If you have ADHD* what techniques helped you sort your life out?

[theduchessofspork]

I really want 2024 to be the year I sort my self out in health, finances and career (and daily life chaos). But, I have a track record of starting out with good intentions... and then a couple of months later all plans have collapsed in a puddle.

So if you have ADHD (*or just chronic disorganisation - I am awaiting diagnosis so I dunno which it is yet), all nuggets of wisdom would be gratefully received..

I desperately need to drink more water!!!!

Thank you so much for this 😊

Atomic Habits is only £1.99 on Kindle at the minute in case anyone wants to read it.

Thanks for sharing some great tips!

@MabelMoo23 I’ve just bought myself one of the 2 litre water bottles in Primark. I don’t know how long the dopamine will last but it’s doing the trick for now.

The water drinking thing I see talked about by ADHDers a lot - is it just because we forget to drink, or is it helpful for symptoms to stay hydrated? Or both?!

It's both.

I drink loads more on medication as it makes my mouth dry.

A lot of ND people have poor interception - we are constantly looking outwards for stimulation rather than paying attention to inner signals like hunger / thirst / tiredness.

Having a bottle I like to drink from helps me but it's not foolproof.

The drinking thing is very interesting. I have set times and vessels for set drinks each day, it means I keep my fluids up; so I have 3 containers for cold liquids: one for water only, (that I keep topping up) one for juices and one for smoothies. I also have certain mugs I use for morning coffee, break tea (herbal), afternoon coffee and evening water (a glass). It might seem over the top somewhat, but it seems to be working for me. 😎

The problem with remembering to drink is that I also need to remember to pee. I had such a sharp pain last evening, that managed to drag my attention away from something I was thinking about and still didn’t realise that I needed a loo until I went, routinely before bed and nearly flooded the neighbourhood
That doesn’t happen a lot - but it’s baffling to me that it can.

Introspection is a funny thing. I don’t recognise I’m thirsty - but I’ve learned that if I don’t feel hungry despite not having eaten for hours, to try drinking. Then despite thinking that it couldn’t be that, I’ll find myself drinking a pint of water like someone being rescued from a desert.

I've just found this, joining now immediately and then will go back and read all the posts. I'm diagnosed ADHD, been so for 8 years. After a very chaotic and hard few years - Long Covid, autistic child ill, life - I really want to get sorted in 2024!

I'm amused to see you discussing drinking water though. Been an issue for me.

I do this all the time- If I do 3 things at once it's easier

Lowering the bar. Probably not a popular answer but I'm a square peg in a round hole. I've stopped trying to progress/ get promoted. I am more in to self-compassion now. I'm not failing to be a normal. I'm just a tiny bit different. Not berating myself any more.

I binge eat so bad. I'm desperate to lose weight. If anyone has any great tips, send them my way.

For me, my phone calendar is my biggest help. I put reminders in for everything. And I have 1 week, 1 day, 1 hour and 10 mins ahead of big tasks or appointments. Little ones I tend to put in when I'm nost likely to do it. If I don't do it or don't have time, I move it to the next day. It usually gets done in a couple of days.

If I need to remind myself of what I need like a shopping list, I will text myself before I set off and I always look at my phone so will read the text after pulled up in the car and use the list as I go around.

Anything needed to go with me to work or when I leave, I put them near my shoes or my handbag. Always in my eyeline.

To Stoke the dopamine before trying a task, I've read just do anything. Just start moving, a leg, an arm or do a silly dance. Sing. Do something to make you laugh or just impulsive and it can fire the dopamine. I also listen to loud, fast music that gets me going before I do anything. I also listen to music like that whilst working which helps me focus bit more.

Take a break every hour at work. It's called the pomodoro technique. It's supposed to be every 25 mins but that is too disruptive in my job. So every hour I stand up even if going to bin.

Awaiting diagnosis my way of coping is lists.
I used to write a to do list by the kettle and work through it crossing things off as i go.works for dh too.
I can ignore hunger signals which may derive from my anorexic days but comes from being hyperfocused too.
Regarding online shopping i put things in baskets then go back if i really need them.i still get the dopamine without the cost.

@ChanelNo19EDT yes! I’ve tried to advance, no luck and can’t be arsed now. I’m happy in what I’m doing, do it well, and can survive. And no stress!

LISTS

daily, weekly and monthly.

Triage, and tick as you go.

But how to stick at them?

