Chore-Based Therapy: Building Structure Through Daily Tasks

Chore-Based Therapy for Teens With ADHD, Anxiety, or Depression

Sometimes, it can be hard to judge which daily chores might support your teen best, particularly if they experience anxiety, depression, or have a neurodevelopmental disorder such as ADHD.

This is why we’ve listed a few structured daily tasks that may best support your teen, depending on their specific condition. We’ve also explained why and how they may help in the following sections.

ADHD and Executive Functioning Challenges

If your teen has ADHD, chores may feel especially difficult because of something called “executive dysfunction.” Executive functioning includes skills like:

• Memory.
• Focus.
• Impulse control.
• Task-switching.

However, people with ADHD may experience problems with these skills, which brings us back to executive dysfunction.^[5] This form of dysfunction can make prioritizing, starting tasks, and staying organized more difficult.

Some examples of supportive executive functioning teens’ chores include cooking meals or getting their bag ready for school the next day. These can help teens strengthen their executive functioning skills through:^[3][5]

• Planning.
• Self-regulating.
• Remembering instructions.
• Switching between tasks.

Visible reminders, such as planners or wall schedules, may also help adolescents stick to routines.

It’s also important to consider sensory differences, as some teens may find cooking to be overstimulating due to the smells and textures, while others might find it helps keep them regulated.^[3]

Anxiety and Avoidance

Anxiety often leaves teens feeling out of control or it may cause them to avoid activities they typically enjoy. Having structured daily tasks can support teens living with anxiety by:^[2]

• Reducing uncertainty.
• Making life feel more predictable.
• Encouraging them to carry out tasks they may have been avoiding.

Sensory-based activities, such as cooking, gardening, laundry, or vacuuming, allow adolescents to reconnect with the present moment, which can also help reduce anxiety.

Through routine building, adolescents with anxiety may feel safer and more in control.

Depression and Low Motivation

Depression can reduce a person’s motivation and energy, so chores that are simple, quick, and have clear steps may be the most manageable and beneficial to teens with depression. Even small responsibilities can help young people rebuild routine and motivation.

Some simple yet empowering chores for depressed teens may include:

• Taking out the trash.
• Wiping down kitchen counters.
• Folding the laundry.

These low-pressure tasks are often quick to complete, require little energy, and let them see the results of their actions immediately. These small successes can gradually build and help them regain momentum and confidence.

Age-appropriate chores may help support a young person’s emotional well-being while also helping them to become more independent and responsible.

If your child doesn’t currently do any chores, we have some suggestions for how to help them build routines that involve these tasks.

How Parents Can Introduce Teens to Chore-Based Therapy

Introducing chores can sometimes feel challenging. Many teenagers initially resist chores, especially when they already feel overwhelmed by school, friendships, or emotional stress.

The following strategies may help you to introduce routines with a positive outlook:

1. Explain the “why”: Chores can help build life skills, independence, and healthy habits for adulthood.
2. Keep chores age-appropriate: Choose chores based on your child’s developmental age to ensure they are given tasks that they can succeed at.
3. Set clear expectations: Agree with your teen on what needs to be done and when. For instance, you might say, “Please take out the trash from the kitchen to the outside bins after you’ve finished breakfast.”
4. Make chores visible: It may help to put up reminders like a chore chart on your fridge so that your teen can keep track of what needs doing and which chores they’ve finished.
5. Build in flexibility: Some flexibility may help during stressful or emotionally difficult periods. For instance, if your teen feels too tired to take the trash out that morning, you could choose a different time for them to do their chore that day.
6. Consistency matters: Focus on consistency rather than perfection.
7. Praise effort: Praise effort and acknowledge progress, even when tasks aren’t completed “perfectly.”

It’s important to avoid shaming or criticizing your teen over how well they’ve carried out their chore, as otherwise they may feel less motivated to try again.

Also, try not to frame chores as a punishment for their emotional or mental health challenges. Instead, you might frame these tasks as being life skills chores teens need to learn to become independent in the future.

Still, it’s important to realize that chores are supportive tools, not cures for mental health conditions.

When Professional Support May Help

Some adolescents may find it hard to keep routines due to deeper emotional difficulties. Some of the key signs of these include:

• Persistent low mood.
• Constant anxiety.
• Frequently becoming overwhelmed or distressed.
• Refusing to go to school.
• Not feeling capable of keeping up with their daily activities.

In these cases, professional support may be appropriate, which may take the form of talk therapy. Talk therapies, specifically those that incorporate behavioral activation, can be effective for treating depression and anxiety as they help teens reengage with rewarding and mood-boosting activities.^[7]

Mental health challenges can feel overwhelming, but the right support can make a real difference.