Behavioral Coping Skills Development
A combination of behavior and cognitive therapy has been found to help modify some ADD behaviors. It also helps ADD sufferers handle the emotional effects of their disorder. Basically, there are four key issues involved in behavior modification programs:
1. Start with goals that the person can achieve in small steps.
2. Be as consistent as possible— with times of the day, days of the week, environment, and associated people.
3. Implement behavioral modifications all along the way, long-term. For example: don’t wait until the end to introduce everything.
4. Take learning the new skills’ process a little each day, one day at a time.
Check with your ADD resources for help learning and incorporating new behavioral skills. There are a variety of treatment programs for adults and children, from workshops and classroom instruction to videos and audio cassettes and more. See which options fit into your lifestyle and budget and don’t be afraid to experiment with something new.
Educational / Career Counseling & Coping Skills
Studies show that therapy and/or counseling to help those afflicted with ADD learn coping skills and adaptive behaviors enhances their quality of life. Here are some main issues that often need to be faced in the job/career and school arena for the person with ADD, and how to handle them.
Distractions – Distractions from both dealing with boredom and over-stimulation can both be important challenging issues in the workplace. Boredom can lead to distracted thoughts, daydreaming – which leads to loss of time and work production. And over-stimulation can lead to hyper-alert mode, resulting in overactive imaginations and distracting thoughts, resulting in lack of focus and attention to the job.
Some boredom busters include: break up tasks into smaller more manageable chunks, take breaks and water-cooler trips, and ask for more challenging work.
Some over-stimulation busters include: forget “multi-tasking,” do one thing at a time; when possible, use tools like email and voicemail so that emails and calls do not interrupt your routine, allowing you to focus more on tasks at hand. Then only respond to them twice a shift. Jot down notes to help sort out ideas that pop into your mind. See your manger, teacher or advisor about handling chaotic noise, space and other hectic work-related and school-related issues – maybe offer to use earphones, move to a less crowded area or transfer to a different class.
Impulsive and Hyperactive Behaviors – Dealing with impulsive and hyperactive behaviors are managed better if the job or lengthy class is not an inactive, sedentary position. However, if the job is something like sitting at a computer all day, or your weekend course lasts half a day, set your watch timer and try to get up and about for at least 5-minutes every hour. Stretch your legs, go get a drink, etc. And enjoy active breaks and lunch periods. Pack your lunch so that you can walk to a nearby park to eat instead of standing in a lunch line somewhere. And run to the post office, mailbox or student bookstore during a break.
To handle impulsive behaviors, jot down notes in a daily planner or journal about what happens, triggering the behaviors. Then when you are calmer and things are less chaotic, take a look at your notes and get with your ADD healthcare team (friends, support network, doctor, etc.) to come up with alternative behavioral solutions for facing the issue next time around. Make sure to touch base and see if you are following your recommended ADD treatment plan, too. Are you taking the recommended dosage of medication? Are you getting enough rest? You need to take care of yourself, don’t forget!
Time, Memory and Organizational Management – No need to go it alone! Get help with managing time, thoughts and things. Carry around a small notebook with a calendar insert and pencil, and USE them. Jot down to-do’s, log deadlines, tests and meetings, jot down notes for tomorrow, etc. For more help, try a planning system from the local office supply store or check online for planning pages to download and make your own planner system. Ask your local or school librarian for help finding organization and planning books, videos, cassettes and other resources. And there’s no need to reinvent the wheel, either! Use what works for others. Ask for recommendations from family, friends, teachers, neighbors and co-workers. For better timing, set your watch or timed email alert to notify you to upcoming changes or scheduled events.
Managing large and/or long-term projects – Get help! Ask you manager or teacher to help you break down the project into smaller steps of chunks. Maybe you work with a temporary helper, too, or team up with a fellow classmate? And see about finding better ways to handle the tasks- maybe use subfolders to help organize materials more clearly, print out hard copies of online documents for marking up purposes and seek advice from more experienced workers or students, for starters.
Problems with Co-workers, Clients or Students – Have difficulties dealing with tough clients? Dealing with tough co-workers or immature students? Working with and being around people day in and day out can be challenging in itself. Check out books on how to handle difficult people and how to handle workplace issues. Find and attend relationship-building workshops. Try different settings. For example, maybe work in a department with less contact would be better, maybe even a home office setting. Check with supervisors and your advisor to see what options are available. And check with others in the industry, like through organizations that your company or major is associated with, and see what other workers do. Maybe you can job-share or present your own alternative solution written out and well planned in advance.
Dedication, Persistence and Elbow Grease
Hang in there! Just like anything else in life, there are ups and downs when dealing with ADD. What will drive you to successful living is dedication, persistence and a little elbow grease, during those down or tough times. Here are a few ADD tips.
First and foremost, is to focus daily on your overall health, both in mind and body. Eat right, exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day, get enough rest, avoid unhealthy places, substances, people…in short take good care of yourself. Be your best friend and your body (and mind) will thank you during those difficult days.
Next, always continue your education, either formally or informally. No need to enroll in a university. Continue to read nonfiction about your work, health and personal interests, participate in organizational events in your industry, attend a class or workshop series once a year. Keep up! Use your brain and put it to work for you and believe it or not, some ideas just might surface on tough days to get you through the challenging times; you might remember others who survived and overcame their own challenges and put some of their tips to work, for instance.
Don’t fail to plan. Plan to succeed. Learn about goal setting and achieving by studying from books like, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. And put his steps to work in your own life.
Surround yourself with a positive environment as much as possible. For example, don’t worry so much if some people don’t seem to want to accept or deal with your ADD. Those people are probably self-absorbed in their own issues for one reason or other, and don’t accept other people’s disorders or issues, either. Actually, you never know - -they could be working on accepting and dealing with some very serious issues themselves, and are afraid to share discuss them with anyone. Either way, tough, it’s their loss, not yours. Hope for the best for them, but move on and focus on being around positive people who pretty much follow that “Do unto others…” theme. You can’t avoid ALL negativity, but you can choose to focus on more positive aspects of life. Reach out with your five senses for ideas to make your day better: shed the black business wardrobe and liven up your color scheme; turn on some lively, happy music and sing along; get out and learn to dance again; try some different foods from different countries to spice up your life; and plug in a seasonal air freshener for a change of scent. Be creative and jot down ideas for experimenting with new, positive environmental ideas each month. Dig in and enjoy life. And remember: when the going gets tough …the tough don’t run!
Available Educational or Workplace Assistance
ADHD is recognized as a disability. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations can at times be made in the classroom for children with ADHD, and in the workplace for adults with ADHD, because of federal legislation; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. These accommodations can greatly impact the quality of life, directly resulting in improved work efficiency and productivity. Learn as much as you can about opportunities that may be available to you and take action. Don’t be afraid to follow up, either, and get information you can understand – i.e. that’s not in government-speak.
