This is one of the first and only times you’ll get instructions on the LSA blog to “stop reading here.” But stop what you’re reading for just a few minutes and look up from your device.
Check out your living space. If you’re commuting or otherwise out and about, check out the living space of your backpack, vehicle, or purse.
Do you see stacks? Piles of papers, books, and miscellaneous items that you moved from one spot to another, promising yourself you’d sort them out later? How organized does your space look right now?
Okay, now come back to reading!
If you’re like many of our readers, you may have discovered what many call “DOOM” piles—short for “Didn’t Organize, Only Moved.” It’s a common scenario, especially when you’re juggling the demands of school, social life, and possibly work, all while managing the complexities of neurodivergence.
Understanding how to tackle these piles is more than just a cleaning task; it’s a crucial skill that can reduce stress, boost productivity, and improve your overall mental health. For young adults, especially those who experience neurodivergence, mastering the art of decluttering can lead to a clearer mind and a more organized life.
In this post, we’ll explore why these DOOM piles form, the benefits of addressing them, and provide you with a structured, neurodivergent-friendly approach to decluttering that respects your unique needs and helps integrate them into your daily routine.
Click here to jump to the TL;DR summary.
Why Decluttering Is Hard And Avoiding Piles of DOOM Can Be Harder
As we mentioned above, for neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD and autism, the formation of “DOOM” piles can be a common occurrence. But they aren’t simply the result of procrastination; they’re often a reflection of how neurodivergent brains process information and manage their environments differently.
Here are just a few of the reasons piles of DOOM may be showing up in your space right now:
- Decision Fatigue: By the time we’re adults, we have to make around 35,000 decisions per day. Neurodivergent individuals can experience heightened decision fatigue or difficulty in making good decisions after they’ve gone through a period of repeated decision-making. For many, piles of doom happen because the mere thought of sorting through items or organizing induces anxiety or exhaustion. It’s easier to set the task aside so items stack up. Ultimately, postponing decluttering only creates more decisions that have to be made, furthering the decision fatigue spiral.
- Preference for Visuals: Many neurodivergent individuals use visual systems to organize their thoughts. When it comes to personal belongings, that can be keeping items within sight as a reminder. However, this method can become counterproductive when there are too many items to manage, leading to clutter that is shuffled around rather than sorted.
- Challenges with Executive Functioning: Neurodivergence often involves challenges with executive functioning, including difficulties in planning, prioritizing, and organization. These challenges can make it difficult to initiate and complete organizing ‘stuff’ contributing to accumulating unsorted items.
- Variable Interest and Focus: Neurodivergent individuals might have intense focus or interest in specific areas while finding it hard to engage with tasks perceived as mundane or uninteresting (Be honest…does anyone want to choose to declutter over their favorite show?) This can lead to a cycle where more attention is given to preferred activities and less to organizing or decluttering.
Recognizing these factors can help in understanding why piles of DOOM can pose a significant challenge for you as a neurodivergent individual. By acknowledging what might be underlying the clutter, the next sections will explore practical strategies to promote effective decluttering and sustaining a system of organization over the long haul.
Step-by-Step Guide to Tackling Piles of DOOM
Tackling your DOOM piles can seem daunting. Here is a step-by-step guide designed to help you approach decluttering in a manageable, effective, and less overwhelming way the first time—and then to stay organized moving forward so DOOM piles don’t re-emerge.
Step 1: Set a Clear Goal & Motivation
Before you start, define what you want to achieve and why. A lot of the struggle with staying organized can be reduced by understanding and re-framing your motivation for why decluttering can help you accomplish other things. Consider some of these statements for “why” decluttering is important:
- I want to get organized so it’s easier to find my things in the morning and I have more time with my friends before class starts.
- Decluttering will help my living room be more enjoyable when friends come over.
- I want to save money (and buy things I want) by not buying things I already own but have just misplaced.
Whether it’s clearing your study area, organizing your bedroom, or decluttering your digital space, having a clear goal will also focus your efforts and make the task seem less formidable.
