ADHD? These Lifestyle Changes will Help

If you’re struggling with ADHD, some tasks can feel impossible. Going through life seeing neurotypical people being able to complete these same impossible tasks with ease can be a major blow to self-confidence.

Over time, it can lead to feelings of worthlessness and increases your risk of developing mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

While researchers are still unable to point to a single sure of the exact cause of ADHD, they do know that it’s related to genetics as well as nutrition, environment, and brain anatomy. 

Step one in managing ADHD is to NOT WAIT for that elusive doctor’s appointment to get an official diagnosis or a prescription for your struggle. By immediately taking charge with simple lifestyle changes, you can make a measurable difference in your ability to navigate life more successfully.

Understanding how ADHD may be affecting other members of your family is a good place to start.  With respect to this genetic link, speaking with family members about their own possible struggles in the area, may help to give you additional insights immediately. They may have developed strategies or coping mechanisms over the years to help lessen symptoms. If they haven’t, this could be your opportunity to impart some wisdom or share ideas around the topic.

Nutrition

Eating well is an important facet of health. There is no specific diet that can cure all ADHD ailments, but in general, eating healthy foods can give you up to a 40 per cent decrease in symptoms. 

Before taking any supplements, it’s always a good idea to get some bloodwork done either through your GP or a walk-in clinic. This way you may discover which vitamins, minerals and nutrients may be lacking and in turn, which supplements are worth spending your money on.

Physical Activity

I know – physical activity seems to be a recommendation for EVERYTHING. But there is a reason for it; movement and physical activity is absolutely essential to health, with or without ADHD. 

Insider Tip: Move your workout outside to get in extra sunshine and vitamin D! Touching grass does wonders for mental health and happiness.

Every year we become more and more sedentary as a society as our values and technology continue to change and develop. As this shift happens, it becomes more and more important to make time during the day to get in exercise. It is said that we should be moving at least once an hour. Set an alarm if you have to. Most phones now have apps to make this easy.

“Scientists have found that moderate to intense exercise actually provokes changes in many of the same neurochemicals and brain structures as popular prescription ADHD medications,” Michael Laura, MD, wrote. 

When creating an exercise schedule, it’s important to work with your ADHD so you don’t get bored and stop exercising. 

• Structure. Vaguely planned workouts (i.e. upper body day, lower body day, full body day) that are part of a daily routine and are done alone or with body doubling with a friend. 
• Variety. Incorporate a variety of functional movements (squats, lunges, deadlifts, push ups, etc.) and change up the type of workout (resistance training, cardio, etc.).
• Novelty. Don’t keep recycling a few of the same planned workouts. Try adding new movements to keep it fresh and interesting.
• Short-term goals. Create a clear, achievable goal that you can work towards and finish relatively quickly (i.e. you can bicep curl 10 pounds; your goal is to bicep curl 15 pounds).

Reward Yourself

Positive reinforcement is a major motivator for people with ADHD. Since the activity itself often won’t release that longed-for dopamine, the reward is what makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something. 

Your reward should depend on how hard the task was for you (YOU, not anyone else). If it was a task you’ve been putting off forever, even if completing it only took five minutes, give yourself a big reward! 

Should I Stick to a Routine?

I’ve often found myself having deep conversations with my friends about mental health. One of my friends, who has known she has ADHD since childhood, has shared a lot about her inability to stick to a routine despite repeated reminders from family and friends.

One of the biggest issues with sticking to a routine is that an ADHD brain has a low tolerance for feeling bored. It craves that dopamine hit. If you follow the same schedule day after day, it will get boring and repetitive, which is not ideal for following it long-term.

To combat this boredom, you can try to make changes to your routine. For example, my friend has a certain number of times she should shower throughout the week but doesn’t set specific days that she has to shower.

This way, when she feels the urge to shower, she gets up and does it, but doesn’t feel bad about herself on days where she’s too tired or the thought doesn’t occur. 

While having a routine that you consistently adjust may be beneficial for some people, it’s not a universal fix. The reality is you cannot force an ADHD brain to not have ADHD and not all neurodivergent brains are the same. 

Getting Things Done

If a routine doesn’t work for you, there are other options to make sure you get things done. You can make a to-do list for the day with a vague timeframe in which to complete the particular task. Don’t schedule every minute of the day – you won’t stick to it and you’ll feel bad about it.

With a to-do list you might not get everything done and that’s ok. A strength of the ADHD brain is hyperfocus – the ability to intensely concentrate on a given task. Do you tend to procrastinate until the very last minute but then devotedly finish the task in record time? You’re likely hyperfocusing. 

The experience of ADHD will vary from person to person, which means coping mechanisms have to change too. Try out different methods to find what works well for you. 

But when possible, don’t fight the chaos. Instead, learn how to make the chaos work for you. For example, if you want to cook but have no motivation, you can try a quick run to the grocery store. 

It’s about creating a meaningful flow. For my friend she shops and then puts away her groceries. Since she’s thinking about food, her brain is coming up with meal ideas that she wants to try and she starts cooking without thinking much about it.

Additional Resources

Though we’d love to have all the answers, we don’t. Here are a few great resources to learn more about how to manage your ADHD in various parts of your life. 

The Health Insider would love to hear from you! What strategies do you use in your own life to make your ADHD work for you? Any great resources that we should add to the list? Email us at: info@thehealthinsider.ca and help fellow neurodivergents thrive.

The information provided on TheHealthInsider.ca is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. TheHealthInsider.ca advises consulting a medical professional or healthcare provider when seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.