Guest Author - Megan Dlugokinski

Do you constantly feel you are running behind? Are you likely to take on more obligations even though you can’t keep up with what you already have to do? Do you have trouble saying no when someone asks you for something? Do you buy stuff not knowing where you are going to put it? Do you lose things and have to buy a replacement? I know I do.

These are very common issues for those of us with ADHD. Time and space organization seem to be two of the top issues that cause us problems. When you don’t know how much time things take or a have a complete picture of everything that you already have to do, it is next to impossible to make an accurate decision about taking on another obligation. Not knowing what you need to be doing can create extreme stress in your life. This is nothing new for us and yet we still manage to create ongoing crisis for ourselves by not saying no to any new projects.

Not having enough time is the number one complaint I hear from ADHD’ers. Yet most of my clients don’t really know how long it takes to do things.

Some of the main reasons that cause overwhelm are:
• Not knowing how long it takes to do things
• Not knowing how much is already on your plate
• Seeing every task on your to-do list as equally important
• Saying yes too often even when you’re are already overloaded
• Trying to do everything by yourself instead of asking for help
• Forgetting to schedule in travel time, cleaning up between projects, eating, resting and emergency tasks that may arise
• Scheduling 100% of your day without leaving any room for the unexpected
• Things never get completed and therefore they stay on your to-do list indefinitely causing unneeded stress


So what can you do to help dig yourself out of this mess and stop repeating the overwhelm cycle?

• Make time for each item on your to-do list, including extra time for clean up or travel time if necessary.
• Set time limits for tasks. Set a timer and when it goes off you are done.
• Just get started. Promise yourself that you will stick with a task for 5 minutes and then you can decide whether to stop or continue. Most times you will continue once you have started. This one works like a charm for those of you that have procrastination problems.
• Practice saying no to others requests on your time, and also to yourself. The next time you tell yourself you’ll check your email quickly before you leave for that appointment, just say no instead. You know it ALWAYS takes longer than five minutes no matter how many times you tell yourself otherwise!
• Dig out from your current mess before adding to it. The next time you’re tempted to add one more seemingly small task to your list keep in mind how much is already on your list. It might be helpful to keep your list with you so you can visually see how much you already have to do. It sure helps me.
• Make time to relax and spend time with your friends and family.
• Create a list called “Someday/Maybe” that you can put your ideas on so they aren’t taking up space in your head. You should also add older ‘unfinished’ projects that you aren’t sure you want to complete but don’t want to forget about yet.


Keep in mind that you think clearer when you are calm. When you are overstressed you make more errors and tend to get even less done. It seems so easy to add ‘just one’ little task or project but each one adds to your stress level. The fewer things you have to keep track of the better. It may seem like an impossible goal to not feel overwhelmed and stressed but it is definitely a goal worth striving for.