@Errolwasahero
vary the length of the lists - some days I just put 3 things.
categorise by urgency vs importance
include one thing you like doing, and one non-urgent but important thing
stop writing lists for a day or two, then restart

I hate routine. I hate being told what to do - even if it's me telling myself! Although a part of me used to want a routine, I've never managed to have one in place for very long.

Lists are now the only consistent thing I do. But it has taken over 5 decades to get to that stage!

Thanks will try those tips! I used to think I didn’t like routine, though, but as I’ve got older I’ve accepted/realised I actually do thrive on them! It makes me calmer because I don’t have to try to remember stuff, so it helps.

Me too! If i'm following my pattern, i dont have to think

If I do anything "on automatic" I usually make mistakes. And if the "automatic" thing I am doing gets interrupted, then it's pretty much a certainty.

I am doomed to do the washing up paying full attention! Well, pretty much everything, not just the washing up. No wonder I need so much down time.

This is also me - particularly "impulsively reacting to try and solve a problem...."

I use trello and in the format of 12 week year I will stack things. So, at the moment I would like to exercise more. In January it is once a week. February it will be twice a week. March will be three times. This will gradually build a routine with no overwhelm and guilt if I miss a day - leading to throwing the while plan in the bin. No pressure as to times or which day, just this many times a week. Let's me have off days or even a couple of off days. Hopefully this will help. I have a few of the goals that I tick each week, slowly building up habits.
I also do the 'high maintenance to stay low maintenance' things. So I have a list called self care sundays. I get all my washing sorted and folded - even if I do this slobbing in bed! - then I know in the mornings I can just grab and go. I oil my hair, leave it sit in while I do a face mask, foot mask then wash it out and have an everything shower - de fuzz, exfoliate and get out and moisturize all over. I then redo my nails with a colour and gel top coat. Different colour each week to keep interest! And the gel coat means my nails dont chip or split all week, meaning I automatically look more put together. Inalso make sure I put my watch on to charge, and my water flosser. Also deal with facial hair haha. Later today i will straighten my hair- makes it manageable for a couple of days! Sounds a lot, but it has been done over the course of slobbing around all day but has set me up for the week to not worry about all week. I also do things like - and have a reminder for - updating my.metrics at work on a sunday. Again so this is done and I "know my numbers" for the week and dot have tonstras about it.
I also have lists of things i want to do in trello for 'projects' that aren't urgent and have no time limit. So I can check things off if I have a burst of energy and get that dopamine hit if the checklist turning green.
For general life i have recurring reminders. There was a task i was rubbish at doding at work and my boss was like we are gonna have to put pen to paper if this keeps on not happening. So it went in as a reminder. I haven't forgotten since! I also dedicate sundays to adding reminders from emails I received from schools that week. So I ignore them emails until then (we get loads, and they aren't urgent so this works) so I will sit and add things to the diary such as parent evenings, trips, etc. I have all school holidays in the calendar, and my work shifts. Every day I enter things I have done as well. So my work shift is in green from 8.30 to 6. Then in the am I might (or might not!) Excerise from 5.30 to 6. If I do I enter this in blue. AFTERWARDS. So it is not set in stone to do, and fail, but I did achieve it and I can look back and see that. Then inwill probably - because it is a habit I have developed- do the dishes from the night before at about 6.30. And I will enter this in purple. AFTER. Iyswim?

I also track things in different colours like my period, migraines, time spent with x y and z. On my phone I have the calendar (therefore tasks) in lost format. On the second screen I then have the month view. So I can see at a glance if I ahvent done x or y in a while which prompts me.to.do it.

Oh and I also have a trello card shortcut on myphone screen so if someone asks me to do something I immediately opens card and it adds it to my board. This is especially useful for work. Boss is talking at me/ showing me a task she wants done tomorrow while she is off...move this here, put that there, raise this then alter this and switch this over to here and etc and etc. So I open a card and write it as she says it. Not perfectly I literally type as I am looking at her and she is talking. I can tidy up spelling later. Then when tomorrow comes and I am assigned the task on the daily task list, I can look back at my notes and do it a she said rather than thinking oh shit how did she say to do this?
I also screen shot/photo relevant things for reference so I have built my own on hand wiki of info. Basically a second brain. So we get an email with a list of dates for x and y. Voss goes what date did we need to do this... one sec... yep, its blah. Because I have an at my fingertips reference.