Living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as an adult is challenging. ADHD can impact almost every aspect of an individual's life, including personal and professional relationships. Further, it can also take a toll on one’s health. Even trivial day-to-day activities such as paying bills on time, managing work, and keeping up with the demands of family and friends can be overwhelming. Some common adult ADHD symptoms include disorganization, having a hard time meeting deadlines, and impulsive behavior.
But the good news is that one can learn and practice certain skills that can help them manage the symptoms of ADHD. One can start by improving their daily habits, and slowly develop skills that can help them remain organized, improve interaction with friends and colleagues, and become efficient. Remember that these self-help tips for managing ADHD require patience, practice, and a positive attitude. That said, here are effective tips that one can employ to deal with ADHD.
- Organize every detail
Lack of focus is one of the major symptoms of ADHD, which makes organizing anything one of the biggest challenges. However, one can learn to organize things in a better way by breaking down tasks into smaller steps and taking a systematic approach. For instance, while sorting out the room, one can create designated spots for things that can be easily misplaced such as keys and bills. Discarding things that one no longer needs helps in finding important stuff easily.
Additionally, one must cultivate a habit of making lists and notes of their daily tasks, deadlines, and appointments. If one is facing trouble with organizing paperwork, it is better to patiently set a filing system with color codes for different documents. Alternatively, one can opt to go paperless as much as possible by requesting electronic statements and bills.
- Manage time better
Adults with ADHD often face issues with managing time. They tend to lose track of time, miss deadlines, and procrastinate. Experts say that adults with ADHD tend to have a distinct perception of how time passes. So to align one’s sense of time with people around, one can always wear a simple wristwatch, and take note of time before beginning a particular task.
It’s much helpful if one uses an alarm clock and designates oneself with limited amounts of time for tasks. However, do remember that one does not need to panic if they are unable to complete the activity on time. Another thing that an adult with ADHD should learn is prioritizing tasks based on their deadline and importance. This way, they will not be overwhelmed when deadlines approach. Also, one must always remember to take things one at a time until completion.
