Many individuals with ADHD can find getting organized a challenge. Patients with ADHD are unable to efficiently use and process norepinephrine and dopamine. These two have an impact on the “frontal cortex, which gives us the ability to plan and organize while focusing on and identifying internal and external stimuli,” explained Samoon Ahmad, MD.
That said, they “often struggle with a cluster of cognitive skills called executive functioning. Executive functioning includes behaviors such as time management, initiating tasks, organization, prioritizing, and follow-through,” wrote Scott Shapiro, MD.
However, it is critical to managing ADHD. When you can organize your life and your surroundings, you may quickly find that your thoughts become more organized as well. The organization is a key step in managing ADHD and is a process typically worked on through behavioral therapy. However, getting organized is much harder than it sounds for those who struggle with ADHD. Here are some tips and tricks to help you organize your life.
Planners
One thing that can help you organize your life is to use a planner. Many individuals with ADHD make the mistake of using more than one planner. They may have a calendar for all the different things in their life. This can be very difficult to keep up with. It’s better to have one planner for everything. Use one with time slots if needed. Make sure that you schedule time for yourself and time for your loved ones. Write down critical appointments. Keep to your schedule. Make sure that you add 15-30 minutes extra for each task because it typically takes individuals with ADHD longer to complete a task.
Color Coding
The materials that you use for your planner or other organizational tasks should be “eye-catching.” Color coding can be extremely helpful. For example, if you use blue for doctor’s appointments, every time you see something blue written on your calendar, you will automatically know that you have a doctor’s appointment that day. Color coding is one of the best ways for individuals with ADHD to get organized because those with ADHD typically process information visually.
“Think about what feels easiest to sort through when working with information or items. Is it easier to pick out an outfit in the morning when clothes are hung up or when they are laid out in drawers?” advised Denise Olesky, MA, NCC, LPC. “Think about what appears less confusing or overwhelming and organize accordingly.”
List Making
Making lists can also keep things organized. For example, if you need to clean your home, making a list of each step associated with cleaning your house can help ensure you complete each task. If you take a lot of medications, you can make a checklist for each medication that you need to take. Carry a small notebook around with you to write down tasks that come up throughout the day that you need to remember to do. This can help with follow-through and help ensure that you are getting things done.
Random Thoughts
Even random thoughts need a place to go to get organized. Writing things out can help. Keeping a notebook or a journal of random thoughts or feelings can help you organize your thoughts. Writing down random tasks or random thoughts can help. Having a whiteboard hanging up to make random lists can help as well. This can keep all the thoughts in your head from becoming jumbled together and help ensure that you are completing tasks efficiently.
Boxes
When it comes to trying to organize material things, this can be difficult. This is because it is often difficult to remember what is important and what is not important. It can also be overwhelming to try and go through all the clutter in your everyday life. Since individuals with ADHD often struggle with organizational skills, it can be helpful to utilize a box method for organizing your things. This can help minimize the clutter you need to go with. The way you do this is to get five boxes and label them. Put the things that you know you should keep in one box. The things that you want to toss, but you are not sure about in another box. If there are things you want to give away and you know who to give it to, put it in another box. Anything you want to donate should go into a box. Finally, trash should go into a box. Then, all you must do is go through the boxes to put things away. This can make the task of going through all your boxes and getting rid of the clutter in your life a lot less challenging. You can finally be organized and have a sense of control back in your life.