Attention deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or as your consulting doctor might tell you, ADHD. It is a recurring disorder of the brain that compels people to lose concentration over the tasks they do or be so impulsive that they forget everything else. It can be majorly categorized into 3 types.
- Hyperactive-Impulsive
Patients diagnosed with this condition have predominantly impulsive behavior like fidgeting, interrupting people, and not being able to wait their turn - Inattentive
Some people who have ADHD are inattentive and have extreme difficulty in finishing tasks and keeping up with following instructions - Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive
People with this type of condition show both symptoms of the earlier mentioned problems. They tend to show impulsive as well as inattentive symptoms. This is the most common case in ADHD patients.
When you might be thinking that not many people have to suffer through what you go through daily, you are quite wrong. You are not alone, since more than 15% of the global population has ADHD ranging from mild to severe.1
Kids generally have ADHD but as they grow so does their psyche. The problem starts after you reach postpuberty and still struggle with keeping high concentrations and attention levels. Following these simple yet out-of-the-box strategies to deal with ADHD will no doubt bring normalcy back to your life.
Time Management to deal with ADHD
Being inattentive can be problematic for people with ADHD. They have a huge catalog of things they want to do but they truly need is time to do everything. Distributing your tasks from things that take the least time to things that take more time, is the best way to clear a lot of things in a timely manner.
Instead of thinking about cleaning your wardrobe, sub-divide the big task into small manageable tasks that you can do with an aid of a timer at the start.
- Take out all the clothes
- Divide the clothes and make a category of jeans, shorts, formal pants
- Make a category for shirts, t-shirts, that are foldable
- Sort out underwear in a different section
- Clothes that are meant for dry cleaning need separation in a different compartment
- Sorting out formal business outfits and arranging them on hangers
- Vacuuming the closet/wardrobe
- Cleaning the closet/wardrobe with glass cleaner or whatever is available at home
- Keeping all the clothes in designated compartments
Doing this not only enables you to sort your cupboard but also helps you understand what you have an excess of and also what you need to fill in your wardrobe.
By task management, you divide your time into smaller batches to complete a bigger goal. It’s just like climbing one stair at a time instead of trying to take 3-4 steps. Slow and Steady always wins the race
Minimizing Distractions to deal with ADHD
Declutter your workspace. When you have your mobile phone on your work desk, there is the possibility of always getting distracted by constant notifications.
Store your notes on the laptop/personal computer, and keep accessories like pens/compass away from your workspace.
Make sure to keep a bottle of water and other necessary things which you might need on a daily basis nearby so that you will not have to get up to reach for your things constantly
Complete the current task before focusing on the next one.
Make sure you say no to new things for the time being. You might be curious but practice rejecting new offers when completing current work.
Understanding Self-Limits to deal with ADHD
When you have ADHD, you want to complete everything and be the best in what you do. Sometimes you can do that, sometimes you will have to abandon certain tasks and organize your priorities. Understanding your limits allows you to put forward your best work and creates space for improvement since you now know what you need to do to see visible improvements.
Struggling with ADHD makes you unable to bear pressure. Once you will feel the pressure you will run away to do different things which is the whole premise behind your ADHD condition. Make sure to only fill your plate with enough food so that you do not overeat. Failing to meet your deadlines will not only disappoint you but also others who depend on you.
Trying Medications to deal with ADHD
Opting for external help is never bad. If Understanding that your effort is not enough to deal with things is in no way a roadblock, use the car by the name of Modafinil and Armodafinil. They are special nootropics or as people like to call them nowadays, ‘smart drugs’.
They improve your memory retention, ability to recall things, increase focus, and improve work output while also dealing with your lack of attention and constant sleeping during the day.
Regulating Screen Time to deal with ADHD
Adolescents use Television, personal Computer, laptops, Tablets, Mobile devices. Many other things which constantly satisfy their hunger to do nothing productive out of their available time. CDC.gov shows evidence that kids between the ages of 8-and 18 spend on average a whopping 7.5 hours in front of an electronic device. Out of these 7.5 hours, 4.5 are spent on watching TV just for fun. That’s a whopping 114 days of watching entertainment. This data does not include the time that is spent in front of electronic devices in either their schools or colleges for research and educational purposes. 2
To deal with ADHD, make sure your kids since they are the ones with the most ADHD cases, cut down their time in front of a screen just for fun.
Instead, let them generate interest in other interesting hobbies.
Show them how to cook and look after themselves
Get them to play outdoor sports like Baseball, Basketball, Badminton
Cycling or walking your pets during the evenings or mornings can be a good time for everyone with ADHD to rewind and look at their day and plan stuff ahead.
Going grocery shopping with your close relatives helps you create stronger interpersonal relationships with your family
Sure, doing these things are not the only things available out there for you, make sure to be innovative and always keep an open mind to learn new things and implement them in your daily life to make it flow smoother.