Last updated on December 23rd, 2019
Coping with ADHD can be a long-term struggle that wears you down mentally and physically.
But it doesn’t always have to be that way.
If you choose the easier route, you can actually stop coping with ADHD, and start thriving with ADHD.
Yes, it takes a lot of work to move from “coping” to “thriving”. But it is possible. Keep reading if you’re up for the challenge…
Contents
1. Choose to accept your ADHD condition and perceive it in a positive light
If you’ve been professionally diagnosed with ADHD, and you genuinely feel in your gut that you have the condition, odds are strong that you do have ADHD.
OK, so your brain chemistry is a little bit wacky. So what?
You can still accomplish just about anything that you want to do in life. You just have to find the right set of strategies that work for you.
(That’s sort of what this website is for).
Once you choose to accept your ADHD condition, and perceive it in a positive light regardless of how bad things may seem, you’ll be a lot better off.
Just as a side note: I used to beat myself up a lot about being dumb and slow. This was a massive waste of time and mental energy. Please don’t make the same mistake as I did.
You’re going to be much better off telling yourself that you’re awesome and an amazing person, even if that isn’t totally accurate.
I’d rather be a self-loving narcissist than a sad panda. With ADHD, it’s difficult to find the middle ground. So, take the high ground instead!
2. Focus on your strengths and stick with them
“Do what you love” is usually not good advice for people with ADHD to follow.
Instead, people with ADHD should do what they’re good at.
See the subtle difference?
When you do what you love for a living, you may or may not find it sustainable.
But when you do what you’re good at, you automatically begin to enjoy it.
Everyone loves doing what they’re good at.
So focus on your strengths, and stick with them. It’s hard to go wrong with that.
3. Crush the “80/20 rule” of life
Many people with ADHD get extremely distracted by the nuances of life, and forget to focus on the 80/20 rule of life (the Pareto principle).
To put it simply, the 80/20 rule means that 80% of your best results in life come from only 20% of your effort.
So, what’s the 20% that people with ADHD should focus on to obtain the best results in life?
The 80/20 ADHD Formula
These are the most crucial aspects of life that people with ADHD need to focus on for the best results possible…
Sleep
Sleep is tough for a lot of people with ADHD. Trust me, I know first hand how difficult it can be to get to sleep before 2 or 3 a.m.
But, you have to get good sleep somehow, or all of your problems with ADHD will amplify.
I’ve written an article on this topic called ADHD Sleep Tactics – 7 Tricks for Overcoming Sleep Problems With ADHD.
Diet
The type of food that you eat is unbelievably important for coping with ADHD.
Generally speaking, you’ll want to eliminate most processed foods from your diet, and eat “real food”.
This consists of eating eggs, quinoa, chicken, brown rice, fruit and vegetables.
By eating strictly “real food”, you’ll naturally avoid ingesting food additives and other synthetic chemicals that can make your ADHD worse.
Exercise
The University of Georgia found that even a small amount of exercise can alleviate symptoms of ADHD in adults.
This is pretty consistent with my experience with exercise.
It’s simple.
When you exercise, you feel better, and you think more clearly. This helps you cope with ADHD, and inevitably thrive.
Social life/relationships
You need to have a good social life to live a high-quality life with ADHD.
Studies have shown that social isolation can shorten your lifespan. I find the opposite to be equally as true.
But at the end of the day, you probably want a higher quality of life anyway (not just a longer life expectancy).
Going out, chatting with friends, going on road trips, and enjoying adventures with your significant other can all play a role in maximizing your general quality of life.
Life is short. Have fun, and try your best to enjoy having ADHD while you can.
Essential herbs, spices and supplements
I’ve raved about the power of herbs, spices and supplements on this website because they actually work.
Premium liquid fish oil (Amazon) can reduce ADHD symptoms and ward off other diseases.
Raw organic turmeric (Amazon) can reduce inflammation of the body and brain, and even help to prevent cancer.
Vitamin Code Raw B Complex (Amazon) is a food-based multivitamin that provides your ADHD brain with essential vitamins and nutrients.
I’ve written extensively about other ADHD Natural Remedies that can have a profound effect on your health and well-being.
But overall, if you can simply focus on achieving the 80/20 rule of living a quality life with ADHD, you’ll be far better off than most people.
4. Know that everyone is dealing with problems
When you’re struggling with ADHD, it’s always a good idea to keep the world in perspective.
People are dying on the streets of crumbling 3rd world African towns. Some people have bone cancer. Others have just lost someone close to them in a fatal car accident.
Someone will always have it much worse than you do.
When you think of things that way, ADHD starts to sound like a pretty decent problem to have.
It’s not that bad at all, right!
Everyone is dealing with problems. Including you, myself, and everyone around us. All you can do is put forth your best effort every single day, and go to bed knowing that you made progress. Rinse and repeat.
Side note: James Altucher calls this “improving by 1%” every day. That’s all he aims to do. So, do whatever you can to improve by 1% each day if that works better for you.
5. Remember that you have to help yourself before you can help others
I spent a lot of time trying to help my family when I couldn’t even afford to pay my own bills.
It was done in good faith. But it was counter-productive.
You have to take care of yourself before you can help other people.
And best of all, once you can help yourself, you’ll be in a significantly better position to help your family, friends and loved ones with their problems.
So, make sure to take a vacation, hit the spa, or see a therapist right away if you really have to.
Just do whatever it takes to get your life to a point where you feel some positive momentum building. That’s a very magical point in time that everyone looks forward to. And it’s right there in front of you…
You just have to put in some time and effort, and you’ll eventually find yourself not only coping with ADHD – but thriving too…
Coping With ADHD Conclusion
By focusing on the five general tips that I’ve listed in this article, I genuinely believe that you will be able to improve your position in life – regardless of what that may be.
Here are my five tips for coping with ADHD listed once again (for reference):
- Choose to accept ADHD and perceive it positively
- Focus on your strengths and commit to them
- Crush the 80/20 rule of life
- Know that everyone is dealing with problems
- You have to help yourself before you can help others
I hope that you’ve been able to use the tips listed in this article. If you have any other tips or suggestions that you’d like to add, please leave your thoughts in the comments section below. I look forward to hearing your insights and ideas.
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