Hi @Jynx and everyone (@Shaz51 , @tyme, @greenspace and anyone else I've missed),
Of course I have a bunch of stuff I do to get around the severity of my executive dysfunction. A lot of it, you guys have already covered, but I'll throw in my own notes because there are some differences:
Alarms, calenders, timers & reminders
- Like most of you, I swear by these things. I have a shared calendar with hubby (TimeTree). Importantly we colour code our entries so we know which one of us it's aimed at and if it's a job/appointment or something fun. And of course anything red means "there will be big consequences if this is ignored!".
- As one or more of you mentioned, setting alarms well ahead of having to leave the house can really help. Time-blindness is a big problem for me, so it's mandatory. Sometimes I'll set an alarm to start winding down for bed, too, especially if I have to be up early.
- Putting on a kitchen timer before I start housework or answering e-mails. These are jobs I find tedious and I can get distracted easily and drag them out into infinity. Setting a time to finish helps me not lose my day to stuff I hate doing, which leaves me exhausted and down. I got a really cute owl-shaped timer, so I never get bored with it.
Preparing ahead of time
- As I think @ArraDreaming mentioned, doing things the night before is huge for me. I struggle with sleep inertia and my attention is everywhere in the morning, oftentimes I'll be rushing to go somewhere so it's not the time to pile on a million little tasks. At night the rushing is done, the world is quieter, my phone isn't screaming at me, I focus better. What I can prepare for the morning, I do. Also if I have to bring anything with me the next day it's going in my handbag straight away, or in a bag in front of the door if it's too big for that.
Minimalism
- This is my big one. If there isn't a tonne of stuff in my house, I don't have to maintain it, organise it, clean it, look at it. Less stuff is less mess; less lost time and money, less distractions, less lost energy and peace of mind.
Manage notifications and limit social media
- I noticed my executive dysfunction wasn't half as bad before smart phones were a thing. Bad, but not this bad. I've turned off notifications for the vast majority of apps, it's just text messages and my various reminders that come up. Given I can get on my phone to make a reminder for something and will completely forget if there's a notification to check, this is really important.
- I keep my home page on my phone free of social media, I have to scroll a few pages in to find it, prompting me to think about whether I really want to look at it. I also use focus mode regularly to turn those apps off altogether. At night or when I really need to keep my head I also use flight mode so I'm not getting calls or texts either. It's very freeing.
Quiet time
- I hate to be clichéd, but I do find meditating helpful in the evening, hubby and I do it together and it's a nice way to connect and wind down to sleep.
- Little breaks throughout the day, sitting with a cup of coffee or going out in the garden can really help with dysregulation, stress and scattered attention. The positive sensory component is really important.
There's other stuff, but I've rambled a while, and it's time to go sit with hubby and process the day with some more of that quiet time (we put on LED candles and a nature walk video).
Kind thougts,
AFK.
