Having an off day? With ADHD it can happen easily.

Are you having an off day where nothing seems to come easily?  Are you finding hared to stay on track or focus on your work even though you've taken your medication?  Do you feel like you're running with lead weights on your ankles? Everyone has an off day from time to time, and for most of people no harm is really done.  You simply say to yourself that it's one day and you'll be back at it tomorrow.  For people with ADHD an off day is a little more complex.

Prior to getting diagnosed you may have felt like every day was an off day, and you had a few really good days sprinkled in.  Once you got the diagnosis though, you could clearly feel the differences made by some of the new strategies you began employing (medication, exercise, better rest, organization, etc.).  So when you have an off day it can feel like a really off day.  You may be struggling to get things done and also getting very frustrated with yourself.  There's a lot that can happen to throw us off our game, and with ADHD it can really be fairly easy to set yourself up for a bad day.  Here are a few red flags to watch out for:

1. Lack of a restful full night's sleep.  The brain and the body need rest to recover and be prepared for the next day.  Not getting enough sleep, or sleeping poorly can really do a number on anyone.  If you have ADHD, you have trouble with focus, maintaining consistency in activities, and other areas of Executive functioning.  Anyone who is overtired has difficulty with this, so it's critical to ensure you're well rested if you have an innate tendency to struggle with Executive Functions anyway.
2. A break in the routine. It has been shown that structure is one of the best things for someone with ADHD.  If you have a plan in place for the week to go food shopping on Monday, and something disrupts that plan, the mind of the person with ADHD has a hard time regrouping and adjusting.  Worse still, once the structure of a plan has been disrupted, it can derail the whole planning process.
3. Changes in your environment. The human mind and body can be very sensitive to changes in the physical world around them, and it doesn't need to be a big change to have an impact.  Having a house guest can make life a little less routine for some, but for someone with ADHD it can really create a situation where distraction is the norm,  Other environmental factors could involve seasonal changes, new activities you or your family are involved in, new colleagues or responsibilities at work, and any other thing which introduces a new wrinkle to your day to day life.
4. Lack of a clear schedule or plan for the day. Do you have a day off and intend to get a lot done around the house?  If you have ADHD and you don't have a plan in place for the day you will not be getting much done.
5. Medication Management hasn't been done for a while.  When was the last time you met with your Doctor to discuss your medication?  have you been taking the same dose for a long time?  Is it still providing the same benefits as it used to?  If you're having a lot of off days, this may be an area to consider looking at.

Off days are inevitable, but they don't need to happen once or twice a week.  Be aware that you need to be proactive if you have ADHD to prevent off days.  Get plenty of rest, be aware of things happening in your daily life that can be disruptive, and make sure you have a plan and a back up plan for the day.  Finally, make an appointment to see your Doctor to discuss your medication if you haven't done that in a while.  Remember that a life is a series of days.  Make the most out of each day and you make the most out of life.