TuesDog

ADHD Corner

I have been looking into ADHD and different ways that it affects my life. I have also been looking into what strategies work for me to stay organized and focused on tasks I want and need to do. The things that I have discovered and learned about ADHD I would like to keep in one place for easy reference in future, seeing as I have had strategies and coping mechanisms that worked in the past but fell out of my routine and have been forgotten about… It would be handy for me to have a place to store this information, and who knows! It might even help other people!

Eventually, I plan on creating a separate part of the site for this information, but tonight I only have a few minutes so I’ll make a list of things that I might cover or want to remember for future entries.

• The r/ADHD subreddit has been incredibly helpful for learning about other people and their experiences with ADHD. It has been incredibly enlightening to hear that I am not alone and I am not imagining the symptoms that I experience.
• Therapy/Counseling - If you are fortunate enough to have this resource available then I highly recommend it. Having a third party listen and distill the information that you tell them is amazing! This has definitely been a huge help in understanding myself and my situation. I now have a much more solid understanding of ADHD and what I can do about it.
• Journaling - This is recommended by a lot of people, and not just for ADHD. Initially I found it tricky to find time to make this happen, but after the first few tries I found that it is incredibly cathartic and really helps to dig below the surface level of things that I never really reflected on in my head. It has the effect of being able to follow a single thought through to completion because you are focusing on getting it down onto the page. I cannot do this in my head alone.
• Note taking/Lists - Everyone says “write a list” to people with ADHD. While this statement makes a LOT of sense, the issue is people just assume you know HOW to write a list or take notes. This is NOT the case! But, once you have found the right technique for making lists and taking notes you are basically an unstoppable machine! It took me ~10 - 20 years to work out, but I got it now 😉
• Carrying a small notebook and pen with me. My phone is too distracting! Today I went on my phone because I was allowing myself a quick distraction at work, but I got distracted trying to distract myself on the damn thing! Smart phones and tech are awesome, don’t get me wrong! But I also want to remember things sometimes, so having a pocket notebook on hand let’s me quickly jot down a to-do list, or a grocery list, or someones phone number/email, or something I just learned about and want to remember. No distractions available unless I write/doodle them in myself…
• Post-it notes on the fridge. I write down a task that I have been avoiding or forgetting about on a post-it note the next time I think about it. Then, when I have a free moment and I am staring at the fridge, I can take a post-it and go do that thing! This is a fairly recent technique to me, and it is kind-of working… The main issue is making sure the tasks on the fridge aren’t massive things that can’t be completed in 30 mins max. If they are too big then they don’t get done…
• Emailing my work email - This helps for things I need to remember when I get into work, like “Pickup prescription on your way home!”. Then I see the email, add it to my work notebook TO-DO list and highlight it.
• Keeping things in the same place. This is something I have always been able to do and it keeps me from losing my phone, wallet, keys and glasses (among other things). I am so anal about this that I have a phone shaped outline in all my trousers… It is pretty clear where I keep it 😂

Anyway, it is getting late and I need to sleep. Hopefully I can find time to elaborate on some of these and turn them into full posts. Maybe one day I’ll even find time to create the ADHD corner part of the site! My evening routine has changed a bit recently so it is becoming difficult to get on my computer and write, but I am determined to keep this site going as I enjoy making it so much! I won’t beat myself up if it peters out of existence like so many other projects (another part of ADHD there! Many hobbies and failed/unfinished projects, with crushing guilt inside when you look back on them) I have started to learn how to let go of this feeling. But, I want to try and keep up with this website/blog. It is really nice to have something that is all mine, has no real “end” goal or “finished” state to reach, and allows me complete freedom to create what I want or need to. Amazing!

Goodnight! Speak soon… 😴