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What's your best life hack for handling the condition?
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#1
I Keep my keys and wallet in the exact same place in my house, I place them there as soon as I walk through the door. Saves me huge amounts of time searching for them as my squirrel brain would place them in the strangest places
Final score:
31points
Bored Retsuko 2 years ago (edited)
This one of the things I used to think EVERYONE does, before I was diagnosed... blows my mind how most people aren't super anxious about forgetting important things. They NEED to be in the same, fool-proof place.
Red_panda 2 years ago
That's what I thought. That everybody had a specific place for important things. The worst for me is my glasses. If I don't put them in the exact same place every night, not only will I not be able to find them, but I won't be able to see to look for them.
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Claudia Stieble 2 years ago
I do this now since I once spent a whole day searching for my keys, only to find them on my coffeetable 13 hours later.... after I had searched the coffeetable 4 times and never noticed them.
Rivers of Belief 2 years ago
Keep everything organized at home and work. Always have a to do list in plain view.
existential bread 2 years ago
I do the same sort of thing with my phone! I subconsciously made up a place to put it in every room in my house so if I ever put it down I will always be able to find it
Cherryblossom90 2 years ago (edited)
Since I found my keys after a long search in the refrigerator behind my cheese I do this too.
Phil Vaive 2 years ago
I'm a guy with ADHD, and I have a murse. I keep my wallet, keys, money, sunglasses, and anything else in there that I need every time I leave the house. It's a laptop bag, so if I'm doing something work related all I have to do is put my laptop in there. It means I only have to remember to grab one thing, rather than like 4 or 5 before I go.
RELATED:
#2
I strongly encourage people to read up on ADHD to help build their vocabulary around their condition; it makes it a lot easier to understand and communicate your symptoms and needs to medical providers, and reduces the likelihood of things getting lost in translation. I also strongly recommend the book 'How to Keep House While Drowning' by KC Davis if, like me, you struggle with "adulting"; she's a counselor with ADHD herself, and wrote the book explicitly for people who are neurodivergent, disabled, etc.
Final score:
18points
jolie laide 2 years ago
I didn't particularly like it either. Well, I LIKED it, I could see it's merit, but.. I'm a weirdo.
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Pamula Furness 2 years ago
I just bought it, but I'm having difficulty getting into it. It's a bit 'waffly', or maybe that's just me......,
#3
It mainly affects me by making it so hard to start activities. Once I've started, I get by pretty fine. What helped me so far: - Set up a timer and start as soon as it rings - Put my home/housework on a table and stare at it for 5/10 minutes without being allowed to start. Set a timer as well. I get so bored that I'll happily start once the time is over - Pomodoro technique and time tables where I plan out my whole week down to the hour (with 20-25% buffer time) Also, I have mood fluctuations, which I tackle by expressing my feelings and giving myself quiet times to "digest" all the things that happen and to sort my thoughts. That's very important for me.
Final score:
16points
jolie laide 2 years ago
Yeah, I definitely have a hard time starting anything. I also have a hard time with sticking with it and seeing it through to the end, which makes tasks like de-cluttering, rearranging, deep cleaning really hard for me. Can I ask how you exactly go about handling your mood fluctuations? I have them too. Usually I just do whatever I can to "ride them out" at the time but sometimes when I'm working, I can't really do that. I have to put them on the back burner but also try to take that energy and put it into getting through my shift/work day. When I do that though, I feel oddly numb. Not quite like a zombie going through the motions, but close enough. Then when I'm off work, I usually feel more calm and on an even keel so I figure I don't "have" to journal or think back, etc.
nini (Submission author) 2 years ago
To be honest, I also learned to keep back at work and to not act out, but I find it much harder to not let go once I'm home and relaxed. I have the tendency to act out and get very emotional over 'the little things' when I'm finally home when I have a stressful phase in life/at work, and I really dislike this part of me and am still learning how to control it. I don't want to lash out the way I do sometimes. It's like a kettle of emotions overboiling and I just manage to barely keep the lid on. My partner is so sweet and understanding fortunately, but I feel like it's not fair and undeserved. The only thing that helped me at work are trying to avoid gossip/taking sides, using earplugs when possible when I have some quiet work and most importantly find a little hidden spot to just wind down and collect myself for 5 minutes if needed (mainly if a lot of stressful situations happened one after each other and I need a breather). Mood regulation is still a huge work in progress for me.
