INTRODUCTION:
Do you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in there? Or you go to the grocery store and come out with everything but what you originally needed? How about—you felt great one day, accomplishing tasks and feeling awake, but the next day you are completely drained and exhausted?
Chances are you have ADHD, which falls under the umbrella of being neurodivergent.
The word neurodivergent comes from neurodiversity. Neurodiversity refers to the unique and different ways that certain individuals’ brains develop. People who are neurodivergent do not think or function like those who fall into the normal category.
Because of this, your traditional classroom may not suit them, societal norms and expectations may not pertain to them, and such individuals need accommodations.
Sadly, for those of us who are neurodivergent—I’m self-diagnosed with ADHD—there’s no treatment nor cure. Instead, we have to find techniques and methods that make life easier for us to function in a world that caters to the norm.
Here are 10 techniques to help you be productive if you are neurodivergent:
Watch the video here:
10 TECHNIQUES TO BE PRODUCTIVE:
- Make a To-Do List
It’s normal to forget things when your brain—or my own—is juggling so many things at one time. Therefore, to ensure you don’t forget important tasks, make a to-do list. Then check off, or scratch off, each item as you complete them. It’s important to do this right away, be it a work list, a chore list, and even a grocery list, so you don’t forget important things.
And the more you do this, the more of a habit it becomes and you will be able to accomplish your daily tasks.
- Prioritize
This goes along with the first technique. After you have made your to-do list, I highly recommend tackling the task that either has the most closest approaching deadline or is the longest, hardest one to complete.
Not only will this make the other tasks feel like a reward because they are ten-times easier, once you have finished the longest, toughest one; however, be aware that this means the bulk of your energy will be spent on this important task.
If you are unsure of what I mean, think about a time when you decided to work on a hobby, such as creating a journal. How did you feel afterwards? Did you want to go do other things? Or did you just want to lie down, stare at your phone, and recharge?
Because that would be me after prioritizing a tough project.
- Take Breaks
I get it—you’re a go-getter. If a task if given, you tackle it right away. And you think you can spend the next several hours working on it.
Reality-kicker—you soon lose momentum and energy. That’s to be expected.
So take breaks every now and then. It could be 10 minutes every 50 minutes. Super simple.
The reason I say this is that by always being on the go, you will lose all your energy and just fall flat, so allow yourself to recharge with breaks.
- Be Realistic
This is my biggest struggle. I am very hard on myself and hold myself to high expectations. And when I fail to meet my own expectations, I get very down and even depressed.
That’s why I’m here to tell you to be realistic.
Know that the many tasks you have given yourself may not be completed in the time you want.
For instance, last year I gave myself the challenge of completing a novel I started 10 years ago. Although I finished the first draft in three-months, I’m still editing it to this day. Stack that with the many other projects I’m working on, and that novel has to sit on the shelf until I return to it.
In terms of yourself, know what you can and cannot accomplish right away. Give yourself leeway and be forgiving of your own mistakes and mishaps. Life is just not easy.
- Have a Home-Base
As someone with ADHD, I learned from a very young age that everything needs a home-base. This is basically the spot where something sits and returns to if it is removed for use.
An obvious example is where to place the car keys so you don’t lose them and know exactly where they are when you need to leave the house. Another example is where the pens sit. My husband and I have a cup of pens and markers, with notepads, in a certain spot so if we need to write correspondences or make notes, we know where to go. A third home base is where to set your smartphone. If I’m upstairs, it sits by my pillow; if I’m downstairs, and I’m cooking, I automatically sit it on the dining table.
The purpose of a home base is to know where something is right away so you’re not frantically looking for it when you need it.
- Remember to Have Fun
If you’re ADHD like me, life can naturally be stressful and you find yourself anxious. This is just from knowing you have responsibilities, such as school, work, or a family.
In order to alleviate the stress, or thought of stress, remember to have fun. This could be finding ways to make your responsibilities more interesting; find a new way to do something, or personalize it to your liking, your pace.
For example, if you have to do the chores, such as dishes and cleaning the house, put on music or listen to an audiobook or podcast. This is personally how I stay sane while cleaning up a house run by two toddlers.
Remember to have fun when life brings you stressors.
- Have an Accountability Buddy
Ask a friend, colleague, classmate, whoever, to be your accountability buddy. Their job is to check in on you and make sure you’re doing the things you set out to do.
If you have homework, work in the presence of your accountability buddy, and check in with them on your progress; if you have a work project, have a coworker check in daily or throughout the day on your work; if you have a writing project, have a friend check in so you can talk about how much you have written for the day/week, and how close you are to your deadline.
Super handy. So get yourself an accountability buddy.
- Plan the Night Before
Another great way to ensure you complete a task, or get it started, is to plan the night before.
Set out the outfit you want to wear tomorrow; get the kids’ clothes and backpacks ready the night before; pack your lunch ahead of time; if you’re going to a birthday party, put the gifts by the door.
Doing this will eliminate any running around, frantically searching for things, and forgetting something once you’re already on the road. Plus, this way, you have minimal things to think about the day of.
- Keep a Notepad
Another way to be productive is to keep a notepad. This can be a physical notebook or a digital one. Jot down the things you need to do, as they come to you. This way you’re not relying on your memory and you can check off or delete the tasks as you complete them.
Such notes could be: things to grab at the grocery store, a project you may need to complete at home, a get-together reminder, heck even what you’re making for dinner after work or school.
Again, keeping a notepad eliminates the need to remember something, and you can jot it down as soon as it comes to you.
- Have Rest Days
Lastly, give yourself days to rest. With a brain that’s always on the go like the Duracell Bunny, you’re going to need rest days. Again–need. Trust me, I think I can do things for a week straight, and then I find myself crashing, unable to do anything, on the weekends. And these are my rest days. Heck, I may even use evenings to do nothing.
Rest days are days for you to recharge. These are days for you to do absolutely nothing. So go read a book, hang out with friends, watch a movie, play on your phone, whatever helps you to relax and recharge.
Again, it’s totally okay for you to have rest days. This will allow you to be productive the next day.
CONCLUSION:
As neurodivergent individuals, we may be forgetful, anxious, overwhelmed, etc., which makes it hard for us to be productive. By adopting techniques and methods, we can function in a world that caters to the norm. Such techniques include: making a to-do list, having a home-base, planning the night before, and having specific rest days.
If you identify as a neurodivergent individual, and have goals you wish to accomplish, give these techniques a try. (Let me know which ones work for you.)
Good luck!
—–❤️—–
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