Too bored for chores? 5 ADHD-friendly tips to tidy when energy is MIA.
You want a clean space. You really do.
But you’re staring at the overflowing sink or the wrecked entryway or the hallway of doom™… and your body says, “Nope.”
Like, not just “ugh,” but shut down. Log off. Do not pass go and forget about that $200.
If you’ve ever felt that full-body I can’t when faced with even the simplest house task – especially if you live with ADHD, burnout, executive dysfunction, or decision fatigue – this post is for you.
Because here’s the truth:
You’re not lazy.
You don’t lack discipline.
You just need a different kind of system.
It’s Not a Motivation Problem. It’s a Brain Wiring Thing.
Pretty much my whole family was diagnosed with ADHD and likely have some other neuro-spiciness coursing through our brains.
When I learned that neurodivergent folks often have inconsistent access to motivation, energy, and follow-through, I realized we don’t struggle to complete tasks because we don’t know what needs to be done. (I mean, sometimes we do, but that’s another blog post.)
Typically, at least for my family members and from my personal experience, we struggle because the leap from knowing to doing feels like trying to cross a canyon without a bridge.
I call this the Don’t Care Canyon.
One part of your brain knows what needs to happen. The other part—the part that has to actually do the thing—just… doesn’t care enough. Not in a selfish way. Just in a no-spark, no-dopamine, full-stop way.
So what do we do?
We build bridges. We stack the deck. We design a system that supports your brain instead of shaming it.
We’re gonna call them: ✨ Brain Boosts ✨
Cute, right?
But these 5 ADHD-friendly rules of fun and functioning will help you reset when you really, really don’t want to.
1. Bookend the boring
Don’t just assign yourself a task and hope for the best: Sandwich it between two things you enjoy. When my oldest son was struggling to complete homework after school, we realized he was resistant because he was low on dopamine. Giving him an hour of freetime and scheduling the task – “at 5pm, meet me at this table and we’ll do 15 minutes of homework” – was much more successful.
For me, dishes can be my nemesis. We cook all the damn time at this house – everyone insists on eating multiple times a day, every day (I mean, first of all, how dare we?).
Usually, we’re in a pretty good rhythm, with our Opening and Closing kitchen duties, but sometimes dishes procreate on the counter – I swear! They just stack up.
So, before making dinner, I allow myself 10ish minutes to sit on the deck with my dog and drink a yummy beverage, usually an iced coffee. Then, I commit to 15 minutes of dishes. Then I know I’ll get to do one of my favorite things, play sous chef, and prep dinner. If dinner prep doesn’t feel like a big enough reward, though, I’ll totally let myself take another 10 minutes to play Worlde and Connections and maybe scroll Threads.
So my bookends look like this:
Sit outside with a cup of coffee → do dishes for 15 minutes → play Wordle or scroll TikTok for a few minutes
Maybe your bookends look like this:
Stretch or journal → clean the toilet and sink in your bathroom → reward yourself with a cozy snack or chapter of your favorite book
Why this works: You’re not asking your brain to “push through.” You’re saying, “Hey, do this thing, and then you get a treat.” And, I don’t care how old you are, treats are a treat and we like ‘em. So leverage them!
2. Body double whenever you can
Have you heard of body doubling? It’s basically the idea that having a buddy makes work suck less. The ADDA describes body doubling as “a productivity strategy used by individuals with ADHD to finish possibly annoying jobs while having another person beside them*.”
So, a “body double” is someone who’s in the room with you, doing something productive, or even just present while you work. In our house this is extremely effective.
Here are some examples that work really well for us:
Have your child wipe down counters while you do dishes
Ask your partner to fold laundry nearby while you pick up the bedroom
Sit and catch up on emails while your child works on their book report
If you live alone, you can look for a “clean with me” Zoom or TikTok live, or record a hyperlapse of yourself cleaning and then play it back for the dopamine mega-hit of watching cleaning content AND then living in the cleaner space.
Why this works: Your brain doesn’t want to be left behind. When someone else is in motion, you often feel naturally pulled into matching their energy.
3. Build a dopamine bridge to Donesville
The task itself isn’t fun, that’s why you’re not doing it. So pair it with something that is.
When my eldest was in about third grade, I got pretty good at asking this question when he was resistant to homework: is it hard or does it require effort? Hard is something you need help to do, effort is something you need energy to do.
Usually, for him, it was effort – he just didn’t have the energy for homework, it felt heavy and boring. So, we figured out that he needed dopamine to get that ish done! He had to have something that helped him cross the Don’t Care Canyon.
His go-to was usually hot chocolate or a snack, or putting on comfy clothes (like pajamas), and working on his homework from a cozier place, like my bed or his. We’d get comfy, get the cozy drink, set a timer (sneak peek at tip #4) and he’d crank out his work.
