Organising yourself at WORK? How? I have ADHD pls help!

[AmIGoneMadFromItAll]

Can anyone share what works for them, what helps, what systems that really make a difference?

I'm talking even very tiny things that might appear basic to others. For example, a non-related work thing I do is make sure that things like keys always live in a particular place. That's become a strong habit built into my life now so I don't lose crucial items like the keys anymore. It means a part of my brain can relax and stop worrying about where the fuck are the keys.

So I'm not exactly sure what might be comparable in terms of work organisation but open to anything people have found helpful?

I did wonder for example if I should get several large notebooks to divide all the separate areas of my job into different lists, instead of one list?

One overall list that contains tasks from different areas really stresses me out, is that pathetic?

I find I do best if things are separated into different groupings like - and I'm not even joking, I'm actually this crap - if my clothes in my wardrobe aren't arranged in order of similar items, dresses, tops, cardigans etc, I get really stressed even trying to see what I have and overwhelmed and anxious.

Again, not sure what the obvious things are in a work environment that I could change to help with this sense of order so any ideas would be great?

Sometimes I get really panicky I'm actually developing early onset dementia because I just get so overwhelmed by stuff, especially as I mention when things aren't separated into groups, it's like my brain shuts down completely and can't start to see what the steps are to begin accomplishing the task

Not Adhd but I struggled massively with organisation until I discovered bullet journal - the functional type not the fancy arty stuff.

Each day make a list of all your tasks with square boxes (you can split into categories if you like.)
As you start a task, draw a diagonal line through the box and colour half in.
If you complete a task colour in the full box.
Add any new tasks with another square at the bottom of the list.
At the beginning of the next day (or week if your work is bigger, slower projects) review your list and create a new list from what was left and the new things that came in. Move items forward with a forward arrow, add reminder items to your calendar and if things are no longer needed or delegated to someone else put a cross through it.

There's more faffy stuff with indexes and monthly logs that I ignore but might work for you if you Google. The main thing is that each day you can see what's done and what's coming up and don't lose tasks.

This is a really helpful thread, although I can’t read it all right now.
I have some work based coaching coming up soon to help with this, so will post after it to share. I’ll also read through the thread properly - I noticed outlook colour coding. Like that idea. And a PP who mentioned ‘fantasising about how much you can do’ - yep!

Trello. Game changer.

In true adhd fashion, I went to look up Doist app as recommended above, got distracted and have instead downloaded Habit Now.

I have absolutely no interest in documenting my daily habits but it looks like I can colour code everything.

I will get at least 2 weeks of enjoyment out of it

I'm going to second medication...

My main thing is having to externalise everything as my brain cannot be trusted, at all The 3 things that seem to keep me on track are a diary, post its and an A3 sheet of paper.
Day to page diary, list of everything to consider that week on Monday. Pick out the must do items. Close diary for a week.

Whatever I've chosen to do that day, I'll list out on a post it note, so: timesheet; email Jim; approve document; prep for meeting; meeting. I stick my post it on my monitor so that when I get distracted I can see the item I'm supposed to be working on, so that when I've fallen down the rabbit hole on something else, I see the postit, I remember that I'm supposed to be emailing Jim and duly go back to that.

Of the items on the post it, usually one is really easy so i can start the day with a win and one is easy but I've been procrastinating for ages so now it seems really hard.

A3 sheet on my desk - literally any thought gets written on. Phone calls, promises to people, carpet quotes, cat vaccinations, project structures, bank details

Don't ask how to deal with the pile of post it's and A3 sheets of paper, I've not worked that bit out yet. Currently I have a paper clear out every few months when H&S advise me the fire loading on my desk is excessive.

Email management. Hasn't got me sacked yet, but the key is to let it go to 1000 unread emails. Then you are free because you know you'll never read them and you stopped worrying. I have no alerts, but check my emails at set times during the day. And then I have a hierarchy of replying. There are a couple of people I reply to immediately because I know they are usually asking for a good reason. The rest I usually ignore until a second email comes around because usually they don't really want to know, they've just felt obliged to send an email, or the answer is easy for them to find, anything from my line manager, progress chasing for the sake of it, or people I don't like because they have been rude and demanding.

