1. Pay attention to your health. This may sound very basic, but if you're like me, you don't really pay attention to your basic needs at times. You hyperfocus on a task and forget to eat or take a break. I've even been known to put off going to the bathroom until it was urgent! I also forget to exercise and shop for necessities at times. You have to take extra care to make sure you are taking care of your basic health needs.
2. Develop good habits. ADDers are prone to substance abuse, nicotine addiction and alcoholism. Sometimes this is part of the "risk taking" factor of Attention Deficit Disorder and sometimes it's because we are trying to medicate ourselves. If you are involved in a bad habit, you can substitute another habit for it. Exercise every time you feel like smoking or take up a thrilling hobby like bungee jumping if you are looking for a thrill. Certainly, if you have an addiction, it may require professional help, but substituting a good habit for a bad one can help you on the road to recovery.
3. Get sufficient sleep. I know many ADDers who are kind of off-cycle with the rest of the world. I would prefer to stay up late-until the wee hours of the morning, and then sleep in until late morning. Unfortunately, my children's school is not set up that way. Many times, I stay up late anyway, and have to get up early. The next morning is typically not a good one! I try to make myself go to bed because I know I will feel better the next day. This is one of my personal challenges-to stay on a regular sleep cycle. When I am successful, and get into the habit of sleeping for 8 hours regularly, I do feel better and can accomplish more of what I want to get done.
4. Take Notes. I am known for having notebooks everywhere. It's because I have to write everything down or I'll forget it-sometimes I forget anyway, but a notebook is a tremendous help. I try to keep a notebook in my purse where I can get to it at all times. If I write something down (even if I misplace the notebook later) I am more likely to remember it. This strategy isn't foolproof, but it can work well.
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