29 Quick Tips To Chew Upon for Adult ADHDers

A few useful tips for adults with ADHD to chew on today:

1. Take time to meet with friends or a small group of adults. Don’t let yourself become isolated.
2. Exercise regularly. Find a partner, if possible, so you won’t forget to do it!
3. Find a quiet spot for yourself at home. Use it to relax, meditate & re-focus.
4. Use “pattern planning” to organize your days. Plan the same activities for same time each week.
5. Do not over-schedule your time. Learn time management skills & be realistic.
6. Make a list of ideas & “to do” items to free your mind for concentrating.
7. Review the items on your list, prioritize them, & cross of all you have accomplished.
8. Close your door, if possible, when you don’t want to be disturbed.
9. Build “flex time” into your schedule to allow for the unexpected.
10. Set up a study area away from distractions & set specific homework times.
11. Build in “break times” during long homework assignments. Use a timer.
12. Do weekly bag dumping after your work or school week. Dig deep & get out all that old “stuff”.
13. Devise a calendar of long-term assignments and projects to be carried in your notebook.
14. Get daily exercise. Walk or bike. Exercise helps to keep you & your brain focused & energized.
15. Learn how to be healthy. Eating good food helps to keep you focused, active & in a good mood.
16. Make time for frequent review & tossing of old papers. Set small goals of a few papers each time.
17. Mark what you read with a highlighter or flag important areas with small, colorful “post-it”s.
18. Tackle time-consuming & detailed projects in stages. Develop a plan before you begin.
19. Use your high productivity hour for your most important project & most difficult homework.
20. Get educated about AD/HD. The more you learn, the more you can work WITH it & not against it.
21. Keep a family calendar at home or online using a shared electronic calendar (e.g. Google Calendar).
22. Design systems & guidelines for the family that is mindful of each person’s needs.
23. Avoid morning chaos by getting everything “ready to go” for work & school the previous night.
24. Become well educated on co-morbid / co-existing conditions.
25. Plan regular friend & family outings. There are many activities that are low cost or free.
26. Take a “team” approach to problem solving.
27. Work together to get organized. Chunk down tasks into small steps for those with AD/HD.
28. Set a scheduled family time every few months for tossing unused items, old clothes & old newspapers.
29. Work toward a better understanding of friends & family members with AD/HD. There are gifts in each of us.

Cheers,

Mungo