Taking care of a household is not easy and if we add ADHD burnout to the mix, well…. things get interesting. The important thing to know is you are NOT alone!
There are so many of us out there trying desperately to keep it all together. And even though sometimes the wheels do fall off (because we are humans) it doesn’t mean there are no strategies we can put into place to help glue it all back together.
If you are a stay at home mom (SAHM) or simply have ADHD and want to look into some tips and tricks then welcome! Let’s dive in!
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ADHD Burnout Tips and Tricks For Stay At Home Moms
1. Acknowledging The ADHD
This is the most important step in all the “tips and tricks” because we must first accept that we are dealing with ADHD and all of that is included in that diagnosis.
What do I mean by that?
First of, that you and I are not failures if we find it difficult to perform certain tasks, like keeping up with the laundry, meal planning, and getting our house looking the way we THINK it should be.
No one has a perfectly curated Pinterest looking home …. unless they have help. And if you are reading my post, I’m assuming you do not, or at least you do most of the work.
So first we need to understand what ADHD looks like and what it is not.
Common symptoms of ADHD in women include:
You are NOT lazy, a failure, a disappointment.
No, it’s not that you can’t get it together, and YES I know you are trying! It’s just that things don’t seem to work for you and that’s incredibly frustrating.
I’ve been there…. I am there.
Keeping a household together while you are neurodivergent is a real rollercoaster and we need to give ourselves grace.
Because we are going to have good and bad days, weeks, months, years.
Let’s just be honest.
So yes, the first step is to acknowledge that we are women with ADHD and that we have to factor that in.
Small realistic goals go a long way.
2. Scheduling
Having a schedule is crucial to the ADHD mind.
If I didn’t have a schedule, I know I would forget half of the things I need to get done.
Not only appointments, but I’ll forget that the laundry needs to be put in the dryer, or to water my plants.
A great trick for me is to have visual reminders. This way once I see it I will be able to make sure I have to complete the task.
For example: I have a calendar on my phone but also on my fridge. There I write down what needs to get done that week and what groceries I need to buy.
Anther great tool is setting alarms and timers on your phone. This is great for when I put the laundry, I’ll set a timer so I don’t forget to later put everything in the dryer.
Who hasn’t forgotten a load of laundry or two and then had to rewash everything.
If you love planners, then you will enjoy my post on 4 types of ADHD planners.
3. Micro Tasking
Micro tasking is a great way to keep the house “tidy” without getting overwhelmed with a big “To Do” list.
An easy example is cleaning the bathroom.
Dedicating time to cleaning the whole bathroom maybe overwhelming at times. So what works for me is to break it down in to smaller tasks.
- 1. When I’m using mouthwash I use that time of swishing to wipe down the counter or I’ll clean the mirror.
- 2. When I’m showering and giving my hair mask those 5 minutes to “work” I’ll use that time to scrub the bathtub. I use those small brush with soap dispenser. Works great.
- 3. When I take my kids to the bathroom, once they are done, I’ll wipe the toilet down with a Clorox wipe. (not every time…. you get the point).
This way, the task doesn’t seem to time consuming and therefore not as overwhelming.
4. Meal Prepping
This is a great way to save time.
There are so many blogs and different content creators that have whole TikTok accounts and youtube channels on this. Especially on how to make easy dishes that don’t require a lot of prep work.
A good trick is to make a list of the meal you and your family enjoy and space those out on a calendar. Not only does this take away the guessing work of what to cook that day but it’s also a helpful way to be able to plan your grocery shopping list for the week.
Another great tip is to plan your meals around what’s in season. This way you know it will be available in the store and lower in cost.
5. Time For Your Interests
Spending time on things that interests us outside our family is crucial.
These are moments that belong to us, to what we find interesting, to what bring us joy.
We can’t dedicate every minute of our lives to taking care of others without experiencing some form of burnout. That is why taking time for ourselves, no matter how small, does make a difference.
Simple examples of this can be dedicating a moment of our day to drinking a coffee (or whatever drink you prefer). In my case, I wake up an hour before the rest of my family, this way I’m able to get some “alone time” and enjoy what I like.
Easy examples can include: having a cup of coffee/tea, time to read or watch a favorite show, go out for a walk, gardening, knitting, whatever you like that makes you happy.
6. Cheat Days
Think of this like those cheat days people have when they are trying to do a diet.
You can’t always be perfectly curated.
There are days that you will need to take a break and that includes tasks like laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc.
Maybe you don’t want to do the laundry or have to think about making a meal and the cleanup that it would involve. That’s what “Pizza days” are for.
It’s those necessary breaks we need to be able to take a step back and reset from the routine.
To summarize
We are human. The house is not going to look perfect all the time. And trying to have everything perfect is only going to lead to burnout.
As I tell myself: I have ADHD (and autism), things are not going to be perfect and thats OK.
And it’s the same for you! You are not alone!
If you found this post helpful, please comment & share.
Bonus: Free Printable Planner
This Free Digital Download Planner will help you with getting yourself organized. The best part is that the planner is that it is undated so you can print as many copies as you need and use whenever.
Other Posts You Will Love:
4 TYPES OF ADHD PLANNER YOU WILL LOVE
6 BEST ADHD MOM BURNOUT TIPS AND TRICKS YOU WILL LOVE
4 EASY NATURAL WAYS TO INCREASE DOPAMINE ADHD FOR EVERYONE
4 BEST CATEGORIES OF STIM TOYS YOU WILL LOVE
Pages Cited:
ADHD Symptoms in Women. Cleveland clinic.
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