All those with ADD or ADHD raise your hands! Need some tips for managing it?

I know you can’t see it, but my hand is raised high! If you are unsure if you have Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder here are a few symptoms that you may be experiencing.

  1. You feel scattered all the time. (or your personal belonging are always scattered)
  2. You lose track or what you’re doing or time.
  3. You have many unfinished projects.
  4. Inability to focus or concentrate.
  5. Frequent daydreaming.
  6. High emotionality
  7. Hyperfocus when it’s an area of interest (while other things fall by the wayside)
  8. Your “multitasking” really just means you started a lot of things and didn’t get anything completed.

(If you keyed into my post from a few weeks ago you may remember that a few of the symptoms are subtle, feel free to go back and check out the post and link from 5/6/22.)

Those are just a few possible symptoms, but at the end of the day if you are struggling to manage your symptoms or looking for a formal diagnosis be sure to have a conversation with your medical provider or licensed counselor who can talk to you more in depth. If you are in the state of NC I’d love to have a conversation with you.

So, if these symptoms sound very real to you, here’s a list of coping tools that you can try to better manage your symptoms and function better.

  • Set aside small amounts of time for yourself to get work completed. Challenge yourself in this amount of time to see how much you can accomplish. (Example: 10 min timer and see how many household chores you can get done)
  • Use lists! Write down your to-do list and then narrow it down to the most pertinent things you have to do TODAY. Start there and don’t move on to the next smaller matter until that is completed.
  • Set small goals. Setting large goals can be overwhelming and you can become discouraged by not meeting them. Rather than setting lofty goals, set small realistic goals that you can see progress in hourly and daily. (Instead of “building the tree house” narrow down the task to smaller more accomplish-able goals like “putting up the frame”.
  • Make sure you have all your materials ready to go. When you’re in the middle of a task the worst thing you can do is walk away to find something you need (and then get distracted in the process). Before you start make sure you have everything in front of you that you may need.
  • Be sure you are getting a lot of physical activity which increases blood flow to the brain.
  • Make sure you are also resting and sleeping well.
  • Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. Make sure you are eating the right things for concentration, brain power and physical energy. (random tip, did you know that spicy foods help stimulate the brain, helping focus for a period of time?) Here is a link to some nutrition facts that may be helpful. https://tanaamen.com/blog/the-dietary-approach-to-healing-add/

At the end of the day ADD/ ADHD do not have to rule your life. Hopefully these tips will help you be able to manage it and perhaps even find some freedom in creativity many ADD/ADHD people are gifted with. If you would like to talk with someone about your symptoms, diagnosis, or tools for managing symptoms and you live in the state of NC I’d love to talk. Fill out the contact form located under the “new client” tab on the website.