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Thurston Blodgett 2 years ago
This is me, too! Your self-help techniques display a discipline I wish I had—I will keep a copy of this post to motivate me to do what you have learned to do, as I absolutely can see that these would work for me!
nini (Submission author) 2 years ago
Thanks! It's not always easy and I also am not always as disciplined as it may sound 😅
Load More Replies... #4
Getting into a routine was the hardest thing for me once I left home. Making lists for everything became my go to. At work, I kept a small notebook and wrote everything I needed to complete that day along with notes along the way of things that I had to do that were not on the list. (When I left one job, they asked if they could keep my notebook!) At home I made lists for myself from morning til night and even made them for my children with clipart since I started them on lists as toddlers! Most of my children have ADHD and my middle daughter's lists are so detailed that her morning one begins with: "turn off alarm"! She said that she feels a sense of accomplishment when she gets to check off an item.
Final score:
11points
Claudia Stieble 2 years ago
My Asperger wants me to have lists, but my ADHD is so stressed out by lists, that I don't write them anymore.
jolie laide 2 years ago
My OCD LOVES lists but it wants to detail them out like a damn war campaign, leaving nothing to chance without a "plan". My Anxiety is OCD's 2nd in command and happily helps with the list detailing, very often making the process stretch on and on until it works itself up into a tizzy with all of the "what-if's", which makes my OCD baulk and spiral because my Anxiety has successfully led my OCD outside of it's comfort zone. Those 2 start fighting. My Depression, like the vampire and glutton it is drinks it all down. I can't usually stop it at this point because now I'm feeling uncomfortable, freaked out, overwhelmed, stressed out, crying and NOW Depression tells me how tired/exhausted we are, how pointless/worthless it all is because we suck/life sucks, ad infinitum. My ADHD, who does nothing it's not forced to but is now feeding just like Depression, decides to shout out, "HERMIT CRABS!" So I spend the next hours, Googling everything about hermit crabs.
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Wired 2 years ago
Lists' stress me out, then I feel like a failure if I don't get everything done
JelliTate (Submission author) 2 years ago
I did too. I started and stopped and over and over until it finally stuck. Very long trial period though…
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Ur_Fav_Lazy_Panda🫶 1 year ago
You write them down in a notebook, you always lose your notebooks so you have seven, you eventually lose said seven notebooks over time, find said seven notebooks, then forget which notebook it’s in
#5
Talk to your Doctor, find a medication that works and stick to it. I have severe ADHD that didn’t get diagnosed until I was an adult (due to my child getting diagnosed and me recognizing I have the same condition). I do the things mentioned on this list - lists, routine, etc - but the most effective thing I found was a meditation that really helps. If I miss a few doses, I really can tell, and so can those around me.
Final score:
11points
jolie laide 2 years ago
I've always had issues with medication, unless it's antibiotics. I have a high drug insensitivity, thicker lining of my brain/spine, and a faster metabolism of drugs in general. I get it from both sides of my family but especially my Dads. It makes it really hard, and risky, for me because eventually the point comes (very quick) where a current dose doesn't do it so it needs to be upped. Once I max out on the scale, I'm screwed. I'm a firm believer in medicine, will always advocate for it, but for me it's mostly a no-win. I keep some prescriptions, like for anxiety especially, but use them sparingly. Mostly for me, it's coping skills or bust. *sigh*
Antablack 2 years ago
I’m genuinely interested in how you know you have thicker lining of your brain and spine? And how that would affect your reaction to medication?
