This week when thinking about information management we are going to think about the environments that surround us daily. For those with A.D.H.D. our environments could be an enabler to our minds moving away from the task at hand. Your environment may mean your work space, your school space, your car, your bedroom, your home; basically any space you find yourself trying to accomplish a task from your to do list. Your job this week is to notice what is working for you and what isn’t. So thinking of it environmentally, what physical arrangements are conducive to your effectiveness at completing each task?
• When you are working or studying at a desk, what visually supports you to get your work done or what might be getting you off task?
• What sounds are in your environment? Is it silent, noisy, music, television, how loud?
• Do you work better by yourself, with a team or just by having someone in the room with you?
• Does your chair support you to sit upright and focus and is your keyboard in the right space?
Another thing to notice is your energy patterns, many people with A.D.H.D. have varying energy patterns through the day where certain tasks are better suited for certain times of day or evening. Personally, I like afternoons better. I have harnessed the energy from the morning and can create better in the afternoon. I know of others who love the morning and find as soon as their feet hit the ground they are pumping out great work. Everyone is unique with this you just need to notice what is true for you.
Some tasks just can’t get done without a person present. This is quite normal for someone with A.D.D. Similar to shadow coaching, when it comes to clearing the desk, organizing or filing ~ sometimes having a person in the room (main qualification that someone in their presence you feel good about yourself) even if they are working individually on their own thing, just having them in the room helps you to get those things done.
As you go through this week, log what you notice into a journal then strive to implement a new change each day or each week to manage your environment more effectively.
