Stop missing appointments!

I think my dentist is following me. Over the past year, I have noticed an increase in your efforts to remind me of my appointments.

In the old days I would get a postcard two weeks before the date reminding me of the day and time. I really appreciated this, as most of my dental appointments were made six months later, when in reality I had no idea what I would be doing at the time. Then came the reminder phone calls about two days earlier. More recently this has progressed to also include multiple emails and a text asking me to press reply to confirm that I will be there.

All good as far as I’m concerned and since I have a business struggling to find ways to remind clients of appointments, I have to appreciate your persistence. Which made me think of all the other educated and conscientious people who would never miss a date on purpose (in other words, most of the people I know with ADHD) … just to read a text message or pick up a phone it sounds to hear that they are an hour late for their dental cleaning at 2 o’clock.

So if you, like other people with ADHD, feel nervous about showing your face at your dentist or doctor’s office, just in case they have put you on their “naughty list” and charged you fees for “no Meet “for all those forgotten appointments, here are some tips to help you schedule, remember and get to your appointments.

Why is it so difficult to keep appointments?

The point is, making and getting to appointments tops the list of challenges for many people with ADHD. In fact, it ranks right up there with ADHD challenges like procrastination, organizing, and handling paperwork.

The characteristic challenges of ADHD are forgetfulness, lack of awareness of time, trouble planning, and distraction. So making appointments and then forgetting to keep them comes naturally to someone with ADHD.

More than putting it on the calendar

It would seem that going on a date involves simply doing it. The truth is far from that. Making and keeping appointments involves a multi-step system that has the potential to be broken at any time. Think about it. The first step is just to schedule the appointment.

Make the appointment and record it in your planning system

Are you still with me? For many, the appointment is made, but not recorded, reducing the chances of getting to the appointment to about 25%. It’s really this missed second step that undermines most people’s chances of ever getting to the appointment. Despite our sincere intention to remember to write it later on our agenda telling ourselves we won’t forget it, innate challenges with memory and ADHD don’t make it easy.

Do this to remember to do them

Get in the habit of recording your appointments when you make them. This could be writing it on your agenda or writing it on your smartphone. Either create a text message or take a photo of the appointment card the receptionist gives you and send it to yourself. Also, you can also ask if they can give you a reminder call. Most places are happy to do so, especially if you have missed one or more appointments in the past. Don’t leave the office without doing at least one of these!

If you’ve made and recorded the appointment, congratulations, you now have a 50/50 chance of showing up on the correct day and time. But due to natural challenges, we may not remember to check our calendar for that appointment. So the next important step is to set a reminder on the day of the appointment as well.

Do this to remember to keep them

Set a reminder (preferably several) for the day of the appointment at that time. Try using the many alarms and timers on your iPhone or watch. To make this even more effective, try using a one-time alarm to remind you of appointments and set it to remind you a week before, a day before, a day and an hour before the appointment to go off. If you want to increase your chances of making that appointment by 75%, use the vibration alarm too!

You’re almost there … you’ve made the appointment, recorded it, set alarms to remind you, but there is still another step: arrive on time.

Do this to schedule the appointment in a timely manner

Estimate in advance how long it will take you to get to that appointment. Consider things like getting out of the house, traffic, parking, and even slow elevators. When you’ve estimated how long it will take, multiply that by two. Yes, multiplied by two. It is more common to underestimate the time it takes to get somewhere, eliminating the guesswork. If you’re worried about getting bored if you arrive too early, bring a book or something else to keep yourself busy. Or, like me, sit back and enjoy catching up on all those gossip magazines you never have time to read.

The idea of ​​making and going to appointments may seem like a trivial matter to most people, but for someone with ADHD, it can be a real problem. Missing an appointment can also be the beginning of a downward spiral that eventually leads to chaos, overwhelming us, and not caring for ourselves. However, it is a problem that can be solved, as long as you establish some habits and systems.

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