I no longer wanted to just survive with ADHD, I wanted to THRIVE! If I knew now what I knew in my 20s, I might not have suffered so much and wasted so much time.
So being able to share this information with a younger age group will hopefully help younger generations implement strategies earlier in their lives that will help them thrive at everything they do.
There’s no doubt that the symptoms of ADHD affect almost every facet of our lives which can be frustrating and debilitating. And although living with ADHD can be a daunting experience, it doesn’t have to be.
It’s taken me many years to hone my strategies, getting rid of the ones that don’t work, and keeping and refining the ones that do. I truly believe that we are all capable of greatness by working on our strengths and repeating the same activity over and over again until it sticks. I’ve worked with many individuals with ADHD over my career and having ADHD myself gives a unique perspective into the condition and how it affects us in the different areas of our lives.
So let’s break it down into manageable chunks of the strategies that have helped transform my life and will hopefully help others to do the same:
Exercise helps us thrive
If you have read my eBook on ‘ADHD without Meds’ you will be familiar with me talking about the importance of exercise for a number of reasons. Exercise helps our symptoms in many different ways. Any form of exercise is beneficial to our health and well-being but it also helps those of us with ADHD in different ways. It also doesn’t have to be complicated and can be as simple as doing a short walk every day and building this up over time.
My main purpose for doing regular exercise is to help me regulate my energy and my emotions. Through regular exercise, I’ve managed to down-regulate my internal and external hyperactivity which helps me feel less hyperactive and less overwhelmed.
Physical activity has been demonstrated to boost dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is vital for attention, motivation, and processing rewards. Those of us with ADHD often have decreased dopamine levels, so engaging in activities that enhance dopamine release, such as exercise, can aid in enhancing focus and attention.
Here are some ways we can increase our dopamine levels naturally:
supplements to help us thrive naturally
I’m always wanting to improve my health and although I am nowhere near perfect, I try different things until something works. I’m a lot more conscious these days about what I’m putting into my body so I do a lot of research on a topic before trying something and if I’m happy with what I find, I give it a go. I encourage others to do their own research on everything prior to trying something. It’s a good habit to get into especially when it comes to our health and what goes in our bodies.
The eBook I wrote ‘Thriving with ADHD’ goes into more depth about what supplements I take to reduce my symptoms and get the most our of my life.
The majority of the things I take are under the supervision of a naturopath. I recommend seeking advice on this topic because we are all different and have different health issues. And certainly don’t stop taking any medication without seeking medical advice first.
what we consume helps us either thrive or survive
What we consume, whether it’s food, material things, or even what we watch for entertainment, affects our mood and body. What we consume affects every facet of our lives and although we may not realise it, it can have a massive impact on our overall health and wellness.
Check out the following graphic for some ideas on how our environment impacts our ADHD symptoms:
food and drinks
Our bodies are always trying to achieve balance so keeping this in check with what we eat and drink needs to be a main priority. Yes, we can have our treats but just not every day. My diet now consists of about 95% clean ingredients meaning I eat mainly a whole-food diet which is food that isn’t processed. Prior to this, my diet consisted mainly of processed food and drinks and I was sick, really sick. Now if I do have something processed, it’s only on the odd occasion and my body can handle it. I no longer get eczema all over my hands or have a scalp full of dry skin because I cleaned up what I was consuming. I not only look better, but on the inside, I am better!
material things
If you’ve read any of my other stuff you will know I lead a very minimalistic life. My life now focuses on what each product will do for me. I ask myself this every time I buy something. How is it going to help me? How is it going to improve my physical, mental, or emotional health? Once I’ve got the answer to this, I then make a decision to buy or not to buy.
If we want to start thriving, we have to start with our current environment. Start by getting rid of anything you don’t need. Don’t shove it in the cupboard; donate it or chuck it out!
entertainment
Everything we listen to, watch and read leaves an impression on us whether we know it or not. If you’re aware of subliminal advertising, you’ll understand that just a quick visual of something can put an idea or thought in your head.
Some things can be harmless but some can actually make us feel worse. I’ve never been into watching extreme violence or horror films because they make me feel on edge and leave me feeling like crap.
Do a little test on yourself. Monitor how you feel after watching certain genres. Do you feel empowered or disempowered? Do you feel uplifted or deflated?
If you’re a gamer, it could be time to ditch this time-wasting habit. It’s highly addictive and very unattractive. If you think you have a problem with social media, e.g. spend too much time on it or it makes you feel bad about yourself, consider reducing your time on it by putting limits on your apps through your phone, or even deleting certain apps.
Try putting the time you free up into a creative project or investigating a new skill you want to learn. This helps our brain by reducing the excess stimulation we don’t need plus helps new neural networks form when we learn something new.
resilience supports us to thrive in any conditions
What is resilience and why is it so important? When there’s a lot of crap going on in the world and it feels like the world has gone stark raving mad at times, being able to overcome challenges is a must. But how do we navigate through what seems to be a cesspit of shite, and get through daily challenges, all while maintaining good physical and mental health? A coordinated approach to picking ourselves back up when times get tough, plus a whole heap of self-awareness, seems appropriate here.