If you're struggling with prioritising tasks, ask for advice from someone. I've found that can help.

TL:DR - bugger knows really, but meds and lists help. And my email management advice is terrible.

I have a written to do list as I am more likely to ignore lists on my computer. Colour code the tasks on the to do list e.g red for today, green for next couple of dates, blue for this week and black for later. I have one of those Bic four colour pens, so I don’t have to worry about finding the right colour!

I do flag emails and try to keep my inbox clear, unless there is something that still needs doing. Emails go into folders e.g by client, project or information only etc

Google the bullet journal method by Ryder Carrol. Ignore all videos except the ones from Ryder Carrol, he developed the system and has ADHD, it's helped me so much!!!!

I have a pad similar to the one on this link.
Every Friday afternoon I go thorough my emails/outlook calendar/our work project management system and write down things that need to be done the following week.
Some things go into the day boxes other go in a seperate list then during the week I cross things off/add them/highlight them/move them etc. I have mini post it notes so I often wrote things on those as they can be moved around as needed.

www.amazon.co.uk/Pukka-Pad-Carpe-Weekly-Planner/dp/B08C6TNF56/ref=mp_s_a_1_30_sspa?smid=AXWMM3CXR6AYJ&psc=1&crid=2O5LM8ISX44Q0&keywords=weekly+desk+pad+A3&sprefix=weekly+desk+pad+a3%2Caps%2C204&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMFMyNjRCTVVROExFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzI0ODU3M1RIVFlTWVBGM1hPWSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzIyOTQ4M0RUUUNPQUozVEFUMyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGZfbmV4dCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1649270471&sr=8-30-spons

I'm awaiting ADHD assessment and I've recently leaned into an intense organising system. I work as an SME on various projects and the juggling priorities is hard work.
My to do list is a spreadsheet and one of only two things that sits on my desktop (the other being my timesheet). The columns are: Date added, project, stakeholder/s, date due, date to action, scale of task (5, 20 or 45 minutes), task, date complete.

The 'task' starts with a verb (read the thing, write the email, book the meeting) and if a task is going to be bigger than a 45 minute chunk it has to be split into smaller components.

Filters are on date to action (showing today) and done date (only blanks) so I can only see what's left for that day. I have a recurring after lunch appointment to take the filters off and check if there are any due dates creeping up to schedule tasks.

It's a lot, but this to do list rules my working days and has absolutely transformed how organised I am. Or at least, the last three weeks while it's been novel

My key thing is any useful info, like links or log in details or usernames just get dumped straight into a 'useful info' page 9n OneNote. Later on when I'm in a tidy mood I can file it somewhere better labelled, but at least if I've got them all dumped there it won't get lost or forgotten until I find somewhere more logical for it.

I also just stick a red flag on any emails that need dealing with but that I haven't got time for. It's a bit rough and ready but better than nothing.

Also everything in the calendar with alarms/alerts/notifications so I don't forget

Place marking - actually got distracted reading this and wanting to go off and Google one note

@MrsHugget

Place marking - actually got distracted reading this and wanting to go off and Google one note

it’s good though. SO much simpler.

For your personal life have a look at using Tile. I have Tiles on absolutely everything I regularly lose, keys, passport holders, phone chargers etc. Properly life changing and has made a massive difference to my stress levels at home.

Visual information.

My favourite thing for Things to Do is to have a LARGE board behind my desk. As soon as something comes in, I add it to the list - I can then link it back to other things, add steps to the task, other dependencies, flag up what is most urgent and cross things off when they're completed.

It means I'm not desperately searching for the right notebook, finding out that I've written it down in another (or a piece of paper when distracted as there were seven things going on at once and then the fire alarm went off), and, most importantly for me, as the way my head works isn't

It's

4 - 26- 33.3 - 1 - 15 - 947b, d and x - all in a big old tangled 3 dimensional space;

it helps me turn that jumble of ten thousand thoughts into something vaguely resembling coherence.

Write big, use markers, lots of colour and it feels less like my brain is being squeezed into 11pt Tahoma and more like it can breathe.

Sometimes things still start overwhelming me, especially when there are multiple things all expected to be dealt with first - for those mornings where I'm feeling like I've been skewered down the middle and can't do anything, a betablocker is bloody useful to wind it all back down to a manageable level.

