Three Effective Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques for Managing an Overactive ADHD Brain

Introduction

ADHD can make managing day-to-day life a lot more challenging than the average person. The condition can cause impulsivity, procrastination, and disorganisation, which are significant issues in managing today's world. Medication can help some people, but it usually doesn't eliminate all tendencies and might not be suitable for others because of side effects.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be a really useful way of building frameworks that allow us to become more mindful of our behaviour and help manage some of the tendencies that come with living with ADHD.

Three useful CBT techniques to support ADHD tendencies

Below are some useful CBT methods that can be helpful in managing some of the more impactful ADHD tendencies:

Organisation and planning
We know that disorganisation can wreak havoc on someone's daily life, particularly if this is something that causes stress and is then just ignored until it becomes a bigger problem. Educating yourself on useful techniques that support disorganisation can be very impactful.

1. Calendars
   Understanding what you have to do and when you have to do it is foundational when it comes to managing your day-to-day life. Very often people with ADHD manage this via multiple calendars or notes, and it becomes chaos. The key here is to build ONE central calendar that you know you always refer to and to be religious about using it as your single source of truth. The key here is to keep doing it long enough that it becomes a habit, or else we risk becoming disinterested and undisciplined about keeping the calendar up to date.
2. To-do List
   Many of us will create disparate to-do lists across multiple sources that are difficult to keep hold of. Many people find checking a task list scary and stressful, as it's almost a reminder of what you haven't been able to achieve, or the sheer amount is overwhelming. The first habit to get into is to keep a daily task list updated, and to check it every day, even if you don't complete everything. This way it's a sense check of what hasn't and has been done, giving maximum control. This feeling of control is empowering when reframed from having to do everything to just being aware of what is floating around.  Another important factor is to segment the list into how important the tasks are. This way, you don't end up smashing through the low priority tasks, leaving the important stuff that causes stress behind.

Problem Solving
Very often when a problem arises it can be overwhelming to see the wood for the trees as our brains are firing at 100 miles an hour with endless possible solutions and an inability to land on one. This leads to avoiding the problem entirely which compounds into an even bigger one. There is a framework that can help break problems down systematically. Afterwards, the path forward will present itself naturally.

1. Articulate the problem
   Spend time working out and vocalising to yourself exactly what the problem is. It can be useful to write this down in a notepad so that you can see clearly what it is you are dealing with in its entirety.
2. Write a list of solutions
   Write down a list below the problem of all the potential solutions you can think of. Doesn't matter whether it is right or not at this stage, just get it out of your brain.
3. Rate the solutions
   Now go through each solution you wrote down, and make a quick pros and cons list for each, giving it a rating. By the end of the list, the obvious solution should begin to appear, and a weight will have been lifted.

Distraction
You are sitting at your desk with the best intention of completing some important work. You are 10 minutes into the project, but an email pops up so you check it. This triggers a thought about music tickets you were supposed to buy, so you crack on with booking them. 1 hour later, you still haven't made any headway with the original task. This sort of distractibility is difficult to manage, but there are some techniques you can use to help become more mindful of it.

1. Writing down the distraction
   The moment you feel yourself drifting to another task or distraction, be mindful of it by writing the distraction down in a notepad next to you. This way you can always come back to the thing you were distracted by later, once you have finished your initial task.
2. Setting a timer
   Set a timer to go off in intervals during the time you're working on a project or task. This way, when the timer goes off you know to ask yourself if you are still focussed on the right thing or if you have been distracted. If you have drifted, get immediately back to the task at hand. You can also use visual cues for this, such as sticking coloured dots around. Each time you notice the dot, ask yourself the above question.
3. Setting up the environment
   When you are working, it is vital to ensure your environment is as distraction-free as possible. You want a calming and neutral environment without many external stimuli when possible. This maximises the chances of a distraction-free working process.

Hopefully these techniques prove to be useful to you and make everyday life that little bit easier. It isn't a magic wand approach, but requires commitment, mindfulness and work on your side. If you manage to build these techniques into habits, it can be impactful in reducing poor experiences and stress.