really can be proud of yourself, and if not then i will be even more

The way that a few pieces of advice helped me get unstuck was wonderful! Just what i needed. I have 5 days left, Friday will be the day I have to get rid of all of my furniture. I finished the last mural i was doing so i no longer have to drive 2 hours a day 😅. Still have to pack my dishes and art supplies for storage.

Selling/sold some stuff i told myself i would never get rid of. Nope, the Lenox spice village ain’t worth all the shit that comes with moving it! Noooo there will be plenty of antique woodblock prints there, let it go. Now all my stuff has become just that: stuff. My maximalism is leaving my body lol.

My clothes are in a better spot too, all the clothes in that pile are actually going to donations. All the clothes I’m taking are folded up and I’m about to try stuffing them in suitcases.
Cheers y’all! Wish me luck 🍀

I’m moving tomorrow, and I have people coming to remove furniture and as much trash as they can. Going through everything has forced me to admit how bad I let the apartment get.

There is a large amount of non-food household trash, empty cardboard boxes, and old Factor meal-delivery boxes. The apartment is also very dirty. I’m confident the furniture will be taken, but I don’t know whether the crew will take every trash bag and box. Because of my moving timeline, I will not have time to clean afterward. Anything left will probably have to be handled by the apartment management, and I understand that I may be billed for it.

I used to tell myself this happened because I was lazy and lived on the top floor, making trips to the dumpster inconvenient. But I rarely leave my apartment at all, and I’m realizing that even taking out the trash became something I avoided because I didn’t want neighbors or other people to see me. Obviously, this leads to shame, depression and things that make me just say who cares when it comes to cleaning much.

I’m extremely embarrassed about the removal crew seeing the condition of the apartment or commenting on it. My only realistic goal tomorrow is to get myself and my belongings moved, let them take everything they can, and accept the consequences for anything left.

Has anyone else had workers come into an apartment in this condition? How did you get through the embarrassment while they were there? Any stories about things being left behind in the apartment or it being overly dirty?

I have ADHD along with cervical neck issues and ulnar nerve syndrome, and I’m really struggling to keep up with cleaning. Between getting overwhelmed, procrastinating, and the physical pain from repetitive movements, even basic chores feel exhausting.

The clutter in the bedroom, closet, washroom, work table, bedside table, common area is starting to feel like it’s becoming part of the furniture. I genuinely want to get things done so I can focus on some admin tasks and other life stuff, but I keep looking at the boxes, clothes that need putting away, the unmade bed, and the vacuuming and mopping that need to be done, and I just feel stuck.

What has actually helped you keep your home manageable? Any routines, tips, or tools that made a real difference? And how do you get your brain to even start when everything feels so overwhelming?

Moving on August 15th and I've been making my way through the clutter. A lot of it was in The Pile™️ behind my couch. After years of ignoring it it's so good to be making progress! 💪

Hi. Please bear with me, I'm sure this will be all over the place. I'm 47 years old. I suffer from OCD (not the cleaning type) and anxiety, both of which cause agoraphobia. I'm 99.9% homebound. I don't want to bore everyone with all the details, but the last two years have completely kicked my ass and changed my life. I'm an emptynester and a widow, I live alone.

I wasn't very good at keeping up with chores and it's gotten much worse. I wouldn't call it a hoarding situation, but it's definitely not clean. There is junk/garbage everywhere, inside and the backyard is worse.

Every room is dirty, with the exception of my son's old room upstairs because no one goes in there unless he's visiting with his fiance and that hasn't been since April. The dishes are all dirty, the kitchen is filthy, the back room (where I spend the bulk of my day) is gross. The living room is ok, but I don't spend too much time in there. The bathroom is gross.

Some of my issues (there are plenty):

I can't get into my basement. I'm a large woman and I don't know that the steps would support my weight. I've been assured they would, but there's also no hand railing and I'm terrified of falling or getting stuck. Unfortunately, that's where my washer and dryer are. I do have a portable washer upstairs in my bathroom and then I can hang things to dry, but I can't do larger things or bedding.

I have mice. Due to my personality and my OCD, I can't intentionally kill anything. I have humane traps, but I have been very lazy in setting them. Plus, I don't drive and I've been told that if you don't take them at least two miles away, they find their way back in. Well, I can't walk far enough and back to do that.

I have flies. I'm sure it's because I don't take out the garbage right away and because things aren't clean. I have those ugly fly strips up, but I can't reach some to change them out and I still have a bunch everywhere. I know this is also due to the garbage and junk that is in the backyard. I have an OCD issue with being able to put things in the garbage to the curb. It isn't because I want to keep them or that they have value, it's that I can't touch them again once they are gone. I know that probably doesn't make much sense. I was using a burn barrel to get rid of garbage, but I couldn't do that well in the winter and it got full and now there are bags of trash in the back yard as well as other junk.

