Productivity Tips for ADHDers 

Psychological terms are often misused nowadays. You may observe some of your acquaintances making fun of or labelling you or someone else in the name of a mental disorder. In most cases, there is no supporting diagnosis. Why are people less sensitive when using such terms? Lack of awareness and misconceptions may be a reason. Moreover, in this digital era, myths are spreading faster than facts. ADHD is such a commonly misused term. Misunderstanding of ADHD is not only a threat to nonADHDers but also creates a prejudice towards ADHDers (persons with ADHD).

If you’re an ADHDer, you often face such issues in daily life. Those misunderstandings often act as a barrier to support-seeking and getting proper guidance. Sometimes it leads you to even underestimate yourself. Understanding ADHD is the first step to realizing where you need more focus, and planning self-management strategies accordingly. 

Read More: What Motivates an ADHDer?

What is ADHD? 

Most of you know that ADHD is the acronym for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It’s a most common mental disorder. 5–8% of children, mostly boys, are affected by ADHD which often lasts into adulthood. ADHD has three main features: 

1. Inattention: Difficulty to stay focused. 

• Easily distracted 
• Losing things often. 
• Seems like not listening 
• Failing to finish things started. 
• Shifting from one activity to another without completing it. 

2. Hyperactivity 

• Fidgeting 
• Excessive talk 
• Wandering here and there 
• Often interfere in other’s activities. 
• Unable to sit still in one place for a long time. 

3. Impulsivity 

• Acting before thinking. 
• Difficulty in waiting for their turn at work or play. 

Some of these symptoms may be present even in non-ADHDers. For those with ADHD, these symptoms will be frequent and present across different situations. You must also understand that symptoms of ADHD will not present in the same way in all ADHDers. This can range from mostly inattention to mostly hyperactivity to a combination of both. 

Read More: The Hidden Struggles of Adult ADHD

What Causes ADHD?

You cannot find clear evidence for the causes of ADHD. Many causes such as genetics, brain damage, premature birth, neurotransmitters, early developmental factors, exposure to environmental toxins, and the mother’s use of alcohol, or extreme stress during pregnancy are suspected. When you look at the causes, they often seem to be more biological than psychosocial. 

ADHD from Childhood to Adulthood 

Some of you may have a misconception that symptoms of ADHD will be the same throughout one’s life. In reality, the majority of ADHDers improve on their own by the time of puberty. Only a few may have persistent symptoms in adulthood. Adult ADHDers usually have symptoms of inattention and impulsivity while hyperactivity subsides. 

Read More: Exploring the link between ADHD and Depression

Is ADHD a barrier to Productivity? 

Now you have a basic understanding of ADHD. The better the understanding, the better you can deal with it. If you are a person with ADHD, it may affect different areas of your life. Lack of proper planning and unawareness of management techniques for ADHD somewhat intensify such struggles. If you often meet with such difficulties, then the following tips will help you to manage them and enhance your productivity. 

How to Manage Daily Tasks? 

Staying organized is a difficult task for ADHDers. This difficulty does not depict your laziness or irresponsibility. You can overcome this by making some changes in your daily routine such as:

1. Prepare to-do lists

A single list will be better. Remember to make it short, specific, and in an organized manner. Mark the items after completion. Include reminders for pending tasks like paying bills, submissions, or calls. Several mobile applications are now available to simplify this task for you. While using them, don’t forget to turn on the backup. This will prevent the loss of important reminders. 

2. Set Reminders

Use a diary or calendar app for this. Mark your appointments for each day in it. Sticky notes also help you as a reminder. Different mobile applications are now available to make it easier. Practice using them daily so that it will become your new habit. 

3. A specific place for each thing

Always keep important things like phones, keys, wallets, etc. in the same place. Use folders to keep important documents, bills, bank statements, and so on. Different coloured folders and adding labels on them help you to categorize them. Also, make sure to remove unwanted things. 

4. Do it as quickly as possible

Respond to mail, call, or letter at the moment you receive it. Delaying may lead you to forget that. Otherwise, make sure to mark it on your checklist. 

Read More: 10 Tips to help people with ADHD

Time management is the Key

1. Be aware of time

Always use a watch or place a clock nearby to keep track of time. Note the time while beginning each task and on completion. You can also use timers to determine the time for each activity and set alarms for time up. Make sure to take breaks in between for a specified time. This will help you to reduce boredom and increase productivity. 

