Thoroughly ADHD
I'm Alex Delmar, a certified ADHD coach and person with ADHD. I'm here to share what I've learned so other people with ADHD can enjoy better lives!
Thoroughly ADHD
More About Creating Your Personal ADHD Life Operations Manual
Create an ADHD life operations manual to serve as an external "brain" to compile information and systems that keep you on track. This practical tool minimizes the negative impact of executive function difficulties while maximizing your ability to get things done.
• Start with areas causing the most trouble or that you're motivated to improve
• Finance organization can include payment charts, budget information, and receipt storage
• Time awareness sections help combat time blindness with habit trackers and calendars
• Consider including sections for household responsibilities, medical information, and self-care
• Details of a category should include who does what, when, how, and any resources needed
• Gather contact information, resources, and notes on preferences in each area
• An operations manual prevents important tasks from being skipped, reduces arguments and nagging, and saves money.
If you need help implementing these strategies, consult an ADHD therapist, ADHD coach like me, or join a support group. Like, follow, subscribe, comment, and return next Tuesday for more ADHD management strategies.
Last week I talked about how, if you are serious about getting your life with ADHD under control, you need to put together an ADHD life operations manual for yourself, which sounds like a lot of work and it might be, but worth the effort, because you need an external brain, a place to compile all of the information and systems you use to keep yourself on track. This week I'll talk about how to start your operations manual, some categories you might cover and what information you might include in a category.
Alex Delmar:I used to have a horrible time with my finances. No matter how hard I tried, every month there was one bill or another that was paid late, or I paid something twice and accidentally overdrew my account. I'm sure some of you can relate. Finally, I came up with a chart that showed everything on one page: who I owed, due dates, how to pay, login information for the accounts, etc. Then I added a budget, and later a zipper pocket for important receipts, and before I knew it, I wasn't having a meltdown from frustration due to disorganization every time I had to pay bills. Anyway, I put all the info in a three-ring binder and that became the first section of my ADHD life operations manual.
Alex Delmar:I'm Alex Delmar, a certified ADHD coach and person with ADHD. Welcome to Thoroughly ADHD, where I share what I've learned to help other people with ADHD enjoy better lives.
Alex Delmar:You've got to start somewhere, figuring out what works for you. You could start in the area that's most important to you now or that's causing you the most trouble. Just pick something you can track and that you are motivated to improve. I started with my finances, moved on to work habits, then personal habits. Now I'm doing a different career, so I'm back to focusing on work habits. You will fill your operations manual with whatever you need to stay on top of things.
Alex Delmar:I suffer from time blindness, so in my operations manual I have a section that is just devoted to time awareness. It includes a personal habits tracker and a work habits tracker where I can mark the days I did or didn't do repeating tasks, an undated calendar page to remind me which week to do things that repeat monthly, such as paying bills or refilling prescriptions, and a year-at-a-glance page to flag which months I should file taxes or get my car serviced or see the dentist, should file taxes or get my car serviced or see the dentist.
Alex Delmar:Some other topics to consider including in your operations manual are household responsibilities, relaxation or hobbies, medical stuff, relationships and any of the four cornerstones of ADHD symptom management sleep, nutrition, movement and mindfulness., so you can collect good ideas as you come across them, even if you're not ready to pull the trigger. I gather resources for current projects and longer-term goals. Your manual is an excellent place to keep contact info for services and tradespeople and to record the names of businesses you didn't like and don't want to patronize again
Alex Delmar:.
Alex Delmar:I'm going to use the pets category as an example of what other specifics might be included. For instance, whose job is it to feed, wasted, with, bathe and clean up after each pet? When and how often should a task be done? What's the most efficient way to do it? Where do you keep the associated paraphernalia? Which is the preferred kind of pet food and which stores carry
Alex Delmar:it? What brands of food will your pet not eat? You can keep track of important information like the immunization schedule and vet appointments, and you should include contact info for outside resources like the pet sitter, the vet's office and the locator chip company. You might even keep
Alex Delmar:a list of pet-friendly destinations and a schedule of when to go check them out.
Alex Delmar:The idea is that having everything spelled out means important duties aren't skipped, playtime isn't eternally put off, arguments and nagging are prevented, money isn't wasted and anyone can step in to cover any one of the tasks at a moment's notice. Your operations manual is a useful tool for you to minimize the negative impact executive function difficulties have on your life and maximize your ability to get things done. If you're having trouble figuring out how to use these strategies on your own, you can consult a therapist who specializes in ADHD behaviors an ADHD coach like me, or join an ADHD support group, either online or in person. An ADHD support group either online or in person. I'm Alex Delmar and this has been Thoroughly ADHD. I know your time is valuable, so I hope you found this useful and that you'll like follow, subscribe, let us know how you're doing in the comments and come back next Tuesday. Thank you.