#186 10 executive dysfunction tips and tricks to help people who hoard, whether we have ADHD or are neurodivergent or not - Hoarding Awareness Week 2025

Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticketSubscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribePodcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ For Hoarding Awareness Week 2025, I’m focusing on executive function - the brain’s control centre for planning, starting, and finishing tasks - and the small, practical hacks that can make a genuine difference for people who hoard, whether or not we have ADHD or are neurodivergent. I talk about real-life tips for breaking the overwhelm, managing perfectionism, building momentum, and overcoming shame, all with the aim of making progress sustainable and achievable in your day-to-day life. This episode is all about honest advice that actually works, whether you’re in the thick of it or just looking for a few smarter ways to approach this. Hoarding Awareness Week 2025 and its theme: Hoarding & Executive FunctionRecognition that executive function challenges impact both neurodivergent and neurotypical peopleExecutive Function and HoardingPrevious podcast episodes relating to executive function, ADHD, and hoardingImportance of using effective hacks and techniques, regardless of neurotypeEmphasis on finding what works personally for each listenerThe Realities and Challenges of Tackling HoardingOverwhelm and daunting feelings about dehoardingBreaking tasks into small, manageable partsFocus on actionable, day-to-day strategies rather than long-term, rigid planningUnderstanding Executive FunctionExplanation of what executive function is (control centre for planning, focus, and impulse control)Factors that can impair executive function (neurodivergence, mental health, stress, lack of sleep, etc.)Universality of executive dysfunction - everyone struggles at timesEmotional Barriers: Perfectionism and ShameThe cycle of shame and self-blame in executive dysfunction and hoardingSocietal judgment around hoarding, and its paralysing effectsStrategies for stepping back, naming emotions, and cultivating self-compassionCore Executive Dysfunction Tips and HacksBreaking Tasks DownSetting realistic micro-goalsThe concept of “towards” vs. “away” moves in progressTracking ProgressCounting bags/items leaving the houseCaution against tracking becoming burdensome for someUsing TimersSetting short (e.g., 5-minute) timers to help with task initiationUse of voice assistants to avoid distractionReverse-timer technique to use end of music/podcast as a cue for actionThe Two-Minute RuleLimitations and personal adaptations of ruleIdentifying MotivationsCreating visual or written reminders of why you want to dehoardAcceptance of some tools working only temporarily, and switching when necessaryReward SystemsSmall, non-material rewards for completing tasksLinking listening to desired media (like the podcast) with decluttering activitiesNon-Negotiable RulesCreating routines to reduce decision fatigue (e.g., charity bags leave home immediately)Body DoublingDoing tasks alongside others (physically or virtually, like in the host’s Zoom sessions)Emotional/moral support of parallel accountabilityAlternative ways to body double if group support isn’t accessibleTime Blocking and SchedulingUsing calendars and reminders to schedule decluttering sessionsFlexibly adapting this strategy based on personal responseHabit StackingLinking a new task to an established routine (e.g., unloading dishwasher while kettle boils)Using “add-ons” for frequently-visited spaces (e.g., clearing five things each time you enter the bathroom) Links Podcast ep 183: ADHD, executive dysfunction and creating hacks and systems to reduce clutter chaos, with Carrie LagerstedtPodcast ep 162: From Fibble to Focus: Defibble your executive dysfunction with Jo CavalotPodcast ep 112: Executive function, executive dysfunction and hoarding with Dr Jan EppingstallPodcast ep 149: ADHD, hoarding and clutter with Susie Boutal, ADHD and Declutter CoachPodcast ep 107: Things that look like hoarding but aren’t: ADHD, depression, autism, OCD, OCPD and morePodcast ep 40: ADHD and hoarding with Dr Sharon MoreinPodcast ep 82: Dehoarding when you’re drowning with KC Davis of Struggle CarePodcast ep 182: What are “towards and away moves” and what on earth do they have to do with hoarding recovery? With Dr Jan EppingstallPodcast ep 184: What if we actually felt the feelings? An honest conversation about trauma, hoarding, and allowing yourself to feelPodcast ep 28: Avoid analysis paralysis by having ‘systems’Arielle and Ned's Daily Tips That May or May Not Help YouCome to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom session: Accountability Booking FormWebsite: Overcome Compulsive HoardingBecome a Dehoarding DarlingSubmit a topic for the podcast to coverQuestions to ask when dehoarding: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/podquestionsInstagram: @thathoarderpodcastTwitter: @ThatHoarderMastodon: @ThatHoarder@...