You may be wondering what to do if you recently received an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis.

Like many other mental health issues, ADHD is stigmatised heavily. But happily, things are starting to change.

Living with ADHD often requires a person to learn new coping mechanisms, which in turn helps the individual succeed in their emotional well-being, interpersonal connections, and professional endeavours.

This is a guide to successfully controlling your ADHD. We’ll provide some advice on how to effectively manage your ADHD on a daily basis, how to adhere to your treatment programmes, and practical strategies to improve your general wellbeing.

Newly diagnosed? You’re not alone

One could feel somewhat relieved to know that the symptoms you’ve been experiencing are related to a medical issue. On the other side, since ADHD is still heavily stigmatised, you may feel afraid.

Furthermore, feeling overloaded with knowledge about ADHD is a common occurrence due to the abundance of available data.

The good news is that you can manage your symptoms and stay on top of your symptoms if you have ADHD.

Terry Matlen, MSW, ACSW, a licenced psychotherapist and creator of ADD Consults, says receiving an ADHD diagnosis is likely to improve your quality of life. This is so that you can better manage your symptoms by following the advice your diagnosis can provide.

Everybody has a different experience with ADHD. The symptoms can be managed in a variety of ways, and what works for one person may not work for another. It may take some trial and error to find the system that suits you the best, but that’s okay. There are many different approaches to attempt.

Daily tips for living with ADHD

Since each person with ADHD has unique requirements and routines, they also differ in how they go about managing their everyday life.

Here are some tips to help you manage your daily life more easily.

1. Use organizational and time management tools consistently

It might be quite difficult to maintain organisation and use your time as you’d like to when you have ADHD.

Choose one or more helpful, user-friendly tools that you can use to help you manage your tasks, such as Trello or Todoist; a paper diary, bullet journal, or notepad; a time-management technique, such as using Google Calendar to block time; the Pomodoro Technique; or working in 25-minute intervals with breaks in between. (plenty of productivity phone and tablet apps have Pomodoro timers, or you can use a simple one in your browser, like the Tomato Timer)

See how one individual with ADHD benefits from the Pomodoro Technique here.

Try sticking with one productivity tool for a while, even if it could be tempting to switch to the next one that gets your attention. Maintaining consistency is essential.

2. Make reminders to take your medication

While not everyone with ADHD takes medication, it’s crucial to take your prescriptions regularly if you do.

Place your medication where you can easily see it, such next to your bed or by the coffee maker. It is also beneficial to set an alarm on your phone to remind you to take it at the same time every day.

3. Gamify your to-do list

This implies that in order to finish your chores, you treat them like a game.

Tasks can be made more enjoyable by rewarding yourself, setting deadlines for yourself, or just crossing things off your to-do list. A tangible to-do list can be crossed off, which can make you feel really accomplished.

Numerous organising solutions, such as Habitica, take care of this for you.

4. Make tasks meaningful

Most of us typically need to be enthusiastic and interested in order to finish things. Consider the motivation behind your work. What benefits are you receiving from it?

For example, your motivation for a professional activity could stem from your love for a larger cause or just your wish to put money aside for a vacation or a car. You could be motivated to complete a school or college assignment by your desire to graduate or by the project’s interest. Whatever it is, don’t lose sight of the goal.

5. Avoid multitasking

Many of us struggle with multitasking, yet some people actually thrive at it. Remove any distractions from your environment that can tempt you to work on unrelated projects.

Put your textbooks for other courses aside, for instance, if you’re working on a single subject. Put your phone aside if you’re attempting to concentrate on cooking.

6. Limit your screen time

You risk losing track of time when you spend too much time staring at a screen, which can divert your attention from other tasks or errands.

You can download applications to your phone or tablet to help you set screen time limits or restrict the amount of time you spend using particular apps that you find to be a significant time waster or source of distraction.

Or, you may set a timer. Consider setting aside 15 minutes each time to spend on social media before moving on to your next assignment.