Create Systems to Avoid Falling Behind
Occasionally struggling to focus is perfectly normal. However, if you face chronic focus issues or have a diagnosed attention deficit condition, then you likely find the struggle (the constant feeling of falling behind or racing to meet deadlines) overwhelming, not something a brisk jog can correct.
You’re not alone.
“I’ve learned that I don’t have to change who I am — I can create systems that work for me instead of against me,” Molly Smith wrote for Healthywomen.org.
Another sympathizer, Jessica McCabe, has the wisdom you need to start creating those systems for yourself. Watch her TedX Talk, Failing at Normal: An ADHD Success Story.
Some key takeaways:
- Understand, no matter what other people may tell you, that your concerns are real. It’s up to you to accept and address them.
- Medications may help, especially when combined with personalized strategies, such as:
- Making lists, lots of lists, if you feel overwhelmed often.
- Using timers, if you lose track of time and are constantly late (and people assume you “just don’t care”).
- Also using timers, if you struggle to accurately estimate how long things will take.
Learn about more strategies that have worked for others by reading ADDitude Magazine’s ADHD Coping Strategies You Haven’t Tried Yet.
P.S. If you want help managing your focus issues, some adults have found cognitive behavioral therapy helpful for mitigating symptoms.