ADHD and ADD: Ways to Cope
Lets get a thread going here - with ideas on ways to cope with ADHD and ADD. That way, members of this community will have a list of tools to try, as and when they should need them.
@JessHobson
I will try for mild ADD 🙂 kindly note that what works for one may not works for others.
It is common for someone with ADD to have initial surge of excitement when doing something, hyper focus on the task for sometimes and suddenly reduce to nothing. This can be challenging when one is at study or at work.
â—‹ What works for me is having 2 - 3 tasks at once to keep shifting my focus. It gives me stimulation needed to continue finish the tasks.
This strategy also helps me have bite size exercises during my waking hours while finishing my tasks.
Forgetfulness also common for one with ADD.
○ What mostly work for me are alarm and 5 seconds rule. If you fail, it's alright, try again ♡
â—‹ Has anyone use this strategy too? Any other strategy that have works for you guys?
@ouiCherie
Use all these strategies! They're great ones : )
It took me years after my diagnosis at 33 (I'm 39 now) to learn ways to manage my ADHD. What might work for me may not work for someone else. Some ADHD Lifehacks I use:
- Do as much as you can the night before your workday. Take a shower the night before. Lay out weather-appropriate outfits the night before. Pack your lunch and anything that you might have to take with you to work/school the night before.
- Create a "launch pad" in a designated area where you can just grab your things and go. I have a 40 mile commute to work, so I cannot risk leaving anything at home. Around bedtime, I pack up my backpack (I'm a teacher, so all school-related items) and put it at my launch pad by my garage door to grab in the morning. I also lay my purse next to it with keys, wallet, and checkbook inside. If I bring my own lunch, I set a reminder on my phone to grab it at the time I leave (6:50 am).
- Every time I make an appointment, I put it into my iPhone and set a calendar alert. I do the same for all my recess duties.
- I have alarms for everything. My first alarm is set in the morning for medication. Then a second alarm for my actual getting up time. I also have alarms at school for kids that go to speech, counseling, and RTI.
- To Do lists: no more than FIVE items at a time to complete. Most important ones at the top.
@coffeepotpilot
This is so me alarms for everything and my dear calenders in my phone has saved my life I struggle with tasks tho even tho I write them I procrastinate extremely then also let my self get so I erhwrlmed it's not even funny but the alarms and calenders so far has helped alot in the past 2 years
I make lots of lists/schedules for myself so I don't forget anything throughout the day.
I got diagnosed with ADD but I never took it seriously. But now I started a new job and I’m realizing I can’t learn things quickly and it’s very difficult. I am having anxiety every day and it’s hard to get though the days. I can’t quit because it pays the bills. I don’t know what else to do but maybe studying ADD and learning how I am this way and ways to cope maybe can help?
@JeannieML
Learning how you are and ways to cope is one of the best ways to improve the situation in my own experiences. Everyone is different but it may help you understand and adapt.