For more on SMART goal planning, download our free .pdf guide to setting SMART goals from The Real-Life Executive Functioning Workbook (coupon code LSA20 for 20% off).
Step 2: Break It Down into A Small Task
Rome wasn’t conquered in a day. And neither will an apartment full of doom piles. Divide your main goal of getting organized into smaller, manageable tasks. For instance, instead of tackling an entire room at once, focus on one area, such as a desk or a bookshelf. Build some success with smaller projects that will ultimately lead up to big changes in your organization skills.
Step 3: Schedule The Decluttering Session
Set a specific time in your calendar for decluttering. Choose a time when you feel most energetic and least likely to be interrupted. Keep the session short (15-30 minutes) to help prevent burnout and the need to block off large portions of time.
Step 4: Prepare Your Tools
As the decluttering session gets closer, gather all the supplies you might need before you start—trash bags, boxes for items to donate, cleaning supplies, and storage containers. This keeps you from getting distracted once you begin. Don’t get too hung up on the container or having the perfect fit the first time. What you have to organize may change as you start to sort items into their correct locations and spaces.
Step 5: Use a Timer
Working in short bursts can enhance focus and efficiency, especially when you’re doing something you don’t necessarily find enjoyable. Set a timer for the 15-20 minute decluttering session as a way to maintain momentum and create a sense of urgency.
Step 6: Assess and then Sort Items into Categories
Start by first assessing the small area or pile you’re working to organize. What are you likely to find in the pile? What categories might those fall in (e.g., keep, throw away, donate, relocate, etc.) As you declutter, sort each item into its correct category. This simplifies decision-making and helps you move quickly from one item to the next.
Step 7: Be Decisive
Make quick decisions and trust your first instincts for what category an item should be included in. If you haven’t touched an item in over a year, does it really have enough value for you to save it? If you use the item every day, can it be placed in or near your launch pad?
If you’re unsure about an item or you’ve had to think about it longer than 30 seconds, consider a ‘maybe’ box. Set the item aside and move on to the next thing. Revisit this box at the end of your decluttering session to make final decisions on items that take a bit more time or consideration.
Step 8: Repeat and Reassess
Repeat Steps 2-7 until you’ve organized all the piles of doom in an area or accomplished your initial decluttering goal. After each session, take a moment to reassess what’s been achieved and adjust your plan if necessary. Celebrate each small victory and find something to reward yourself when the piles have been eliminated.
Then it’s time to move on to maintaining your clutter-free space
Strategies for Maintaining a Clutter-Free Space
Once you’ve navigated eliminating the doom piles, the next step is to set up a system to help maintain your decluttered space effectively and turn the maintenance into a sustainable habit. Here’s how to ensure that your environment remains organized (and free of doom piles!) over time:
Strategy #1: Add Daily Quick Cleans to Your Routine
Allocate a specific time each day for a quick cleanup session that is built into one of your regular routines. This could be five minutes in the morning or evening. Sandwich it into two tasks that are already daily habits for you (e.g. brush your teeth, daily quick clean, then get dressed). During this time, reset any areas that have started to collect clutter, such as your desk, kitchen counter, or living room space.
Strategy #2: Conduct a Weekly Review Session
Once a week, take a little more time (about 15-30 minutes) to go through your spaces more thoroughly. This is a good opportunity to put away any items that have been misplaced throughout the week and to reassess the functionality of your organizational system. Some weeks will be better than others for keeping your spaces organized, but by having a weekly session to do a deeper organization session, you’re better able to respond to the changes in your schedule that may increase clutter.
Strategy #3: Use Visuals, Photo Organization, or Checklists
Utilize your tendency toward visuals to support new organization habits. Create visual labels for where items belong. Take photos on your smartphone for what decluttered spaces should look like once they’re clean and tidy so when you’re organizing you have something to look back to as a reference. Create checklists for different areas of your space that can guide your daily and weekly cleaning sessions and ensure that you don’t overlook any areas.
Strategy #4: Involve Others
If you share your space with family or roommates, involve them in the decluttering process. Share your system and encourage them to maintain an organized environment together. This not only eases the load on you but also creates a communal sense of responsibility.
