ADHD Tips for the Workday: How to Get Through the Day.

Ever find your brain is acting out a little more than usual? If you’re looking for ADHD tips for the workday that actually help, not just generic ‘take a break’ advice, you’re in the right place.

Perhaps it’s cycle-related, or you’re shattered after succumbing to another bout of revenge-procrastination (basically, you stayed up too late). Some days you might find your ADHD is ADHDing more than usual. It happens. Don’t have a mental breakdown; there are ways you can help yourself that don’t involve prescription medications. To help you avoid burnout, I’ve compiled some of my tried-and-tested go-tos and advice from other sources.

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1. Loop Earplugs

When you just need to focus without any background noise to distract you. Perhaps it’s a colleague with no self-awareness of the decibel level of their voice, a clock that ticks obnoxiously, someone’s gums slapping away with whatever snack or chewy they’re masticating on, or the sound of children screaming in another room if you work from home. These can help. They reduce background noise and allow your own mental noise to take centre-stage, instead. I use Loop Switch earplugs, as they have three sound-reducing levels, so you can control how much filters through. Perhaps you still need to be able to hear a phone ringing, or have a one-on-one conversation; you can adjust how much gets blocked out by twisting the earphone loops.

2. Fun Stationery

Make your workday more colourful and keep your dopamine topped up with anything from Post-it notes, paperclips, desk tidies, file storage or to-do lists in aesthetically pleasing formats and colours. Whether you love pastels or brights, or everything in matching black, personalise your stationery collection. Make it ‘you’. It should make your workday a little more pleasant.

3. Label Maker

It seems unnecessary to explain why, but here goes. Making labels for stuff is fun, and fun means dopamine. But on a more sensible and practical note, organising your space adds a sense of calm. Work can get chaotic for anyone, but if your filing and stationery are neatly and clearly marked when you’re in a rush to find something, it might just help keep your mind from descending into chaos, too. Did I mention it’s also fun? A good, portable option can be found here.

4. Wireless Everything

Your keyboard, your mouse, whatever you can afford, or whatever you can get your hands on in your place of work. This is basically to cut down on clutter; tidy desk, tidy mind, after all. Reduce the visual clutter, and your stress and anxiety will reduce, and you’ll be able to focus more clearly. If your workplace doesn’t provide wireless hardware, then you can easily find some low-cost options online. You could even use your trusty label maker to name them so they don’t go walkabout…

5. A Diary

Maybe this is obvious, maybe not. A lot of people just use apps and reminders these days, but personally, I love a physical, tangible way to note down appointments, tasks, work events, and so on. Perhaps my stationery addiction is to blame, or perhaps there’s something deeper to it. Writing things down in a diary somehow makes it stick in my head better. I may need to double- and triple-check the details of those written things, but I know they’re there, and they were correct when I wrote them, so I don’t have to rely on my questionable memory to recall a date or time. There are some wonderful diary options out there, and I prefer a mid-year type. Some of my favourite places to shop for diaries are Papier (including free personalisation), Busy B, and Amazon also has some great options.

6. Snacks

Snacks, snacks, snacks. Get your dopamine-fuel, but try and keep them healthy. According to ADHD Works, we need to avoid fast-releasing carbs and sugary foods, and try to get protein into every meal and snack, avoiding big gaps between munching down on something. Opt for foods rich in Tyrosine, such as cheese, eggs, nuts, seeds, and meats, and up your Vitamin D by getting outdoors, eating oily fish or taking a supplement. It’s beyond tempting to grab instant gratification in a chocolate bar, and I’m not going to bare-faced lie that I don’t, because I’m human. And female. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t do us any favours. Well, maybe only the initial five minutes of pleasure from scoffing it. Take some snacks to work with you in a container like this one to stave off the naughty temptations.

7. Supplements

Aside from foods that can help increase our much-needed dopamine, there are plenty of supplements available to aid everyday focus. Omega-3 fatty acids, Zinc, iron, and Magnesium have all been linked to aiding ADHD symptoms like attention and hyperactivity. I personally enjoy TRIP drinks, specifically their Wild Strawberry mindful blend with Magnesium, chamomile, lion’s mane and lemon balm.

8. Music

If the Loops just aren’t cutting it, then try music instead. On days when your mental noise is also too intrusive and distracting, get some tunes going (if your workplace situation allows). Pop on your personal ear serenaders of choice and get inspired to hyperfocus on the task at hand. If you find yourself turning into a record player horn because you just can’t keep that song from bursting out of your mouth, then try lyric-less music. It could be classical, movie scores, or binaural beats, which have been found to help with stress, anxiety, focus, and memory. There are hordes of playlist options available on Spotify. I stumbled across this playlist, and it’s perfect for some peaceful background music to work along to.

9. Water bottle

But one with reminders. It’s important for everyone to stay hydrated, but with how busy our minds get, we often forget to pander to our simple bodily needs such as drinking, eating and peeing. Get yourself a water bottle with those time reminders printed on the side, so that when you do notice that big cylinder thing in front of you, you can gulp down all the indicators inevitably missed earlier in the day. It’s not a perfect method for keeping hydrated, but it’s something. Better to play catch-up than get a headache from dehydration. They suck.

10. Fidget Gadgets

I just don’t want to call them toys; they can be genuinely useful rather than just a bunch of gaudy playthings for children to collect. If you want something a little more grown-up-looking to keep your nervous energy in check, try a roller, which comes in a variety of colours, or a bike chain to flip between your fingers. Both are discreet and good for fiddling with one-handed, so you can continue using your pen or mouse at the same time.

That wraps up my toolkit of ADHD tips for the workday – give them a go or mix and match a few for any given day when your brain is cooperating less than usual.

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