In general, organizing your life can be extremely difficult; with ADHD, organizing can be particularly challenging. However, managing your time efficiently can make or break your work and personal life. Becoming organized is all about developing sustainable habits like putting your appointments, activities, and meetings on a calendar. This organizational process doesn’t have to be over-engineered, either. You can organize your life through a journal, on your phone, or with a desktop computer.
Even if you are an adult and have been experiencing ADHD symptoms your whole life, symptoms can still be difficult to manage. Here are some tips on how to gain control of your life and stay on task.
How to Start Your Day With Organizing
Before you go off to work or class, make a list of goals you want to accomplish for the day. In doing this, you may create a list of things that’s too much for one day. Try to write a realistic daily list to avoid being discouraged or overwhelmed. Arrange your tasks in order of importance, adding the most difficult tasks first. Each of your tasks should have a specific time attached to them so that you can cross them out as the day goes by. When deciding to get organized, you should work from top to bottom. Organizing your life entails cleaning your personal space.
Sometimes it’s more than cleaning and organizing that needs to get done. There may be some items that you simply need to throw away. It doesn’t hurt to look at objects and decide what you need to throw away. The items you choose to keep need a specific location to prevent them from getting in the way. Things like labels, filing cabinets, or clear storage boxes can go a long way when cleaning out your everyday life. You can take care of one room at a time and even start with the easiest room. If it seems too much, you could even divide the room into sections and handle it that way.
If you need, consider scheduling a specific time to clean weekly to ensure that it gets done. A little can go a long way, even if you took 5 to 10 minutes out of your morning to pick your items up and put them where they belong.
Eating, Budgeting, and Scheduling
If you are living life by winging it through every meal, there’s a big chance that you aren’t eating the right foods. If you can create a schedule and a menu, that will make deciding your food options easier throughout the week. There are plenty of simple meals to make to guarantee that cooking doesn’t take up too much of your time. Once you have a quick, easy, and nutritious diet, many other things will seem to fall in place. For example, when you spend less time worrying about what to eat, you have more time to develop the proper budget.
For people with ADHD, money management can be a complicated process. Life may be filled with impulse purchases that you eventually regret. However, creating the proper budget doesn’t have to be hard. You can download a budgeting app to your phone that tracks everything you spend.
If you are already struggling with things like your diet, budgeting, scheduling, or cleaning, then the chances are that you also struggle with deadlines, medications, and more. Alarms and timers can be your best friends. Try setting your electronic device timer for when you have appointments or deadlines coming up.
Handling Boredom and Distractions
Distractions can be a considerable challenge for those with ADHD. While you are at work, it’s wise to set out specific times to check your phone throughout the day. Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” if necessary! If you can’t handle working around many people, consider finding the quietest area you can to get work done. Also, don’t underestimate the power of a nice set of headphones that can help you enjoy a podcast or some soothing music.
Whichever method you decide to use, remember that multitasking is not the best option, no matter how productive it may make you feel. People with ADHD tend to get bored easily when met with frequent routine tasks. You gain better control if you break up your larger tasks into smaller ones. Give your brain a break and go for a walk in between your work schedule. You don’t have to wait for a scheduled work break to take time to refresh your brain.
ADHD is very manageable once you take the time to figure out what works best for you and your lifestyle. The initial step to help you manage ADHD is to create and maintain a schedule that sets you up for success. Organizing your life entails cleaning the spaces you live and work in. Decluttering your personal space is one of the first actions toward decluttering your brain. Once your space is clear, you can work on creating a steady and sustainable schedule that includes your work, eating, fun, and sleeping time. Learning these life organizing skills will help you gain control of your ADHD. However, if you are trying or have tried these things and your ADH prevents you from living a healthy life, you may need professional help. Facilities like HealthyU can provide the professional help you need to overcome your struggle with ADHD. Contact us at (619) 542-9542.
