Getting rid of clutter in your room or house can come across as a daunting task that you'd rather push back than actually face.
For all of those with ADHD, it's always a tough ask to sit in front of all your belongings and decide what you should probably throw away, versus what you are justified to keep around.
But what if I told you that there was a viral rule that could make the process that much easier?
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A TikTok user has shared a new hack that could change the game forever, though it has a cheeky and memorable name - the 'poop rule'.
Before you start chuckling and rolling your eyes, it's a simple yet effective way to get over that mental block standing in the way of making some space.
This so-called 'rule' has circulated on social media, as content creator Becka Karle, known as @adhdorganized, shared a video about it back in July, garnering over 175,000 views on TikTok alone.
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It's something that will 'change your life', according to Karle, despite the rule sounding 'super gross', she clarifies that the bizarrely named rule 'has nothing to do with the bathroom'.
Phew. No real poop involved.
As you can probably tell by her handle, Karle shares numerous ADHD hacks that can help those with the condition to get through life easier, with this being no difference, as she explains: "The poop rule is if you are getting rid of items from your house and you're purging and trying to organise or spring clean or whatever you're doing."
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Karle continues: "(When) you pick up an item, you (should) think, 'is this important enough that I would wash poop off of it?' and let me tell you, it works miracles on bathroom items - like toiletries and stuff."
That's the revelation right there.
Explaining that it's a 'mental' thing for her, she also suggested to have a friend message you that they're on their way over so that you have a deadline to declutter your space instead of setting a standard timer.
"I truly picture poop on the item and it really helps me," she claims, adding that you can 'thank' clothes for memories or times you wore it in your life, but it may be time to let it go, despite a mental block holding you back.
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If there was a turd on it, would you wash it off though? Or would you throw it away?
That's all you have to ask yourself to carry the hack out.
Krista Carvin is a therapist that specialises in adult ADHD in Canada, and revealed to HuffPost that the 'poop rule' is real, and can benefit people.
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“I think that for the right ADHDer, the poop rule has just the right amount of humor to help this tip be a memorable one,” she explained.
Carvin further added: “Many folks with ADHD have challenges consistently using our executive function skills - the brain-based skills that help us translate complex task-oriented thoughts into goal-directed actions that help us ‘execute’ a behaviour.
“The strategy addresses the decision to keep an item or not in a clever, concrete and clear way that could work well for the right client,” she concluded.
Topics: ADHD, Mental Health, Social Media, TikTok, Hacks