Less means you spend less. You need less storage. You need a smaller house. Less means you worry less. You search for things less. You are less bogged down by clutter.
— Leo Babuta of zenhabits
We ADHD’ers have so much going on in our heads, often that clutter and chaos extends into our physical surroundings. Organizing our things takes too much time, too much focus. We cave to the excitement of buying new stuff. Our lives become so messy, we buy duplicates of tools and supplies because we forget we already own one — or we just can’t find it when we need it.
I know. I’m about to buy what I think is our third pair of office scissors.
In a household where true calm is hard to come by, the only path I’ve found to a more satisfying life is through less. Doing less. Consuming Less. Owning less.
My husband once told me, “we don’t have enough storage space in this house.” I told him, “there’s no way to know that until we’re using it effectively to store things we use and love.” We’re not there yet. We have a long way to go. But we’re in a much, much better place than where we started, and that feels lovely.
If you stress about being short on money and time, about not being able to find things when you need them, about constantly feeling behind — give minimalism a try. Take a look at what these bloggers have to say about how simplifying has freed them to live a richer life.
My favorite minimalist blogs:
- Unclutterer
I already mentioned this one in my review of Unclutter Your Life in One Week, but it belongs at the top of my list. Unclutterer is full of practical, reasonable, simple, and challenging advice for living an uncluttered life. New content is posted regularly, and you can catch up on old content via regular “A Year Ago on Unclutterer” posts. - The Minimalist Mom
While it lacks the raw quantity of Unclutterer, The Minimalist Mom makes up for it in quality. Parents will love Rachel’s genuine approach to blogging about minimalism. She admits it’s not always easy and talks about the challenges of living with less while also living with young children. It’s tough, but she’s doing it, and she paid off $80,000 in debt in just under two years. That’s enough to catch my attention! - zenhabits
I would be remiss not to include this one, as it’s been with me since my earliest Google Reader days. It’s packed with great philosophies and the posts are short, sweet, and well-edited enough to digest in one sitting. ADHD buyer beware, though: many of Babuta’s challenges will be especially hard for us. Don’t beat yourself up if it feels like way more than just a paradigm shift for you to “inhabit the moment” or “overcome instant gratification.” These are cornerstone ADHD struggles, and our work to overcome them will look different than the average. - The Minimalists
While I don’t frequent this blog for practical tips the way I do Unclutterer or even The Minimalist Mom, Joshua and Ryan have some lovely essays up here about their path to minimalism. Don’t worry, you’ll find practical help, too, like the obvious-yet-easy-to-forget advice to “start with the easy s***.”
Do you have a favorite minimalism- or organizing-themed blog? One place I don’t skimp is my Feedly account, so send it all my way!
Hey there! Are you enjoying The ADHD Homestead?
Here's the thing: I don't like ads. I don't want to sell your attention to an advertising service run by the world's biggest data mining company. I also value my integrity and my readers' trust above all, which means I accept very few sponsorships/partnerships.
So I'm asking for your support directly. For the cost of one cup of coffee, you can help keep this site unbiased and ad-free.
Below you will find two buttons. The first lets you join our crew of Patreon pals and pledge monthly support for my work. Patrons also have access to my Audioblogs podcast. The second takes you to a simple donation page to pledge one-time or recurring support for The ADHD Homestead, no frills, no strings. Do whichever feels best for you!
