Tedium Management:Getting Things Done

Online VersionMay 13, 2013

Lew Mills, PhD, MFT

“Life [with ADHD] is as tedious as twice-told tale, vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man.”

- William Shakespeare

Plan for this Talk The primary cognitive liability for people with ADHD is in the

reduced capacity of their executive functioning. Having difficulty with planning, prioritizing, and tracking

makes it especially difficult to tackle what are here called “tedious” tasks.

Frequently the problems with tedious tasks are interpreted as time management problems or as procrastination. But I suggest that they should be addressed with strategies of “tedium management.”

Strategies are offered which can help you manage these tedious tasks when your executive functioning is not performing well. Understanding the categories of strategies also helps you

re-conceptualize the problem and come up with your own approaches to make these tasks more manageable.

Discussion and Questions - Where we make it all make sense!

What are “Tedium” and “Tedium Management”

• Tedium is NOT about: • Time Management• “Procrastination” in usual sense• Just Boredom or Laziness

• Relates to “Executive Function”

TEDIUM AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

Lew’s Sock Drawer: Medication makes it easier to find a matching pair of socks in the dark.

Tedium is Not: “Difficult”

“Boring”

Overwhelm of Executive Functioning“Wearisome”

Self-Regulation Fatigue

• Executive Function Can Be Exhausted– Ability to decide deteriorates with overuse– Self-Control runs out

• Physiology Can Support EF– As Simple as Having a Snack

Strategies

• Not the same old approaches…– …which don’t account for

Executive Function

• Useful to consider strategies in terms of why they work– Categorize them by the why

• Use categories to develop new strategies

Strategy Categories

1) Chunk It2) Roomba3) Find the Melody Line4) Change the Frame5) Offload Tedium6) Simplify

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