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Tracy Wallick 2 years ago
Finally being diagnosed and medicated was life-changing for me... I'd spent the first 27 years of my life agonizing over the belief that I was stupid, wondering why I couldn't focus on things the way everyone else did... only to find out that no, I'm not stupid or undisciplined, I'm literally wired differently. Having medication was like my brain being plugged in for the first time in my life.
nini 2 years ago
I found medication which helps me greatly with studying, but at a cost. I lose my creativity, my ability to do association chains, multitask, and last bit not least it takes away any desire to be social, to even care for the people around me. It's helpful at some times, but I don't like how it changes me and that's why I try to (and more or less successfully) get by without medication most of my life. The side effects aren't worth it, for me. For some, it's great. But it's not for everyone, as not all the tipps and tricks work for everyone. Everyone has to find their own way of dealing with it. It depends so greatly on your symptoms, your network, your tools and how much you are able to build your life around your adhd, how you want to deal with it. And your needs and viewpoints also may change depending on where you are in your life, and that's perfectly fine as well.
#6
Every thing I own is out in the open (in a nice appealing way). My clothes go on open shelves. I have no cabinet doors and my pantry is open in the kitchen. Food in the fridge go in clear bins so I can see everything. Also less is more. I don’t buy things I don’t need (note this doesn’t apply to my hobby’s, I haven’t been successful here). I don’t have any extra kitchen stuff/food, toiletries and Knick Knacks. The biggest way I cut down on food waste is I shop at bjs and when I run out of something I put it in my cart. When shopping this way I also get to do a free pick up which is perfect because going into the store is a nightmare. Everything I can’t buy at bjs I buy from thrive (it’s like a internet version of Whole Foods). I get everything ready for work the night before so all I need to do in the morning is get dressed, wash my face/brush my teeth and put my food in my lunch box. I recently attempted to make a fresh breakfast and eat before work and it was a nightmare. And I agree with the lists, lists for everything. When I clean I put everything (I mean everything on the list) and put it in the order I’ll do it so if I start doing something not on the list, I yell at myself to stay on track and add the thing I almost got distracted by to a different list. I use lists on my phone and dry erase boards.
Final score:
8points
Rivers of Belief 2 years ago
That is something I have to do daily. You learn to make it part of your everyday life.
Blyss Blyssylb 2 years ago
The 1st, 2nd and 4th paragraphs, I agree as this is what works for me. Food shopping is a real short list as I'm (severely) Lactose Intolerant and Whey Allergic. It's the only list I have because any other kind of list I pretty much fail with
#7
My suggestions are mostly what everyone else has already posted, but I'd like to suggest 2 more. I don't know if this is just a "me" thing or not, but it helps. I got myself one of those under the desk, foot cycle/pedal exercisers. They're pretty cheap for just a basic model and mine has held up great for last 3 years or so. It's kinda like fidget toys, only for when you're hands are busy. At work (I work at home) I don't need it really when I'm interacting with customers or colleagues (which is often), but during the times I need to focus on spreadsheets, writing, or in meetings/seminars, it comes in handy. Otherwise I'm with everyone else: lists, routines, calendars, phone alarms. The last suggestion is usually annoying as hell but I set up a "reward" system for myself. If something comes up or happens, and I have 15 minutes to do it in, then I'll make myself do it then give myself a reward. For example, my brain always says that once I pull my laundry out of the dryer, into the basket, and cart it back upstairs, laundry is "done". Meaning I'll just set the basket down and include it in my "room chores" list. Aka, who the heck knows when I'll actually get around to that. Instead, I make myself fold and hang my laundry after bringing it up right then and there and give myself a small reward. Usually the reward is a piece of candy/chocolate or a cookie. The funny side effect of this has been, it really DOES sate my sweet tooth. Instead of waiting all day to have a slice of cake or a bowl of ice cream after dinner, I find that I don't actually WANT it at the end of the day. Like yesterday, I earned 4 rewards: 1 cookie for each time, so 4 cookies! However today, I've only earned 1 cookie for running an errand. There's 3 more things on my list to do today (day off) and I have yet to do any of them because... Bored Panda. I take my wins where I can. :/
Final score:
8points
Jenny Galbraith 2 years ago
I have to have a rewards system too. It's so hard to start any process (chores, dinner, food shopping, etc). I sit on the couch and see a random item across the room that I need to pick up and put away, but I just sit there and stare at it. It's hard to explain. Am I the only one?
