Now That You Know, You Can Do Something About It
ADHD is not a cop out. It is clarity, understanding, relief for those of us who have struggle so much with the simple mundane parts of life.
Remember the old job interview questions: “What would you say is your biggest strength? What is your biggest weakness?” Your job was to convey that you were a go-getter as well as demonstrate some spec of self-awareness.
Knowing that your brain functions differently than other “normal” brains in certain circumstances is an f***ing STRENGTH.
Now that you KNOW, you can start to become hyper-aware of your peak performance times and when you’re tired and need to rest in order to prevent burn out or upset at home or with your loved ones.
Nothing is Wrong with You
Now that you know that nothing is wrong with you, you can accept that you are smart; you are driven, focused and a productive human being. You provide valuable insights, you are creative, think outside of the box.
Nevermind that you forget where you put your coffee cup so you go get another one to stay in the flow only for your partner at home to find coffee cups all over the house. Ha! Ha! Now you can laugh at theses silly things that used to get you down. No more!
Yes still do your best to hold on the same cup through your day but you get the point. Give yourself some compassion and kindness. You deserve it.
On a positive note, the rest of the world is doing a pretty good job of recognizing that people’s brains operate differently and the idea of normalcy is changing. Happy dance! Thank you neurodiversity.
You can achieve your goals in the way that best suits YOU. It is now your prerogative to learn how to stimulate and activate your brain in a way that excites you on a daily basis.
You also recognize that you can get overwhelmed and when you need down time to recoup. When your muscles are sore, it’s good to take a salt bath, stretch, drink water, do some active recovery like walking, swimming, yoga, or whatever floats your boat. You don’t bash yourself for being sore.
On the contrary when a person is sore from a good work out they tend to be proud and reminded that they did the work. This is how it should be when it comes your brain as well. It needs breaks and time to recharge so that it can operate optimally.
A Diagnosis is Not Your Destiny
An ADHD diagnosis is a lens that allows you to see deeper, more clearly, beyond the external:
- Messiness
- Forgetfulness
- “Rudeness”
- Disorientation
- Lack of follow-through
- Inability to keep your mouth shut
If you know that these areas are a struggle, then you can strengthen them. You can choose to create a system that works WITH your diagnosis instead of against yourself by incorporating habits that elevate you as a human being.
Optimize Your Brain
An ADHD brain is a busy brain in many cases. There are seven different subtypes of ADHD according to Dr. Daniel Amen. Here’s his book or the Rich Roll podcast where I found him.
- Journaling is a great tool to remind yourself of what goals you’re working towards achieving & what’s important in your life.
- Meditation quiets the mind; it presses pause on the mental chatter. It’s your daily reboot or mental shower. Just like you bathe and brush your teeth every day, it’s good to take out the mental garbage.
- Walking lifts moods, calms the nervous system and stabilizes moods (1).
