By ADHD

Children aren’t the only ones who struggle with attention and executive functioning. The following strategies can help you address challenges in these areas.

Response Inhibition

  • Manage the environment by removing temptations (e.g., not buying junk food, cutting up credit cards, etc.).
  • Use Post-its to remind yourself of your goal (e.g., putting your weight loss goal on the fridge).
  • Build in wait times of 30 minutes before you give into impulses (e.g., distract yourself for 30 minutes before making an online purchase). Don’t set a timer as you may simply forget about the impulse.

Working Memory

  • Manage the environment by incorporating cues to help you remember tasks and items. Place objects in front of the door so they cannot be missed, use a white board to write reminders, and when possible have a second set of materials (e.g., an extra phone charger at work).
  • Use a checklist to keep track of tasks and post it somewhere highly visible.
  • Mentally rehearse tasks which need to be completed prior to going to sleep. Sleep helps to consolidate memories.
  • Use routines to help you finish daily tasks and remember items by completing these activities or gathering the materials at the same time and in the same order every day.

Emotional Control

  • Self-talk (e.g., “you’ve got this”) has been shown to help better manage emotions. When you experience a negative thought, immediately counter it by replacing it with a positive one.
  • Rate your level of distress from 1-10 when you complete tasks. Keep track of these ratings and record notes about factors that contributed to a higher and lower score to recognize patterns.
  • At the end of each day, reflect on all of the positive events from the day.
  • Meditation is another effective strategy for improving mood.
  • Limit social media use. People who spend a large amount of time on social media are more prone to depression.

Procrastination

  • Choose a location where you won’t be distracted and cut off access to all electronics.
  • Break longer tasks into 5-10 minute chunks to ensure minimal effort is needed to complete each part. 
  • Involve someone else to help keep you accountable.
  • Reward yourself with an activity or purchase after completing tasks.
  • Set reminders on your phone. Instead of shutting off the alarm if you are unable to complete the task at the time, hit the snooze button instead to create a recurring reminder.

Attention

  • Choose a task on which you struggle to sustain your attention and record how long you are able to work before your attention strays. Each day attempt to add a small amount of time on this task.

Planning/Prioritizing

  • Practice planning for events and activities you enjoy. With time this skill will translate to less enjoyable tasks.
  • Write all of the steps on Post-its and then arrange the steps in order.
  • Sort tasks into “have to” and “want to” to help you better identify which ones are most important.

Organization

  • Take a minimalist approach and remove any clutter from your environment. Work through one room in your home at a time. Sort everything into three piles: “keep,” “get rid of,” and “not sure”. Put everything in the “not sure” pile in a box. Anything that you haven’t used from this box after three months should be thrown out!
  • Use labeled folders to organize papers. Have a dedicated folder for putting any unsorted papers (e.g., bills).

Time Management

  • Identify all of the tasks you need to accomplish that day. Write down when you plan to start the task and how long you believe it will take. Then write down when you actually start and finish the task and compare these numbers to your original plan and estimate. 

Flexibility

  • Write down several activities you would like to do with your free time (e.g., watch a movie, go for a walk, etc.) on slips of paper and place them in a bowl. Draw one when you have free time to help practice adjusting to unplanned events. 

Learning from Experience

  • When things do not go the way you hoped, reflect back on the experience by asking yourself the following questions: 
    • “What was the situation?”
    • “What went wrong?”
    • “How did I handle this setback?”
    • “What cues or signs did I miss?”
    • “How can I handle the situation differently next time?”

Try to identify patterns from which you can learn. You can also include friends or family to help you identify cues you are missing.

  • Work to identify solutions to problems in the moment by asking yourself the following questions:
    • “What is the problem?”
    • “What are some possible solutions?”
    • “Which of these should I try first?”
    • “Which option could I try next?”
  • Afterwards ask yourself these questions:
    • “How effective was the solution?”
    • “What could I do differently next time?”

Goal-Directed Persistence

  • Break down your goal into smaller goals and set a deadline for each of these. Identify possible obstacles to completing these smaller goals and ways to overcome them. 

Stress Tolerance

  • Build downtime into your day where you can do something relaxing (e.g., read a book, listen to music, etc.).
  • Exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes. You can watch television or listen to a podcast while exercising to make it more enjoyable. Regular physical exercise is linked to higher energy levels and more positive moods.
  • Reduce your caffeine, sugar, and alcohol consumption.
  • Practice meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep breathing. 
  • Challenge automatic thought by examining evidence both for and against them.

Reference:

Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2016). The smart but scattered guide to success. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.