I think it’s pretty reasonable to think that most of us are looking for better ways to function. Daily, we get targeted ads for services, products, and courses that are supposed to help us maximize our time and efforts. Some of them are truly novel and helpful, while others are filled with tips that aren’t remotely based in neuroscience or any kind of understanding of ADHD.
There’s no one universal experience of ADHD. We all tend to struggle with the same general categories of problems, like time blindness or difficulties with attention, but our presentation and our experiences in these categories vastly differ.
I have said it over and over in the last 2 years: If there were a single set of accommodations or strategies that worked for every single ADHDer, then someone would have monetized a website or program that would make billions of dollars. Instead, we have many different websites, books, blogs (including this one), support groups, and programs that all have information for how to best support yourself or other ADHDers in your life.
Problem: Lights being left on in the laundry room, bedroom closet, pantry, or basement area.
Solution: Motion sensing light switches with automatic time out settings.
The first smart light my husband installed was in our first house over 13 years ago, before the introduction of smart devices and easily integrated smart light systems. The first motion detected light switch was placed in our laundry room. Since then, we’ve added them to other areas where lights are left on long past the time a task was completed in that room. Now, after 5 minutes of no-movement, our lights turn off and we aren’t wasting more electricity.
Problem: Cabinets are left open after use.
Solution: Soft-close hinges in kitchen cabinets
While these haven’t solved the problem of cabinets being left open entirely, it has resulted in more closed cabinet doors. Now, when I notice that I’ve left several cabinets open, I can swing them enough to get them halfway closed and then they finish closing on their own.
Problem: I regularly slam my arm into a doorknob while walking past it, resulting in perpetual bruising on my arm.
Solution: A recessed door knob on our hallway closet door.
Now this is one of those things that I didn’t even realize was related to ADHD prior to my diagnosis. I struggle with proprioception, specifically with knowing where my body is in relation to other things while moving. I think most people have stubbed their toe on a piece of furniture or twisted an ankle or knee walking off of a step, but for me, this kind of inability to understand where my body is in relation to my surroundings happens multiple times a day. I regularly bump into things while walking, knock things off of horizontal surfaces, and run into objects which never move. It’s not because I’m in a hurry or being careless, although being in a hurry makes it more likely these kinds of things will happen.
I’d like to clarify that I don’t walk around like a baby who has just learned to walk or like a robot vacuum that runs into things in order to change direction, but I do it enough to notice that it’s a pretty consistent problem. Six weeks ago, I was trying to figure out why I always seem to have a sore forearm on my left side. The next morning, I was walking out to the living room and my forearm struck the hallway closet doorway. My husband looked up and said, “You know, you were wondering about your forearm and that noise sounded pretty familiar. How often do you do that?” Um…I didn’t realize that I was doing it at all, so… Within a week, he had ordered and installed a recessed door handle for the closet.
So what problem could you address this week to make your life a bit easier?