A direct cause for ADHD still eludes scientists. Indeed, there is no consensus. Genetic factors are thought to play a role, and environmental factors very certainly do. You cannot do anything about the genetic factors, but your environment is at least partly within your control.
Indeed, managing environmental factors is, along with judicious use of the right medication, the way that ADHD is controlled and coped with. Underscoring the importance of this factor is that ADHD sufferers are often divided by age group, precisely because of environmental changes as one progresses through life.
We can understand the environment as here meaning everything a person with ADHD will have to do, interact with, and the spaces they will occupy. A child will have few responsibilities and will normally have parents or guardians to care for them. Teenagers must tackle school and lay the groundwork for later life. Adults need to manage everything almost independently, be that work, relationships, or running a household.
These tasks are all harder for those with ADHD, especially when they involve concentration and focus. And this problem is common enough to drive the market for things like an ADHD planners, luxury notebook, and habit trackers.
When we understand ADHD in this way, the most important thing for coping with the condition is managing the environment. The home in particular can be challenging. Messy spaces are often distressing for those with ADHD, and the disorder can actually worsen the symptoms.
Next Level Daily, a company specializing in ADHD planners, advises that careful planning can help deal with environmental disorders, but you can also actively reduce environmental disorders. Unsurprisingly, this all starts with optimizing the home for living with ADHD.
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The ADHD Home
The wonderful thing about optimizing a living space for those with ADHD is that the aim is to reduce disorder and stress – that is actually good for everybody who lives there. An ADHD-friendly home is a better home for everybody else too. But what does an ADHD home look like?
One unifying factor is that an ADHD-friendly home is one where things are easy to find, and disorder is limited. There is a bit more to it than that of course, but much also depends on what the property is.
Nevertheless, it’s certainly possible to provide some tips for making a home ADHD-friendly. Even if neither you nor any member of your household suffers from the condition, the following tips will still lead to a more ordered and comfortable home.
Specific Items, Specific Areas
This is particularly important. Everything should have its right place, and effort should be taken to return it there after use. Considering how much time you spend at home, failing to do this can lead to some confusing – even distressing – situations on almost a daily basis.
Get Rid of Unnecessary Items
Clutter is the enemy here, and clutter is hard to combat if there is simply too much stuff. Whether the desk of an ADHD adult or the bedroom of an ADHD child, it is harder to keep things ordered and clean if there are simply too many things.
Anticipate Problems and Avoid Them
What might set off a problem situation in your home for someone with ADHD? This is not the same as for a person without the condition. For a hyperactive child, do not have delicate glassware and china all around. For an adult, maybe label drawers with their intended contents.
Ultimately, an ADHD-friendly home is one that anyone who needs some order in their life will benefit from. And for those with ADHD, it is the only way to really make a house a home.