I recently wrote and printed up a visual schedule for my 9 year old. She was having trouble getting ready for school and this resulted in frequent tantrums. A moring meltdown puts me off for the rest of the day; who would want to start their day like that. I decided to try a visual schedule. She does not have ADHD or autism but, I was desperate for a drama free moring and thought, what could it hurt? So I took my new found Canva skills and created the schedule. I included cute pictures and the opportunity for flexibility.
The difference has been incredible. She absolutely loves it and refers to it almost every day. Even on on non school days, she will refer to it to give her structure to how she should get ready in the morning. Sometimes it’s a game and we go “backwards”. We don’t strictly keep to the time; it took some time for her to understand it’s helpful but, not mandatory.
I started thinking about physicains with ( and honestly without) ADHD. For many it’s hard to get out the door in time. Morning becomes a blur of events that ultimately end with a rush out the door late to work, school or an event. The idea of a sticking to a routine seems as fantastical as finding the golden ticket. What physicians with ADHD often don’t see is the places in their lives they already created routines. For example, the typical patient encouter is a routine. Greet the patient, get a history, do an exam, have a dissicution about your findings and the plan. That’s the routine. There aren’t many choices or opportunities for distractions so these tend to go smoothly. There isn’t much variability in the order for a patient visit. It’s hard to create a plan before you have taken the history.
In the morning there are so many things to do with an endless number of options. Do, I have breakfast or take a shower? Should I get dressed before I brush my teeth or after? I got a notification on my phone, I should check that, it could be work related. No, it’s just a coupon for 50% of today, let me take a look maybe I can get a great deal.
It’s no wonder it’s hard to get out the door in time. A visual schedule could really help. One that shows you what is your preferred order for getting ready in the morning. An idea ( and realistic) time frame for how long each task should take. Flexibility build in: Ten minutes to make sure there are no filed trip or class photo papers to be signed. 15 minutes to check your notifications and answer any pressing messages.
It doesn’t have to be fancy ( no Canva skills necessary). Yes, it has to be written out. So your brain has something visual to refer to. You don’t have to have the time specified. For some sticking to a specific time becomes stressful; try it without. I do recommend a general start and “get out the door time”. Otherwise, all you need is the order in which you do things. Give it a try, let me know how it goes.