As I'm disabled, I'm on a fixed, limited income. I can't afford an exterminator. I can't afford a lot of supplies.

I know I'm rambling, but I'm so overwhelmed that I think of the things I need to do and end up barely doing anything. Yes, I'm in counseling for my mental health and people have said things like "do what you can" "baby steps" and I manage to do one or two small things and it barely makes a dent.

I have reached out to everyone I know (my circle is very small) and even posted in some pay it forward groups to try to get some help with no luck. I don't know what to do. I don't know where to start. I'm angry at myself and then I sit here and don't do anything.

I'm open to suggestions. I know realistically I need to stop with the excuses and DO IT, but I have always struggled with motivation and follow through. Thanks if you read this far.

I'm moving out soon and need to declutter my wardrobe. Most of the clothes are in decent/good condition, and I'd rather donate them than throw them away or let them sit unused.

Does anyone know the best way to donate clothes? Are there any NGOs, shelters, orphanages, or organizations that accept clothing donations? Or if you know of any individuals or families who genuinely need them, I'd love to help.

I'm based in India. Any suggestions or personal experiences would be really appreciated. ❤️

I think I finally realized why I've struggled with chores my whole life, and I don't know how to break the cycle.

I'm 20, and I grew up in a home that was filled with emotional and physical abuse. The police came to our house so often that people in my community knew about it. That followed me outside my home too. I was bullied at school because people had heard about what happened in my family, and over time it destroyed my self-esteem.

Home never felt safe or peaceful. I spent most of my childhood trying to cope instead of learning how to function normally. My phone became my escape because it was one of the only things that distracted me from everything going on around me.

I'm not trying to make excuses. I know I've made mistakes, and I take responsibility for them.

One thing I've only recently realized is how much my upbringing affected the way I viewed chores. In my culture, women are expected to do almost everything around the house, while men often aren't expected to do any. My brother did zero chores growing up, but I was expected to help because I was the daughter. That built a lot of resentment in me.

I know how to cook, wash my own laundry, and clean. If I notice something needs to be done, I'll do it. The problem isn't that I don't know how. The problem is that I hate being told what to do. After years of criticism, shouting, fear, and feeling like I had no control over my own life, I developed an automatic resistance whenever someone tells me to do something.

I didn't realize how unhealthy this had become until now. My family sees me as someone who doesn't help enough, and I understand why. Looking back, I can see that I let my past shape my habits.

The hardest part is that this isn't the first time I've wanted to change. I'll promise myself that this time will be different, but after a few days I lose focus, get distracted, or forget. I've tried setting alarms, but eventually I ignore them too.

I don't want my trauma to define the rest of my life. I don't want to keep using survival habits that no longer serve me. I want to become a responsible adult because it's the kind of person I want to be, not because I'm afraid of being judged.

Does anyone else struggle with not doing chores consistently, whether you grew up in an abusive household or a non-abusive one? If you used to have the same habit, what helped you change it? Or do you still struggle with it?

Hi, all! Wondering if anyone can help me with advice or just supportive words? My grandmother passed three years ago. I was her full time caregiver and lived with her until the very end, even when hospice came in to help. She was my maternal figure, my best friend, and the grief has been so hard.

When I moved out of her home to move back to mine I placed all the boxes in my bedroom. I haven’t been able to unpack any of them. My room is small and now I have piles of things everywhere. I can hardly get into my closet. Every time I try to unpack I just burst into tears. My heart aches. I know I need to get into them. At least some. I have a ton of my clothes in there. Some of my favorite decorations for my room. Even pictures of her and I. But I just can’t bring myself to unpack.

What can I do? Start with one at a time? See if someone can sit with me while I unpack? I feel lost and I know I need to do this. Thank you all!

F**K HARD WATER

⚠️THIS WAS A LAST RESORT!!! PLS DO NOT TRY TOILET BOWL CLEANER WITH YOUR SHOWERS AS A FIRST OR FOURTH OPTION!!!!⚠️

**EDIT**

First of all, I bought the toilet bowl cleaner brand new so no toilet-shower contact was made.

Secondly!!! I tried E V E R Y T H I N G Comet, bleach, baking soda/water, vinegar, CLR, Brillo stain pads, "The Pink Stuff", Ajax and bar keepers friend. I worked on that shower for 5 hours scrubbing, rinsing and soaking with everything (including a heatwave). People don’t understand that "well water" is like hard water on crack, the toilet cleaner was legitimately my last resort after I searched how other people managed to get theirs off.

