The Best Way to Improve Your ADHD Working Memory

Ever feel like your brain is juggling too many balls at once? 

That’s your executive function at play, a set of mental skills that help you learn, work, and manage daily life. 

At the heart of this juggling act is your working memory—your ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind while you’re in the middle of tasks. 

It’s like keeping your grocery list in mind while you navigate the store and plan your dinner. 

But when life gets too cluttered, it’s like adding more balls to our already crazy juggling act. 

The secret to keeping them all in the air?

Simplifying life down to what you can handle—your capacity!

By reducing the clutter, you’ll lighten the load on your working memory, making it easier to focus, remember, and get through your day with fewer dropped balls.

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1. Declutter your home!

Decluttering your living space is not just about creating a more visually appealing environment—it’s about freeing up your mental space, too. 

For those with ADHD, the physical clutter in our homes can translate into overwhelming mental clutter, making it harder to focus and retain information. 

By intentionally choosing to minimize the number of items you manage daily, you not only create a more serene and less distracting environment but also enhance your working memory. 

This process involves evaluating what items truly add value to your life and letting go of the rest. 

It’s about making room for peace and focus in your home, which in turn, can improve how effectively you remember information and manage daily tasks.

2. Reduce your responsibilities and commitments.

Streamlining your commitments involves taking a hard look at your calendar and deciding which activities, responsibilities, and commitments truly align with your values and goals.

It’s about acknowledging that our time and energy are limited resources and treating them as such. 

For individuals with ADHD, reducing the number of commitments can significantly lower stress levels and cognitive load, making it easier to focus on what’s truly important. 

This process may require tough choices, like stepping back from certain roles or activities, but the payoff is a clearer mind and a more manageable schedule. 

By prioritizing tasks and commitments, you create a buffer for your working memory, allowing it to function more efficiently without being bogged down by the stress of overcommitment.

• Read more: If you want more encouragement for simplifying your life, read Essentialism by McKeown.
  
  

3. Say no to opportunities that add stress.

Learning to say “no” is a crucial strategy for managing ADHD, especially when it comes to opportunities that might add unnecessary stress.

This practice is about recognizing and honoring your limits, and understanding that every new commitment demands a slice of your cognitive resources. 

For moms with ADHD, safeguarding your working memory from overload is essential, as your cognitive function is already taxed by everyday tasks. 

When you say “no” to tasks or roles that don’t serve your well-being or align with your priorities, you effectively protect your mental bandwidth. 

This selective approach allows you to conserve energy for tasks that genuinely matter, improving focus and reducing the risk of overwhelm. 

Embracing the power of “no” isn’t about missing out; it’s about making strategic choices that support your mental health and cognitive function.

4. Cut back on using your phone and technology.

In a world increasingly dominated by screens, cutting back on technology use is a powerful step toward better mental health and cognitive function.

Excessive screen time can lead to digital overload, affecting our attention span and clarity of thought.

For those with ADHD, the constant barrage of notifications, social media, and online distractions can exacerbate difficulties in focusing and retaining information. 

By consciously limiting technology use, you allow your brain a much-needed break from the digital chaos, fostering an environment where concentration and mental clarity can flourish. 

Establishing tech-free zones or times can help you reconnect with the present moment, improving both your ability to focus and working memory in the process.

• Read more: If you want more help cutting back the time you and your family spend on devices, consider reading the book Digital Detox by Molly DeFrank.
  
  

5. Reduce the number of purchases you make.

Reducing the number of purchases we make can significantly cut down on both decision fatigue and physical clutter. 

Every item we buy not only takes up space in our homes but also demands our attention and mental energy to manage. 

By becoming more selective with our purchases, we minimize the influx of new items that can lead to a cluttered environment, which is especially beneficial for individuals with ADHD who thrive in more organized spaces. 

This strategy also simplifies decision-making processes, as fewer choices lead to less mental strain and a clearer mind.

6. Live more slowly and give yourself more time to complete tasks.

Adopting a slower lifestyle and allowing yourself more time to complete tasks is a transformative strategy for individuals with ADHD. 

This approach involves consciously decelerating your pace of life, deliberately allocating more time for each task to avoid the stress and anxiety that come from rushing. 

By doing so, you create a buffer against the overwhelm that can impair working memory and executive function. 

This mindfulness in managing time not only enhances focus and efficiency but also promotes a more peaceful and productive daily experience. 

It’s a shift towards valuing quality over speed, providing the mental space needed for tasks to be completed with greater care and less mental strain.

• Listen to more: Here’s a podcast episode I recorded with Stephanie O’Dea on Living Slow Through Decluttering and Tiny Actions.
  
