Creating an ADD-friendly Lifestyle

Kathleen G. Nadeau, Ph.D.Director

Chesapeake ADHD Center

Silver Spring, MD

The “Four S’s” of ADD-friendly Living

Structure (routines, habits, accountability)

Support (from others)

Strategies to reduce symptoms

Simplification

Apply the “4 S’s” to Daily Life

Home life

School

Work

Social interactions

ADD-friendly Home Life

An ADD-friendly Family

Provides a model for ADD-friendly Living

Parents with ADD become role models for their children with ADD

ADD is treated withUnderstanding

Patience

Humor

Appreciation

An ADD-friendly Family Creates an ADD-friendly Living Environment

Casual, sturdy furnishings Organized, uncluttered “Launching pad” “Landing pad” Adequate storageWork together to maintain orderGet help to maintain order

An ADD-friendly Family Focuses on Solutions, not Problems

Model problem-solving

Minimize criticism

Alternate solution

Perfection not goal

Catch ‘em being good

New habits take time

An ADD-friendly FamilyRecognizes and Celebrates Strengths

Areas of interest

Areas of strength

Focus on “green zone” of strengths and interests

Minimize “red zone” activities – areas of frustration and difficulty

An ADD-friendly Family Teaches Patience and Perseverance

Anger control

Relaxation techniques

Reasonable goals

Nobody’s perfect

Sincere apologies

No holding onto anger

An ADD-friendly FamilyLearns to Laugh over ADD Dilemmas

Parents share own struggles

Telling humorous stories about oneself helps children learn self-acceptance

An ADD-friendly FamilyUses ADD-friendly Communications

Central message center

You haven’t “told me” if you haven’t written it down

Email

Sticky notes

ADD-friendly Memory and Planning Systems

Big visual reminders

Put it where you CAN’T miss it

Daily planning session

Day planners

Skoach

An ADD-friendly FamilyFocuses on the important things

Loving

Encouraging

Cooperative

Doesn’t always focus on errors

Enjoys spending time together

Reduce ADHD symptoms through ADD-friendly Daily Habits

Sleep

Nutrition Exercise

Exposure to nature/sunlight

Daily planning

Sleep Habits

Adequate sleep is critical to a well-functioning brainDelayed sleep phase syndromeDeveloping good sleep habitsSleep deprivation creates a double-dose of ADHD – impacts the pre-frontal lobes just as ADHD does

Nutrition

Maintain steady blood sugar levels through protein

Importance of B vitamins and Fish Oil

Good nutrition requires planning

Exercise and the Brain

Aerobic exercise increases dopamine levelsAerobic exercise increases neurogenesis and increased dendritic connections Spark – by John Ratey, MD

ADD-friendly living focuses on stress reduction

Stress increases ADHD symptoms

Do a stress assessment

Look actively for ways to reduce stress

When ADD is not well-managed, stress increases

FatigueDisorganizationPoor time managementUnhealthy daily habitsEmotional over-reactivityConflicts in relationships

The importance of order

“I need order on the outside because I feel so much disorder inside my brain!”

External structure helps the individual to feel calmer and more focused

Develop Systems that Work WITH You

“Put the sidewalks where people walk instead of trying to get people to walk on the sidewalks”

Build in self-reminders

Develop systems to support habit development

ADD-friendly Organizing Strategies

To get it done, make it fun!To get organized, get energizedDivide the dreadful into micro-moments

ADD-friendly Organizing Strategies

Think like a restaurant server

Sprint to the finish line

EAST is least successful

Choose just one, then get it done.

ADD Clutter Factors

If I don’t see it, I won’t remember it

Decisions are hard, so it’s easier to keep everything

Not knowing where to start

More ADD Clutter Factors

Too much addition, not enough subtraction

Poor ability to estimate

Poor memory leads to duplicates

Launching Pads

Helps you get organized for departure.

A specific, adequate, convenient area near departure door where coats, backpacks, briefcases, umbrellas, and any other items needed before departure can be collected.

Launch Pad Checklist

Purse/wallet

Briefcase/backpack

Gloves, jacket, hat, umbrella

Musical instrument or other specialized items

Athletic gear

Items to return to store

Stamped envelopes to place in mailbox

Landing Pad

Separate from launch pad.

Specific place for anything coming IN to the house - mail, newspapers, purchases

Purse, keys, wallet, umbrella, coat, etc. return to the launching pad.

ADD-friendly Habit Development

“If it weren’t for bad habits, I wouldn’t have any habits at all!”

ADD-friendly Habit Development

1. Tie new habit to an existing one

2. Make it easy

3. Make it hard to ignore

4. Put reminders everywhere

5. Visualize yourself doing the new habit

Habit Development, cont’d.

6. Practice “instant corrections”

7. Get back on the horse and ride

8. Problem-solve if it’s not working

9. Practice for 30 consecutive days

10. Keep a record

11. Reward yourself!

ADD-friendly “Dig-outs”

Make it fun music, companionship, encouragement

Give away immediately

“Age” your discards

Dig-outs should be incremental

Define small areaTie the bow Get appropriate storage containersUse label makerDon’t keep working until overwhelm takes over

Too many interests, too little time

“Too much at once”

“Rotating” activities

Use or lose

ADD-friendly Physical Environments increase productivity

Color

Lighting

Convenience

Adequate storage

ADD-friendly School Environment

Problem-solves with student to reduce ADD challenges

Is calm, focused, supportive environment

Provides multiple reminders

ADD-friendly Teacher is:

Excited about the subject

Organized

Flexible

Encouraging

Problem-solves with student

Understands ADD and works with it

An ADD-friendly Career

Focuses on areas of interest and strength

Minimizes tasks in areas of weakness

Good match with temperament

An ADD-friendly Work Environment

Supervisor is supportiveAdmin support is adequatePaperwork is minimizedEmployer is reasonable structured and organized

ADD-friendly Social Environment

People that

Understand ADD

Support your strategies for change

Appreciate the best in you

Help you problem-solve

Help you laugh at your foibles

Don’t add to the chaos

Skoach – ADD-friendly Time and Task Management

Like a coach – Skoach helps you break down daunting tasks into do-able bits and then plan each stepLike a personal assistant – Skoach automatically creates your schedule according to your deadlines and prioritiesLike a mom - Skoach provides reminders thorughout the day because it goes with you everywhere (online and mobile)

www.skoach.com

ADD-friendly Ways to Organize Your Life

Many of the ideas in this presentation come from

ADD-friendly Ways to

Organize Your Life

coauthored with Judith Kolberg, Professional Organizer