Toni V. Jensen 2 years ago
No... that sounds just like me. I sit there, knowing different things that need to be done...and I'm unable to move and start someting!! I'm overwhelmed by all the things I haven't taken care of...so I sit, read, pretend I'll take care of it "tomorrow". I can't get started sometimes I don't even know why. I don't pay the bills, even when I have the money. I wait until the last minute even with important things!
Load More Replies... Blyss Blyssylb 2 years ago
Ok now this sounds more like me except for the pedal thing, don't have one of those, it is a thought...and if I don't hang/fold my laundry as soon as I pull it from the dryer, I'm doomed to leaving it in the basket - sometimes leave my laundry in the laundry room because I "didn't hang/fold it first"
Tracy Wallick 2 years ago
I do the opposite; when getting started seems impossible, I try to figure out the smallest possible step in the right direction, and do it. Most of the time, it gives me enough momentum to do more.
#8
- lists - routine - storing everything in the calendar (mobile phones are amazing) - spreadsheets for expenses like rent etc. wich checkmarks to mark when you payed them - office noise and movements distract me horribly - never in life have i been so focued as when I started working from home during COVID
Final score:
7points
jolie laide 2 years ago
I agree with everything you said. I always try hard to have enough money in the bank so the same day a bill arrives in the mail, I pay it. Then I reward myself with 1 cookie, LOL. I know not everyone is financially able to do this, I wasn't a couple times, but these days it helps. I also especially agree about working from home. My first foray into the working world (full time) was in big call centers and I didn't realize how on edge it made me until I I could work from home a few years later.
#9
I bought these digital clocks that can hang on in the wall or sit up and they are in every room
Final score:
7points
Thurston Blodgett 2 years ago
Me too, and I was able to get 12" diam. wall clocks at the Daiso store that just opened up here in Henderson, NV for $4.66 each, they have quartz movements and keep perfect time!
#10
Not us (even though we're pretty sure we have it, our mother won't get us diagnosed) but our best friend CAFFIENE. LOTS OF IT. It helps more than people think
Final score:
6points
Thurston Blodgett 2 years ago
400mg caffeine tablets first thing in the morning for me establish my day, as brewed coffee (which I still love to drink on occasion) tends to disrupt my gut
Rivers of Belief 2 years ago (edited)
Caffeine is a life saver in add and adhd. It's medicine without the prescription. People don't realize the more we drink the more focused and calm we are.
Iris (Submission author) 2 years ago
Yeah, we can't really drink caffiene because the mother won't buy it for us but if we can get our hands on it we chug it
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The Cuckoo 2 years ago
Caffeine works because you should be medicated. Just like MDMA and Cocaine work because you should me medicated.
Rivers of Belief 2 years ago
Yes the best option would be medication and you would see an improvement. Medication can be managed and caffeine comes in all strengths etc.
Load More Replies... #11
Make lists and calendar notifications for all events in the future. (with atleast 1 week, 1 day, and 12 hours before the event. and the 15 mins before)
Final score:
6points
#12
Have a routine for a certain time of day. Keep 2 lists, one for the day and one for the stuff you might tackle in the future. 2 lists are less stressful to me. In public, read the room and act accordingly to stay under the radar. I organize closets and drawers. It makes me feel like I'm in control of my life to my ducks in a row.
Final score:
5points
#13
Most of the things already mentioned. During meetings, when my focus starts to slip away, I doodle on paper. It looks I am taking notes and it ensures I can keep focus. Win-win!
