As far back as I can remember, I have found it impossible to concentrate on anything for long periods of time. My inability to keep up with conversations or class lectures for more than 15 consecutive minutes was seen as “walking away due to boredom.” My inability to work on anything by the end of the day, like everyone else, had me procrastinating. Being mentally stagnant and unable to do anything without a routine was also considered a lack of motivation.
This came to a head in my final semester at university, when the suggestion of a routine went out the window, and I realized there was an underlying reason for these issues. Not having real classes in my thesis semester really left me with no semblance of structure in my life. Essentially, I had become my own boss, and there was no looming deadline to boost my adrenaline. At first, it seemed like I had unlimited time to complete my thesis until, suddenly, I didn’t. By the time I was sitting thinking about all the things I had to do without actually doing them, the time had passed.
It was then, when I was at my delayed peak, that I realized that all my mental handicaps weren’t just me being lazy, but the result of an actual mental health disorder. It was my ADHD that made me procrastinate. It was my ADHD that made it hard for me to concentrate on multiple things at once. And, it was my ADHD that made me unable to function without a set routine.
With the diagnosis of what was holding me back and my increased understanding came accountability and control. It was no longer “just how I was”, but it became a matter of what I could do Do it to fix it. Little by little, I started making small adjustments to my routine that helped me adapt little by little.
Here are some of the most important practices that have helped me overcome my ADHD: