Having ADHD or handling someone with ADHD can be quite intimidating. ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can make an individual impulsive, hyperactive, inattentive and impatient. This can make it very difficult to organize different things in life. But there are several short and long term strategies that can help you live a fuller life with ADHD, in fact, they can help you use ADHD to your benefits. All you need to do is to stop wishing that you never had ADHD and start afresh with hopes and optimism. These strategies will require some simple but important lifestyle changes that will enable you to live a fuller and better life with ADHD.
Eating right
Many kids and even adults with ADHD don’t give much importance to eating right. But research shows that people with ADHD who eat the right type and right quantity of food, experience a subsiding of the symptoms than those who don’t. So, make some lifestyle changes and start eating more fruits and vegetables. Instead of going for products with fats, go for foods that provide you vitamins and proteins. Eat fresh fruits rather than packaged fruit juices as packaged products contain high amounts of sugar which can provide you an upsurge of energy making you hyperactive and impulsive. Similarly, opt for whole grains that provide you complex carbohydrates because this will give you adequate energy at different periods of time instead of making you feel hyperactive in bouts. Avoid eating fried foods, junk food and ‘white’ products like white pasta or white bread. This long term strategy would surely give you the ability to lead a fuller life and you will see results in a few days.
ADHD medication
For adults who face trouble in their personal, social or occupational functioning due to ADHD, medication is an option that can ease their troubles. Although, ADHD medication is not the sole solution for this condition, yet it can provide you certain benefits and relieve symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention. But you would need to give an honest try to the medications, because it takes a while to find the perfect ADHD medication and its perfect dose. Also, never self prescribe a medicine just because you read about it on the Internet or a magazine. Instead, consult a psychiatrist or a medical professional to know which medication you must try. You will need to understand any possible side effects of the medication and take necessary precautions to avoid these side effects.
Coaching
Medications can provide you partial relief from the symptoms, but they aren’t the complete solution. Besides, medication doesn’t teach you the skills to cope with ADHD and lead a fuller life. So, opt for an ADHD coaching program that can help you learn about the practical ways to manage ADHD more effectively. These programs will help you understand the challenges and encourage you to use your ADHD strengths for maximum benefits. These programs require simple but effective lifestyle changes for long term skill development which will enable you to manage impulse and distraction, manage time, personalize strategies, deal with emotional state, improve self confidence. The programs will also help you realize your goals and encourage you to avoid procrastination, and provide course correction by expanding your perception.
Be aware
Using ADHD to improve and enhance your capabilities is the best way to deal with this condition and lead a fuller life. Remember, ADHD can help you see and notice various things, even if you can’t concentrate on a single aspect fully. So, opt for a job or a career option that allows you to make note of different things rather than concentrate on one single aspect. Try a career that offers you more variety. For instance, a career in photography can be great for an ADHD individual because it gives him/her the opportunity to be aware of his surroundings and explore them without actually concentrating hard on a single element. Also, for an individual with ADHD, a career that requires more of a team work or a job that is not confined to an office is more appropriate than traditional job options. This strategy will require a major lifestyle change, but will surely provide you better ways to live your life in a more positive manner.
Nurture friendship
For an ADHD individual, it is difficult to make friends because of their impulsive and impatient nature. But you must remember that leading a fuller life requires presence of friends who can support you and help you deal with the emotional or occupational trouble related to ADHD. So, try to make friends. Use the knowledge and skills that you learn from coaching programs and apply them to listen to what other people have to say. This way you will make some friends and gain some acquaintances. Once this is done, you must talk to your friends about ADHD and help them know that if you behave in an impulsive manner then it is because of the disorder. Don’t feel ashamed. If you have trouble making friends then join an ADHD group that will allow you to discuss your feelings, apprehensions and issues with other people with ADHD. This long term strategy would aim at making some major lifestyle changes so that you incorporate coaching into real life.
Be creative
Remember, ADHD makes you more excited about different things than other people. So, use it to your advantage. The hyperactivity and excitement can make you more creative. Therefore, instead of just catching other people’s eye, try to use your excitement to induce novel thoughts or to have a wider imagination. Researches suggest that over half of the people suffering from ADHD have a special talent like singing, acting, music, writing or architecture. So, develop your capabilities. Be motivated. Remember, a lot of famous people have ADHD which has enabled them to become who they are. This list includes singers like Adam Levine, actors like Jim Carey, musicians like Mozart and authors like Edgar Allan Poe. Make some lifestyle changes and devote some time to creative thinking. This will help you maximize your potential and enable you to live a more fulfilling life.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Simply knowing about the coping strategies cannot help you live a fuller life with ADHD. You need to go for relevant therapy to deal with this condition. Therefore, visiting a professional, standardized therapist for treatment can be a great strategy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of psychological treatment that allows you to uncover, understand and deal with ADHD. You may feel weak and bad about going to a therapist. But the truth is that therapy will give you strength and courage to face the situation. The therapist will help you reach your inner self and present to you the coping strategies to deal with the condition. All you need to do is to find some therapy time each week for a few months to begin feeling much better about yourself.
Exercise
Exercising is one of the best strategies to deal with ADHD. This is because exercise boost three neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, non-epinephrine that control some major activities of your brain. Therefore, exercise will not only deal with the stress of having ADHD, but will also empower you to deal with the anxiety associated with this condition. Moreover, exercise can help in draining out all the extra energies that you have that force you to be hyperactive. This will ensure that you feel drained out by the end of the day and don’t appear too very active. Exercising will also keep you fit and work as a sleep aid. So, introduce exercise as a long term change in your lifestyle and notice the difference within a matter of days.
Meditation
Have you ever wondered how your brain races like a sports car due to ADHD? Well, if yes, then you need to know that your brain too needs pit stops so that it can tune itself, rest and stop itself from burning out. This can be done by meditating. So, involve yourself in to positive and active meditation by involving all your senses in it, including your body and breath, so that you can start to concentrate on each of the elements that make you a person. Meditation will not only make you feel ‘chilled out’, but it will also control your impulsive self and help you become more attentive and less distracted. Try yoga, Qigong or tai chi for maximum benefits. Start with devoting 5 minutes a day to mediation and then slowly work up to 20 minutes. This strategy will show its effect within a few days.
Get a planner
Organizing can be a tough task for an individual suffering from ADHD. So, buy yourself a planner to keep a track of what you need to do and when you need to do it. It will also help you remember things and keep a note of how you have organized your stuff. Just be focused about carrying that planner with you all the time and not losing it ever. Also, you can get professional help. If you are a businessman, then a professional organizer can work wonders for you by knowing about ADHD, by organizing everything including bookshelves to cleaning services. Although, you will have to spend some money to employ these professional organizers, but it will be worth it for all the time you will save as you won’t have to organize everything yourself. This strategy can simply help you live a fuller and calmer life.
Reward yourself
Every individual is controlled by the outcome of situations. For instance, if an individual feels that hard work will get him a promotion, then he will work hard for it, but won’t put in much effort if he knows that he will get no reward. The same thing works for ADHD. Impulsive and hyperactive actions can be controlled by rewarding or punishing yourself for your actions. For instance, if you have to complete an assignment by next week and you do it before the time without any distractions, then you must reward yourself by going out to a restaurant for a treat, but if you aren’t able to complete your task then you must reinforce discipline by taking away something, like not surfing social networking sites for a week. The reward and negative reinforcement should depend upon things you love and what you would like as a reward. This strategy can work very well because a positive outcome would prompt you to be attentive and non-impulsive. This can help you to lead a fuller and better life with ADHD.
