In this article, Christie Love gives us 10 Tips to Organizing with ADD/ADHD, but this is sound advice whether you have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or not. We can all function better when we follow clear steps to get organized … whether it be in your home or office!
September is National ADD/ADHD Awareness Month, I have two children at my home who have been diagnosed with this issue so it is one that is near and dear to my heart. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with many professionals who also dealt with this issue that were in need of organizational help.
“I prefer to distinguish ADD as attention abundance disorder.
Everything is just so interesting . . . remarkably at the same time.”
Frank Coppola, MA, ODC, ACG
Here are ten tips that I have found to be successful for organizing for ADD and ADHD individuals.
1. Pick up as you go along so they do not have a large pile to deal with later. This is true for a room, your desk, paperwork, craft projects, and anything else that you tackle.
2. Look for creative ways to reuse or recycle items that they want to discard. For example put outfits together to donate and let them see and know where things are going and who they are going to help.
3. When you are doing one task … look for a way to organize. For example, if you are looking for a pencil in a drawer, take a moment to Declutter the drawer or if you are looking for a paper in a file, take a moment and throw out old items that don’t need to be kept anymore.
4. Use a centralized calendar to help them become responsible for keeping up with activities and events instead of always being reminded. In the house keep important dates and appointments on it, at the office use a group calendar program to update everyone at once about deadlines and meetings.
5. Use alarms and other audible prompts as reminders for items that need to be started or completed at certain times. Many people with ADD/ADHD thrive on reminders, prompts, and time restrictions so setting an alarm to go off before a meeting is scheduled to start will give them time to transistion, prepare, and still be on time. If you are engaging in an activity that you tend to loose track of time in- like social media updates, research, etc… then set a timer for 30 minutes and limit the amount of time you spend there.
6. Use colorful notes to remind kids of routines and items so that nothing gets forgotten. Color has a powerful way of cutting through the clutter and chaos of the ADD mind. Using color coded folders for different types of projects, themes, and research can help them find what they need faster. Use colored ink in planners to easily see the type of activity they are scheduling. Write the days schedule or task list on colored paper and have them mark each item off as they complete it.
7. ADD sufferers do well with a routine, figure out one that works well and then work hard to keep it consistent. Find a daily routine for work and stick to it. You may set it up so you alternate between activities that allow you to use more energy with ones that require more focus to keep you from getting bored or lost in a task.
8. Label dividers and folders with papers so that they can find things easier without having to dig and get frustrated. Make sure that your filing system is up to date and easy to use. ADD/ADHD sufferers do not want to have to spend extra time trying to find something, because the unneeded items can easily distract them and frustrate them. <Use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to simply input the information relating to your paper files or other physical items into the database that has an easy-to-use search engine built in, so that lost items are virtually eliminated. Action dates can also be used to trigger action items.>
9. Keep a daily check off list of things to do so that they hold themselves accountable. A morning routine checklist, a before I leave the office checklist, and a weekly task list are all great additions to the organizational system of an ADD/ADHD person.
10. Do not work against your natural tendencies. The very traits about your ADD/ADHD that sets you apart from others are also your biggest strengths! Be aware of those strengths and talents and give them room to THRIVE! Find activities and tasks that allow you to work with your creative tendencies, give you the chance to talk to people, and the chance to think outside the box. If you find that there are certain times of the day that work better for you than others, then work to get your schedule to mesh with those peak performance times for yourself. Know your body and mind and work with it… not against it.
Do you have others to add? I invite you to leave other tips for ADD/ADHD organization in the comments section below or at Christie’s original blog.
Christie Love is the Director of Marketing for Jennifer Rothschild Ministries. She is passionate about many things including family, her faith, and helping women grow their businesses, ministries, and impact through improved marketing and leadership practices. In October of 2010, Christie will be relaunching the reformatted version of Simple Organized Sanity Online, a site that will offer downloadable planners, checklists, and lists to help you plan and stay organized. Follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/christielove936
Tags: document management software, get organized, The Paper Tiger 'Finding' Filing System
