Springboard Clinic

According to an article by Timothy A Pychyl, Ph.D., recent research has been showing us the importance of emotional regulation skills in reducing procrastination. As Dr. Pychyl says: "When we face negative emotions like frustration, resentment, boredom or anxiety that are associated with a task, we procrastinate on the task in order to regulate our emotions." It stands to reason, then, that learning skills to better tolerate and manage negative emotions will help us better manage procrastination!

If you have ADHD, or think you might, check out this post: 23 Important Reminders for Anyone Who has ADHD. It's a great list to keep in your back pocket, especially if/when you're feeling frustrated or down about the diagnosis!

Are you always late for everything? Despite your best intentions, do you find yourself losing track of time and missing appointments? Or frustrating your friends? Or getting bad performance reviews because of tardiness?

In theory, a day off is the perfect time to get things done. You have the whole day to knock off the to-do list. You're not working, you're not going to class - your time is open. In practice, many adults with ADHD struggle to get anything done on days off.

We often talk about ADHD and acceptance: acceptance of your diagnosis and symptoms as a way to move forward. Acceptance means understanding your brain, and coming to terms with how it works. Having ADHD is a different way of thinking and being, and that's OKAY.

Without acceptance of ADHD, it's hard to make changes. So what gets in the way of this crucial process? Here are a few possibilities:

Disorganization is a common and often debilitating ADHD symptom. As part of this, many ADHD adults struggle to keep their physical space organized. Their home is messy, or they have giant piles of paperwork all over their desks. As you can imagine, this can waste a lot of time, and sometimes even money to deal with. Being chronically disorganized also takes up a lot of mental energy. A disorganized environment can fuel a disorganized mind.

Getting organized - and staying organized - is not always (or ever) a fun task. But, as difficult as it can be, ADHD adults thrive with structure and organization. It's a necessary - and beneficial - part of life.