Attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder

also called ADHD

Also called overwhelm or overload.

Reduced by taking pauses and clearing your brain.

• Brain freeze – why ADHDers need downtime (additude mag)
• 5 Tips ADHD Adults Need to Effectively Reduce Overwhelm (Marla Cummins, 2018)
• The Association Between Parkinson's Disease and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Fan, Hueng-Chuen et al., 2020)
• ADHD & PD: The Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum Connection (Parkinson's Foundation, 2019)

1. Stop what you're doing and breathe.
2. Smile and throw your shoulders back.
   • Sit up, or stand up straight, as you smile, balancing your posture by lifting up your head and chin.
   • Relax your jaw and shoulders.
3. Make a wave of relaxation spread over your body.
4. Take control of the situation by accepting it as it is.
   • Avoid the paralysis of analysis.
   • Ask yourself, “What can I do right now that will make this situation better?”
   • Quickly look for solutions instead of getting locked on the problem.

(source: additude, see also: how to manage your anger)

1. Apologize
   • If someone was affected, apologise to them.
2. Clean Up
   • If you made a mess during your hissy fit, immediately clean it up,
   • or patch the wall or replace the door hinge
   • whatever needs to be done to get the environment back to normal.
3. Clean Out
   • Get to the root of the anger and figure out what steps can be taken to relieve some of the pressure.
4. Forgive

Create to do lists, start with the quickest and easiest items (unless there's something urgent).

Keep your workspace clean.

Downsize. Get rid of anything you don't need.

If a task comes up that takes less than 1min to do, do it immediately to free your mind.

For many people, 20/5min pomodori are a good ratio, but ADD people may need longer breaks and longer work periods.

• How Big Is Your Tomato? How I Adapt the Pomodoro Technique for My ADHD Brain (Caroline Rothnie, 4/2019)

• Mindfulness

• ear plugs or earmuffs

More than anything else, ADHD can be tamed by structure and routine. A steady routine helps to focus on important things one at a time.

Set aside time for:

• eating
• sleeping
• working
• relaxation

… roughly at the same time of day.

Don't be overambitious, a realistic routine is better than a perfect one.

Prioritise big anchor tasks and make your day revolve around them.

Work fun activities into your routine, set aside free time and "buffer zones".

Write things down and set alarms.

Symptoms of ADHD can make a person come across as indifferent and uncaring. Try to schedule several short periods (e.g. 5-10min before/after work and before bed) where you do nothing but listen. Don't use your phone in that period.

Teach your partner about ADHD and encourage them to learn about it.

Create reminders for others' special occasions and schedule phone calls with friends and family.

• Exercise, nutrition, and sleep.
  • You become restless without exercise and distracted without food or sleep.
  • ADHD magnifies detrimental effects.
  • Find a form of exercise you enjoy, even if it's just super short (e.g. 20min walk).
  • Eight hours a night of sleep is usually sufficient but it's more important to have a steady routine.

• Maybe a diet that's high in protein and low in sugar can help. Eat several well-balanced meals a day.
• Protein shakes
  • They're quick, easy and cheap
  • usually thin enough that it doesn't feel like food
  • just a drink that you can knock back without much thought and move on.
  • are easy to drink while you do other things

Yes, I can't filter my thoughts before they come out of my mouth. I sometimes hurt the feelings of people because I can't control the impulse to speak. I hate it myself.

Often ADHD people have a breakdown because of small things. They know they overreact but it is very real and rational to them and they sometimes can't stop raging even if they tried. The smallest thing can set them off.

People with ADHD can't control this, no matter how hard they try. Sometimes it's literally impossible to focus and they have to sort their thoughts for hours or even days before being able to focus again. Meds don't help with that.

Again, ADHD people often can't decide what they focus on. If they have something which is sapping their attention, they often don't notice before it's too late. The mechanism they try to cope with may be ineffective and they may not be able to "just ignore" the distraction.¹

• How To Know If You Have ADHD – Nigahiga

• Checklists
• Productivity
• r/ADHD – ADHD subreddit forum for people with ADHD or people knowing people with ADHD.
• Therapist Aid ADHD resources