How to delegate laundry or clothing chores when ADHD overwhelms
When ADHD meets household routines, even small chores can feel impossible. Laundry piles, forgotten loads, and scattered clothing are not signs of laziness; they are reflections of how executive dysfunction affects focus, task initiation, and follow-through. According to NICE guidance (NG87), using support systems and external structures is key to sustainable self-management, and that includes learning how to delegate.
Why delegation helps
The NHS England ADHD Taskforce Report (2025) and NICE NG87 recommend shared or supported care models for adults with ADHD. These involve asking for help, outsourcing, or dividing routines to reduce overload and prevent burnout. Whether that means sharing laundry days with a partner, using a pickup wash service, or setting up accountability systems, delegation is a recognised therapeutic support, not a failure.
Building shared systems
The Royal College of Psychiatrists highlights that psychoeducation and family involvement are effective in helping adults build realistic, collaborative home routines. That might look like:
- Agreeing on who does which household task based on energy or sensory tolerance
- Using shared checklists or reminders
- Creating a visible rotation plan for laundry or bedding RCPsych’s Good Practice Guidance (CR235) notes that structured communication reduces shame and increases follow-through, especially when routines are transparent and mutually agreed.
Emotional barriers and reframing help
Many adults with ADHD experience guilt or embarrassment when asking for help. Yet as ADDitude Magazine points out, delegation is a form of adaptive self-management, not dependency. Sharing responsibility or outsourcing tasks helps conserve limited executive energy for priorities that truly matter. Even small steps, like alternating chores or setting up a “laundry timer” together, can transform a pattern of avoidance into teamwork.
When professional or behavioural support helps
If household overwhelm leads to chronic stress or relationship strain, ADHD-focused behavioural coaching can help. Services such as Theara Change provide structured CBT-style coaching to build accountability systems and reduce avoidance cycles. For diagnostic assessment or medication support, ADHD Certify offers clinician-led evaluations are aligned with NICE NG87 standards.
Takeaway
Delegation is not giving up control; it is creating capacity. By sharing, outsourcing, or restructuring household chores, adults with ADHD can replace frustration with collaboration. As NHS and RCPsych guidance make clear, sustainable self-management does not mean doing everything alone; it means building systems that work for your brain.
