77: Moving with ADHD – Part 2 – Unpacking

Moving with ADHD, Part 2: Unpacking

Continuing from part one on packing up, let’s talk about the unpacking side of a move. There’s always this ideal we picture, this time I won’t put anything away until it has a real home, and then reality sets in and things get shoved wherever they’ll fit. Let’s look at what’s realistic instead, and find a happy medium between the fantasy of perfection and the chaos of just getting through it.

Sketch your layout ahead of time

If you know the new space in advance, sketch out a rough floor plan, it doesn’t need to be pretty, stick figures and boxes are fine. Assign rooms and storage spots on paper before moving day: this closet for linens, this drawer for silverware, this cabinet for cleaning supplies. Use pencil or sticky notes so you can rearrange until it feels right, then keep that plan in a folder or taped up in each room. Having a visual reference means helpers can figure out where things go without needing to ask you constantly.

Label rooms, not just boxes

If you color-coded your boxes by room when you packed (a tip from part one), tape a matching colored label at the doorway of each corresponding room on move-in day. That way, anyone carrying boxes can match a yellow box to a yellow doorframe without interrupting you for directions. You can take this further with sticky notes on walls marking exactly where furniture should go, “bed” on the wall where the bed should sit, “dresser” where the dresser goes, so helpers with plenty of manpower can place heavy furniture correctly without you having to direct every single placement.

A reasonable middle ground

The dream scenario, staging every single box by color in an empty garage and carrying them in one at a time to their true final home, is wildly inefficient and won’t take advantage of the help available on moving day. The more realistic version: get boxes into the correct rooms based on your color coding, and use sticky notes to reserve space for major furniture first so boxes don’t end up blocking exactly where you wanted the bed or dresser to go. It won’t be perfect, and that’s fine.

Reserve a “needs a home” corner

Set aside a small spot, maybe in the garage, specifically for items you open and can’t immediately place, things you’re not sure belong in this house at all, or things you weren’t ready to fully decide on while packing. Handle those last, once the easy wins are done, so you can approach them calmly and ask honestly whether each item has actually earned a spot in this new home.

Directing willing helpers without micromanaging

If you have efficient helpers eager to unpack for you, kitchens are a great place to let them loose, wash dishes, unbox everything, since there’s rarely emotional decision-making involved there. Leave a few sticky notes marking where silverware, plates, and pots should go, then ask them to leave anything without an obvious spot on the dining table for you to sort through later. Clothes are another safe zone, letting helpers hang everything up gives you a head start, and you can always rearrange later. Save more personal spaces, like bathrooms or anywhere with sentimental or uncertain items, for yourself.

Working through the slide-puzzle effect

Once things settle, tackle one room and one category at a time. Expect to occasionally fill a drawer only to realize something else belongs there instead, that’s normal, not a failure. Moving is a lot like an old sliding tile puzzle, sometimes you have to shift things you already placed correctly just to make room for something else to land where it truly belongs.

Set up daily landing spots first

If ADHD is part of your household, prioritize the functional daily spaces immediately, where keys land, where bags and shoes go by the door. Bad habits form in about three days, while good ones take weeks, so if a landing spot isn’t established from day one, family members will default to wherever’s easiest, usually the kitchen island. If that island keeps collecting clutter, block it deliberately with a labeled box or bin before the habit sets in.

Your practical, actionable step

Before your next move, sketch a simple room-by-room layout and reserve a “needs a home” space for the undecided items. On moving day, set up your daily landing spot, keys, bags, shoes, before anything else, so the household forms good habits from day one instead of defaulting to whatever’s convenient.

Until next time, continue to choose joy.