Final score:
4points
#14
Binders. For everything. Got homework? Put it in a binder. Need to organize papers? A binder. Also, keep a calendar and write everything down
Final score:
4points
Ur_Fav_Lazy_Panda🫶 1 year ago
I personally hate binders bc they are so bulky and expandable folders but idk why
#15
The fact that I can Out Task someone with a Degree and Multitask as a "strength" on their Resume! 🤣
Final score:
3points
Jerusalem Cat Syndrome 2 years ago
The fact that I can "out-task" someone with a degree, who listed "multitasking" as a strength on their resume!
#16
I don't have ADHD, but I have a very hard time following through and remebering tasks. I make a lot of lists, and I crossing off stuff from my lists gives me a little dopamine rush everytime!
Final score:
3points
#17
I work from home and can get easily distracted by things going on in the house or my phone. So I set a timer when I need to focus on a task and then once the timer goes off, I set another one for a 5 minute ADHD allowed moment and repeat until my work day is done.
Final score:
3points
#18
I have what is most likely undiagnosed ADHD but… here are some of my tips that help me focus -Try to have two options if something to do, so if something doesn’t interest you or you can’t focus on it try the other one -LISTS. - Sometimes things are done the normal way for a reason.
Final score:
3points
Sam the gender gremlin ️️️ (Submission author) 2 years ago
… this was a bit hypocritical. I write lists sometimes and they do help but most of the time I forget or get distracted and so I have several half-finished lists
#19
Make lists. Make lists for everything. I prefer paper. I like writing them down & crossing off.
Final score:
2points
#20
Dental floss picks, I keep them beside my bed so that when I inevitably forget to do anything before bed I can still floss my teeth.
Final score:
1point
What do you think ?
Susie Elle 2 years ago
I have a hard time focussing on things I should be focussing on, unless it's a clear task like pick up parcel at so and so. I can lose myself in things I like, and procrastinate on end the things I don't like (or if I don't procrastinate I do them in three seconds with minimal effort and half-assedly). Can't prioritize, everything is equally important or unimportant. I can multitask but don't ask me to explain afterwards what I did or how I did it. The only thing I have zero issues with is keeping things organized in my home (not so much at work) and I spend the majority of my day in dreamland. When I was a kid this used to be 100000x worse, it's a miracle I even finished anything. Now as an adult I've found ways to work around it, mostly. Sometimes I suspect myself of having ADHD-I, but on the other hand I don't think my supposed symptoms are as bad as some people seem to have them. So maybe I'm just weird :')
Blyss Blyssylb 2 years ago
👍Yes you're weird but, you're weird like us While I hold 0 degrees in the medical field, I'm pretty sure you are ADD/ADHD to some level/extent.😎 Not to worry, unless it seriously impacts your life in a negative way, consider your weirdness as your Super Power 😁
Load More Replies...
2 years ago
can i ask, what are the symptoms of ADHD? (if this offends anyone i’m truly sorry.)
Luna W. 2 years ago
There are many symptoms, and not everyone has all of them... Best to check here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adult-adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350878
Load More Replies... Ur_Fav_Lazy_Panda🫶 1 year ago (edited)
I have a question that’s been in my mind for a while. I know how there’s different kinds of adhd/add, like inattentive and hyperactive. Can you have a mix of both? Most days I am hyper, and other days I am not as hyper and I daydream a lot. Idk if it’s a mix or some days my symptoms just aren’t as bad. I don’t take meds or drink coffee, and I don’t think I do anything to affect my level of hyperness. TLDR: can a mix of inattentive adhd and hyperactive be possible, or are my symptoms more mild some days? Edit: I googled it, and you can have a combination ALSO: smth I prob should’ve said is I’m not diagnosed, but I’ve had symptoms as long as I can remember, and it runs in my moms family, so does anxiety and depression
Christi 2 years ago
The doctor-monitored Adderal XR (or equivalent) since my 20s (I'm almost 80) has helped me live an “ordinary life”: College graduate, steady career in my selected profession, celebrating 50+ years of marriage, three children graduated from the university of their choice without issues or topics of concern and are all now raising families of their own. Currently, we have seven delightful grandchildren with whom we interact regularly, and I have some mega-cool lady friends. For those who are with out-of-control ADHD consistently performing sequential everyday tasks? I don't think so.
