25 ADHD Coping Skills to Improve Focus, Organization, and Well-Being

ADHD can sometimes get in the way of living everyday life with ease. While each person’s experience with ADHD is unique, there are some shared difficulties in living with the condition. Symptoms such as mental paralysis and hyperactivity can make it difficult to concentrate or sit still, for example. ADHD coping skills are important to learn so that you can manage and cope. Here, we’ll outline several ADHD coping strategies that can help you improve your focus, get organized, and better your overall well-being.

The Importance of Coping Skills in Managing ADHD Symptoms

Managing ADHD symptoms is necessary so that you can focus on daily life. Here’s why it’s so important:

• Reducing the impact of your symptoms. ADHD presents challenges with focus, attention, impulsivity, and organization, which can be seen in symptoms like ADHD paralysis. Coping skills provide tools to address these directly. For instance, time management techniques can combat procrastination, while organization strategies can minimize forgetfulness.
• Having an increased sense of self-control. ADHD can make daily tasks feel overwhelming. Coping skills for ADHD empower individuals to take charge and manage their ADHD, rather than feeling controlled by it.
• Improving your sense of well-being. Successfully navigating ADHD symptoms with coping skills can boost self-esteem and confidence. This can lead to better performance in various aspects of life, reducing stress and anxiety.
• Having a complementary treatment to medication. Medication is a common treatment for ADHD, but coping skills offer additional support. They can enhance the effectiveness of medication and provide tools for managing when medication isn't present.

Coping Skills for Time Management and Organization

Time management and organization are essential life skills that each person will benefit from developing. Here are some coping skills for time management and organization:

Maintain habits and routines

Some individuals with ADHD may find it easier to manage their time and productivity by establishing routines and habits [*]. These can include prioritizing time in the mornings to get more tasks done, using a planner or calendar to schedule tasks, or using digital reminder systems.

Reframe ADHD

Those with ADHD may also find it helpful to reframe occasions when they could not manage their time. This can prevent negative self-assessments and disappointment since negative thinking can make it more difficult for people with ADHD to actually work on their time management struggles.

Reframing can include focusing on positives, such as personal achievements, no matter how small. It can also involve developing a growth mindset, which would mean focusing on improving one’s time management skills rather than regretting previous attempts.

Maximize motivation

When it comes to motivation, people with ADHD still struggle. Often, the pressure to get started isn’t enough, even though they know they ought to do so. In order to feel future consequences more, it’s useful to remember past experiences and bring those feelings to the present, imagining the future in as much detail as possible.

Externalize time

To-do lists are a commonly recommended tool for time management. However, there is no sense of time when looking at a simple to-do checklist. Instead, try externalizing time by allowing yourself to see and experience it. You can use tools like analog clocks or plotting to-do lists into your schedule. Doing so lets you see how much time each task takes and get a better idea of how to allot your time and energy for each to-do throughout the day.

Plan ahead

Planning ahead is a tried and tested method for people with ADHD. By simply taking a few minutes at the start of your day to plan your priorities and when you will work on them, you can be much more organized and make it easier to manage your time and focus.

Coping Skills for Focus and Attention

Some days are much harder than others when it comes to focusing and paying attention. Here are ways you can cope.

Name it

People with ADHD often struggle with focus and attention. Asking people around you to do something as simple as calling your name before they tell you something important can help. When you hear your name, it can get your attention and direct it to the conversation.

Set timers

A timer can be a very effective tool for someone with ADHD, especially if they are struggling with choice paralysis. Timers can build stopping points into your day and catch your attention. This ultimately helps by helping you recognize that your focus or attention has wandered off, allowing you to redirect your thoughts to the task at hand.

Exercise breaks

Taking short exercise breaks, whether it’s a quick stretch or walking to a nearby coffee shop, will give your brain a little break and help redirect your focus.

Listen to mindful music

Listening to mindful music or soothing background music may help you focus on your tasks. Music with harsh sounds may be too distracting. You can try anything that you find soothing, whether that’s lo-fi, jazz, or classical music.

Meditate or practice yoga

Practicing yoga and meditation can help you enter a calm space or a place of mindfulness where you can refocus your thoughts away from distractions.

Coping Skills for Procrastination

Procrastination is a person with ADHD’s worst enemy. Here are ways that you can beat procrastination.

Take advantages of timers and alarms

People with ADHD often underestimate the amount of time required to finish certain tasks. They think they can do more than is realistically possible. Using alarms and timers can help save you from missed deadlines or appointments. For instance, using the Pomodoro timer can help you divide work into more manageable chunks of time while giving you a sense of how much time is actually needed to complete the task.

Ask for help

Asking for help is always useful when you are struggling with procrastinating and time management in general. Enlist the help of someone who is good at time management to help you avoid procrastination. Work with them to set a realistic timetable for your workload. Sometimes just working with someone else makes things a bit easier.

