How To Cope With ADHD: Tips And Strategies You Can Start Today
If you live with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may understand how it can interfere with daily life. Symptoms like hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention can contribute to challenges at work, school, and in relationships. But by using the right productivity, lifestyle, and time management strategies, you may be able to improve your quality of life. Working with a therapist can also be beneficial.
What is ADHD?
ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It’s a condition that can make it harder to do things like pay attention, manage emotions, finish important tasks, and control urges.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) separates ADHD symptoms into two categories: inattention and hyperactivity/impulsiveness. Symptoms of inattention may include the following:
- Having trouble staying focused
- Making frequent “careless” mistakes on school or work projects
- Having trouble starting and finishing tasks
- Frequently losing, forgetting, or overlooking things
- Being easily distracted
In contrast, symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness may include those listed below:
- Fidgeting or restlessness
- Feeling driven to always be “on the go”
- Blurting things out or interrupting others
- Having trouble waiting for things
- Impulsive behavior, such as reckless driving, unsafe sexual practices, or impulse purchases
Symptoms like these may cause challenges in daily life. For example, children might struggle with schoolwork, while adults with ADHD might have trouble managing money or meeting work deadlines.
How to cope with ADHD: Short-term tips and long-term strategies
Living with ADHD can be challenging and sometimes even frustrating, but various coping strategies may make it easier. If you’re not sure where to start, try experimenting with some of the following techniques.
Time management
These tips aim to help you stay organized and manage your daily routines.
Take advantage of planning tools
Using a planner or calendar can help you keep track of your appointments, deadlines, and to-dos. Consider looking for a digital planner that can sync across your devices. Each time you make an appointment or commitment, add it to your planner right away to avoid forgetting it.
Automate what you can
Automating computer-based tasks may help you save time and limit distractions. Consider setting an aggressive filter for junk mail, creating templates for emails you send often, or setting your computer to automatically organize your files.
Give yourself time limits
To avoid getting sucked into any one task for too long, set a timer for each thing you must do every day. This may keep you from falling behind on other tasks, even if you don’t finish every single one.
Build structured routines
Creating consistent routines may make it easier to decide how to spend your time. Try adding structure to your sleep schedule, what time you eat meals, and other repetitive daily tasks.
Prioritize tasks
Having a system for deciding the order you do things may keep you from feeling overwhelmed when it seems like you have too many projects or to-dos. Consider setting rules for how you tackle tasks based on their importance and urgency.
Set alarms
Try setting alarms and reminders for each task, appointment, or to-do on your agenda. For more structure, you can even set reminders to take breaks, eat meals, and switch tasks.
Productivity
These tips may make it easier to start and finish important tasks.
Break things down
If you find it hard to get started on bigger tasks, try breaking them down into the smallest steps possible. This may make them seem less intimidating. The sense of accomplishment from completing each step may also help you build momentum.
Give yourself breaks
Breaking up work sessions with short pauses may help you maximize your focus. Consider methods like the Pomodoro technique to rest your brain between bouts of work. (To avoid getting sidetracked, you may also want to set a reminder for when your break time is up.)
Minimize distractions
Aim to keep your work environment tidy and quiet. If sounds distract you, try experimenting with noise-canceling headphones, earplugs, or white noise. Silence unnecessary phone notifications and consider telling your coworkers when you need time without interruptions.
Ask for accommodations
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with ADHD may be entitled to reasonable workplace accommodations. Consider talking to your manager to see what may be possible, like potentially working from home or having a space to focus.
Lifestyle
These strategies may support your overall well-being and make it easier to manage your symptoms.
Prioritize nutrient-rich foods
Nutritious and balanced eating habits can contribute to brain health, memory, and cognitive performance. Aim to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Caffeine may also help with memory and concentration (although it may make symptoms worse for some people with ADHD, so be mindful of how it affects you and how much you consume).
Get plenty of exercise
Exercising regularly can be another way to support brain health and cognitive function. It can also be a useful way to reduce stress levels, potentially making ADHD symptoms easier to manage.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness may improve attention, reduce stress, and make you more aware of your emotions. Consider building five minutes of mindfulness-based meditation into your daily routine, either on your own or using a guided meditation.
Practice good sleep hygiene
Getting enough quality sleep may play a key role in concentration, memory, and mental health. Aim to go to bed at around the same time each night and try to get at least seven hours of sleep. You might also try reducing your screen time before bed, sleeping in a cool, dark environment, and avoiding meals right before bedtime.
Seeking professional help
You may find that the above tips make a positive difference in your daily life if you have ADHD. However, lifestyle changes alone might not be a substitute for professional treatment. Consulting a mental healthcare provider can be an important first step if ADHD symptoms are negatively affecting you.
With proper treatment, people with ADHD can often improve their daily functioning and live fulfilling, productive lives. Treatment often includes doctor-prescribed medication, but therapy may play an equally important role. A licensed therapist may be able to help you adjust unhelpful thought patterns, manage symptoms, and improve your day-to-day life.
That said, if ADHD is already making it harder to manage your daily routines, the logistics of commuting to therapy sessions could potentially be a challenge. Online therapy platforms typically allow you to work with a licensed therapist without having to leave the house. This may make them a more convenient option than in-person therapy if you’re living with ADHD.
Studies have shown that online treatments may reduce ADHD symptoms. In 2022, researchers looked at data from six studies of 261 people with ADHD. They found that online interventions typically led to improvements in social function and attention.
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