7 Tips to Help Adults with ADHD Cope with Daily Life

Being an adult with ADHD means having to not just manage the condition, but also cope with daily life as well. However, there are ways that adults with ADHD can balance both and not only get through the day, but thrive as well.

1. Fidget to Cope with ADHD

When you were young you may have found yourself fidgeting in your seat during class. Now as an adult with ADHD that may still be the case, but now you can incorporate your fidget into your life to cope with ADHD. Such as:

• Keep a box of items at your desk that can help keep your hands busy. Pipe cleaners, squeeze balls, string, and rubber bands work well.

• During meetings have a pen and pad to jot ideas, sketch, etc.

• Carry something in your hands that blends in, such as a coffee mug or water bottle.

2. Get Up and Move to Cope with ADHD

Movement breaks up your day and helps you to cope with ADHD. After completing a task, take a walk around the office for a moment to work out extra energy. If you can, have a walking meeting with your colleagues, or if you are on a conference phone call, walk to help you focus.

3. Exercise to Cope with ADHD

Along with general physical movement, exercising can also help adults with ADHD cope. Check to see if your employer has a gym on site that you can exercise in during the lunch hour. Some companies also provide incentives for their employees to join gyms. Try to mix things up so that you don’t get bored or burned-out doing just one kind of activity.

4. Use Google Calendar to Cope with ADHD

Google Calendar can be a helpful tool for organizing your week and to stay on task. Some features of the program are:

• You can enter appointments or major events (like a vacation) into the calendar, and share your calendar with other people, such as your spouse or coworkers.

• Different entries can be color-coded for different topics, such as work commitments, family, and appointments.

• Google Calendar will send you an email reminder about upcoming appointments, just in case you forget.

• Can be used on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, so it goes where you go.

5. Harness Your Thoughts to Cope with ADHD

Ever feel like you have lots of ideas floating in your head? Keep a pen and notepad handy to jot down thoughts, make lists, doodle, etc. Or, if you are more likely to use technology, consider the notepad feature in a smartphone or tablet. Being able to “pocket” ideas helps to get the thoughts out of your mind and keep you more focused on the task at hand.

6. Make To-Do Lists to Cope with ADHD

Making a to-do list before you start your day helps to organize the tasks that you need to complete. It also helps to remind you of commitments you made earlier and are due that day. Make a habit of doing this daily review in the morning at breakfast, and keep scratch paper and pencil nearby.

7. Consider Yoga to Cope with ADHD

Consider incorporating yoga into your daily routine as a way to cope with ADHD as an adult. There are many benefits to yoga, including:

• Slow things down: Yoga helps the participant to slow down and focus on the pose that is happening in the moment.

• Physical benefits: Yoga can help improve physical health, and poses can be modified to meet individual needs.

• Mental health benefits: Yoga can be beneficial to someone who is struggling with stress, depression, and other mental health issues.

• Easy to try: Yoga has grown in popularity and there are many introductory classesthat do not require any previous experience.

Having ADHD as an adult means that you can find creative, out-of-the-box ways to manage daily life. Instead of muddling through each day, you can harness your ADHD to cope and even thrive with the challenges life brings.