Tedium Management: Strategies for ADHD Efficiency

1. “Life [with ADHD] is as tedious as twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man.” - William Shakespeare Tedium Management:Getting Things Done Online Version May 13, 2013 Lew Mills, PhD, MFT

2. Plan for this Talk • The primary cognitive liability for people with ADHD is in the reduced capacity of their executive functioning. • Having difficulty with planning, prioritizing, and tracking makes it especially difficult to tackle what are here called “tedious” tasks. • Frequently the problems with tedious tasks are interpreted as time management problems or as procrastination. But I suggest that they should be addressed with strategies of “tedium management.” • Strategies are offered which can help you manage these tedious tasks when your executive functioning is not performing well. • Understanding the categories of strategies also helps you re-conceptualize the problem and come up with your own approaches to make these tasks more manageable. • Discussion and Questions - Where we make it all make sense!

3. What are “Tedium” and “Tedium Management” • Tedium is NOT about: • Time Management • “Procrastination” in usual sense • Just Boredom or Laziness • Relates to “Executive Function”

4. Lew’s Sock Drawer: Medication makes it easier to find a matching pair of socks in the dark. Tedium is Not: “Difficult” “Boring” Overwhelm of Executive Functioning “Wearisome” TEDIUM ANDEXECUTIVE FUNCTION

5. Self-Regulation Fatigue • Executive Function Can Be Exhausted • Ability to decide deteriorates with overuse • Self-Control runs out • Physiology Can Support EF • As Simple as Having a Snack

6. Strategies • Not the same old approaches… • …which don’t account for Executive Function • Useful to consider strategies in terms of why they work • Categorize them by the why • Use categories to develop new strategies

7. Strategy Categories • Chunk It • Roomba • Find the Melody Line • Change the Frame • Offload Tedium • Simplify www.millsconsulting.com