me, an autonomous adult in college: *looks up tips for managing adhd on a deadline*
every single result: AS A PARENT to help YOUR CHILD WITH ADHD monitor YOUR CHILD'S behavior and reward HIM for doing work because CHILDREN WITH ADHD need constant support-
I'm not even exaggerating.
YEP. As far as I can guess, we're supposed to either "grow out of it" and become perfect facsimiles of neurotypical people, or else assumed to be so impaired we're incapable of living independently or using the internet. That we might be adults reading this shit doesn't occur. The only people who actually talk about ADHD to people with ADHD are ... people with ADHD.
Something I learned talking to other adults with adhd is to get into routines - but not like, wake up, exercise, breakfast, then work sort of routines; but more
Wake up to your phone on the other side of the room so you're forced to get out of bed to grab it and do your morning scroll for social media
Have your meds in a visible area like in the fridge next to the milk or juice that you drink every morning or beside the coffee pot so you take them with your morning coffee
When you want to do homework, tidy your space, get a drink, put shoes on, then start work - do this every time until your brain registers the physicality of that routine of tidy, drink, shoes to equal 'work now'
If you have a pet, feed them around the time you want to have dinner each night - that animal will register the routine and help you stick to it.
Want to remember something but apps, reminders, and notes don't seem to work? Write them on your bathroom mirror or buy a whiteboard and stick it in your kitchen. And dont write in black - write in your favourite colours,or in multiple colours, and don't deny yourself the chance to be silly with the whiteboard. If you designate it a work only space, you'll never use it - so draw on it, write quotes on it, be silly with friends. The more you use your whiteboard, the more likely you are to read the important reminders on it. :)
People with ADHD need routine but neurotypical routines don't work for us because a lot of NT routines inherently rely on having the executive function to get moving - we don't have that. We need mental triggers to spark that, something that grounds us in the moment and helps spark the intention into productivity.
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Also, hack for motivation to clean?
Set a timer. How many things can you clean up in the space of five minutes. Race that clock. Get free serotonin in beating a timer while also maintaining your space.
I don’t remember what wonderful person noticed this but since ADHD was thought of as a boys’ and young men’s problem for so long there was an expectation they’d grow out of it, and maybe the reason their symptoms seemed to vanish on adulthood was because adulthood coincided in most young men with getting married to a woman whose duties initially chiefly concerned organizing his life.
Since women and girls have only been getting the Dx for so long, there’s no track record indicating it doesn’t spontaneously resolve in most of the affected population.
A lot of times “Routine” is said like it means a plan of things you’re going to do and when you’re going to do them. Like: 8:30, shower. 9:00, prepare breakfast. 9:15, eat breakfast. Etc…
^^^^This? Is an absolute fucking disaster for people with ADHD.
The kind of “routine” that helps with ADHD is different: it’s linking together tasks in the day.
Instead of working out a specific time slot in which to do all your Tasks, you just do this: “This week, I’m going to try to make breakfast right after my shower, while my hair is drying”
If you want to organize your life as a person with ADHD, start with something you do reliably do every day (or almost every day) and try to link another task onto it, a small one.
Please, please, please do not try to work out your ENTIRE schedule all at once. You’re just building a chain: start with two links, then three, and so on.
This means you don’t have to gather the mental effort for each individual task, you can just “ride” the current activity, and you can get on the train at any time.
So, if you’ve gotten fuckall done all day, but you still remember to brush your teeth before bed, and you usually take your meds right after that? You’ll probably also remember to take your meds.
Also to add on to this, there's a youtube channel called "How to ADHD" which focuses on giving tips, strategies, and explaining stuff about ADHD and is aimed towards adults. https://youtube.com/c/HowtoADHD
