Living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be challenging, especially for adults who have a lot to balance. If you are finding it hard to stay organized, avoid distractions, and deal with hyperactivity, there are behavioral changes and treatment options (such as neurofeedback for ADHD) that you can use to increase your ability to focus and boost your personal fulfillment.
If you are suffering from ADHD as an adult, read on to learn some tips for dealing with it.
1. Create organization systems.
For many individuals experiencing ADHD, one of the most significant issues is staying organized. After all, ADHD affects your brain’s executive functions that assist you in planning, organizing, and completing tasks. For this reason, getting organized can be incredibly challenging when living with ADHD and likely affects various parts of your life. For this reason, you want to make sure that you are creating organization systems for each aspect of your life – from work to personal, home to scheduling.
The more organized you are, the easier it will become to efficiently manage your daily schedule and time. It will also reduce the number of distractions you have each day. For starters, it is highly recommended that you plan a schedule for yourself every night for the following day. By writing down your plan of action, you can start each morning fresh, knowing what you need to do.
Planning your day helps you control your time and removes the question, “What should I be doing now?” Plus, each time you cross something off your to-do list, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment.
Additionally, it is helpful to choose 2-3 top priorities that you will focus on first before doing anything else. Then, get in the habit of checking in on these priorities and the schedule you have written at consistent times throughout the day. Batching similar tasks together can also help you to stay focused. For example, choosing one specific time in the morning and one in the evening to answer emails and messages will stop you from getting distracted.
Other tips that can help to keep your environment organized include:
- Color-coding or labeling containers and files.
- Creating “homes” for items, which ensures that you always know where they are (and where to put them).
- Scheduling time in your calendar for organizing and cleaning up your space.
2. Carve out time to relax.
For individuals with ADHD, stress can have a more significant impact than it does for others, as many of the symptoms compound stress and anxiety. While it may seem impossible to manage your stress, there are proven techniques that can alleviate some of the pressure.
Meditation is a fantastic tool for anyone but can particularly help those who have ADHD. Even just 10 minutes of meditation each morning can be beneficial as it calms you and allows you to clear your brain. In addition, if you feel yourself starting to get worked up about something, meditation and deep, slow breathing can work to slow your mind down.
Exercise is another crucial element of managing ADHD as it allows you to release energy and reduce hyperactivity, not to mention that exercise is proven to reduce stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is essential to find activities that you enjoy doing but, if you can, walking or running outdoors is one of the best options as the fresh air and open space also helps calm the mind.
Your sleeping habits can also significantly affect your ADHD symptoms which is why you want to ensure you are consistently getting a good night’s sleep. To do this, you want to maintain a strict schedule for going to sleep and waking up as your body responds well to this routine.
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3. Simplify and minimize.
Simplifying your life, minimizing distractions, and decluttering your belongings will help you maintain focus for more extended periods. This is particularly important when you are working, so make sure your desk or office space is simple and decluttered so that you don’t start to get distracted.
The same is true of projects, events, and other activities. While adding more projects, gatherings, and hobbies to your plate can be exciting, this is also a quick way to burn out or feeling overwhelmed. So instead, focus on one to two projects and complete them before you add anything new. This will help you stay on track and get things done, and it will also improve your concentration.
Stay away from overscheduling and overcommitting, and learn to say no when unnecessary tasks or undesired invitations are added to your docket. The more you can focus on one or two things, the easier it will be to see them through to the end.
4. Try neurofeedback sessions.
While medication is a treatment option for ADHD, more and more adults are looking for other ways to treat the symptoms. One of the most popular alternative ADHD treatment methods is neurofeedback, a non-invasive method that measures your brain waves and provides feedback to encourage the brain to self-regulate. When you take part in neurofeedback sessions, your brain learns how to adjust itself when triggered so that your symptoms are reduced.
When you opt to take part in neurofeedback, you will first have a consultation to address your needs and goals with a professional. Next, they will administer a neuropsychosocial assessment to see how your brain is currently operating and its strengths and weaknesses. After this assessment, they will design a customized training plan for you that is focused on your brain’s current needs.
Based on our experience with ADHD treatment in Dubai, clients can experience long-lasting benefits after 20 sessions of neurofeedback. After this treatment program, you will find that you are better equipped to manage your brain so that you can live each day to the fullest.
Neurofeedback is proven to effectively treat ADHD as well as other neurological conditions, such as anxiety, anger management, depression, learning disabilities, memory loss, migraine, sleep disorders, and stress.
Are you an adult who has ADHD? If so, what do you do to help manage the symptoms? Have you ever tried Neurotherapy? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below.
AUTHOR BIO
Dr. Upasana Gala is the founder and CEO of Evolve Brain Training, an award-winning neurofeedback-centered institute that focuses on using non-invasive brain training techniques to maximize the brain’s true potential. Earning a doctorate in Neuroscience from the revered Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Gala has spent over a decade trying to unravel the way neurochemical and neurophysiological changes in the brain affect the way we interact with the world. Her goal is to share her knowledge, encourage others to tap into and expand their brain’s capabilities, and dispel any myths surrounding our most complex organ.