My go-to for the last couple of years has been audiobooks. I love reading with my ears so much, I am a true auditory learner and can retain way more information I hear, rather than see.
Listening to a good audiobook almost always spurs me into action. Sometimes spicy romance. Sometimes nonfiction. But always something that makes me want to press play.
Other great dopamine bridges:
A fun playlist
A fizzy drink or cup of tea
A fresh candle or incense
A podcast you only let yourself listen to while cleaning
Bonus tip: Stack 2–3 bridges if you need to, like my kiddo! Some will say we’re indulging him or coddling him. But honestly, I want my children (and myself) to have skills to be productive. We don’t shame here, especially in the dopamine-chasing game.
4. Set a timer
This is the oldest ADHD trick in the book—and still one of the best. Set a 10-minute timer and see what you can do. You’ll be shocked at how much gets done when you start. And if you’re still not feeling it after your allocated time? You can stop. You did something. That counts.
Look, if you're waiting to feel like cleaning, you'll be waiting forever.
One of the kindest things you can do for your brain is to remove the pressure of "all or nothing" and give it a clear, short window instead.
That’s where the 10-minute timer comes in. When the timer goes off, ask:
Do I want to keep going?
Or am I done for now?
If all you do is load the dishwasher, wipe down one sink, or fold five towels, you’ve still moved the needle.
That’s a win.
Why this works: It taps into your brain’s love of urgency + novelty – just 10 minutes, right now? To use a phrase my tweens are using: bet! This tactic breaks through time blindness by giving you a clear beginning and end. Which means it also stops the overwhelm spiral. No more “I have to do everything” energy – just hit your 10 minutes and be done. You’ll likely get a dopamine hit for just starting and sometimes that’s all you need to keep going.
5. Break down the task (like, really break it down)
One thing folks with ADHD are great out is making lists.
It’s me. I’m folks.
I have so many notebooks and notepads and spreadsheets with list after list after list written down. The ones that actually get used and are actually helpful have one thing in common: Hyper-specific, active language.
Because here’s the thing: “Bathroom” is too vague.
Bathroom what? Paint it? Be in it? Take a shower? Clean it? You gotta give yourself more direction than a room name. You’re not Ken, your job’s not “beach” so use clear, active language.
“Clean the bathroom” is also not specific enough. Sure, it’s active – you have a pretty little verb right there: Clean! But here we go again with the bathroom part – it’s too vague
The truth is, “clean the bathroom” is not one task on a list of To Dos – it’s like twelve mini tasks in a trench coat.
You need to break it down. Instead of writing “clean the bathroom” on your list, write:
Put toilet bowl cleaner in toilet bowl
Clean seat, lid, base with cleaner
Use toilet bowl brush and clean bowl, then flush
Wipe down sink
Wipe down counter
Wipe down faucet
Hang up new, clean, hand towel
Bring dirty hand towel to laundry area
Bring trash to the main trash can.
Be ridiculously specific. Use your verbs!
Why this works: Active language reduces resistance and gives your brain a clear, manageable action to take. There’s no guesswork, minimal room for distractions, you just walk in, list in hand, cleaning supplies at the ready, and get going.
Bonus tip: If you have the space and budget for it, keep your cleaning supplies in the room they’re meant for. In our house, every bathroom has its own toilet brush, cleaner, cloths, and spray. Remove the step of “collecting supplies” – because we all know THAT is a side quest in a trench coat.
Extra extra tip: try The Reset
Cleaning doesn’t have to take all day or all of you.
Resistance to cleaning is exactly why I created The Così Home Reset. Not as a way to make your house perfect, but as a way to make maintenance possible.
It’s a system built on rhythm, repetition, and simplicity, not shame, guilt, or overwhelm. When we implemented The Reset, my family of four started resetting our shared and personal spaces once a week and the impact was massive. Relief, ease, and a sense of pride in knowing our home was good enough for our lives and our guests.
We don’t aim for perfection. We tackle one personal space, one shared task, and we get the whole household involved.
It works for ADHD brains because it’s:
Clear
Time-bound
Repeatable
Shared
And it comes with built-in dopamine: music, movement, choice, and reward
You can grab your copy for $7 right here. It comes with worksheets to plan your own Reset, and printable cleaning lists (with actionable steps for each room!) so you can unalive overwhelm and start to feel better in your space.
Or, just try this today:
Set a 10-minute timer.
Pick one “reset-level” task (not a room).
Use one brain boost from the list above.
When it’s done, say out loud: That was enough.
Then go sip your tea. Read your book. Cuddle your dog. You just built a bridge to Donesville and crossed it. Don’t Care Canyon is thwarted yet another day. Good job, friend! Proud of you.
*Attention Deficit Disorder Association, The ADHD Body Double: A Unique Tool for Getting Things Done, February 2025