Before I was diagnosed with ADHD this past summer at age 20, I thought that I was just unorganized or lazy and became frustrated when even basic tasks became difficult. ADHD in women and girls largely goes unnoticed, as symptoms appear differently in different people. However, even before my diagnosis, I slowly discovered strategies that chipped away at my chronic procrastination, messy room, and inconsistent habits. Sometimes certain strategies click with people, and so many “ADHD” techniques can be useful for everyone to try!
- Bins (and hooks) for literally everything
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If you’ve ever known the stress of hunting for your keys that you just saw, then you know how frustrating it can be to always be searching for your things. Similarly, there can sometimes be an “out of sight, out of mind” perception when things are in drawers or not always in the same place. Putting a hook right by my door and a bin for my wallet created a consistent place for my essential things. Similarly, separate hooks for towels, jackets, or bags, and bins for different types of clothing, products, or supplies, creates homes for your stuff, so you spend less time searching or thinking about where to put your belongings.
- Color coding
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Everyone has very strong opinions on what colors different school subjects are — to me, math will always be red and science is blue. This attachment and recognition of colors can go beyond your notebooks, as color is another tool to sort things. For example, assigning colors to different categories of tasks or areas of your life is an easy way to group things together and avoid getting lost in a sea of to-dos.
Photo by Katherine Dickey / Flora app - Productivity apps and screen time
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No matter how much I try, I am still very much addicted to my phone and to screen time in general. Deleting TikTok was a heartbreaking but necessary step, as I would get stuck scrolling for hours and couldn’t stop even if I wanted to. The addictive nature and instant gratification of technology affect almost everybody. To combat this, I’ve looked for apps that can trick me into being productive without realizing it. Flora is an app where you can grow a wide variety of plants by setting a timer, and if you use your phone during the set time, you end up killing the plant. Finch is another great app where you raise a cute pet that only grows and develops its personality by completing daily tasks or routines. You don’t have to lock your phone in a box — sometimes little steps make all the difference.
- Make your habits easy and fun
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There’s a reason why you’d rather stay cozy in bed instead of going to the gym for an 8:00 a.m. workout — things that require action and energy are harder to choose. Attaching rewards or fun goals to less-fun things can help trick yourself into a healthy routine. For example, you could stop for a coffee on the way home from the gym, have a designated day and time of the week when you eat your favorite food and do work, or ask a friend to join you. Relying on willpower and motivation alone makes it so easy to get stuck in a cycle of burnout and disappointment — your habits and goals should help you feel good instead of being a chore.
If you’re at all wondering about ADHD or another mental health topic, reaching out to a licensed professional is a scary but important first step. It can be scary to confront tasks and challenges that seem impossible or unmanageable day after day. However, even if you don’t struggle as much with productivity or organization, these tips are just an extra way to make your daily life more fun!
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