Tracking Procrastination

Ask yourself:

-What is getting in my way?

-What have I been doing instead of -__________?

-What is it about tis particular task that is making it so difficult to get started?

Some root causes of procrastination:

-The task is boring, it’s lengthy, or it may be repetitive

—The task is intimidating or you don’t know where to start

You feel like you just don’t have the energy to do it

Things to do to help you stop procrastination using Mental Flexibility:

-Engage yourself while doing a boring thing

-Chunk it down and do the first step

-Find someone to help you with accountability - a friend or a coach

-Reward yourself for your efforts

-Tell your coach, a friend, or a family member why you are avoiding the task - make it know

-Manage your energy - find the best time to work on the task

-Carve out a specific time or th first step of your task keeping your energy needs in mind

-Make it REAL - put it on the calendar and tell someone - make a commitment

How to Organize Your Closet

Make Getting Dressed Fun

Get Dressed - Don't Get Stressed

Do you find yourself scrambling every morning wondering what to wear?

Simplify your wardrobe to look and feel great

Learn how to organize your closet so it will stay organized

Learn how to figure out what to keep and what to donate

Get your closet organized so you can find things quickly, gain visibility to your wardrobe, and organize your laundry room to make the process even more streamlined. 

Be realistic and honest with yourself  

Avoid keeping things that are too small or too large, things that are out of style, unflattering fit, style or color. 

SME will empower you to achieve a look that will bring personal confidence and take the guess work out of getting dressed in the morning.

Organization gives you peace of mind.

Organization makes you feel powerful, confident and in control. 

KEEP. Clothing, shoes and accessories that fit and flatter

TRASH. Torn or stained items that are unwearable

DONATIONS. For charity

GIVE TO FRIENDS. Items you would like someone special to have

ALTERATIONS or REPAIRS. Items that can be worn again with a little help

CONSIGNMENT. Items you would like to sell instead of donate

SEASONAL. Items that need to be stores for another season

ELSEWHERE. Unrelated items that belong somewhere else and need to be put away

Sort the clothing you are keeping by season

         Then sort by TYPE

                                 SLEEVE LENGTH

                                         and COLOR

                         CASUAL,

                                   CAREER,

                                           and FORMAL WEAR

USAGE DETERMINES STORAGE. Prioritize place ant of your items by the frequency of their use. If you use it more often, make it more accessible. 

Consider purchasing new hangers

Create a place to keep empty hangers together so you can find them easily

Reclaim your space in your closet

Reclaim your space in your closet

Value your prime real estate

Save stellar spots for items you need and use frequently

Take a lifestyle reality check

Sometimes we try to live the life we want rather than the life we have

Create good karma

Re energize yourself and your space

Regain control in your closet

ROI. Return on your Investment of time, money, and energy

Back to basics

Keep it simple

Lighten your load

Let things go

Let your life back in

Create breathing room

"Nothing happens until something moves." Albert Einstein

"Nothing happens until something moves."  Albert Einstein

The same actions = the same results

New actions = new results

Getting the results you want is success

Things that stand in your way:

   But first

   But I Can't

   But then

   But I don't

   But before

   But, but, but

   The but if's

Let Things Go

Let things go

   Pitch and throw

Lighten up your load

   And move down a different road

Love and use the things you own

   Make breathing space for you alone

By Sandra M Einstein

Tackling Procrastination

Tackling Procrastination

Pressure can produce hyperfocus

Procrastination is a strategy that can create an environment that can get things done

Brain chemicals crank things up and help get the job done

Those brain chemicals are called adrenaline and cortisol - the ones our brain uses in survival mode, when in  distress, or when we are experiencing stress

Try to make sense of why you are procrastinating:

Ask yourself:

What is getting in my way of starting sooner?

What have I been doing instead of __________?

What is it about this particular task that is making it so tricky to get started on?

