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MindBlind
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16 Dec 2014, 8:39 am

So I have major difficulties with executive dysfunction that affects every area of my life, from prioritizing and organizing my uni work to basic day to day activities, i.e, remembering to eat, remembering where I put things, remembering what I was just doing, etc.

It gets even worse when I'm under any amount of stress, even if it's objectively not very taxing a task.

I try really hard to overcome my chronic disorganisation by creating schedules and making to do lists, but I find that I still struggle to set realistic goals for myself. Thing is, I don't know how capable I will be at any given moment. When I'm productive, I'm extremely thorough, but my focus is a bit like a laser beam in that I can only do this to the exclusion of everything else that I have to do. Once more is asked of me, I'm paralysed because I don't know what to do first. So I procrastinate because the amount of energy I spend worrying about it just makes me feel tired and I get a headache.

In the past, people gave just told me to fill out a timetable every week, but that doesn't solve the problem because I still don't know how to break up everything I need to do in smaller chunks.

Right now I'm actually panicking because I don't even know if I really know how to ask for advice about this. It's just such a broad topic and I don't know how many people will understand my perspective.

I'd love to have more structure to my life and I appreciate that part of improving is learning discipline, but how do I start? How do I begin setting up a structure for day to day activities and how do I make sure I stick to it? It's really affecting my quality of life.



devin12
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16 Dec 2014, 10:20 am

I don't know if I can help you, but I can give you some ideas I use for myself.

First of all, I don't like schedules, plans, and lists (unless it's about something I'm interested in like a spiritual/meditation schedule) but I write them up anyway just so I have an idea of what I should be focusing on. I make lists for everything I have to keep track of on my computer and delete things as they are finished. If I'm really hating a list, I delete it and try to remember what to get done on my own. It's a fine line between having lists and schedules about practical things and not taking them too seriously. I look at them now and then or maybe for only a few minutes out of the day. I think that's the best answer when you know you have to keep track of things and make sure that you get things get done, but you're not really into it.

The plus side is it helps you clear your mind when you organize your thoughts. It does help you make sure that you get things done. It's important not to obsess over the lists so that you actually have a life, but it does help you not forget about stuff. If you're having trouble getting something done because it's getting too complicated in your mind, you can also write out all the steps. I do this. This can help with detailed executive dysfunction stuff.

Another thing I do is I try to only do one important thing per day, and meter tasks out so I don't get too stressed out. Of course, this is not always possible.

I also try to keep everything as organized as possible in order to keep my mind clear.

I have really bad sensory overload problems, so all of this is important for me, whether I like it or not. I only do this so I don't bring more problems on myself than I already have. It's not fun, but at least it helps me keep up with things. I always try to do fun stuff or just relax in between because I hate most mundane tasks.

Paperwork makes me feel like I'm not even a human being anymore. I wonder if anyone else feels like that. It's like I have to get back to feeling like myself when it's over.

I hope this helps. Maybe someone else will have even better ideas.



corroonb
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21 Dec 2014, 6:50 am

I have these issues too and they make normal life very difficult. I use lists, post-it notes and routines to alleviate some of the anxiety and confusion. I keep my wallet and keys in my left pocket and my phone and handkerchief in my right pocket for example. I find if I can get into a routine then I can function better but I experience significant stress when those routines are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances like bad weather or illness or even a holiday from work. I haven't really found any effective way to reduce this symptom but stress and lack of sleep make it much, much worse. I find being mindful of what I am doing right now can help but that is easier typed than done. I also hate paperwork. It takes me hours to get around to doing it but I'm usually quick enough when I actually do it.