4. Stay in the Moment
Being mindful is a really valuable but confusing concept. People associate mindfulness with meditations only to be disinterested in the notion. Simply put, being mindful means being present and aware of the world around you.
To build your mindfulness, practice this exercise:
Close your eyes and pay attention to the world around you. What do you hear? What do you feel? And what do you smell and taste? You may say “nothing” to each question but try it again.
You can feel the chair beneath you, the ground under your feet and the way your shirt feels around your collar. You can hear the buzzing of the fluorescent light or the rumbling engine of the car driving by the house.
People with ADHD try to multitask far too often. Multitasking adds stress and plays into your weaknesses of ADHD. Do only one thing at a time.
When you are eating an orange, only eat an orange. When you are doing the dishes, only do the dishes. It may seem boring, but it will increase your odds of success.
5. Get a System
With ADHD, a lot of stress compiles and builds from little mistakes. Each error snowballs until it becomes a huge avalanche.
By finding a system that works for you, you can ensure that the snowballs never grow. To begin, think about what typically gets you in trouble and what gets you stressed. Do you misplace important things? Do you miss deadlines because you forgot about them? People in these situations find writing down information to be very helpful.
If writing in a notebook seems too archaic for you, bring your smartphone into play. Find good use of the reminders feature or the virtual assistant to leave yourself notes. A simple vibration or friendly ringtone can help you remember an important meeting or get you back on track.
Also, check the app store for what’s available. Many apps have free versions that you can experiment with before you buy.
6. Build a Team
ADHD can tear apart relationships as other may think that your forgetfulness or distractibility is an attack on them. If they take your symptoms personally, there is little hope for a happy ending. Without good relationships, stress will grow.
Begin by educating yourself about the nature of ADHD symptoms, triggers and times that are worse than others. Share this information with people in your life while working to formulate a plan of attack. Notes around the house can be helpful.
Extra patience when symptoms are high can do more good than a confrontational attitude. Sometimes the best intervention is having fun.
Planning for a friend, family member or spouse to take you out when stress is high will help to reduce symptoms and improve the relationship. Everyone wins and you can approach the next day from a fresh perspective.
Whatever your course of action, assertive communication is key to inform the important people in your life.
7. Accept Yourself
So much stress comes from a failure to accept yourself. If you cannot come to terms with who you are, how you perform, react and learn, you will always have higher levels of stress.
Accepting your ADHD does not mean that you have to like the consequences, it only means that you will not fight hard to be something that you are not capable of being. Having unrealistic expectations only worsens stress and ADHD symptoms.
To gain acceptance, write a list of your positive ADHD attributes. People with ADHD are often creative and have a unique view of the world. Rediscover what you like about yourself.
Conclusion
Do not accept the level of stress in your life. Follow the seven ADHD and stress tips above to find a life with deficits in stress. Turn your attention to happiness.
