4 Tips for Coping With ADHD

Everyone is affected by ADHD in different ways. It’s frustrating to say the least, but for me it’s a blessing in disguise. It allows my brain to wander into places where others wouldn’t dare. But I may be wandering while a friend is telling me a story or my boss is giving me tasks for the day. It’s all about how you deal with it. These are some of the things I do to cope with the symptoms of ADHD.

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• ADHD Difficulty Waking Up in the Morning
• Can You Have OCD and ADHD?
• What is ADHD?

1. Buy multiples and minis.

I can’t begin to express how many times I have left my house and realized, despite reminding myself multiple times, deodorant never made it on my body. So one day I decided to go to the travel section of the grocery store and buy minis of everything I tend to forget to do before I leave the house. For me personally, that included items such as deodorant, dry shampoo, a hairbrush, and face wipes. This has saved me more than once over the years. You can leave them in a car, in a bag, or at the office.

2. Get into the habit of having a mental checklist you go through before you leave the house.

For reference, in my senior year of high school, I drove all the way to school without my glasses on and had to miss first period to go back home to get them. I didn’t know that needed to be on my list, but it is now. Before leaving the house, take a minute and go through what you need for that outing; physically check you have them in your possession. I do the basics: wallet, cellphone, keys, then go into specifics like the book that has to go back to the library or the card that needs to be sent.

3. Create a routine.

Just like doing a checklist. When you get home your keys go in the same spot, your bag hangs by the door, if something leaves its designated space it goes right back. Not saying you have to go complete Marie Kondo organization, only with the things you use on a daily basis.

4. Finally, use whatever works for you and forget how other people view you.

I never locked my childhood house door; therefore, I never had a house key. This bit me in the butt my freshman year at college when I constantly forgot my room key. I put up a sign on my door right above the door handle which read in bold black letters, “Do you have your room key?” I never forgot my key again. This still helps me today. Try laying everything out the night before so you don’t scramble in the morning. Just like the checklist. Put it by the door, get a cute table if that’s what it takes. Embrace this side of you. Make a million lists in a dozen different notebooks if it’s what helps you. Test mechanisms out; if they don’t work, they don’t work. Move on and try something else. You’ll figure it out.