Reduce decision making

Every decision we have to make requires energy. If you wake up in the morning and ask yourself, “What do I need to do today?” then it becomes much more likely that you will procrastinate due to all the decisions you need to make about how to spend your day. Planning the night before can reduce decision fatigue and make things much easier.

Next action

To combat procrastination, it helps to focus on the feeling of procrastinating first before shifting your attention to one small, simple thing you can do to move your task from incomplete to done — that is called your next action.

The next action method works because it allows you to do something easy, which raises your energy, sense of direction, and drive. This increases your motivation and before you know it, you’ll be done with the task you’ve been procrastinating.

The Nothing Alternative

Another technique that can effectively eliminate procrastination is the Nothing Alternative. To do this, you have two options: either do the task you are putting off or do nothing. You are not allowed to do any other positive thing unless it’s the task at hand, such as reading, watching videos, or scrolling through social media. Given these options, eventually, you’ll start working and probably get the task done!

Coping Skills for Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation allows us to go through everyday life with stability and control. Learn how you can cope with emotional regulation using these skills.

Monitor overall health

Your overall health will influence your ability to regulate emotions. If you are unable to sleep well, eat right, and get enough exercise, then it will definitely affect how good you feel. It can also impact your capability to deal with life’s stressors and challenges. Do your best to keep your health in check. This includes reducing alcohol intake and smoking habits as well as a proper diet, quality sleep, and sufficient exercise. See how your emotion regulation changes after a month of following good health habits.

Ensure social support

Having the right social support can cultivate emotional resilience. For adults with ADHD, this means choosing relationships carefully and recognizing which individuals provide support and encouragement while avoiding those who don’t. Social support is also essential for children, with parents being the critical sources of support for younger children and peers for ADHD in teens.

Stress management

ADHD in children and adults can manifest as feelings of stress, even when facing the same challenges as neurotypical peers. This sensitivity to stress can make coping more difficult. It helps to become aware of chronic stressors and triggers, figure out which can be eliminated, and find ways to cope with those that can be managed.

Shifting attention

Shifting attention is a simple coping skill that allows both adults and children to deal with stress. Sometimes, the best way to deal with a stressor is to direct your attention away from it, even momentarily. You can then gather yourself and face it.

Anticipatory coping

Anticipatory coping entails building a mental framework before dealing with a recurring, stressful situation. This strategy may mean escaping, planning a different response, or dealing with the stressor head-on, followed by practicing self-care. With a plan in place, it is much easier to maintain emotional calm and reduce overwhelming feelings.

Coping Skills for Communication and Social Skills

Sometimes those with ADHD can struggle with communicating and socializing. All it takes is the right set of skills and some practice. Here are some you can try.

Practice the echo

The lack of attention in people with ADHD can get in the way of fully listening or understanding what someone says. To ensure you heard it correctly, practice repeating what someone says in the form of a question. This will help you keep yourself in check.

Set goals

Set goals for yourself to improve your ADHD social skills and other coping techniques. For instance, if inattention makes it difficult for you to have smooth-flowing conversations, set a goal and practice one aspect of it. For instance, you can try improving your ability to talk without interrupting someone. Master this skill first before graduating to other skills.

Role play

Roleplaying is an effective way to help you practice skills you’ve already learned. For instance, if you’re going on a date and feel nervous about your speaking skills, try speaking to yourself or to a friend, roleplaying as your date. Come up with questions you’d want to ask during the date and rehearse them. You can also anticipate questions that your date may ask and practice your responses. This can lower your anxiety and stress in this social situation.

Visualize

If you’re about to interact with many people or meet up at a new place, this may create a lot of uncertainty. Try visualizing or imagining the scene and the conversations you’ll have beforehand. This can help you go in feeling more prepared and ease any anxiety you may be feeling about the situation.

Use prompts

You may need reminders to keep your ADHD symptoms at bay, especially during social gatherings. Using prompts such as index cards, sticky notes, or even verbal or non-verbal prompts done by someone you trust, can help you slow down and stay on track. For instance, your trusted colleague may do a hand signal to help you realize that you are speaking too much.

When to Seek Professional Help

People with ADHD or ADD often feel frustrated and can become depressed or anxious about not being able to reach their full potential. If you find that ADHD symptoms are affecting your daily life and relationships, especially at work or school, then it might be time to seek help.

The Bottom Line

Coping with ADHD can present challenges, but it doesn't have to define you. By incorporating these ADHD coping mechanisms into your daily routine, you can manage your focus, organization, and well-being. Remember, you're not alone in this journey. With dedication and the right support system, you can thrive with ADHD.

We have provided you with various tools, including ADHD worksheets. If you need additional guidance, then don't hesitate to seek professional help. A therapist can provide personalized strategies and support to help you excel in all areas of life.

References:

1. Kreider C, Medina S, Slamka M. Strategies for Coping with Time-Related and Productivity Challenges of Young People with Learning Disabilities and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. 13 February 2019.