Oh, and an almost empty desk - just computer, pen, paper and some well cared for plants. I can't be doing with visual noise shouting at me as well.

A couple posts have mentioned Getting Things Done by David Allen. I really rate the principles in his book and I'd recommend getting hold of a copy - you can pick them up 2nd hand for a few quid on Amazon usually. Even if you just implement the bits that work for you, it reads well and really makes pragmatic sense.

My biggest take home when I read it first was that you can't 'do' a project. You 'do' lots of individual tasks (by yourself or with others) - so the key is to work out the action that moves you forwards and plan that. Probably obvious to everyone else but a game changer for me!!

Brilliant thank you to everyone, I'm just about to make a cup of tea and sit down to read all the tips and advice!

I get hideously overwhelmed by one to do list as I can have 50+ things off it and also find I spend forever writing and rewriting it.

Instead I basically set up a series of checklists either formal ones on excellent for big complicated projects, or just a series of overall points on a set of index cards. The key thing about the index cards is you can just bin them when you're done with a project and you can reorder them in a stack to reprioritise.

Other than that I'm a really big fan of only having one notebook, and preferably one I can't take pages out of, and that has an obvious front and back. Once I have more than one, or pages torn out all over the place or am running front and backwards through a notebook it's all just hopeless.

You can hack your brain. Novelty, interest and pressure are three ways to focus. Choose the right one for the situation.

I like:
Notebook for to do list
Another notebook for meeting notes
Dance/trance/classical music for focus
Nice pens /stationary
Work friends who can help with the last stages (proofing is my worst)
Timer for stuff I don't like (30 mins is ample)
Walking meetings
Turn the camera off in big online meetings and fidget away!
Water
Get a busy or interesting job

One single list of things you have to do/ remember. If you have everything in one notebook etc it's a lot harder to lose or forget! Honestly keep it as simple as you possibly can or you won't be able to keep it up long term. I used to find a whiteboard great for this when I had a single workspace. Not so great with two separate workspaces because then I forget to keep both up to date....

Fellow ADHDer.

Google Pomodoro method. Write things down in a notepad and correctly title/date the pages, no matter what.

Also, How to ADHD on YouTube is worth a look, she does lots of videos on organisation, time management etc for people with ADHD.

I have ADHD too. Trello has been a lifesaver for me. I can divide my work into very minute lists, and then move them along the board (I have lists like "to-do" "in progress" "done" "closed". Before I figured out that Trello works for me, I'd spiralled so bad that I was worried I was going to be 'found our' and fired. Life is less stressful now.

Occasionally I still fall out of the habit but have generally been good at forcing myself to keep it up.

@Shrewoodle

One single list of things you have to do/ remember. If you have everything in one notebook etc it's a lot harder to lose or forget! Honestly keep it as simple as you possibly can or you won't be able to keep it up long term. I used to find a whiteboard great for this when I had a single workspace. Not so great with two separate workspaces because then I forget to keep both up to date....

Notebooks get lost or left behind. Or filled up within a couple of days hours, especially if you're in the sort of job where you're likely to be interrupted seven times within 14 minutes.

But a photo of the board stays on your phone and already has a date and time attached to it.

I have ADHD, and find personal and work organisation an absolute nightmare. At work it is not unusual for me to work on about 8-9 different things, but maybe only finish half of them as I get distracted and lose track of what I’ve done and what I have still to do.

I personally use Google Keep, as we use the Google Suite at work, which allows me to set up lists of all my projects and break them down into small sections, so when I finish each small task I can check it off, so I know exactly what I’ve done and what I still have to do.

My assistant at work thinks my lists are bonkers, but they really help me to focus.

Different coloured pens for different type of note in notebooks. Dividers in notebooks for different projects/tasks.

Subfolders in email inbox for each thing you are doing. Different folders in your document folder, even if that folder will only have one or two items in it. Have a folder for them.

Print useful company items and make a little ring binder folder of them- things like phone list, org chart, use those little plastic wallets to put in stuff user manuals for phone /headset etc. A useful things folder so you can find these things easily and not have your desk cluttered up is good.