Through my research, I have started to notice that some very ordinary daily activities can become surprisingly difficult for people with ADHD.
I also spoke with several Chinese adults with ADHD about their everyday experiences. One issue that came up was cleaning and organising their rooms. They knew that the room needed to be cleaned, and sometimes they had already been thinking about doing it for a long time, but actually starting — and continuing until it was finished — could still feel difficult.
Existing research has described similar experiences. Adults with ADHD have reported difficulties managing and completing everyday activities such as housekeeping, even when these tasks may appear simple to other people (Schreuer and Dorot, 2017).
One of the participants I interviewed said that she consciously arranges things in her home in ways that may seem unusual to others but are much more convenient for her. For example, she keeps her skincare products beside her bed because it fits naturally into her daily routine. She also keeps her shampoo next to the bathtub so that she can wash her hair while lying in the bath.
This made me realise how important it can be for each person with ADHD to gradually explore and develop everyday routines that work for them personally. Small adjustments like these can make daily activities more efficient while also making everyday life feel more comfortable.
Reference
Schreuer, N. and Dorot, R. (2017) ‘Experiences of employed women with attention deficit hyperactive disorder: A phenomenological study’, Work, 56(3), pp. 429–441. doi: 10.3233/WOR-172509.
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