Adult ADD: Tackling Time Mastery
ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorders, is more common in adults than in children. This blog post will offer advice on how to make sense of your time and establish healthy habits for scheduling in order to gain control of your life.
There are many well-known figures who suffer from ADD such as Sir Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey and LeBron James. ADD is a broad term given to a wide range of symptoms that can include difficulty with organizing tasks or activities; trouble following instructions; forgetfulness; lack of motivation; easily distracted by outside stimuli, trouble focusing on one thing for any length of time and switching between tasks too quickly. These symptoms tend to be chronic rather than acute and occur over an extended period of time.
The main characteristic of people with ADD is the inability to concentrate, which leads to many problems in their lives; these include underachievement at school and work, social awkwardness, feeling incapable and having difficulty making decisions. Treatment typically involves medications and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). However, there are a number of alternative strategies you can use that don't involve medication.
One thing you can do to address the disorder is to be aware of your surroundings and the stimuli that surround you. It's possible for people with ADD to have a good attention span when they are doing an activity that interests them. This means there may be something about your current routine or environment that is causing you trouble. It may help to try changing something about the routine or environment. You could try decorating your room in a different way, or simply moving to a different place.
A second thing you can do is get more rest. You may have been told that you need a lot of sleep and that because of your concentration problem it's not possible for you to get enough. This is not necessarily true. Many people with ADD can get by with much less sleep than they are currently getting and still function fine. Sleep deprivation can make it more difficult to concentrate however; so if your concentration is really bad, getting 8 hours of sleep might be necessary in order for the disorder to improve.
If you are currently having difficulty concentrating, you could also consider getting an exercise routine going. This can help to improve concentration, as well as reducing stress and improving your mood. However it may not be possible for you to concentrate when exercising because of the increased stimuli from the outside world that is associated with being active. So if this is what's going on, walking or jogging would probably be a better idea than a workout involving weights.
The third thing you can do is organize your life better so that it fits in with your current lifestyle rather than forcing it to fit into yours. If the disorder is interfering with major aspects of your life, it's likely that changing some of these aspects may help. For example, some people with ADD are able to take up a job they enjoy as long as they have a flexible routine. Alternatively, you might be able to combine your current routines into one new routine. If you have trouble focusing on one thing, it might help to involve more than one hobby in your life.
Another important part of treating ADD is learning how to handle time management in your life. This will involve learning how to plan things in advance and resisting the temptation to do things at the last minute that you didn't plan for. You may also need help around how you schedule work and social engagements into your daily schedule. This may seem like it will take a lot of extra effort, and it is. However, if you keep at it, you will eventually establish a routine that works for you and feels comfortable. You can then continue to build upon this to make things easier, more efficient and better all-round.
After learning how to self-organize, the following tips can help you schedule yourself successfully:
Write down your daily routine - Keep a list of the things you have to do each day written in a notebook so that you have a visual representation of your activities and responsibilities.
- Keep a list of the things you have to do each day written in a notebook so that you have a visual representation of your activities and responsibilities. List priorities - After finishing your daily tasks, make sure they are in order of importance. Ask yourself how important each task is, how long it will take, how much effort it takes and whether or not you are already going over time. If it takes too much time or energy (or none even if you're feeling pressured) don't do it!
- After finishing your daily tasks, make sure they are in order of importance. Ask yourself how important each task is, how long it will take, how much effort it takes and whether or not you are already going over time. If it takes too much time or energy (or none even if you're feeling pressured) don't do it! Make sure tasks are realistic - Make sure your daily tasks are realistic. If you have a lot for the day, make sure you add some breaks into your routine and block off time in which you intend to rest and relax.
- Make sure your daily tasks are realistic. If you have a lot for the day, make sure you add some breaks into your routine and block off time in which you intend to rest and relax. Plan ahead - If you know you will be doing something which requires you to use your time wisely, make sure that you plan it out well in advance so that when the time arrives, there are no last-minute worries and no pressure.
- If you know you will be doing something which requires you to use your time wisely, make sure that you plan it out well in advance so that when the time arrives, there are no last-minute worries and no pressure. Ask for help from teachers or employer - If there is a task or activity which is too much for one person to do alone (like finishing an assignment), ask someone else if they can help.
- If there is a task or activity which is too much for one person to do alone (like finishing an assignment), ask someone else if they can help. Do all the "nice" things first - If you have responsibilities that require good time management, make sure you do your best with these tasks first. For example, if you need to get out and get some exercise before work, make sure it gets done before you review all your courses for the day.
- If you have responsibilities that require good time management, make sure you do your best with these tasks first. For example, if you need to get out and get some exercise before work, make sure it gets done before you review all your courses for the day. Be realistic about your commitments - If you know very little about a particular activity, don't commit to it if it will have a large impact on your life. When in doubt, don't commit to anything.
Steps you can take during the day
Here are some simple things that you can start doing to help improve your focus:
When your work takes up most of your attention - Stand up for a minute every hour and say good morning or good afternoon or good evening out loud and see how long it takes for all the distractions at work to go away. See if this helps give you a clearer view of what's going on in front of you so that you can continue working.
Conclusion
Once you've tried some of these suggestions, and you find that they really work for you, consider taking action to see how much difference it makes to your life. Try writing out your daily routine and schedule some time in the next week or two to check in with yourself. If the routines are all still running smoothly, then keep going! If there are changes that need to be made, make them. Then stick to them and see what happens.
When it comes down to it, if you can make just one small change to improve your life because of this article's advice, then we've done our job well.