ADHD Hacks for Dread Tasks: Unloading the Dishes

The only way is to make it more complicated

The washer is full of clean dishes. Crusty dishes are lined up in the sink waiting their turn. The idea of picking up each dish, evaluating where it’s going, and putting it away is so exhausting that I’m considering putting it off a bit longer.

But no! I really need this done. How do I make it less overwhelming? I unload all the dishes onto the counter so that I don’t have to walk about the room or make any decisions.

Voila! Empty dishwasher.

But now… oh crumbs! My counter is covered in dishes and I need that space to prepare dinner. I guess I have no choice but to put them all away right now. If I procrastinate, this evening will just end up being more complicated. That level of urgency gives me the last little push I need to get the dishes put away.

Did I just make it take longer? Yes. But if I hadn’t done it like this, I just wouldn’t have done it at all.