ADHD strategies

One minute dishwasher empty

Tedious chores

I hate emptying and loading the dishwasher, but far rather use the dishwasher than wash dishes by hand. Emptying the dishwasher falls into the category of mundane home tasks that I hate. Also in this category are brushing my teeth, shaving, hoovering and general household cleaning, tidying and washing clothes – particularly hanging up clothes to dry.

Efficiency freak

I have always been an efficiency freak. It’s as if I was born to be an ergonomics expert.

If I can find a faster, shorter and easier way to do something, I will.

I’m always studying what I do, to try to find ways to optimise my actions. Now in my fifties I am very efficient at many tasks. Obviously I use an electric toothbrush, though it still bores me to wait two minutes to brush my teeth. When I cook, I immediately review all the cooking tasks and start the longest task first and do as much in parallel as possible. making everything from scratch.

Fastest dishwasher in the west

But I believe my dishwasher ergonomic-performance is undisputed. I can empty my dishwasher in less than 60 seconds. I have optimised the storage of plates, pans, cutlery, glasses and cups in the cupboards around my dishwasher in such a way that I can remove each item from the dishwasher and put it away without moving my feet at all. There is no redundant walking around the kitchen to put away a single pan or glass.

I moved recently and found that the cutlery tray was missing. At first I felt I had to buy a new one but then realised that I could simply tip the dishwasher cutlery holder straight into the drawer, with no sorting into knife or fork sections. A saving of at least ten seconds, Eureka!

I moved recently and found that the cutlery tray was missing. At first I felt I had to buy a new one but then realised that I could simply tip the dishwasher cutlery holder straight into the drawer, with no sorting into knife or fork sections. A saving of at least ten seconds, Eureka!

ADHD activation and motivation

Reviewing my behaviour, post ADHD diagnosis, I realised why I was so efficiency minded. It’s based on several factors:

Mundane tasks bore me badly. Doing it quickly keeps me interested and focused (just like driving!!)
It’s hard for me to activate myself to this task, reducing the task duration makes it less overwhelming
I am aesthetic perfectionist, most of us are. There is reward in creating and making the best of anything, even when it’s kitchen storage

The main advantage is that by optimising my cupboards to make emptying the dishwasher easier, I am far more likely to bother to empty the dishwasher at all.

Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis is an ADHD Coach, writer and founder of SimplyWellbeing. He has over 15,000 hours and 18 years of experience in coaching over 500 ADHD executives, ADHD business professionals and ADHD creatives. Andrew ran a major ADHD support group and an ADHD diagnostic clinic for a while. He is an ADHD specialist backed with business expertise from a twenty years career in software, from roles in programming, through marketing, sales and to running a few software start-ups. His ADHD insight is personal, with decades understanding his own ADHD experience and in bringing up his ADHD daughter. He has published his writing primarily via this website, with interactive ADHD courses in development.