Both adult ADD and adult ADHD has drawbacks, though we know there are great benefits in creativity, intelligence, and the ability to hyperfocus. Yet, some of the mundane tasks in the world can be helped by following these 10 easy steps:
1. Color Code Your World: When it comes to things like what to do with the dirty clothes, color-coded bins that make sorting easier is a great way to streamline laundry day and to keep sleeping spaces neat for people with adult ADD. Rather than tossing clothes wherever they may land, get bins color-coded to the laundry sorting ritual. Use white for whites, colored for colors, and black for dark colors. You may want an extra one, just for clothes that could bleed into your other laundry, like red, for instance. Or, you may want to put delicates in another colored bin. It's up to you how you use your adult ADD creativity
2. Keep it open: People with adult ADD don't do well with space that is too structured, probably owing to time spent in school desks as a kid, and this is especially true for adults with ADHD. Allow your home to be as open as possible to allow yourself to move around whenever you need to do that. Don't have too much furniture or other things that can get in your way.
3. Make deadlines for yourself: Even if there isn't a hard deadline for some project you're working on, set one anyway. This helps adult ADD people to stay on task and the urgency factor may help you to keep from being bored.
4. Chunk it up: Rather than looking at a huge project and freaking out because it just seems too daunting, remember how to eat an elephant... one bite at a time. Break big projects into a series of smaller ones.
5. So, be a multitasker: What's wrong with that? Just because linear-thinking people can only do one thing at a time, that shouldn't limit you. So, listen to music while you're preparing that boring report for work. Bake some cookies so you can smell them while you're working, too. Involve as many senses as you need to so that you aren't bored.
6. Be a time waster: We all are, generally. But when you have adult ADD, time wasting activity can really bring your productivity to a halt. If you feel like you want to waste some time, then do it, but set a time limit, say half an hour. Do whatever it is you want to do to waste that time, and then back to work!
7. If you're going to waste time, you'll need a timer: Yes! When it's wasting time, set a timer for the time you've allotted to waste. Or, use the timer for hyperfocus time. Use whatever time you set to work on something boring that just has to be done, like balancing your checkbook. When the timer goes off, you can get back to doing something you like to do better. Set the timer again. Then, go back to the checkbook and continue the process until it's done.
8. Treat yourself like a child: When you have particularly angry moments or when you're just so worked up you can hardly stand it, go into a separate room, away from people and get your ya-yas out. When you have adult ADD or ADHD, these periods are bound to arise, so don't take them out on other people. Go somewhere that you can be alone until your temper settles back down.
9. Workout: Or find some other form of exercise, like running or swimming. This helps to relieve your pent up energies, which are inherent with adult ADD and even more so with ADHD.
10. Plan regular meals: Adult ADD often gets us so hyperfocused on what we're doing that we actually forget to eat. By keeping a routine, this may ease the burden of remembering to provide sustenance for our own bodies.
These ideas are all ways to make dealing with adult ADD or ADHD easier. Try some of them, and if they work for you, then add others to your daily routine. In fact, email this story to friends who have adult ADD and email a copy to yourself. That way, it will always be close by.
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