Here are my top tips for being more resilient:
- practice gratitude
- focus your energy on what you want
- learn from past experiences but don’t dwell on them
- develop an awareness of your strengths and weaknesses
- get to know yourself – take the time to do this
- get comfortable with being uncomfortable – nothing great ever came from a comfort zone
- commit to being resilient – don’t put up with any bullshit
- see adversity as an adventure
- create goals or intentions no matter how small
- view challenges as roadblocks
- focus on solutions rather than problems
avoid toxins if you want to thrive
Our environment is literally dripping in toxins these days making it hard to avoid them completely. But there are things we can do to minimise our exposure to environmental toxins. This includes the food we eat, the drinks we consume, the people we are around, and the situations we find ourselves in.
food and drink
When buying food in packets, aim to buy food that has the fewest amount of ingredients possible. For example, when I buy chips (which is not very often), they contain 3 ingredients with no additives or preservatives. These bags of chips are not cheap for this reason. They probably cost 2 to 3 times the amount but in order to avoid the toxic stuff, sometimes we have to pay more. In a way, this is good because it also helps us to eat less of these ‘sometimes’ foods. Keep them as treats for this reason.
people
This may sound a bit harsh but people in our current environment can be very toxic for us. This could be from a relationship, a friendship, a family member, or a work colleague. We need to think really hard about how toxic relationships can affect our health and whether we thrive or just survive.
Be very wary of individuals who call you names and say they are ‘pet’ names. This can have a profound impact on how we feel about ourselves while the other person has a cover for this emotional abuse by saying they are only joking. I can tell you one thing now, this is not love. We don’t call the people we love derogatory names, even if we say we are just joking! Don’t do it! It’s not cool. Pet names are a way of making you feel like shit under the disguise of humour while the person calling the names gets to feel a sense of power over you. Exercise caution!
pesticides
Have you ever seen media images of people spraying pesticides on crops? What are they wearing? Why are they wearing hazmat suits? Because what they are spraying on our food kills shi*. If that can kill little bugs and insects, can it kill us? Hmmmmm??? If I can buy certified organic, I will. It’s for this reason alone.
Everything we eat has an impact somewhere in the body. We just don’t feel the result of that impact straight away. That’s why it’s really important to minimise the chemical load, in order to minimise the harm that may occur later on. From what I’ve learned, it takes years for a disease to manifest unless you have done something drastic to cause it to occur quickly.
situations
Just like toxic people, toxic situations can have a massive negative effect on our health, particularly our mental health. Everyone’s heard of workplace bullying and I think individuals with ADHD may be at more risk of this kind of thing due to the fact we like to people please and are often perfectionists. I used to be both of these but now I look after myself first.
Remember, your mental health and happiness should never be sacrificed for a paycheque. Finding a workplace that values and respects you is paramount for long-term fulfilment and success.
body
Toxins are all around us and in order for our body and brain to be working to the best of its ability, we can’t confuse it. Our bodies have enough to cope with without us giving them extra work to do. This is why reducing the chemical load on our bodies is so important. This includes what goes on our skin through our personal care products.
Read the eBook to see what personal care products I’ve switched to over the years that are better for my body and brain.
nutrition
So I’m not going to bang on about what to eat here because this is covered in my ‘ADHD and Food’ eBook which I strongly recommend buying as it covers what foods to specifically avoid to reduce our symptoms. I sell it in my Etsy store and the cover looks like this:
Read the blog post to find out more:
keep your life simple to thrive with adhd
A simple life doesn’t have to mean a boring life. I travel, I go out to concerts and events, and I have a lot of fun. The difference is, that I don’t do it every day and save these things now for special occasions. This way, they are still a treat so I enjoy them even more and look forward to them. When I don’t go out as much I am calmer overall.
There are ways to live a simpler life with ADHD. Being honest with ourselves about how we live, the choices we make, and how we spend our time and money, is a good place to start. Some of these choices can be easy, while others are hard. Learning to evaluate change and then preserver, can be challenging but a process worth starting.
Check out some ways to simplify your life:
routines help us thrive with adhd
I pretty much stick to the same routine every day to keep things simple and predictable. This includes the weekends. I try to go to bed at the same time (obviously this is more difficult if I go out) but generally sticking to the same things, helps me feel calm, keep fit, have better sleep, and still have time for the things I love. I get the most out of life and try not to waste any time because I truly feel that life is for living and thriving, not just surviving.
my top tips for building routines
- routines take time to establish and to stick
- keep trying
- remember it can take around 66 days to build an automatic habit so keep this in mind before you give up
- we feel a lot better when we stick to routines – they are familiar & they help us stay consistent in our strategies
- have an open mind when trying new things like meditation or breath work – just give things a go without judgement
- give binaural beats a go for your evening wind down but also to pick you up in the morning – this has transformed me & aided in my feeling calm & less overwhelmed with life
- try adding 1 thing to your daily routine & stick with it for over 60 days
- swap out one poor coping mechanism for a positive way to cope
- add 1 form of exercise into your daily routine even if it’s just a short 5-minute walk around the block
- prioritise your self-care each day – build in 1 activity of looking after yourself that you will do each day to care for YOUR well-being – physical, emotional, mental, & spiritual health
- undercommit to activities or events if you feel you are becoming overwhelmed
- while we might not be able to do the exact same things each day, try to stick to at least 90% of your daily routine – you will feel better & calmer overall
- try to keep your weekend routine the same as your weekday one – especially for sleep – go to bed & get up at roughly the same times
bottom line
ADHD is a frustrating condition and everyone’s experience with ADHD is unique. We’re all living in different situations and environments, so it may be helpful to experiment with different strategies to find what works best for individual preferences and needs. I’m not a doctor so please don’t take what works for me as medical advice.
We learn by repetition so keep trying and continue to tweak the strategies you develop. It’s taken me years to hone my strategies and it’s still ongoing. Not giving up is key!
And, this is why sharing our knowledge helps everyone. I’m constantly learning and when I learn something new, I want to share it because it might just help someone else improve their life. I guess that’s the teacher in me :-). But I’m also a massive advocate for doing your own research and learning things by ourselves. This helps the new knowledge to sink in more. Take charge of your own learning.
I wish you every bit of success with the strategies you implement. We don’t have to just survive, we can THRIVE! Good luck and focus on your strengths!
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