You know how expensive disorganization is, right? Some of the costs are obvious; like late fees, wasted time and lost opportunities. But there are hidden costs of disorganization for Adult ADHD, too. Costs that are less obvious yet add an extra whammy if you’re struggling to manage Adult Attention Deficit.

The formula goes something like this: physical disorganization fuels emotional distress and mental chaos.

When you can’t get organized it takes a toll. Each time you look at your home, your desk or your car, the piles and clutter send messages straight to your psyche.

The Four Hidden Costs of Disorganization for Adult ADHD

The Cost of Confusion. When your world is cluttered, life is more confusing. You won’t know where to start and can’t figure out what to do next. Without a starting point to grab onto, your thoughts start spinning; only making the confusion worse.

When your world is cluttered, life is more confusing. You won’t know where to start and can’t figure out what to do next. Without a starting point to grab onto, your thoughts start spinning; only making the confusion worse. The Cost of Distraction. Clutter and disorganization are distracting. With a plethora of things lying about to catch your eye, you’ll get pulled off track more easily. A more simple, clear environment makes it easier for the distractible ADHD mind to stay focused.

Clutter and disorganization are distracting. With a plethora of things lying about to catch your eye, you’ll get pulled off track more easily. A more simple, clear environment makes it easier for the distractible ADHD mind to stay focused. The Cost of Overwhelm. As disorganization builds it becomes harder and harder for the ADHD brain to focus. Simply looking at all the decisions you need to make and actions you need to take can flip your mental switch into overwhelm. When you get overwhelmed your Attention Deficit makes it nearly impossible to make progress on anything.

As disorganization builds it becomes harder and harder for the ADHD brain to focus. Simply looking at all the decisions you need to make and actions you need to take can flip your mental switch into overwhelm. When you get overwhelmed your Attention Deficit makes it nearly impossible to make progress on anything. The Cost of Negative Self-Talk. As a former ADHD coaching client, Sean, so eloquently put it, “When I look at the piles and the clutter it reinforces my belief that I’m a failure. That I have no hope of ever getting a handle on managing my ADHD. Everywhere I look I see what a loser I am.”

The ugly fact is these emotional costs can block what needs to be done to get organized and to handle the problem. It’s a catch-22.

Many ADHD Adults tend to make light of the clutter. But clutter takes us into dark places. Clutter increases the challenge of living more successfully with Attention Deficit. The hidden costs of disorganization for Adult ADHD are nothing to laugh about.