Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be a helpful approach for managing symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD). While CBT doesn’t cure ADHD, it can provide strategies and techniques to cope with challenges associated with the symptoms. CBT has shown significant promise in helping individuals gain better control over their lives. 

Here are some CBT-inspired tricks for managing ADD/ADHD:

1. For time management:

First, decide what positive reinforcement reward you will give yourself for completing the tasks. Then, set a realistic goal, prioritize the tasks, and create a schedule. When tasks are completed, give yourself the positive reinforcement of which you promised yourself.

Use calendars, planners and mobile apps. Apps especially, are easily accessible, have built in alerts and will have other tools to take pressure off of an ADD brain. 

2. For de-stigmatizing:

Acknowledge and notice the distractions you are feeling… and without judgment. Sit with it for a full moment. Just notice it, that’s all. 

Acknowledging the distraction helps with understanding and allows you to recognize patterns of your behavior and thoughts that may increase or trigger your ADD. 

Acknowledging and accepting also reduces your own stigma associated ADD. And when you stop judging yourself, others will too. It miraculously helps to break down inner barriers around a perfectly normal condition of which most people live with on some level. 

3. For better focus:

Maintain a structured environment. Keep your space without clutter and without excess noice. Surround yourself with neutral colors. If you want to add color, choose blues and greens. 

Timers are especially helpful. Set a timer for ten minutes to stay on task. After ten minutes reward yourself with a walk around the block, or a snack or a quick call to a friend. Then set the timer again. Use time chunks and rewards that benefit you individually. 

Stimulus control techniques include modifying your environment to minimize distractions. Turn off notifications on electronic devices Use noise-canceling headphones. While needing to concentrate, place a “busy” or “no visitors” sign on your door. All of these and what can individually work for you, will take conscious discipline before it becomes a habit.

4. For organization:

Break down the goals or tasks into small and achievable steps. Similar to the above, use a timer to help you chunk it down.

Utilize organizational tools like bins, baskets, folders, binders, labels, charts and color-coding to keep anything in order. White boards and black boards on the wall are very good for the ADD brain. Visual lists and charts help to break down what feels so big, into small absorbable and manageable chunks. 

5. For negative thoughts

These are often immediate, subconscious beliefs that pop into our minds in response to specific situations. Another way of looking at this is that it’s being unnecessarily hard on yourself. 

The first step in managing negativity is to bring awareness to it. Individuals with ADD/ADHD can learn to recognize common negative thought patterns, such as catastrophizing (assuming the worst will happen), black-and-white thinking (seeing situations as all good or all bad), or personalization (attributing blame to oneself unnecessarily).

The next step is to challenge the negative thoughts. Challenge their accuracy and validity. Take an extra minute and ask yourself if that thought is really true. Question the evidence supporting the negative thought. Considering another explanation or perspective. Try to add the “gray” into the black-and-white thinking. What would a more balanced or  not-so-self-blaming perspective look like?

Practice Cognitive Restructuring. Cognitive restructuring involves replacing negative thoughts with more adaptive and constructive ones. Basically, reframe negative statements into more positive ones. For example, thinking, “I can’t do anything right,” can be reframed to, “I’m struggling right now, but I have strength and I always learn from my mistakes.”

A good CBT technique can be the Triple Column Technique. Create three columns on a piece of paper. In the first column, write down the negative thought. In the second column, challenge or reframe the negative thought. In the third column, write down the emotional impact that thought changed to from column one to column two. 

6. For forgetfulness:

Use apps, alarms and notebooks for reminders. To think that anyone “should” remember everything in a calendar or list is not realistic. Take advantage of reminders and notes. 

Similar to tricks for better focus, keep an organized, de-cluttered life. When you don’t feel overwhelmed externally, it helps to stay calm internally. 

7. For following instructions:

When listening to instructions, focus attention on the person speaking, keep eye contact and limit distractions. It’s crucial to paraphrase back what you heard. At a minimum, check for mutual understanding with the person speaking. 

When reading instructions, take it step by step; one step at a time. 

8. For Thinking before acting:

Practice pausing before responding. Even counting to five to yourself will automatically slow down your response to a more conscious one. 

Practice the ABC model: The A (Antecedent) B (Behavior) C (Consequence) model helps to understand the sequence of events leading to impulsive behavior and identify triggers and patterns. Identify the antecedent (the trigger) that precedes the impulsive behavior. Recognize the behavior (the impulsive action) that occurs in response to the trigger. Consider the consequences (the results) of the impulsive behavior.

9. For better life quality:

Ask for help. Accepting help enables you to learn new coping strategies and techniques to manage ADD/ADHD symptoms effectively. By acknowledging and accepting help, you empower yourself to take control of your life. Just this in itself will improve your overall well-being and self-competency. 

Regardless if CBT tricks for your ADD is for time management, de-stigmatizing, better focus, organization, negative thoughts, forgetfulness, following instructions, thinking before acting or better life quality, practicing the The “3 C’s” will give benefits every time: Catch it. Check it. Change it.

For guidance on treatment programs for any struggling adolescent or young adult, contact a Therapeutic Educational Consultant here.

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