By breaking down the maintenance of your decluttered space into these detailed steps, you create a robust framework that supports ongoing organization and minimizes the chance of reverting back to chaos. This structured approach can be especially helpful for neurodivergent individuals, providing clear, manageable tasks that integrate seamlessly into daily routines.
Common Decluttering Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When decluttering, it’s easy to fall into a few common traps. Understanding these pitfalls can help you navigate around them and achieve a more effective and lasting organization. Here are some typical mistakes to watch out for and tools to avoid them in the first place:
- Trying to Tackle Too Much at Once – It can be tempting to want to declutter your entire living space in one go. However, this approach can quickly lead to burnout and frustration, especially when energy and focus are limited. (Remember decision fatigue is a real thing!!) Instead, break your decluttering into small, manageable tasks. Focus on one area at a time and give yourself permission to stop after a predefined segment is completed.
- Insufficient Planning – “A failure to plan while decluttering, is a plan to fail.” Without a clear plan, decluttering can become inefficient and haphazard, leading to incomplete tasks and a lack of visible progress. Before starting, spend a few minutes planning your approach. Decide which area you’ll tackle, what supplies you’ll need, and what you’ll do with items you decide to remove.
- Keeping Items “Just in Case” – Holding onto items because you might need them someday can lead to unnecessary clutter. This habit is particularly challenging for those who experience anxiety around losing potential resources. Instead, implement the rule of immediate utility: if you haven’t used the item in the past year and it doesn’t have a scheduled use in the near future, it’s likely safe to donate or discard it.
- Over-Complicating the Organization System – Complex organizing systems can be hard to maintain, especially if they require significant time or steps to put items away properly. Ask yourself questions like: Is it really necessary for my pantry to be organized alphabetically? Or is it more important that expired items are removed and thrown away? Focus on developing simple, sustainable organizing practices. Use clear bins, labels, and an intuitive categorization that makes sense to you. The easier it is to use, the more likely you are to keep up with it.
- Not Tailoring the System to Your Needs – A common mistake is using organization systems and tips that work well for others but may not suit your personal needs or the specifics of your neurodivergence. Decluttering does not have a right or wrong answer, as long as your space is clean, tidy, and makes you happy. Customize your organization strategy based on what works best for you. Consider your challenges and strengths, then make choices that support your own needs.
Conclusion
Decluttering isn’t just about creating a tidy space—it’s about designing an environment that enhances your focus, productivity, and overall well-being.
As a neurodivergent individual, mastering the art of decluttering, tailored to your unique needs, can transform your living or working spaces into areas of greater peace and functionality. It’s not only about removing physical clutter but also about minimizing mental distractions, allowing you to thrive in all areas of your life.
Start Decluttering Today!
Why wait to create the calm and organized space you deserve? Start small, choose one area, and spend just 10 minutes RIGHT NOW sorting through a DOOM pile.
It’s cliche, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Each item sorted is a step closer to the clarity and control you seek. Start now, and transform your space into one that helps you be the best version of you.
TL;DR – (Too Long, Didn’t Read)
Decluttering goes beyond cleaning; it’s essential for executive functioning, positive well-being, and for meeting other goals.
This article explores the formation of “DOOM” piles—collections of items that have been moved but not organized. Doom piles can be common for neurodivergent individuals due to heightened decision fatigue, a preference for visual organization, challenges with executive functioning, and varying interests and focus levels.
By breaking down the decluttering process into manageable steps, setting clear goals, and scheduling regular maintenance, you can create and maintain a clutter-free environment.
The article also reviews common mistakes like taking on too much at once or keeping items “just in case” and how they can be addressed with practical solutions, aiming to tailor decluttering practices to fit individual needs and make your space a supportive, functional environment.
Start small, use clear and simple systems, and integrate decluttering into your daily routine to transform your living or working spaces into zones of clarity and control.
Further Reading
- Harvard University – Executive Function and Self-Regulation
- Life Skills Advocate – Helping Your Child Overcome Decision Fatigue
- Life Skills Advocate – Hyperfixation and ADHD: What You Need to Know