Rob lives in Sydney, Australia, and is an advocate for taking charge of your ADHD in a positive manner. He calls himself a Lifestyle Architect and has his hands in quite a few pies one of which is mentoring people with ADHD to help them lead more productive and fulfilling lives. Cool!
The House That ADHD Built is about creating a home that is ADHD-friendly. That means setting up an organized, but not anal, atmosphere that you can relax and rest in. Most people with ADHD live a chaotic life, and that chaos affects roommates and housemates, too.
Rooms are messy, desks are messy, yesterday’s underwear is in the freezer (it was a friend of mine, okay?). The interesting thing is, even though my office is messy, I know exactly where everything is. But while I know the contents of the room, the chaos still creates a level of stress. I don’t like to live in chaos. Organization is very valuable; to not have to search for something, but to know exactly where it is.
Rob gives good instruction on having “house” rules, their purpose, and how to put them in place. He explains the difference between a negative rule (“Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink”) and a positive rule (“Please wash your dishes after you use them”). When you tell someone not to do something, they want to do it. This is especially true with risk-taking ADDers who love to toy with getting caught. As a dad, this means instead of telling my daughter “Don’t hit your sister,” I say “Respect your sister by keeping your hands to yourself.”
What makes this e-book a must-read for me is Rob’s idea of The Four Stations, a creative way to organize your home and maximize productivity. Here’s a quick rundown of the The Four Stations:
1. Communication Station – correspondences like mail, phone messages, and notes.
2. Destination Station – things you need when you leave the home like wallet, keys, purse/backpack, and money. When I travel, the top of the hotel TV is my Destination Station.
3. Education Station – things that help you learn and create like pens, books, and your computer.
4. Administration Station – things that run your life like bills, receipts, and important documents.
One of the greatest frustrations for ADDers is losing stuff. Your mind spirals downward into deep, dark hole agonizing over where that thing that you need might have ended up. Following Rob Hanly’s advice will save you that trouble more times than you’ll know.
The House That ADHD Built is useful, easy to read, and FREE. Go download it, read it, and start making your house a happy home for you or your favorite ADDer. Oh! And spread the word – truly ADHD-friendly resources like this one are hard to come by!