Reddit mentions of Learning Resources Time Tracker Mini Visual Timer, Classroom Timer, Hand Washing Timer, Auditory and Visual Cue, Ages 3+

>once they're sitting down for lunch they dont wanna stay seated, they will get up to go play in the middle of eating

I got a timer from amazon that we use during our mealtime. While the light is green, it is time to eat/drink (or at least stay in their chair). Once it's flashing yellow, they can either continue to eat or pack up their food and move to the reading corner. Once it's red, it's time for everyone to pack up. This is for a class of 3/4s so it may have to be adapted somewhat to fit your kiddos, but it's been a huge improvement for us over last year without it!

Hey! I was diagnosed with ADHD a little over a year ago. I used to think I was INFP but now I think I'm ENFP.




Anyway, I find that my biggest challenges are with concentration, persistence, and emotional regulation. Some things I've found that help me:

• I have the Time Tracker Mini Timer which I keep on my desk at work. I use it when I have to do a long boring task so I can break it up (basically use it to do the Pomodoro method). With the job I have I can't do it all the time because of how my tasks are broken up, but I do it when I can. Any timer will do, but I like that timer in particular because it has a light on top that changes from green to yellow to red, and you can choose the time that it changes from green to yellow. The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't count down (i.e. you can't see how much time is left).
  
  
  
  
  
• Writing things down!! I have a tendency to think I can remember WAY more for way longer than I actually can. I have a Leuchtturm1917 pocket notebook and a pen that I always keep with me. I kind of do Bullet Journaling but I've modified it to a system that works better for me. But keeping paper and pen with you is essential! And it's better than notes in your phone, in my opinion. The hard copy is a better reminder.
  
  
  
  
  
• Write down 5 positive things about myself every day. We ADHDers can be our own worst critics and can tend to get down on ourselves when we don't do the things we want to do. It's good to remind ourselves of our positive qualities.
  
  
  
  
  
• Try to practice mindfulness, especially in moments where I'm feeling especially distracted or emotional. I at least try to take a few deep breaths and just clear my head. My counselor always tells me to practice mindfulness, and I think it's a challenge to us as ENFPs and as ADHDers to focus on the present moment and not get caught up in our thoughts. But I definitely notice a difference when I consciously try to practice it.
  
  
  
  
  
• If you haven't already, pick up Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Dr. Russell Barkley and Delivered From Distraction by Dr. Edward Hallowell and Dr. John Ratey. Learning all I could about ADHD made all the difference for me. It helped me to understand what's going on in my brain, why certain things are harder for me than most people (like concentrating on things that are boring), and some of the positives of ADHD. Now I can recognize when something I'm doing or thinking or feeling is because of the ADHD and that makes me feel like I have some measure of control over it.
  
  
  
  
• Go easy on yourself!! I feel like this is the most important and also the hardest tip to follow. The previous tip will help a lot. Once I learned about ADHD it made giving myself a break a whole lot easier. I don't know about you, but I tend to expect a lot from myself. It's important that we give ourselves permission to take a break, take a walk, or to fuck something up (it's life, it happens...most mistakes are fixable) and not be hard on ourselves over it. It seems like you're in the honeymoon phase with your diagnosis - you just got diagnosed and it finally explains so much about your life. This is a wonderful phase and I don't want to cast a shadow over it. But I'll tell you that you'll most likely eventually hit a phase (especially if you decide to get medicated) where you grieve how much of your life you "wasted" not knowing about your ADHD and not having your medication. There are also times where having the knowledge and the medication only give you the realization and the perspective of how much more it seems like everyone else in the world can do than you can. This is when it will be so important to practice self-compassion. Other people are good with organization and sticking to their budget and paying their bills on time and remembering their appointments and getting places on time. And people like us are good at empathizing and reading people and problem-solving and thinking outside the box and forging our own path. Different isn't always bad, sometimes it's just different.
  
  
  
  I hope some of this was helpful and what you were looking for!
  
  
  
  Edit: To add to that, I just watched this beautiful TEDxTalk: ADHD sucks, but not really