2. Allot more time than you anticipate

Underestimating the time for a task is often a problem you face. This will interfere with your planned schedule and affect other tasks. So, it’s often better to allot more time for an activity than expected. For example, try to include an extra 10-15 minutes than your anticipated time. 

3. Set up early reminders

While setting up reminders for important events or appointments, set the time 15 minutes earlier than your plan. Suppose you cannot find and need to search for something important before you leave. Setting early reminders helps you to deal with that. 

Read More: 10 Effective Time Management Techniques, According to Psychology

Regulating Expenditure 

• Budget Control: Keep track of your expenses, even if it is small, by recording them regularly. This will help you to figure out your unnecessary expenditures. Based on that, plan monthly expenditures for needed things. 
• Use technology: Online banking is a useful tool for you to track debits and credits systematically. Bill paying reminders also help to pay them on time. Automatic bill payment systems will save you from missing regular bills. 

Meeting Professional Needs 

Stay organized

You can apply the strategies for managing daily tasks also at your workplace. Apart from that, learn to prioritize things based on their importance and urgency. Use the Eisenhower Matrix, a very popular time-management tool, for prioritizing tasks. Some of you may not be familiar with it. Eisenhower matrix involves four quadrants. 

• Quadrant 1: Quadrant on the top left corner. Note the tasks that are urgent and important. Give them the most priority. 
• Quadrant 2: This is on the top right corner, allotted for tasks that are important but not urgent. You can schedule these tasks based on your free time. 
• Quadrant 3: Place urgent but unimportant tasks in this bottom left quadrant. Don’t hesitate to delegate tasks these tasks to others. 
• Quadrant 4: Include unimportant and unurgent tasks in this bottom right quadrant. Just let go of such tasks and save your time. 

You can create this matrix manually or make use of digital sources. 

• Avoid distractions: Do you have a specific place to work at the office? If yes, try to avoid external distractions as much as possible. Make use noise cancellation headphones if you are comfortable with them. Keep aside distracting things from your vision while working. Most often, some important things start to pop up in your mind during work. Note them down somewhere else to do it later. Continue focusing on your work again.
• Limit time on conversations: You lose track of time on some calls. During working hours, try to make them short and specific. If possible, make such calls after working hours. 
• Specify tasks: List out the tasks step by step with clear directions. Ensure you understand directions clearly. It’s okay to ask questions twice or thrice for clarity. 
• Ask for feedback: The best way to improve yourself is by asking for valuable feedback. Those will aid you figure out where you need to focus more. Your colleagues or supervisor can help you with this. 

Read More: Mindfulness and Productivity

Keeping Supportive Relationships 

You have different types of relationships in your life. These may be your family, friends, partner, colleagues, etc. Understanding about ADHD is not only important for ADHDers but also for those who surround them. It’s okay to discuss your conditions, strengths, difficulties, and need for support with those you are comfortable with. Plan some outings or outdoor activities you like. It’ll help you improve your networking. Search for ADHDers support groups and connect with them. Such connections help you share and get various useful insights related to ADHD and management. Moreover, work on effective communication and listening skills. This is very important in all kinds of relationships. 

Care Yourself 

Your impulsivity and hyperactivity may often lead you to distress. Health is very important for you to be productive. Hyperactivity may keep you awake with insufficient sleep. You have a lot of energy than others that needs to be expended. Begin doing exercise or engage in sports activities. This lets you productively spend your energy and improve your health. Apart from that, keep a regular bedtime, try to avoid stimulants such as caffeine before bed, and remember to stop your exercises or related activities a couple of hours before. Maintain a healthy diet, and avoid heavy meals at night. In short, try to maintain a healthy routine. 

Read More: Why Routine Can Be Both Comforting and Stifling?

Conclusion 

Living with ADHD is not a barrier in your life. A better understanding of ADHDers and the areas that need to be focused on will help you deal with them and reach your goals. Everything takes its own time. Be patient and consistent in your efforts. Don’t be a perfectionist, and appreciate yourself even for small achievements. Reward yourself for each step. Remember, ADHD gives you energy, spontaneity, and creativity. Productively use them and get the most out of it.