Navigating ADHD (Helpful advice)

Here are some of the most accreditted techniques individuals claim help their ADHD symptoms, specifically Executive Dysfunction.

1. Externalizing Your Goals

   Manifesting your goals into a written form such as a calendar, sticky note or certain apps that you constantly look at will serve as key reminders on what you have to do and when.

2. Routine Anchors

   Remember that these anchors/dashboards you create are not absolutely rigid and instead flexible. For example, lets say you want to need to shower and cook breakfast but your also in a time crunch to get to work. Simply showering and grabbing a little snack on the road would be more ideal then aiming for absolute perfection at the cost of something else.

3. Stimulation

   The absence of regulatory dopamine is the key component to ADHD. To boost it long term one can: take cold showers, exercise, listen to music, talk to friend, look at the sky between study breaks and even do a technique known as dopamine timing. This technique includes waking up with little to no immediate dopamine boosting activities, this can include not scrolling through tiktok as soon as you wake up, and instead finishing all the work you have to do instead and save the dopamine inducing activities for later.

4. Workspace

   A clean and organized workspace has been shown time and time again to boost productivity. Your environment is a reflection of your psyche. Cleaning up your desk of distractions, keeping whats known as a "body double" or someone who you can use to work alongside you, and even putting up your phone for example can help you cue your focus using environmental cues.

5. Pomodoro Technique

   This technique is commonly recommended by psychologists, therapists and psychiatrists alike. It involves setting a timer in increments unique to your own work load in order to get something done. For example: setting a time to work for 30 minutes, take a small 10 minute break, and then setting your time again. Its recommended that the individual stays away from immediate dopamine inducing activities such as going through social media as it can lead to further distraction.

Important Considerations: The effectiveness of these techniques vary from individual to individual and when navigating your ADHD, one should really come up with their own methods of accountability and attempt to stick to them. Sticking to them and treating them as a matter of importance is crucial in getting them to work. Furthermore please keep in mind that these are not universal solutions and should NOT be used as a replacement for professional help and medicinal treatment.