For the approximate 366 million people living with ADHD, living in a world that seems to thrive on peak productivity and efficiency can be challenging. ADHD can make it feel like you’re swimming upstream against a powerful current, and despite your best efforts, you still end up exhausted and feeling like you didn’t make any progress. Even with decades of research confirming that ADHD is a neurological disorder, you’ve likely heard you just need to “try harder.” The misconception that people with ADHD aren’t doing their best can lead to a lot of negative self-beliefs and make managing ADHD even more challenging. ADHD often involves Executive Dysfunction, which causes a person to struggle with:
- Procrastination
- Focused attention
- Organization
- Handling stress
Fortunately, there are effective strategies to help people with ADHD manage these challenges and make life more manageable at home, work or school.
ADHD coping skills for procrastination
Procrastination can be a common struggle for people with ADHD. It can feel like a way to cope with tasks that seem overwhelming or unimportant. However, by using some specific strategies, you can turn procrastination into productivity:
- Prioritize tasks — ADHD can involve challenges with attention regulation. When faced with multiple tasks, you may feel paralyzed by too many choices. To help overcome this feeling, you can make a list of all your tasks and categorize them by urgency and importance. By organizing your tasks, you can provide your ADHD brain with a clear road map, which can make starting tasks less daunting and clear your mental space. You can use tools like the Eisenhower matrix:
- Urgent and important — Do these immediately.
- Not urgent, but important — Schedule these tasks for later.
- Urgent, but not important — Delegate these tasks if possible.
- Not urgent or important — Consider dropping these tasks.
- Break down big tasks — Big tasks can seem overwhelming. Instead of trying to do a big project all at once, break it into smaller tasks. If you need to make a presentation, divide the work into steps to make it more achievable and build momentum. You could break this task down into chunks like:
- Researching
- Drafting
- Outlining
- Designing slides
- Reviewing
- Set your own deadlines — A vague, distant deadline can cause last-minute panic and rushed work. To avoid this, you can set self-made deadlines ahead of the actual due date. Make sure you set realistic but challenging deadlines. You can use reminders, such as digital calendars or sticky notes, to help you stay on track. Celebrate when you meet your deadlines to help reinforce their importance and train your brain to respect them.
- Get help — It can be isolating trying to navigate ADHD alone. You can find an accountability partner, such as a friend, colleague or Executive Function coach. They’re not there to necessarily help with the task, but rather to keep you accountable. Joining an ADHD support group could provide you with motivation and insights from others who understand your challenges.
ADHD coping skills for inattention
Keeping your focus is another big challenge for people with ADHD. While ADHD can involve spans of intense concentration, known as hyperfocus, it’s important to harness this attention for important tasks. Strategies that can help boost your focus include:
- Write down distractions — Instead of trying to fight every distraction, you can keep a distraction tracker to write down unrelated thoughts or ideas that come to mind. This acknowledges the distraction and allows you to address it later, reducing its impact on your current task. Over time, this practice can help you manage your distractions more effectively.
- Use timers — The Pomodoro technique is a time management technique that involves working with intense focus for 25 minutes, followed by a five-minute break. This cycle can help manage your focus and prevent burnout. The short breaks act as reset periods and can make your work feel more like a series of sprints rather than a marathon.
- Set alarms — Use alarms to remind you to transition between tasks or appointments. Set alarms for five to 10 minutes before you need to switch tasks to help you stay on schedule and avoid losing track of time.
- Practice body doubling — Working alongside someone else, whether in person or virtually, can help you stay focused. Their presence acts as a psychological cue that promotes mutual focus and creates a shared productivity environment. This practice can also lead to mutual accountability, further boosting its effectiveness.
- Use a reward system — The ADHD brain can struggle with motivation due to dopamine issues, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward. Break tasks into smaller chunks and assign rewards for completing each part. This system turns tasks into mini-challenges with immediate rewards, which can keep you engaged and motivated. You can use rewards like:
- Short breaks
- Snacks
- Time doing a favorite activity
- Take breaks — Regular breaks are essential for helping you stay focused. You can incorporate physical activities, like stretching or walking, to refresh your mind and prevent burnout. These breaks can help clear cognitive fog and cater to the ADHD brain’s need for physical stimulation.
ADHD coping skills for disorganization
Disorganization can be another common issue for people with ADHD. Some strategies you can use to help manage and reduce disorganization include:
- Dedicate specific areas for specific tasks — Create dedicated spaces for different activities, like a specific area for working and another for relaxation. This helps your brain associate each space with its intended activity, making it easier to focus and keep track of items.
- Use lists — Lists can be powerful tools for managing tasks and staying organized. Write down your daily tasks and check them off as you complete them. This can reduce your mental load of trying to remember everything and provides a visual sense of accomplishment.
- Color-code in a calendar or planner — Use different colors to categorize tasks in your calendar or planner. This can help you quickly identify different types of tasks and keep your schedule organized. You could use, for example:
- Blue for work tasks
- Yellow for personal chores
- Green for self-care activities
ADHD coping skills for stress management
Living with ADHD can be incredibly stressful, but effective strategies can help you manage and reduce stress:
- Practice self-compassion — Practice self-compassion by understanding that ADHD is a neurodiversity with its own set of strengths and challenges. Instead of being overly critical of yourself, celebrate small victories and forgive mistakes. Use affirmations to boost your self-esteem and see setbacks as chances for growth.
- Exercise — Regular physical activity has a positive impact on the ADHD brain. Exercise releases endorphins, which boost mood and reduce stress. Find an activity you enjoy and make it a regular part of your routine to help manage ADHD symptoms and boost overall well-being.
- Practice mindfulness — Practice mindfulness techniques, like deep breathing and meditation. These can help you manage the fast-paced thoughts of ADHD. Apps like Headspace or Calm offer guided meditation sessions that can reduce stress and improve your overall well-being.
- Attend an ADHD support group — Join an ADHD support group to get connected with others who understand your experiences. Sharing challenges and successes in these groups can provide motivation and reduce feelings of isolation.
- Get adequate sleep — Prioritize sleep by creating a consistent sleep routine and optimizing your sleep environment. Good sleep hygiene, such as using a calming bedtime routine, can help improve rest and manage ADHD symptoms more effectively.
ADHD coping skills for students
Students with ADHD can face challenges to keep up with their school demands. Strategies to help manage academic responsibilities include:
- Turn off your phone — When you’re doing work, turn your phone off to help minimize distractions. You could also use apps that limit social media or notifications.
- Sit at the front — Choose a seat at the front of the classroom to help reduce distractions and stay engaged with the lesson.
- Ask for help — If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask. Asking questions or seeking support shows your commitment to learning and can foster a supportive teacher-student relationship.
- Use consistency — Create a consistent study space to help your brain associate that area with focusing and working. This routine can make it easier to slip into a productive mindset.
Empower your ADHD journey with Beyond BookSmart
Every student has the ability to become the best version of themselves by improving their Executive Function skills, such as emotional regulation, organization and time management. All of these skills can be taught, learned and applied for success. They can contribute to an effective study routine that leads to greater academic and personal achievements.
At Beyond BookSmart, we help students improve these important, lifelong skills through our Executive Function coaching services. We also know that every child has unique strengths and challenges. That’s why we customize our coaching sessions for each student’s individual needs, learning differences and emotional patterns.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an inquiry call.
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