Task Roulette: ADHD Cleaning Hack + Batman-Level Comeback
ADHD Cleaning Hack: Task Roulette & the Art of Self-Rescue (ft. Batman, Obviously)
You ever scan your living room like it’s Gotham at midnight — chaotic, dark, beyond saving — and think, “Burn it all down”? Yeah. Same.
But this week, I tried something different. No routines. No toxic productivity. No “just push through it.” Just me, my chaotic brain, and one rebellious little ADHD cleaning hack I now call Task Roulette.
It started with the living room. But it ended with a win for my brain, my space, and my wellbeing.
My ADHD + PTSD Brain Was on Full Tilt
If you’re new here — hey; I’m Jordan. I have ADHD & PTSD. Which means anytime something in my life changes, my brain freaks the fuck out.
Even when it’s a good change.
Like recently — when I made the terrifying, empowering, life-altering decision to drop my corporate job and pursue writing full time (this blog, my books, everything).
I was excited. Proud. Ready.
And still, my brain responded with a big ol’ “NOPE.”
Because big changes — no matter how welcome — can trigger anxiety and depression when your nervous system doesn’t feel safe yet. That’s exactly what happened. I’ve been in a depressive fog for a month, and my house turned into visual proof of my mental state.
And for me, it’s like a feedback loop: A cluttered house = a cluttered mind = a cluttered house = a cluttered mind… you get it.
When my space is a mess, my thoughts race. Anxiety spikes. Clarity disappears.
And writing? More difficult than it should be.
So, I made a deal with myself:
No writing until the downstairs is clean.
Not deep cleaned — just clean & cozy. A place I actually want to be in.
The Deal: One Task at a Time, No Plan Needed
I didn’t say, “Today I’m going to clean the house.” That would’ve launched me into full-on meltdown.
Instead, I used what I now call Task Roulette:
- I did one small task at random.
- Then asked myself, “Do I feel like doing one more?”
- If yes, I kept going. If not, I stopped. No pressure either way.
That’s it.
I didn’t follow a checklist. I didn’t start with the hardest thing. I just picked what my brain could handle in the moment.
I started with folding a blanket. Then thew out some trash, separate books into piles, and went on from there.
My mind was quiet while I focused on one task at a time. I took breaks when I wanted then and eventually continued cleaning using this ADHD cleaning hack.
Within a couple days, the downstairs was clean.
That’s the heart of Task Roulette:
Pick one thing. Spin again. Keep it light. Keep it doable.
I weaponized two of my strongest ADHD traits: impulsivity and distractibility.
Side note: According to recent evolutionary research, early humans with these exact traits — aka the OG ADHDers — were actually better foragers.
Why? Because being impulsive and easily distracted helped them spot food sources others missed. It was a survival flex. Naturally, this made them hotter to potential mates. Who doesn’t love a chaotic hunter-gatherer who brings snacks and keeps the village alive?
Let’s be real: ADHDers were probably the first ones to test which mushrooms were deadly, which ones made you see gods, and which ones boosted your immune system. Clearly, we chose correctly enough times… or we wouldn’t still be here.
Honestly, we’ve always been the fun ones. 🍄🤙
Why Task Initiation Feels So Fucking Hard
Here’s the truth: Task initiation isn’t just “starting.” It’s a full-on executive function that ADHD brains struggle with — not because we’re lazy or unmotivated, but because our brains see a damn iceberg & everything under its surface when we try to do just one thing.
Want to do laundry? Cool.
Your brain immediately adds:
- Gather clothes
- Sort the piles
- Check pockets
- Carry it all downstairs
- Load the machine
- Switch it over
- Fold it
- Put it away
- Regret your entire life
That’s nine tasks. And we haven’t even started.
And worse? Sometimes we forget all those little steps until we’re mid-task, even after we’ve done laundry thousands of times. It can feel like mental gymnastics & lead to frustration. Even if we’re good at recognizing & putting our frustration in check, that’s emotional energy we simply don’t want to spend.
This is why task paralysis happens, and it’s a common experience amongst ADHDers. Not because the task is too hard, but because our brain sees how much energy it’ll really take, and taps out before we can even begin.
And this is when our impulsivity and distractibility can work against us.
But let me say this clearly:
It’s okay that your brain works like this.
You are not broken. You are not weak. You are navigating life with a brain that requires different strategies — and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Think of ADHDers as Batman, and neurotypicals as Superman.
