How I Deal With My ADD

  I am very open about my ADD, you can read my original post about my diagnosis and how I deal with it when I travel here.Buzzfeed did a Mental Health Week a few weeks ago. They published articles in several languages about what living with different mental illness was like, including ADHD/ADD. You can read that article here.This article got me thinking about the things I do to deal with my ADD, aside from taking my medication every day. I was lucky enough to have an incredible psychiatrist when I was diagnosed with ADD. Not only did she makes sure I ended up on a medication that worked the best, she also worked with me to find ways to cope with my ADD so I could function without my medication if I needed to.

1. I write everything down. EVERYTHING. I worked with my doctor and figured out that I needed to write down a task list for the week to make sure I get everything I need to done. I buy an old school planner every year and write everything I need to do each week in it.  I had to go one step further and color code all of my tasks. Each color is assigned to a type of task (school, work, home, blog). In the last few years, I have even gone as far as to put due dates/deadlines in my planner using washi tape.
2. I pack for trips about a week in advance. I know this sounds crazy but it is just something I have learned to do so that I can keep my anxiety in check. Even though I have been traveling my entire life, I get very anxious when I pack for any trip. If I pack a week ahead of time, I can reduce my anxiety and make sure I don't over pack or forget anything.
3. I do my best not to procrastinate. This doesn't always work, but I am getting better at it. 8 years of knowing about my ADD should make me a master, but I am not yet.
4. I make sure if I have something big coming up, I let the people around me know that I might be getting anxious and to be monitored.
5. I try hard to keep my house clean. Considering I am not a clean freak but I do like to have things organized this shouldn't be that hard. But at the end of every week, my office is a disaster and my kitchen is a nightmare. Even when I really don't want to, I force myself to put everything back in its place so I can focus on the things I need to get done. I have noticed that the messier my house is, the better I am at procrastinating everything in my life.