Here are five easy ways to stay on top of things.

• Invest in a day calendar that has a large enough space for each day so you can keep track of various and sundry details. Break it up into home, work, and personal time, and put notes, tips, and reminders under each category. Use it to jot down everything from doctor's appointments and important phone numbers to reactions to medications, stress-busting strategies, and work deadlines.

• Use a diary as a companion to your day calendar. Keeping a diary or day journal is a great way to relieve stress, rant and rave, and record private thoughts and emotions you may not be comfortable discussing with others. Once you write something down, it's not only off your chest, but it also helps you look at the thoughts or actions more objectively. Because remembering things may not be your forte, a journal can also help you stay on top of important dates and occasions.

• Create a medications journal to record when, why, and how your adult ADHD symptoms wax and wane, your reactions to new medications or changes in dosages, how various treatments make you feel, and which treatments work and don't work for you. This will help you take medications as directed. Missing a dose or taking two doses at once to catch up on missed doses can have negative consequences for you and others. If you are noticing side effects or other problems, speak to your health care provider as soon as possible.

• Make a daily “mood” chart with categories for exercise, hours of sunshine, sleep, nutrition, and stress relief. Rate your mood on a scale of one to ten, then engage in activities designed to increase relaxation and happiness, giving yourself a check for 30 minutes of daily exercise, 30 minutes of sunshine, seven hours of sleep, a healthy diet low in sugar and carbohydrates, and stress-reducing activities like yoga or meditation.

• Become a list master. Make lists of daily tasks you need to achieve, and then strike them off as you complete them to achieve a sense of accomplishment. Create lists for routine tasks like grocery shopping and errands so you don't arrive home from shopping with only half of the things you needed. If you have a busy day at work, list everything you need to do in chronological order. This will help you correct scheduling errors before they occur. If you're seeing your doctor, make a list of questions to ask him as well as lists of other relevant information, such as medications you take and their dosages.