I’m a peri-menopausal life coach with ADHD and a busy family — here’s how I keep my home as organised as possible
There was a time when I genuinely believed everyone found life this hard — that the constant decision-making, tidying, remembering, choosing, re-choosing and re-tidying was just… adulthood.
Then parenting arrived.
And peri-menopause.
On top of a very full life.
And suddenly the baseline level of effort required just to start the day felt overwhelming.
If you live with ADHD or peri-menopause, you’ll probably understand this deeply. The cognitive load isn’t created by big things — it’s created by the endless micro-decisions:
What do I wear?
What’s for dinner?
Where did I put that thing?
Did I already buy that?
Why am I in this room again?
That constant demand on executive functioning can mean the day feels too much before it even begins.
Over the last few years, I’ve intentionally focused on reducing that baseline cognitive load — not by trying harder, but by designing my environment and systems to work with my brain.
Here’s what actually helps me, day to day.
1. We invest in a weekly meal service
We’ve tried all of them over the years, but sticking with one consistently has been a game-changer.
Why it works for my ADHD brain:
Massively reduces daily food decisions
Removes meal planning entirely
Lowers end-of-day effort — follow the recipe card, no thinking required
Shared load — my husband or I can cook without any explanation or handover
Avoids the supermarket (overwhelm, sensory overload, forgotten list items)
New meals each week without me having to come up with ideas
Fixed “repeat meals” don’t work for me — but neither does having to think creatively about dinner every single night. This sits perfectly in the middle.
Pro tip: set an alarm to choose your meals each week. Every wasted box I’ve had has happened because I forgot to log in and select them.
2. We invest in a professional home organiser
This started as a gift from my husband — organising my craft space — and it quietly changed everything.
Since then, we’ve had help with:
Pantry
Kitchen
Play area
Garage
What makes it ADHD-friendly:
They listen to how I use the space, not how it “should” be used
Categories that make sense to my brain
Everything is visible, labelled, and stored in clear containers
The systems move with us — we’ve moved house twice and taken them with us
The benefits compound over time:
Less time searching
Less frustration
Less duplicate buying
Easier resets when life inevitably unravels
It can feel like a bougie splurge — but in reality, it’s saved us money, time and mental energy for years.
3. I wear an Apple Watch (strategically)
My Apple Watch actively supports my executive functioning all day long.
It:
Alerts me when I leave my phone behind, like in a shop or on a plane (yep, that happened)
Lets me set reminders the moment I think of something
Helps me find my phone when I lose it around the house (daily 🙃)
Filters notifications so I can focus without missing what matters
The magic is closing the gap between thinking of the task and capturing the task.
Because:
Think of thing → find phone → unlock phone → don’t get distracted → remember thing → set reminder
…is a lot.
Important: don’t mirror your phone notifications. Curate alerts ruthlessly or it becomes just another source of noise.
A gentle truth
None of this is about being “better organised” or more disciplined. It’s about refusing to live life on hard-mode when your brain is already doing more than most.
Also, these are the supports that work for me. Yours might look different — and that’s the point.
If you’re exhausted by trying to function in systems that were never designed for your brain, you don’t need more willpower. You need better design. And support. Whether its technology, meals, home organising or a coach - or all of the above - you deserve it.
If you’re ready to start setting your life up to work for you — not someone else’s version of success — I’d love to help.