Simple Tips for ADHD Patients to Stay Organized
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This is a neurodivergent condition. According to a WHO report, approximately 5–7% of children suffer from ADHD. Around 3/4th of the children diagnosed with ADHD carry it into adulthood. However, with timely medical treatment, ADHD can be controlled to a great extent.
Symptoms of ADHD generally appear by the age of 12. However, do not confuse them with momentary confusion or impulses. An ADHD-affected person will have a repeated pattern of certain signs. Typical ADHD-associated behavior is mostly based on three main symptoms:
- Inattention
- Impulsiveness
- Hyperactivity
While medical help will take care of a lot of symptoms, there are some measures that you can take to help with this process. Organization of things can help a great deal to carry out daily activities. Additionally, it can keep the symptoms from worsening. Let us look at some organizing tips in this blog.
Organizing tips for ADHD
Now that you have basic information about ADHD, you can see how difficult daily tasks are for ADHD patients. Organizing tasks can be difficult for a lot of people, let alone an ADHD patient. Focusing issues are the main cause of this issue. Their thoughts are cluttered, which can lead to the abandonment of tasks. Here are some tips for organization that could help with ADHD:
How can you avoid Decluttering the surroundings?
- Get rid of unnecessary objects. These require more work and can make you overwhelmed.
- It will be easier to manage things if they are segregated into their respective compartments.
- Labeling your things will help you find them easier and help with your daily routine.
Establishing Routines
- Prepare a to-do list for yourself. This can be on paper or on a smartphone, anywhere you can easily access it. For children, give them clear and simple instructions.
- Divide the tasks into smaller ones that are simple and easy to follow.
- Take note of your daily schedule to plan your day better.
- Prep certain things for later times. Like preparing your clothes for the next day or making frozen meals at weekends for the week.
Utilizing Organizational Tools
- Color coding is a very simple yet effective organizational tool. You can assign colors to tasks in order of their priority.
- You could also use timers and alarms to remind yourself about the upcoming tasks.
- There are organizational apps available to help with your daily routine. There are virtual to-do lists, habit trackers, mind mappers, notification managers, personalized habit making, etc. Nowadays, a lot of them are made interactive with prompts pre-installed.
Minimizing Distractions
- It is best to focus on one thing at a time. Completing tasks consecutively will keep you from being overwhelmed.
- Make sure your room is clean and minimalistic. Do not have unnecessary items or decorations around.
- It will be better if you keep your phone, tablets, etc. in another room while working on one task.
Seeking Support
ADHD has no absolute cure but can be controlled using a combination of measures. These can alleviate the symptoms and make daily life easier. The first step is to seek medical support. Only after a proper diagnosis can your problems be treated.
Treatment is a combination of medicine and therapy. Medications like stimulants and antidepressants are often prescribed. However, they are not an absolute cure and only help with the symptoms. Therapy will help you deal with ADHD better. Sometimes, even your family is involved in establishing rules, daily chores, behavior, etc.
Conclusion
Having ADHD does not make you unintelligent or unmotivated. There is just a neurodivergent issue that makes daily tasks difficult. Seeking professional help at the earliest will help in dealing with ADHD better. Proper treatment and smart organization will make your life easier. We hope that the simple tips that we have given for staying organized with ADHD is helpful for you.