  

7. Learn to manage your time and tasks with calendars and simple to-do lists.

Learning to effectively manage your time and tasks with the help of calendars and simple to-do lists can significantly boost productivity and reduce stress for individuals with ADHD. 

Whether you prefer the tactile feel of paper planners or the convenience of digital apps, the key is to find a system that resonates with your lifestyle. 

These tools help in breaking down your day into manageable chunks, making it easier to focus on one task at a time.

This method not only aids in keeping track of commitments but also in prioritizing tasks, ensuring that you’re focusing your energy on what’s most important. 

By visually organizing your time and responsibilities, you can alleviate the mental load, freeing up your brain for more demanding tasks.

Example of how to use the notes app for time-blocking

This is my daily to-do list that I created using the Notes app on iPhone.

The secret to using the Notes app for productivity is setting up a good outline to use as a consistent template for your to-do list.

Add headers, and use bold fonts, and graphics to make different headings stand out.

Then turn your to-do list into an interactive checklist to help you manage tasks throughout the day.

Simply change the day and delete completed tasks for the next day’s to-do list.

Example of time-blocking for stay-at-home moms

Here’s another example of one of my coaching client’s daily to-do lists.

She is a young stay-at-home mom of two.

I helped her set up time blocks based on her son’s daily preschool schedule.

8. Focus on fewer interests.

Focusing on fewer interests means deeply investing your time and energy in just a handful of groups or hobbies. 

This approach can greatly benefit individuals with ADHD by reducing the overwhelm that comes from spreading oneself too thin across too many activities. 

By narrowing your focus, you enhance your ability to engage more fully and meaningfully with each interest, leading to a richer, more satisfying experience. 

Being selective about where you spend your time and energy not only allows for deeper skill development but also reduces the mental clutter that comes with trying to be and do everything,

9. Automate your finances and bill-paying.

Automating finances through auto-payment services is a strategic move for simplifying your mental load, especially for those with ADHD. 

This method involves setting up your bank accounts to automatically handle recurring payments, such as bills, subscriptions, and loans. 

By automating these financial tasks, you eliminate the need to remember due dates, reducing the risk of late fees and financial stress. 

This streamlined approach not only saves time but also conserves mental energy that can be better spent on more important or enjoyable activities.

10. Delegate tasks to other people.

Delegating tasks to others is key for managing the demands on your mental energy, especially for moms with ADHD. 

Sharing responsibilities allows you to lighten your mental load, enabling you to focus more on tasks that align with your strengths and interests. 

You not only optimize your own productivity and well-being but also foster a supportive environment where everyone can contribute.

However, there is a caviate to asking for help.

I recommend making your home environment as easy to manage for anyone in the home as possible.

If tasks are complicated, family members are less likely to help, follow through, or stay consistent.

This is where decluttering, simplifying and downsizing come in.

Don’t just make you home easy for you to manage but for everything who lives in your home as well.

11. Unsubscribe and declutter digitally.

Unsubscribing from unwanted emails and decluttering digitally can significantly enhance focus and productivity.

By eliminating unnecessary digital noise, you’re able to streamline how you use your phone daily and will give your more brain space for what truly matters. 

Digital decluttering also reduces the mental clutter that comes with managing too much information.

Have you ever heard of information overload?

Knowing more is not always a good thing.

So the act of consciously choosing which communications to receive will provide you with a more intentional and less distracted life.

12. Learn to be more content with less stuff.

Wanting less reduces the mental burden of needing to get more. 

Learning to be content with less is about embracing minimalism in your desires, which can significantly lighten the mental load of wanting, acquiring, and managing possessions. 

The goal is to have satisfaction in what you already have and reduce the constant pursuit of material things. 

By focusing on the essentials and appreciating the value they bring to your life, you not only simplify your physical space but also achieve a greater sense of peace and mental clarity. 

This approach to life will reduce the stress you’ve been experiencing due to overconsumption.

Repeat this to yourself, “Less is more” and learn to really believe it.

It will be hard at first but over time you will create new habits with spending money.

Read more: Again, Essentialism by McKeown is a great book on creating a life focused on the essentials.

Join The Accountability Club for Help Decluttering

If you need a positive community while you’re decluttering and downsizing your home and responsiblities, consider joining The Accountability Club. It’s a space where you get affordable group coaching, share your journey, and stay accountable with your decluttering projects.

If group settings aren’t your thing and you need more hand-holding and personalized feedback, you can do one-on-one online coaching with me instead. You’ll get my eyes on your home and a more tailored coaching experience.

I’d love to hear from you!

Is your home difficult to manage? Do you need to simplify it?

Leave a comment below.