Stephen Brina 2 years ago
The main purpose of SPAMMER RROTKITS, a team with global cyber security experts, is to provide modern amenities including trustworthy hacking and the recovery of lost funds. I was a victim of a digital platform and lost all of my savings. I came across someone who enticed me to put $30,000 into a forex trading platform. I made the decision to seek assistance from an online hacker after reading several online reviews of them. To assist me in getting my money back, I use SPAMMER ROOTKITS. The likelihood that my fund was retrieved astonished me. You can email the specialist at: spammer (@) fastservice (.) com
Susie Elle 2 years ago
I have a hard time focussing on things I should be focussing on, unless it's a clear task like pick up parcel at so and so. I can lose myself in things I like, and procrastinate on end the things I don't like (or if I don't procrastinate I do them in three seconds with minimal effort and half-assedly). Can't prioritize, everything is equally important or unimportant. I can multitask but don't ask me to explain afterwards what I did or how I did it. The only thing I have zero issues with is keeping things organized in my home (not so much at work) and I spend the majority of my day in dreamland. When I was a kid this used to be 100000x worse, it's a miracle I even finished anything. Now as an adult I've found ways to work around it, mostly. Sometimes I suspect myself of having ADHD-I, but on the other hand I don't think my supposed symptoms are as bad as some people seem to have them. So maybe I'm just weird :')
Blyss Blyssylb 2 years ago
👍Yes you're weird but, you're weird like us While I hold 0 degrees in the medical field, I'm pretty sure you are ADD/ADHD to some level/extent.😎 Not to worry, unless it seriously impacts your life in a negative way, consider your weirdness as your Super Power 😁
Load More Replies... 2 years ago
can i ask, what are the symptoms of ADHD? (if this offends anyone i’m truly sorry.)
Luna W. 2 years ago
There are many symptoms, and not everyone has all of them... Best to check here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adult-adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350878
Load More Replies... Ur_Fav_Lazy_Panda🫶 1 year ago (edited)
I have a question that’s been in my mind for a while. I know how there’s different kinds of adhd/add, like inattentive and hyperactive. Can you have a mix of both? Most days I am hyper, and other days I am not as hyper and I daydream a lot. Idk if it’s a mix or some days my symptoms just aren’t as bad. I don’t take meds or drink coffee, and I don’t think I do anything to affect my level of hyperness. TLDR: can a mix of inattentive adhd and hyperactive be possible, or are my symptoms more mild some days? Edit: I googled it, and you can have a combination ALSO: smth I prob should’ve said is I’m not diagnosed, but I’ve had symptoms as long as I can remember, and it runs in my moms family, so does anxiety and depression
Christi 2 years ago
The doctor-monitored Adderal XR (or equivalent) since my 20s (I'm almost 80) has helped me live an “ordinary life”: College graduate, steady career in my selected profession, celebrating 50+ years of marriage, three children graduated from the university of their choice without issues or topics of concern and are all now raising families of their own. Currently, we have seven delightful grandchildren with whom we interact regularly, and I have some mega-cool lady friends. For those who are with out-of-control ADHD consistently performing sequential everyday tasks? I don't think so.
Stephen Brina 2 years ago
The main purpose of SPAMMER RROTKITS, a team with global cyber security experts, is to provide modern amenities including trustworthy hacking and the recovery of lost funds. I was a victim of a digital platform and lost all of my savings. I came across someone who enticed me to put $30,000 into a forex trading platform. I made the decision to seek assistance from an online hacker after reading several online reviews of them. To assist me in getting my money back, I use SPAMMER ROOTKITS. The likelihood that my fund was retrieved astonished me. You can email the specialist at: spammer (@) fastservice (.) com
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