Keep It Simple Sweetie

by | | Academic Coaching, ADHD, Executive Functioning

My workspace.
Hi All,

I hope that you are feeling okay as you finish up the last week of school before a much well deserved break or you are enjoying a well deserved break! Last week, I mentioned doing a Reset; a family conversation to get clear on wants, goals and communication among teens and their parents.

This week, I’m going to talk about something called reducing cognitive load, or keep it simple sweetie, and what steps to take in doing that this winter break.

Cognitive load is defined as the amount of information the working memory can hold at a time. Working memory is an executive functioning skill that allows us to hold onto information without losing track of it.

Many of us who have neurodiverse brains carry a high cognitive load because in addition to trying to absorb the content or figuring out a complex problem, we also might be looking for a pencil, a piece of paper, and also trying to organize our brilliant thoughts into a way that our teachers will know that we know the information (which is often in the form of paper and pencil).

Because we are either in or approaching winter break, this post will focus on reducing the cognitive load in terms of organizing space as it is an excellent time do that given there aren’t other school demands. As we approach the New Year, I will give more tips for reducing the cognitive load.

When I was younger, those that didn’t understand ADHD would say things like, “Why don’t you just be more organized?” “Why don’t you just have a place for everything?” or my favorite, “the exterior (room, home etc) is a mirror of the interior.” These comments led me to feel shame, but did not inspire change.

What I needed was someone to show me how to create a system that would work for my brain so that it would be easy for me to be more organized because the truth is: while the exterior doesn’t always represent the interior for me, I definitely feel more calm and at ease when my space is organized. My cognitive load is reduced a lot then I know (generally) where everything is that I need to get started (and don’t have to dig for a coffee mug at the bottom of a sink full of dishes).

But, I still needed to find a system that worked for my brain. So often I would (and still do sometimes) let clothes and papers and other miscellaneous items pile up until I couldn’t stand it anymore and then I would do a massive clean-up only to have the same thing happen again.

I realized too that I was overcomplicating things;  I wanted a separate place for every single item, but because I didn’t have the space nor the bandwith to think like that I simply gave up.

So, here are five guidelines I follow:
  • I keep it simple.
    •  The ADHD brain is one that is constantly moving or hyperfocuses on details until everything is exactly perfect (at which point, the person who owns that brain is too tired to do the work that they were actually supposed to do). Because school requires you to solve complicated problems sometimes this results in thinking that you also need a complicated system. Spoiler alert: the simpler your system, the more energy you will have on focusing on the content of your classes.
  • I keep very few items.
    • The easiest way for me to organize my things is to not have a lot of things! I am just as much of a consumer as the next person, but I get heart palpitations thinking about where I am going to put the new item that I just bought. I try only to buy things that I need or I know for which I will have a place.
  • I keep two computer plugs.
    • I travel with my computer which means I need a plug for it when I’m somewhere else. However, getting started is hard for me and thinking about plugging in my computer feels like a lot of work! Therefore I keep one that is always plugged into the wall.
  • I have a small desk that I keep clear except for a space for my computer and a journal.
    • My desk used to be another storage place in which it would be impossible for me to do work. I needed something small, and it needed to stay clear. While clearing and keeping it clear felt like an impossible task at first, I started by asking myself: “How do I want my desk to look?” Then, I started with the papers. Where can these live? It turned out, most of them could live in the recycling. For students, I recommend that papers either live in the recycling, a binder if the paper is active, or in a labeled file box if the paper will be needed later.
  • I keep a set of drawers with all of my stationary items.
    • It is way imperfect, but I can find most things that I need.My workspace.
It has taken me awhile to consciously know what works for me. For my ADHD brain, “organizing” has been an abstract concept in which I needed to be shown what the  concrete steps of “being organized” might look like.

 If you would like some support in reducing your cognitive load either in your physical  organization or otherwise, I would love to talk with you. Schedule your complimentary Destressify Yourself session here.
Wishing you all a peaceful holiday season!

Warmly,

Sarah Weidman

PS: I would love to see a picture of your space! Tag me on Instagram with #stresslessstudent.

PPS: I’m excited for my holiday card this year! If you would like one and you don’t think I have your address, please let me know so I can ensure that you receive one.