Overcoming ADHD and Disappointment
Disappointment goes hand in hand with expectation. And the catch is we all have expectations, making it easy to end up disappointed on any given day of the week. Disappointments can either be life-changing or something you forget about in a day.
You probably already know how to deal with disappointment. So instead of talking how to deal with disappointment, below, you will find eight ways to overcome it.
1. Turn the Emotional Tables on Disappointment
Disappointment can make you feel angry, sad and even depressed. Instead of letting it make you feel that way, you should use disappointment as an opportunity to grow as a person.
Think about the person or situation that caused your disappointment. Then put the causes of your disappointment into context. Should you really be disappointed? Is it that serious? Once you find an answer, you will find clarity.
Always make sure you brush the feeling of disappointment off your shoulders and do it fast. While you gain nothing from feeling disappointment, you can at least learn a lesson from it.
2. Write About Your Disappointment
Writing about your disappointment can feel relieving and help you move on with your life. All you have to do is get a journal and a pen, and write until you feel like stopping. A journal is non-judgmental.
While you can't always get someone to listen to you, a journal will always be there waiting for you, and only you, to fill its pages.
3. Don't Take It Personally
When we get disappointed, we sometimes think it's our fault. And maybe it is. But whether it is or isn't, you still shouldn't take it personally. So what if something didn't go the way you wanted it to? Most things in life don't, and that's okay. You can't control other people, but you can control the way you feel.
4. Examine the Source
While disappointment results from expectations, the source isn't always the same.
Often times someone we know disappoints us, like a co-worker or a loved one. If your disappointment relates to someone else's actions, it's an interpersonal issue. Talk to the other person about your disappointment.
However, if the person won't listen to you, then it's time for you to reconsider your expectations of that person, and maybe even remove them from your life.
5. Focus on the Positive
It's common to focus on the negative, especially when you are feeling disappointed. It's just as easy to focus on the positive, which is precisely what you should be doing.
Once you are disappointed, thinking about the negative can only make your disappointment worse. Likewise, if you choose to believe in something positive you will start feeling happier instantly.
Another way to think about it is like this: if you put two negatives together, you end up twice as negative. But if you put a positive and a negative together, you end up content. If you want to be happy and not disappointed, focus on the positive.
6. Stay Away From Disappointment Prone People
You are a reflection of the company you keep. The likes, dislikes, and habits of the people you associate with will eventually rub off on you, or at least influence you in some way.
If you go around someone who frequently complains, you will end up absorbing their disappointment. You will become a vacuum that sucks up all their negativity, which will, in turn, make you more likely to find yourself disappointed.
7. Keep Your Stress Levels Low
Disappointment is a reaction to something. Like all other reactions, disappointment can be major, minor or even subconscious. But if there are several things already stressing you out, one minor disappointment can result in a major reaction. That's why you want to keep your stress levels low.
As for how to do that, try exercising, meditation or yoga. Strengthen your social network and make new friends. Also, getting the proper amount of sleep you need is especially important in keeping stress levels low.
8. Lower Your Expectations
I have listed this last because you should never have to lower your expectations. Unfortunately, life isn't perfect. If there are things in your life continually disappointing you, it might be because your expectations are unrealistic.
For example, expecting your expectations always to be met is unrealistic. Yes, you should expect your water to taste like water, and your coffee to taste like coffee. You should never assume another person, or even yourself, to always do something right. People are not perfect.
Don't let disappointment permanently scar you and prevent you from enjoying your life to the fullest. And if all else fails, talk to someone, whether it be a friend or a professional.
