Little life hacks from people with ADHD (1)

Conventional organizational strategies don't work for adults with ADHD. Our brains need more creative "organization hacks" to tackle certain everyday problems. Here they are.

ADHD experts struggle with the same symptoms that challenge us all. They lose things, miss appointments, buy organizational books they never read – and live with clutter. But they've also developed a few useful strategies. Here's a compilation:

1. Buy bright, colorful, and shiny items. " When it comes to personal items—keys, wallets, pens, notebooks , umbrellas—colorful and shiny items are preferable to black and brown. We don't confuse them and are more likely to remember them when they're unique."

2. Learn what you'll forget immediately anyway. "I forget a meeting time almost immediately when someone tells me about it. Knowing this, I only schedule an appointment if I can enter it in my calendar/smartphone."

3. Today is somehow already tomorrow. "Since I'm not a morning person and can't keep track of my laundry, I lay out my clothes for the next day the night before. Especially for important appointments."

4. Downsize your desk. "Give me a flat surface, and I'll stack paper on it. And since I can't stop stacking, I've opted for a small desk. It limits my potential to create paper-based chaos."

5. Be redundant. " I use multiple alarms —I set a clock, use my smartphone, ask people to remind me of things. I may ignore individual reminders, but I almost always pay attention to several of them."

6. Make it eye-catching. "I insert logos into folders instead of writing on them. My bank's colorful logo is easier to recognize than a folder with 'Banking' written on it in black ink."

7. Go digital. "I save all contact information, flyers, and official documents (photos) on my smartphone. I pay bills via e-bill. Never write loose paper notes that inevitably get lost."

8. 10-9-8-7… “I create a launching pad with my keys, purse, phone charger , and any items I need to take with me in a basket by the front door.”

9. Nip clutter in the bud. "I collect and sort my mail daily using a recycling bin so that throwaway mail doesn't end up on my desk."

10. Closet check. "For every new item of clothing I buy, I always throw away an old one. Thrift stores are happy to accept these items. And I'm grateful when I find something nice there."

11. Be sociable. " I have a special person I trust who understands the difficulties of ADHD and helps me separate my spontaneous desires from my real needs and focus on what's important now."

12. Watching time pass. " Tasks that I think will take an hour often take three or four hours. A visual timer helps me keep track of the passage of time by showing how much time has passed."

13. A place for everything important. "To avoid losing my phone, keys, and wallet, I've created and use an 'epicenter' for myself. A place where I can store all the things I need to have on hand before I leave the house."

14. Pack more minimally. "I've reduced my large briefcase to a shoulder bag. The smaller size constantly forces me to ask myself, 'What do I absolutely have to bring, and what's unnecessary?'"

15. Focus on electronic organization. "My tablet has significantly organized my life. Emails, blogs, games, movies, music, magazines, books, and calendars are all on one device."

16. Write it down, but in a notebook. " A small, beautiful notebook that fits in my jacket pocket acts as an external hard drive for my brain. I jot down my important thoughts as they come to mind, without fear of forgetting them or getting completely lost in them."

17. Easy access. " I keep items that are used together close together, and things I use regularly are easily accessible. It minimizes running back and forth to get the things I need for work."

18. Dive into the paperwork. When new paperwork arrives, I immediately sort it into "Action Required," "Maybe Someday," or "Trash." The "Action Required" items end up on my to-do list.

19. Take the mental pressure off. "I categorize everything I want to do 'someday' on a master to-do list with generous due dates and priorities. It prevents me from forgetting important things. It also frees up mental capacity."

20. Pop-ups are more than just annoying. "I program my calendar app to send pop-up notifications to my phone about appointments and time-critical tasks. I also use distinct color coding for each area of ​​my life. Personal, for example, is blue, work is orange, etc."