ADHD Management

Learning with ADHD can be difficult to say the least. Keeping focused and making sure all the material you just covered is actually making its way into your brain can be daunting. A fun way to check if you are actually retaining the things you are learning is to teach it to someone or something else. For example, you can teach it to a pet or a teddy bear or record yourself giving a mock lecture about the topic.

Fact: learning something new takes 100 repetitions, unless it is for fun then it takes approximately 20 repetitions.

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management strategy that uses intervals of intense work followed by a short break. Common intervals are 20/5, 15/5, 30/10, and 50/10.

The longest interval is the time when you work, so 20 minutes or 50 minutes, and the shorter interval is the time when you take a break and do something not related to the work. Do something like browse social media, watch a funny video, or call a family member for a few minutes. At the end of the break, go back to work.

Having a timer can help with the exercise. Try to avoid noisy timers that can distract you.

Studying? Place gummy bears on your notes and when you get to that place, you get a treat!

If you are prescribed medication for ADHD (or anything else), take your pills on a schedule. Here are some tips for making sure you keep yourself on a routine and taking your pills regularly.

• Keep a week plus one day worth of pills in a small pill case in your bag, purse, or desk*.

  • Keeping a full week's supply means you have medication all week and you can take it at work, on the bus, or at your desk. Having the extra day of medication means when the times comes that you inevitably forget to refill your pill container, you have enough to get through the day.

  • *Be mindful keeping medication on your desk if you work in an office or around other people. Always store medication safely.

  • Keeping your entire medication supply on your is dangerous; they can be stolen, lost, or misplaced.

• Put your pills 'in the way' so you remember to take them each day until you get on a schedule. Put your pills with your phone or keys so you always have them with you or remember to take them with you. 

  • If you keep your pills on your dresser or in a cabinet you are more likely to forget about them. By keeping them with your phone or keys (something you are less likely to leave home without) you can remember to take them with you.

• Have trouble swallowing your pill? Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you can take it with pudding, jello, or yogurt to take your pills. It makes it easier to swallow and you do not get the chalky, bitter taste.

  • Just remember to not bite/chew the pills unless directed!

INCUP

William Dodson is a clinician and researcher who stated that people with ADHD are ruled by an importance-based nervous system. He described this by using the acronym INCUP:

I: Interest: If something is not interesting, it is less likely to be completed.

N: Novelty: If something is new and shiny, it is more likely to hold your attention.

C: Challenge: If the task is not challenging, it is not rewarding and therefore less likely to be completed.

U: Urgency: If the task is not immediate (i.e., a report due tomorrow), it is less likely to be completed.

P: Passion: If the person is not passionate about the task or the topic, it is less likely to be completed.

How to Keep Your Workspace Organized and Functional

• Keep your pens in a small basket or cup on the corner of your desk.

  • Make sure all of your pens work. Throw out the ones that do not work.

  • Keep a few pens, 3 different color of whiteboard markers (if you have a whiteboard), a few pencils, and 2 different colored highlighters.

• Keep a small notepad within arm's length. Notepads are good for writing down ideas and short to-do lists.

  • Get something bigger than standard Post-it notes but not a full size piece of paper.

• Make a small space for your water bottle on your desk. Make sure you drink water.

Staying Productive Throughout the Day

Face it: You will not be 100% focused all day. No one is. But you can balance it out and make the most of it each day. Some days will be better than others.

• Minimize distractions

  • Background music or white noise does not work for everyone. Some people find it helps keep things 'in time' or 'in pace' and others find it is too distracting. Ackowledge if it works or does not work for you.

  • Check out soundtracks for different video games. Video games are designed to capture and keep attend for extended periods of time, and the music is part of that.

• Work in Chunks

  • Dedicate a specific amount of time to dedicate to working in a 'burst'. Work for 20 minutes, rest for 10. This is called the Pomodoro Technique.

  • Try some of the following time splits and see what works for you:

    • Work 15/Rest 5

    • Work 20/Rest 5

    • Work 20/Rest 10

    • Work 45/Rest 15

    • Work 55/Rest 5

  • Remember that there may be times when this will not work because of deadlines or meetings. Do what you can to re-center yourself, ground yourself, and remember the strategies to make it through.

• Celebrate your successes, learn from the challenges.

Managing Money

A hallmark trait of ADHD is impulsivity, including spending money. Sometimes we can spend too much money without realizing it and come up short for bills. Here are a few strategies to do what you can to make your money las.t

• Check how much money you have coming in each week or pay period. Also check to see what you owe each pay period.

• Check with your bank to set up automatic payments for bills. Some financial institutions have the ability to let customers set up automatic payments. If you have a regular pay schedule you can use this to your advantage. Set your bill payments to come out on the same day as your pay goes into your bank (or the next day) to make sure everything is paid on time.

What is executive functioning?

Executive functioning are a set of skills that are required to planning and achieving goals. Executive functions include:

• Adaptable thinking

  • The ability to problem solve or adjust to situations to overcome instantaneous obstacles.

  • Also includes the ability for someone to see things from someone else's perspective (theory of mind).

  • Someone who has good adaptable thinking can overcome everyday hurdles or a difference in opinion. A good example is when someone encounters a closed road on their way to work, they have to find an alternate route to the office.

• Planning

  • Planning is the ability to think about the future, create a plan of action, and prioritize the different parts of the plan. Being able to do this is a sign of strong cognitive development.

  • Some examples of planning are giving directions, writing a recipe, or making a packing list.

• Self-monitoring

  • This involves being able to objectively look at and understand how you are performing on a specific task.

  • Self-monitoring helps us track and reflect on our progress regarding a specific task and make any adjustments as needed.

  • An example of self-monitoring is working in a spreadsheet and the formula does not give the desired results, so you have to check your work to find the error.

• Self-control

  • Self-control is the ability to restrain from physical or emotional outbursts. Impulse control keeps us from acting without thinking, while emotional control helps us remain calm and resist teh urge of overreact or shutdown when we encounter criticism or obstacles.

• Working memory

• Time management

• Organization

(https://www.hillcenter.org/7-executive-functioning-skills-your-child-should-have/)

How to Keep Your Workspace Organized and Functional

• Keep your pens in a small basket or cup on the corner of your desk.

  • Make sure all of your pens work. Throw out the ones that do not work.

  • Keep a few pens, 3 different color of whiteboard markers (if you have a whiteboard), a few pencils, and 2 different colored highlighters.

• Keep a small notepad within arm's length. Notepads are good for writing down ideas and short to-do lists.

  • Get something bigger than standard Post-it notes but not a full size piece of paper.

• Make a small space for your water bottle on your desk. Make sure you drink water.