4 Essential Tips for Managing the Symptoms of Adult ADHD

Every mind is unique, and the challenges that ADHD presents are different for every adult. Virtually all adults with an ADHD diagnosis will benefit from some form of therapy, and medication often helps, too.

In the long term, however, it’s also important to develop strategies that will help you as pressures or deadlines approach—and when you become frantic or overwhelmed. While different strategies will work for different people, here are a few of the most important tips that have helped me and my clients manage adult ADHD.

1. Have a place for everything
Staying organized is much more difficult for those living with adult ADHD. Medication may help a bit, but staying mindful of your difficulties with organization is just as important.
Keep in mind that simply making an effort to be more organized is often not enough. Instead, take the time to designate a place for all of the things you need and use, so that you always have a spot for them. You can then discard the items you don’t really need.
 
2. Develop time management strategies
Managing time is one of the hardest parts of living with adult ADHD: not only is it difficult to stay focused on a task, but it’s also harder to estimate how long something may take.
 
Many adults living with ADHD benefit from adding a little extra time (usually 15 or 30 minutes) when scheduling a task. The pomodoro technique, in which you use a timer to work in set increments and take regular breaks, is a great way to stay motivated and complete tasks. Wearing a watch may also help—you can keep your eye on the time and use it to set pomodoro timers.

3. Stay away from your distractions
 ADHD makes it harder to avoid distractions, but you can help yourself out by working apart from them as much as possible.
 
Try not to work on tasks near a TV or smartphone, and see if you can turn off your Internet connection or block certain websites before you begin working. If you’re in a noisy environment, headphones can also be a huge help.
 
Eisenhower’s urgent/important principle may also help you to avoid distractions and use your time more efficiently. Essentially, the principle asks you to group your activities into four categories: important and urgent, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and finally, not important and not urgent. From there, you can make more effective choices about how you spend your time.
 
4. Educate yourself and others 
You’re already learning about your own symptoms, and the more you know, the easier it becomes to tackle your ADHD and the challenges it presents. It will also help to educate others, including friends, co-workers, and romantic partners. They’ll understand why you may sometimes act impulsively or need to get up and move, for example, and should give you more room to do so.

Your adult ADHD diagnosis means that day-to- day tasks that seem simple to others can be daunting, but there’s no reason to despair. With knowledge and counseling, your symptoms are manageable. To learn more about strategies for tackling the symptoms of adult ADHD, contact me at Cloud Counseling today.