Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have significant difficulties regulating themselves in daily life. What is the reason for these difficulties? How can it be faced?
In answer to these two questions, American psychologist Paige Dawson says that people with ADHD often have problems managing their time, prioritizing tasks, and controlling their attention.
Executive functions
Speaking during a webinar for the specialized journal Behavior, Dawson explained that the reason for this is due to the so-called “executive functions” that work differently for them, noting that these functions include cognitive abilities such as working memory or memory. Time management or impulse control.
These functions include, for example, the ability to store information and use it in the short term, process, persist and complete tasks, as well as control emotions and actions.
Because people with ADHD have difficulties in these areas, seemingly simple tasks can overwhelm them, causing them to procrastinate—putting things off and doing something else instead.
Dawson added that people with ADHD focus more when tasks meet four main criteria:
1- Interesting: Tasks are easier to complete if they contain fun elements.
2- It represents a challenge: If the task represents a challenge or is competitive in nature, it can increase interest.
3- New: The task helps to take a new approach or learn something new.
4- Urgent: Deadlines, for example, help many people do something specific.
Patients can resort to a little trick to accomplish tasks in daily life; For example, washing dishes is neither new nor interesting, but it can be made more interesting by listening to a podcast while doing it.
Self reward
It is also useful and motivating to reward oneself according to the principle of “work first, then enjoy.” “Find something you really want to do and won’t do until you’ve finished something else that’s less interesting,” Dawson explained.
Routine
Routine and developing new habits help you cope better in daily life, as follows:
- Start with small changes; It’s ideal to start with something that takes no more than five to ten minutes a day that you want and can always do.
- Ensure regular repetition: Studies show that it takes between 18 and 254 days for a habit to become established.
- Count on consistency and stick to it to reinforce the habit. For this purpose, calendars, alarms, and notes can be used in order not to forget anything and to establish habits.
Progress instead of “all or nothing”
It is very important to make even small progress instead of taking an “all or nothing” approach. “If you’re having a bad day, choose smaller partial goals, for example five minutes of exercise instead of 30 minutes, rather than giving it up completely,” Dawson explained.