I’ve been coaching several individuals who have ADHD. I recognize tendencies towards it in myself as well, even though I don’t seek a formal diagnosis. While there is a place for medication, there is a lot that can be done with lifestyle to manage the challenges that arise from this condition.
ADHD minds are creative minds. Those with ADHD see solutions where others see huge and tiring problems. It’s past time to celebrate your strengths and learn to navigate life to live it well.
Here are a wide range of creative tips for handling all that life throws at adults living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
For Disorganization
- Carry a colorful – or distinctive – wallet, so it is quickly found in your bag
- Get a clutter companion to help sort clutter into piles: “keep,” “toss,” “donate”
- Invite people over for dinner or a visit, so you have to clean up to get ready for them
- Create a document “spot” for time-sensitive documents. These are things that need to be attended to within the next 24 hours
- Stay organized by hanging a list of tasks to do on the inside of an often-used door
- Store items that are used together near each other, so you don’t have to run around to get the things needed to do a job
- Clean up in stages. For example, dust everything one day, clean the sink and toilet while waiting for the shower to warm up, and vacuum all the rooms on another day
- Turn on music and keep moving while cleaning and organize from room to room
- Write important things down on brightly colored paper or sticky notes
For Impulsive Moments
- Start each day with a five-minute mindfulness session, and set a daily intention. For instance: “Today I will notice my emotions and urges before acting on them.” Set a reminder to do this, to stay focused on it
- To curb impulsive shopping, ask “Do I really need it? Do I absolutely love it? Do I know exactly where it will live at home?” If the answer is no to any of these questions, don’t buy it
- Impulse buys are greatly reduced by snapping a picture of the item. Take a picture of anything that looks awesome. Later, look at the picture and decide if you still want it
- Use a note taker app to jot down ideas
- Listen to music and exercise
- Put on an audio book
- Put the phone down and unplug from social media and the Internet
- Go for a walk in the woods
For Productivity
- Employ the use of sticky notes or to-do lists
- Paste tasks or assignments for the week into an e-mail you send yourself. As you complete assignments, remove them from this list
- Have one notebook where you write everything
- Google Calendar helps you organize your schedule by blocking out your time in different colors. Put everything into one calendar sorting by color
- A family calendar keeps everyone’s activities written down in one place
When You Can’t Get To Sleep
- Put all the good things on an imaginary disk or file and stash it in your memory bank. And, delete the bad things
- Play classical music or a repetitive video, like an animated ball bouncing across a TV or computer screen
- Turn the bed away from the doorway, so the light coming through it is not distracting – or wear eyeshades
- Use a fan or white noise app to block out noise from the house and street
- Remove scratchy tags from bed clothes
- Focus on breathing while visualizing an elevator, gently ascending and descending with every inhalation and exhalation
APPS to help Live Well with ADHD
- Brili helps accomplish routines
- YNAB helps manage finances
- Waze is a great traffic app
- Out of Milk helps organize grocery lists
- LastPass is a lifesaver for remembering passwords across devices
- Headspace and Calm provide guided meditation
- Breathe2Relax helps slow you down and come back to the present
- Yoga Nidra has guided meditation scripts
- Naturespace delivers 3D nature sounds
- Google Keep allows you to make a list and to set reminders based on date and exact time
- The Pocket app saves links to articles to read later.
- Home Routines lets you check off tasks, and the next day, the app resets them based on what was accomplished the day before
– – > Need more tips? Ready for coaching to specifically improve your life? Reach out