Managing Adult ADD: 6 Tips for Success

Adult ADD is more than occasionally misplacing the car keys or missing a deadline at work. It is a chronic procrastination, being constantly disorganized, taking on more responsibilities than you can handle, lacking money management skills. Conventional organization ideas don't work well for adults with ADD because of difficulties with time management, distractions and forgetfulness.

People with ADD have problems with organization. Simple daily tasks can frustrate and overwhelm the person with ADD. The key to managing the symptoms of ADD can be controlled through medications; however, some people are leery of using stimulant medications. Many people find that behavior modification controls the symptoms of ADD well enough to manage on a day-to-day basis.

I have found these tips to be effective in my journey with ADD. I struggle with organization and get overwhelmed very easily. I find the more choices I have, my brain struggles to organize a plan of attack, get overwhelmed and nothing gets done.

Color Code Your World

Have different colored post it notes on hand for each member of the family. When my husband wants to leave me a note, he writes on my colored notepad and I do the same for him. If it is on my notepad, it is my responsibility and my only concern is what is on my notepad. I also have color coded folders for organizing bills, college-related paperwork, and even miscellaneous paperwork. You stop associating items by the paper and associate it by the color folder where it belongs.

Eat An Elephant One Bite At a Time

Instead of trying to conquer an entire project, break it down into smaller bites. Set an egg timer for a certain amount of time and stop working when the timer goes off. Working around the egg timer will prevent getting overwhelmed by the complexity of the task, getting stuck on simple details, and wasting time working on one project when other projects need attention. Another problem with organizing, especially when you get overwhelmed, is micromanaging. An example of micromanaging is organizing a bookshelf when the living room still remains cluttered and unorganized.

Coming Out of the Closet