We all know that a good diet and plenty of exercise are the winning combination for peak physical health.
And yet those two habits are just the beginning of a lifelong wellness journey. It takes much more to create a balanced, happy life.
Those with ADHD can experience especially high stress levels, not only from the rapid-fire thought patterns that define their brain type, but also because of the psychological and emotional difficulties of being labeled as “disordered” and treated differently.
A Solid Team and a Tailored Treatment Plan.
At the bare minimum I recommend having a good physician with ADHD experience and an ADHD coach on your team. The doctor will tend to your physical health and your body chemistry. The ADHD coach will tend to your soul, heart, spirit, and mind. Together, this support system will help you focus your powerful brain, stay organized, get over any unresolved pain from your past and make the most of your future. The best part is that the strategies and treatments will be tailored to your needs, personality and lifestyle. In some cases, additional support may be needed from therapists, alternative healing specialists, spiritual leaders, athletic trainers, and so on.
Some people might have a negative knee-jerk reaction to this suggestion of creating a roster of experts to cater to your health, but you should take it seriously. Even in the last 10 years the advances in ADHD treatment have been incredible. Most important, in my opinion, is the movement away from all of the negative “disorder” stereotyping about this brain type, and the common sense realization that ADHD brains have amazing assets, which are worth maximizing!
Enlisting a great physician and an ADHD coach, and possibly other specialists, will ensure that your body stays fit, that your family and romantic relationships become more satisfying, that you not only keep your job but rise to the top at work. You deserve to make life easier for yourself by creating a strong safety net. Because learning the hard way is…hard!
A Habit of Mindfulness.
I’m betting that your brain is one of the most interesting things about you – and I hope you agree. Sometimes all of the stigma and drama that comes from ADHD can get in the way of appreciating your powerful mind, and in a way can even make you detached from it. How often do you set aside time to let your mind play, or to let you super-powered thoughts run free? Instead you probably spend most of your hours trying to rein your mind in.
Mindfulness is a bit of a buzzword right now, and it there is a great deal to say about it, but at the heart it means trusting your brain power and listening to it. I hardly need to tell you, but your mind is constantly running, trying to solve problems, wondering about things, observing the world around you, drawing conclusions and making connections. Mindfulness means tapping into that power.
To take advantage of those insights, you need to cultivate a habit of checking in with yourself. When that small inner voice encourages you or warns you, listen to it. When you get a hunch, follow it.
Regular readers of this blog will know how important I think meditation is, especially for people with this brain type. This five-minute-a-day ritual is the perfect way to turn off the outside world and its noise so you can focus on your inner self, feelings, thoughts and dreams. Read more about learning to meditate here. Start with an early AM or later PM 5 minute practice and watch it grow!
Active and Social Hobbies.
Life is better when you work towards goals. This is at the heart of the values, purpose, Why those three things? Because we tend to get more out of an experience when it’s shared to others. We’re also more likely to stick with something when others are depending on us. Because, as noted at the start of this article, achieving a healthy lifestyle is basically impossible without physical fitness. This is especially true for ADHD’ers, as it has been proven over and over again that our minds perform better when our bodies are in top shape. And because a hobby, sport, game or craft that requires critical thinking, imagination, strategy and other skills will make your super-problem-solver mind so happy! Check out sites like MeetUp.com for open-to-all activities in your area life softball teams, community theater, hiking, and even childhood throwbacks like kickball games.vision, mission sequence I demonstrate in my ADHD seminars. One such way to make your life richer is with a hobby. Better yet, check off a bunch of the long-and-satisfying-life check-boxes by choosing a hobby that involves a group or a team, requires physical fitness, and also challenges your mind by requiring skill.
Moderation.
It’s no secret that many ADHD’ers experiment with various substances, particularly drugs and alcohol, to get a break from their racing minds and to calm their social anxieties. It’s also no secret that ADHD behavior can go from experimental to addictive frighteningly fast. Even an activity as harmless as eating a snack can lead to absent-minded overeating – a dangerous habit in and of itself.
As noted in this Forbes article about the common traits of people who live to be over 100, moderation is essential. Knowing your limits, sticking to your personal rules of consumption, being able to make yourself stop when you need to – these are important behaviors to learn. To get your habit of moderation under control, reach out to your ADHD coach, physician, or famously helpful groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous .
Pets.
Consider this last tip a bonus: get a pet. Decades of research have shown that adding a furry friend to your household will make your life better. They offer judgment-free companionship and unconditional love. They will always make you laugh. Even on your darkest days, feeding and caring for your pet will give you a sense of accomplishment and purpose. For ADHD’ers in particular, your dog might be the only one in your family who can keep up with your energy level! Better yet, choose a rescue animal from a shelter and you’ll get double the good karma points.