We might not fly effortlessly like Superman, but we still get where we need to go — with the help of a few clever gadgets. Our tools and strategies? That’s our utility belt.
Sure, Superman’s got natural powers, but Batman’s got style, grit, and an improvised “plan” for everything.
He’s resourceful. Strategic. Kinda mysterious.
Basically, Batman is just the ADHD icon we deserve. 🦇💥
ADHD Cleaning Hack Pairings (What I Tried & What Worked)
I’ve been testing different pairing methods to see what actually works for my brain. Here’s how that played out this time:
- Pomodoro Technique: Great for writing and focus-heavy tasks. But when it comes to physical work like cleaning? Timers stressed me TF out.
- Music/Podcast Pairing: Usually solid, but this time? Total sensory overload. What I really needed was quiet. The kind of quiet where your brain stops screaming and your body just… moves.
- TikTok Cleaning Videos: Clutch. Watching someone else clean gave me that “you’re not alone” feeling. It was like digital body doubling — low effort, high impact.
So, what worked best?
Task Roulette + Silence + TikTok Body Doubling.
No timers. No playlists. No rules.
It felt like going full Batman; the gritty, rooftop loner version (Christian Bale?). Just trusting my instincts and doing what needed to be done.
No noise. No backup. Just motion.
When the House Got Clean, So Did My Head
Once I got through the living room, I kept going. Kitchen. Bathroom. Laundry piles. Not because I had to.
Because I wanted to.
Because the act of cleaning quieted the noise in my head.
This wasn’t about productivity. It was about regulation.
Creating safety. Reclaiming control.
If You’re Struggling, Try Task Roulette
Here’s how to use this ADHD cleaning hack:
- Pick one small, random task. (Throw away a wrapper, fold a towel, wipe a surface, etc.)
- Do that one thing — no pressure to keep going.
- If you feel up to it, “spin” again.
- Skip the to-do list. Let instinct guide you.
- Optional: Pair with music, a podcast, silence, or TikTok cleaning videos for body doubling.
- Celebrate every single win. You’re rebuilding momentum — and that’s no small thing.
Task Roulette Worked This Time — for This Task
It’s important to say this: Task Roulette is just what worked for me this time around.
There are plenty of other things — like meal prepping — that require totally different strategies. Cleaning, for me, is mostly about task initiation and momentum. But cooking? Cooking taps into way more executive function layers.
Think about it:
- Time Management: How long does it take to prep, cook, and eat before you crash or forget?
- Planning & Organization: What are you making? Do you have the ingredients? Can you space meals out enough to actually eat them?
- Cognitive Flexibility: What do you do when the recipe flops or you forget a key step? (Asking for myself…)
I’ll share more about how I’m navigating that part of my ADHD brain later. I’m working on ways to prep food that actually nourish me & my husband — bodies and brains — without turning it into another executive function overload. Here’s a little preview of how it’s going.
Also, I’m deep in a sourdough spiral RN. And yes, I’m getting way too emotionally attached to the loaves that aren’t working out.
RIP to the last one. You tried your best, bud.
Final Thoughts on My ADHD Cleaning Hack
If you’re stuck in an ADHD fog, spiraling in anxiety, or frozen in a PTSD-triggered shutdown — hear me clearly:
You are not lazy.
You are not weak.
You are not failing because small tasks feel hard.
Your brain is trying to protect you — even when it gets it wrong.
So instead of fighting it, work with it.
Show it how to move forward again with one small, manageable step at a time.
That’s what Task Roulette is.
Not a routine. Not a rigid plan.
Just a quiet, rebellious way back to yourself.
And honestly? Sometimes it feels less like self-help… and more like Batman at 3AM: Worn out, weighed down, but still moving through the dark because someone has to.
Look, the Bat Signal doesn’t always appear. Sometimes the danger isn’t out there — it’s the battle happening in your own mind. And when no one’s coming to save you, you have to conduct your own internal search and rescue mission.
I’ll be your Alfred — I’ll hand you the tools and remind you who the hell you are. But only you can suit up and face it.
Want More ADHD Insights?
I’m always breaking down more executive function strategies, ADHD mindset & mood hacks, and wellness rituals that I’m testing; picking through what actually helps and how you can apply them to make your life easier.
Because let’s be real, life with ADHD is messy, nonlinear, and often hilarious. Let’s embrace it together!
