Danielle SullivanLearn about why you should open house and close house each day to get more done more easily. It’s the first part of our executive function clinic!
Contents
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube
Show Notes
Thank you to our Patrons for funding this podcast. Find out more and pledge today at patreon.com/neurodiverging.
- Get ad-free podcast downloads by joining us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/neurodiverging
About Neurodiverging
Neurodiverging is dedicated to helping neurodiverse folk find the resources we need to live better lives as individuals, and to further disability awareness and social justice efforts to improve all our lives as part of the larger, world community. If you’re interested in learning more, you can:
- Join our mailing list to make sure you are notified when there’s a new episode!
- Take a look around at previous podcast episodes, blog posts, and coaching offerings here on neurodiverging.com.
- Looking for something specific or have a question? Send us an email at contact@neurodiverging.com.
- Check us out on Patreon to support this podcast and blog!
Transcript: How to Open Your House | Executive Function Clinic
Hello, my friends, and welcome back to the Neurodiverging Podcast. My name is Danielle Sullivan. I am your host and the founder of Neurodiverging Coaching, an online, sliding-scale coaching practice for neurodivergent folks. We support people worldwide, and I’m really proud of the work we do. If you’re interested, please learn more at neurodiverging.com.
Today, I thought it might be interesting to do a more practical episode. As a certified coach in multiple fields, I work one-on-one with clients for many hours each week, helping them solve problems and create smoother, more enjoyable lives. I thought it would be helpful to bring some of these techniques into the podcast so you can try them out and see what works for you.
Today, we’re going to talk about open house and closed house routines, how to set them up even if you hate routines, what they should include, and what they shouldn’t. I hope this will be helpful for those who already have a routine but need adjustments, those who have never tried one before, and everyone in between.
But first, I want to thank our patrons at Patreon.com/neurodiverging for supporting this episode. Patrons get access to ad-free podcasts, our thriving Discord community, and discussions on neurodivergence and living a good life as a neurodivergent person. If you’re interested, check us out at Patreon. Thank you, patrons, for making this podcast possible!
What Are Open and Close Routines?
For this podcast, I’m calling these open and close routines. If you hate the word “routine,” that’s fine. Call them rhythms, patterns, cycles, or lists. Do whatever works for you. You have full permission to take this concept, break it apart, and rebuild it in a way that fits your needs.
As an executive function coach with poor executive functioning skills myself, I’ve had to create external systems to support me. Executive function scaffolding involves offloading cognitive tasks onto external systems like planners, alarms, or visual schedules. Open and close routines are another form of scaffolding that helps structure our days.
Start Small for Success
When I start working with clients, many have big goals for changing their lives. While I fully support those aspirations, I often find that people try to do too much at once, leading to overwhelm and burnout.
My recommendation:
- Start small. Focus only on open and close routines first.
- Implement one change at a time. Try it for a couple of weeks before adding more.
- Avoid overloading yourself. This helps build confidence and self-awareness.
How Open and Close Routines Work
Everyone has a start and end to their day, regardless of schedule or disability status. Some wake up at 8 AM and sleep at 10 PM, while others have irregular schedules. Your open and close routines should adapt to your unique needs.
Open Routine (Morning Start-Up)
Your open routine is a short list of tasks that help you start your day smoothly. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just good enough to set you up for success.
Example: My Open Routine (8 AM – 10 AM)
- Read for joy – Helps me start my day on a positive note.
- Coffee and food – Even if I’m not hungry, I eat something small to improve my energy.
- Dishes (optional) – Ideally, I load and run the dishwasher in the morning.
- Prep for meals and housework – Check my meal plan, thaw food if needed, and assign housework tasks.
- Medications for everyone – I link my medication routine with giving meds to my child and pet.
I use a Google Task reminder that pops up at 8 AM, giving me flexibility to complete these tasks between 8-10 AM. Sometimes I finish them earlier or later, and that’s okay. The key is to complete all tasks before checking off the list.
Key Tips for Open & Close Routines
- Keep it short (3-5 tasks) – Too many tasks = overwhelm.
- Make some tasks optional – This allows flexibility on lower-energy days.
- Use external reminders – Google Tasks, alarms, or written lists help with follow-through.
- Stack habits together – Linking medications for myself, my child, and my pet ensures I take mine.
Your open routine should be designed to make your day easier, not more stressful. Similarly, a close routine (which I’ll cover in another episode) helps wind down and prepare for the next day.
If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend, and don’t forget to check out Patreon.com/neurodiverging to support the show.
Thanks for being here, and I’ll see you next time on Neurodiverging Podcast!
