318 The Real Reason You Can’t Get Organized (And What To Do About It)
whatshot 9 snips
Jun 3, 2025
Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? You’re not alone! Discover that it's not laziness but executive dysfunction causing the chaos. Learn how emotional regulation can be your secret weapon for organizing. Unpack the ties between trauma and clutter, and find out what Marie Kondo got right—and wrong. Explore an ADHD-friendly 3-pile system that works, tackle decision fatigue, and redefine what 'organized enough' really means. Say goodbye to guilt and hello to practical strategies that empower. Embrace the mess; it’s part of your journey!
50:50
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Otto's Post-Work Struggle
Otto struggles with transitioning from teacher mode to dad mode after work due to ADHD brain challenges.
He feels dysregulated and overwhelmed, impacting his ability to support his family effectively.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Create Decompression Buffer
Prioritize self-compassion and recognize transitioning between roles is hard for ADHD brains.
Carve out decompression time and negotiate with your partner for mutual breaks.
insights INSIGHT
ADHD's Impact on Organization
ADHD affects executive functions like organization, planning, and prioritization causing clutter and chaos.
Emotional regulation and task initiation difficulties also impede organizing abilities.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
This book explores how toxic shame is the core motivator behind various toxic behaviors such as compulsion, co-dependency, addiction, and the drive to superachieve. It explains how these behaviors can break down family systems and destroy personal lives. Bradshaw provides techniques to identify, understand, and address the root causes of shame, and offers methods such as affirmations, visualizations, 'inner voice' and 'feeling' work, and guided meditations to release and heal from this shame. The book emphasizes the importance of recognizing and working through internalized shame to achieve wholeness and well-being[2][4][5].
Struggling to get organized? You’re not broken — you’re just an ADHDer with a real, overwhelmed brain.
In this episode, we’re ditching the shame spiral and unpacking why staying organized is so hard for ADHDers… and what actually helps. Spoiler alert: It’s NOT more bins.
If your home feels like a disaster zone, this one’s for you. We’ll talk about:
Why executive dysfunction—not laziness—is the real culprit
How emotional regulation (not time management) is the secret key to organizing
The connection between trauma and clutter
What Marie Kondo got right… and what she totally missed
The ADHD-friendly 3-pile system that actually works
How to help your kids without losing your mind
Why decision fatigue is derailing your decluttering
And how to redefine “organized enough” for your actual life
This episode is packed with practical strategies, permission slips, and empowering reminders that your messy house is not a moral failing.
Listen now, take what resonates, and leave the guilt behind.