Our guest blogger, Coach Juli Shulem, has provided some great and practical ideas for older students and adults with ADHD. If you are a parent with younger children with ADHD, use these tips to help you to coach your children in developing good strategies to stay focused and productive.
By Coach Juli Shulem, CPC, PCC
Everyone gets distracted sometimes. But if you have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, these distractions are constant and can prevent you from doing what you need to do throughout the day. In fact, it has been estimated that ADHD accounts for an astonishing 143.8 million days’ worth of work productivity lost each year across ten countries. Having good workplace productivity with ADHD is a challenge — but it isn’t unattainable. If you’re ready to start being more focused and productive — whether it’s at work or school — take a look at these four easy ways you can help keep your ADHD under control:
1. Plan ahead: Planning is a major part of success. Divide up your daily workflow into a series of tasks that you can complete by working on one at a time. Studies have shown that trying to multitask is actually bad for productivity! Take 10-15 minutes each evening to create a plan for the tasks you need to do the next day.
2. Reward yourself: When you finish a few tasks, establish rewards for yourself that can help you stay motivated while working. For example, after finishing up three of the things you have to do, have a snack, or go for a walk. Your behavioural/ADHD coach can help you think of more ideas for rewards, as well.
3. De-clutter: Having a neat, organized workspace is another important part of staying productive. If the space where you do your work is messy, take a day to get organized and get rid of that excess clutter. Keeping your desk free of junk will help you keep your mind free of junk and maintain your productivity with ADHD.
4. Get support: Whether it’s a friend, family member or a life coach for ADHD; having someone in your life who can help you stay motivated to better yourself is never a bad thing. In fact, having a person you can e-mail or text when you finish your tasks is a great way to receive positive reinforcement for being productive, and an organizational coach who works with ADHD clients is especially qualified to help you stay on track.
What are some other things you do to help yourself be productive?
You can learn more about Juli at www.coachjuli.com.