Women with ADHD can have difficulty transitioning due it requires a lot of energy and effort to go from one activity to another which can leave you feeling irritated, tired and scattered. Transitioning comes in all different situations such as coming back home from work, doing one task to another, changing plans, or if there is an emergency in the family. Here are some tips for smooth transitions.
Use A Checklist- Checklists can help you through everything that you need to do without having to think to much. Write down everything you are working on if you get distracted or an emergency comes up this will help you go right back to where you stopped rather than starting another task or needing a day or two to figure out where you left off
Plan For The Next Day- Every night get yourself ready for the next day, so you won’t have to be running around in the morning looking for things. Plus, this mentally preps you for your day and minimizes any surprises that may pop up.
Gather Everything You Need– Getting everything you need for a task or a project helps you because you will have everything you need in front of you and you won’t have to go around the house looking for it. Also, it assists you to think and visually see what you have to do.
Scheduling- It is important to try to schedule 15 minutes in between your appointments or activities. The reason being this will give you time to look back upon what you just have finished and to get ready for your next task.
Set Up A Morning/Evening Routine– Creating a morning and evening routine is good for your body and mind so they can get used to doing things a certain time of the day. For example, try to do your weekly food shopping at the same time each week. You may be resilient to the routines at first however creating routines make transitioning a lot easier
Set A Timer- Setting a timer really can help you because it will give you a warning in advance when you it is time to wind down. Use the loudest alarm you have and put it somewhere where you have to actually get up to turn it off. Once you are up it will be easier to go onto the next task.
Don’t Be Hard On Yourself– No matter how much time you take to plan, organize your life to make transitioning easier, unexpected things can happen. When this does occur, make note that transitioning is difficult, but you are trying to do your best, and try not to be hard on yourself and start comparing yourself to others.