4 Life Hacks From an Adult With ADHD

Why can't you just focus? Aren't you listening? How do you function in normal life when you can't seem to remember where you put anything?Sound familiar? If you, like me, are living with ADHD, you might have heard some of these statements before. It's a wholly misunderstood diagnosis. My ADHD is ADHD-Inattentive. That means it doesn't manifest itself in hyperactive motion all the time, but rather a sense of constant disorganization and the anxiety that comes along with that. For me, it's not an inability to focus but rather... focus is fragmented. While there are so many positive aspects to my life, and even my ADHD, the daily managing of the challenges of my ADHD brain takes a lot out of me. Thus, some lifehacks had to be developed!The classic attributes of ADHD that I live with come across as "quirky" or "scatterbrained" to other people. For example:

• I actually plan out my life almost obsessively... but I am often late to things.
• I consistently lose things around my house or desk. (Phone, keys, glasses etc...)
• I have the ability to be very high-achieving with my tasks, but the pressure (or even the anticipation of the pressure) of being that hyper-focused on something makes me feel physically ill sometimes.
• My brain feels like it has 200+ tabs open, all the time. I am often distracted by random, irrelevant thoughts. I don't actually have a ton of control over that.
• I am very impulsive, often without really understanding why.
• I am a perfectionist with a brain that makes it very hard to be perfect at anything. It's like living in a constant state of frustration.

Needless to say, my job and my life are often at odds with my ADHD and it is a struggle sometimes. As I have evolved in my career, I have had to develop some MAJOR coping mechanisms in order to be successful. It's still a struggle, but if I didn't do these things every day, I would literally not be able to function. Here are 4 life hacks that make my life a little easier:

1. Redundancy sparks remembering.

If someone tells me something and I don't write it down, there's a strong likelihood that I won't remember it. If it's something that I actually need to get done and I only wrote it down in one place, the likelihood is that it might not get done. Why? Because I will get distracted by something else and I will forget to do it. I will eventually remember (probably) but there is no guarantee on the time frame.

For example: My kid has a special class orientation. The teacher tells me verbally after class and hands me a flyer. That should be enough, right? Nope. If I do not immediately go put that into my Google Calendar and then write it in my paper calendar, there is a very real chance that I will not remember that this appointment is happening. Redundancy is the name of the game.

2. Give the stuff you need a permanent home.

It's 19:15 hours and I have lost my keys approximately four times today. I have lost my phone three times. Why? Because I got distracted by everything around me and didn't put them in the designated landing spot. I am a bit of a free spirit—I crave routine and yet resent it at the same time. I am a complicated person. :-D Giving the stuff I need to function as a person, both at home and at work, a permanent "landing place" has quite literally saved me SO MANY HOURS OF FRANTIC FRUSTRATION. It's super simple. I have a decorative bowl near my entry way. My keys always, always go there. Not in my bag, not on the counter, not on the coffee table... they go in the bowl. Always. My phone, when not semi-attached to my hand goes on my end table next to the charger while at home and on the cradle while at work. Always.Important papers for work projects? They always get a folder and the folder has a specific location on my desk. It's a super simple way to inject some practical organization into your life and save some precious hours NOT spent upending your life for your keys. Again.

3. Practice meditation....or scheduled daydreaming.

A long time ago, a therapist suggested I try meditation for my anxiety. I remember laughing my butt off at the idea. When I think of meditation, I think of tranquil Zen Gardens or Buddhist monks on a mountaintop in Bhutan, and annoyingly chipper Hot Yoga instructors. I have always held the belief that my brain didn't come with the "mute" function that is essential to meditation. Newsflash: I was wrong. Meditation is actually a part of my day-to-day life now. I meditate at work. I meditate at home. I can even meditate on the train. I am basically a meditating badass.

How?

I don't usually seek to empty my brain or hyper-focus on a single word or feeling, instead—I let my brain run free for a set amount of time. I aimlessly daydream. I let my brain free associate as much as it wants. I don't act on the thoughts, I just let them happen until my phone alarm goes off and I have to rejoin the world. Why is this helpful? Because I spend 98 percent of my waking hours trying to get my brain to work in a way that is hard for it to do in order to function in a world that doesn't understand. Think of it like you would any other major responsibility. Your dog needs to be walked every day, your brain needs to be let out to play too. I have found that on days where I schedule my daydream/meditation into my coffee break, I actually find it easier to focus on other things. Give it a shot!

4. Accept that your calendar is your guiding force in life.

Google. Outlook. iCal. Paper Calendar. Planner. Diary. Datebook. Journal.Regardless of which method you use, it's pretty clear that a calendar system is extra-essential for those of us rockstars who live with overactive brains. I use Google Calendar for my everyday life, and Outlook at work. I also have a paper calendar that I sometimes use. If it's not in the calendar, it's probably not happening. How do I make this work for me even more? NOTIFICATIONS, Y'ALL. Yes, it blows up your phone. Yes, it can be annoying and disruptive. Yes, it's necessary. Learn the notification and alarm settings for your calendar of choice and utilize them to keep yourself on track. Before you know it, you are going to be so freaking calendar'd you won't ever not know what is going on. You can be like me and have your calendar + your partner's calendar + your shared calendar all synced to your phone. YAY! NOTIFICATIONS ALL THE TIME!Other helpful hints:

• Put things that repeat into your calendar. Things that need to get done but are easy to overlook like, "Water the plants," or "Last day to change daycare schedule," or "Carpool duty week."

• Schedule due dates for bills to be on the same days. Example: Rent is always due on the first, that's non-negotiable. But I made some calls and arranged to have all my utilities due on the same day, making it easier to not miss a deadline.

Remember... keeping track of things can be hard for anyone. Set yourself up for success with lots of reminders and redundancies built in!

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