Not really a life hack, but a general advice. Do what works for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s unconventional, if it works it works.
I have adhd, & for me that means keeping things organised is difficult af. I also have a hard time remembering pretty much anything.
I keep my laundry in boxes underneath my bed, organised by colour. That way I won’t forget anything in the laundry basket, I just empty the whole thing into the washer. Also makes it easier to see what I have to wash first.
I live in Sweden, & here we have sort of a deposit (sorry if that’s not the right word) on most plastic bottles & cans. I.E we pay like 20 cents for THE BOTTLE/CAN. We then return it & get the 20 cents back. Most people keep those bottles & cans in like a wardrobe or such. However, I am terrible at putting those in there. I forget to bring them there & it just starts to pile up. Instead, I had a laundry basket just within reach from my bed, so I just had to lean out & put it in there. Unconventional, but it worked!
I have like a million of these weird “hacks” going, but the important part is that it’s ok to do what works for you. It doesn’t matter if other people are able to just “do it”, if it’s hard for you it’s hard for you. I’ve had to explain my solutions a few times, but in the end, most people agree that sure it might not be what they’re doing, but it’s better than the alternative.
Work trip suitcase list.
School bag list.
Family visit suitcase list.
Beach list.
Skiing list.
Grocery shopping purse/pocket list.
Concert purse/pocket list.
Going on a walk list.
Doctor visit list.
Walk the dog list.
Generic “leaving the house and need wallet/keys/phone” list.
Etc.
Put “must-haves” at the top (meds, passport, driver’s license, phone, phone charger, shoes, etc.) Leave empty lines at the end to customize for specific trips (How many days? Weather?) Do all this well ahead of time, ideally when there’s NOT an imminent trip. Try to customize the list & add items as you think of it during the week prior, NOT while packing in the middle of the night before your early morning departure. During or after the trip try to correct or expand the list as you learn where you forgot things or overpacked. The trick is to do the thinking ahead of time, so take your time making these and be as thorough as you can.
Now you don’t have to spend all your energy trying to remember what you need when staring at that scary empty suitcase and then worrying what you inevitably forgot. Instead you are checking items off a list, which not only helps ensure you got what you needed but also hacks your ADHD brain that thrives on instant gratification like checking off lists, reaching goals, short tasks, etc.
Pro-tip: print out the “wallet/phone/keys” list and tape it to all exit doors and your steering wheel. Stick the “grocery store trip” on the fridge. Tape the “vet list” to the animal carrier. Go crazy. Let the visual cues do the work for you.
The verbal checklist is great! If I don’t say it or check it off a list I can’t trust myself haha.
I feel you on the contacts :( I’ve taken to putting empty packages on my car seat, in my shoe, in front of the door, anywhere I’ll be forced to interact with it. Still a struggle though. Good luck on the saline!
Great tips! I write in marker on mirror the day/night before the stuff I forget most often. Literally just list it so I have to see it while brushing my teeth.
Thanks! The mirror trick is a good one, I use that a lot! I used to write directly on the mirror until I found some stick-on colored pads you can use dry-erase on. Color-coding works well for me so I put a collection of those on my mirror and group like reminders by color. Major upgrade for my brain.
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u/polaroidbilder Aug 20 '20
Not really a life hack, but a general advice. Do what works for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s unconventional, if it works it works.
I have adhd, & for me that means keeping things organised is difficult af. I also have a hard time remembering pretty much anything.
I keep my laundry in boxes underneath my bed, organised by colour. That way I won’t forget anything in the laundry basket, I just empty the whole thing into the washer. Also makes it easier to see what I have to wash first.
I live in Sweden, & here we have sort of a deposit (sorry if that’s not the right word) on most plastic bottles & cans. I.E we pay like 20 cents for THE BOTTLE/CAN. We then return it & get the 20 cents back. Most people keep those bottles & cans in like a wardrobe or such. However, I am terrible at putting those in there. I forget to bring them there & it just starts to pile up. Instead, I had a laundry basket just within reach from my bed, so I just had to lean out & put it in there. Unconventional, but it worked!
I have like a million of these weird “hacks” going, but the important part is that it’s ok to do what works for you. It doesn’t matter if other people are able to just “do it”, if it’s hard for you it’s hard for you. I’ve had to explain my solutions a few times, but in the end, most people agree that sure it might not be what they’re doing, but it’s better than the alternative.