Please chill my karma cannot take this 🥲🫠

I am leaving for a trip on Monday and will have someone pet sitting.

I have 5 major job tasks to UFMH that I need to finish today....I keep procrastinating.

Let me know if anyone wants to Body Double.

Also, please pick a number from 1 through 5 and I will co.plete that task in the order requested. I will post before and after photos :)

I want to start in 30 mins (3:00 pm Eastern).

Thank you!!

My study corner!

I really needed it, 'cause last Monday I started an intensive online course and clear space for that was very needed. And I did it on time, I'm posting just now because with everything that's currently going on (and my ADHD) I struggle with posting regularly😅

I'll probably set it differently after to have better access to light, but among all that mess that's still in here (that's my plan for tomorrow) I have that little space and it feels great🌼

So it finally happened, just not when I expected. I haven’t cleaned really in almost a year because of grief. I have clutter piled up everywhere(can’t bring myself to look at it or do anything) and deal with roaches in the kitchen and bathroom(this is normal for the complex though).
Today the annual pest control visit happened and I spent the last two days cleaning and I thought it would be good since my bathroom sink was clean and so was the floor by my kitchen cabinets. I shut my bedroom door because the notice didn’t mention it and I had my cat stay in there while I went to work. Nope they looked in every room and reported me. Now I got a phone call at work about a 5 day notice and I’ve hit fatigue. I’m at the point of shoving everything in trash bags and bins at taking it to my storage unit (offsite) and then going from there. I have no support in my life from friends or family so it’s just me. I’ve got my bathroom clean (most of it was I thought he needed in every drawer like the old company so I threw all my stuff in the bathtub) and my dining room is just a staging area for larger furniture now. My living room is nearly walkable and I can see floor in my bedroom. I don’t know if I can make it okay in five days but I’m really going to try.

This took awfully long, many many loads of laundry and quite a few compromises.

One black load is running right now, a quarter of a white load is in the baskets, as visible, and I can finally get back to my schedule of cleaning the sheets. And I'll start taking better care of the pets' things. The dog bed already got a nice hot cycle and the cat stuff will get brushed down (and laundered where possible) soon.

No before picture bc the laundry was all over the place (And I didn't think I could do it tbqh)

The compromises I had to get comfortable with were when to wash. Usually I'd only wash if the basket was overflowing and when I had enough dirty clothes to stuff the washing machine to the brim. Now I throw together as much as I can find (of a given color or temperature) and just wash it as soon as I have the time to do a round of laundry. No "ah maybe I'll wait another day for laundry to accumulate" anymore! I know that turns into 6 days every time!!

Thank you all for being such a nice, supportive and inspiring community! Truly one of the best corners of the internet imo!

First post! I moved into an apartment after getting divorced and selling our house and my adhd-pi is getting in the way of me unpacking. A part of me understands intellectually that I need to put stuff I use often in easy to reach places, but the rest of my brain short circuits at the amount of mental work it takes to figure out what should go where.

I would like to get enough done to be able to cook dinner tonight and would like to be completely done before therapy tomorrow afternoon.

I’ve seen people do amazing transformations here and I‘m hoping for some encouragement/advice/motivation/ anything else anyone has to offer.

I just wanna know what people do regularly. Like... what needs to be cleaned, appointments etc. Not just for me but for my son too... please and thank you.

Hi all. Ex alcoholic, stoner, vaper, smoker, and much worse here. Finally sober and back to fix up the hellhole I left for my parents to deal with. I could really use some encouragement. Feels like every time I start I just keep noticing all the bad things. Completely destroys my motivation. It's so strange. I feel my old cravings and depression creep back just by entering the room. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Edit: Thank you all. You are all very very kind and have given me much hope. I would reply individually to you all if I had proper time. Sending my own love out to y'all in return. ❤️

I have gradually been unfucking the very small habitat i share with my partner and two cats. 🐈‍⬛

Things are soooo much better than even two months ago! I am down to a few large shopping bags worth of stuff i need to sort. some of it is what my bf calls his shame dishes, which is just various cups from before i even moved in last year … and some of it is just so miscellaneous it’s been too overwhelming to process. (e.g. gaming joystick, box of ziplock baggies, lotion…?)

We both are Disabled and AuDHD with limited spoons. My partner keeps stepping in the cat water bowl because the walkway is one bag width too narrow. He is very clumsy for various health reasons so this has become a priority so he doesn’t fall (again).

Any encouragement is welcome and much appreciated. 😁🌈