Some root causes of procrastination:

The task is boring, length or repetitive

The task is intimidating or you don’t know where to start

You feel like you don’t have it in you

Try to brainstorm ideas for how you might do thing differently

Use a key executive functioning skill:  Mental Flexibility

-Add something that can engage you while you do the boring thing

-Chunk it down - do the first step

-Find someone you can use to help with accountability - a friend or a coach

-Start a rewards system with an immediate win

-Tell your coach, a friend or a family member why you are avoiding the task -

Make it known

-Manage your energy - find a good time to work on the task

-Carve out a specific time for the first step of your task - keep your energy needs in mind

-Make it REAL - put it on the calendar and tell someone - make the commitment

ADHD & Adults

ADHD can persist into adulthood.

It is a condition with sensory overstimulation and easy distractibility.

One with ADHD may have difficulty focusing on one conversation and ignoring others.

ADHD is not a disorder, but rather a condition - it is a disability, but also a heightened ability.

Use your ADHD to your advantage and focus on the positives.

ADHD Triggers

ADHD Triggers

STRESS

Sustained anxiety decreases working memory performance, making it harder to retain new information and pay attention.

Approaching deadlines can cause anxiety, which in term leads to procrastination and the inability to focus on the work at hand, raising stress levels even more.

OVER-STIMULATION

Individuals with ADHD can experience sensory overload.  Over-stimulation makes it difficult for the brain to process what is going on.

TECHNOLOGY

Consistent stimulation from electronic devices may aggravate ADHD symptoms.  Excessive screen time harms the attention span directly, by encouraging us to cycle between multiple distractions rather than focusing on a single task.

CLUTTER

A messy home or office area could make some ADHD symptoms worse.

Piles of papers, books, laundry, or clothing are overstimulating and block you from getting anything done.

Getting Things Done

Getting Things Done

IT’S NOT ABOUT DOING MORE, IT’S ABOUT DOING THE RIGTHT THING MORE CONSISTENTLY, AND MORE EASILY.

If you have ADHD, you are constantly struggling with time management and productivity due to memory, focus regulation, motivation, time and other executive function challenges.

These challenges are due to not having the right systems in place, or not using tools that work for you.

You need to find tools that work for you.

Learn to do things differently if what you are doing is not working for you.

Learn to do things in ways that work for you.

Don’t let your days run you - you need to plan your days.

Take time to look at your calendar and to-do list at the end of each day or in the evening.

Pick out the three most important things to do first —  what are the essential things to accomplish to move you toward your goals.

Don’t try to think you can complete all you to-dos - that is too overwhelming and will set you up for failure.

Make your calendar your friend - use it!  Make sure that the things that are essential to you are on the calendar.

REMEMBER:  if it’s not scheduled, it won’t get done.

Don’t work on things that are going to keep you from achieving your goals.

The ADHD Brain & Clutter

Disorganization & executive functioning issues lead to distractibility and difficulty focusing, planning and organizing.

Trying to organize becomes overwhelming.

Procrastination and avoiding organizing are easier.

Simple de-cluttering tips to help make your life easier:

1.Don’t be impulsive when buying things. Sleep on it.

2. Keep your surfaces bare.

3.Hang clothing as soon as you take it off - use hooks

4.Discard papers & magazines routinely

Study Skills

Lack of structure and the act of sitting down to study is extremely difficult for students with ADHD.

Be sure to have various places to study. One place might be a bedroom with a desk or a loft area with a desk, another could be the kitchen table, or the library. The key is to find a comfortable environment. Change up where you study.

Have a plan for which tasks need to be completed and when. Use a calendar to log your daily to-do list.

Make sure you have all the tools needed to study - paper, pen, pencil, notecards, highlighter.

Sit or stand to study - whatever works best for you.

Be in a quiet environment, use classical music as background noise, or use a noise cancellation devise.

Homework

Write down the assignment? Complete assignments? Turn in assignments on time? Pay attention to what is assigned? Follow the steps to get the information? Follow the steps for the assignment? Go to the portal for the assignment?

These tasks are daunting and challenging for an ADHD student.

Getting started

Procrastination

Going back to finish the assignment

Turn the assignment in

Help your child/student visualize the assignments. Break down the assignment into small, doable parts. Estimate completion time for the assignments. Block out specific times and place for doing homework. Create an area for doing homework that is distraction free. Use noise-cancelling headphones.