Last Updated: November 27th, 2019
The topic of ADHD mental health is a difficult concept to discuss, because there’s a controversial stigma surrounding both ADHD and psychological well-being in general.
But, this is also an unbelievably important topic that needs to be addressed – regardless of what the naysayers want to tell you.
To help you win the fight against your own mind, I’ve written these 11 actionable tips for supercharging your mental health while living with ADHD:
Contents
Tip 1. Have a purpose
When you can wake up knowing there is a calling that you must respond to, ADHD becomes a lot easier to manage.
The good news is that anyone with ADHD can create their own calling today.
Your calling or purpose can be as simple as working a job that you enjoy, helping underprivileged youth, spreading a positive message, or even just baking homemade goods.
The point is that you simply need something in your life that you can take ownership of, and feel driven to contribute to.
Once you find out what your life’s purpose is, your mental health will almost immediately improve. I promise.
Tip 2. Practice emotional control
With ADHD, it’s easy to let your thoughts spiral out of control.
One bad flashback is all that it takes to create a negative ‘thought pattern’ that can ruin your entire day.
While it’s hard to prevent negative thoughts from happening, you can ultimately control the impact that your negative thoughts have on your life.
It’s up to you to block out negative thoughts as soon as they happen. This is a skill that admittedly takes practice and resilience to develop.
But, the sooner you learn how to control your thoughts and emotions, the better your life with ADHD will be.
Tip 3. Try your best to eliminate fear and worry from your life
Fear and worry are two of the most burdensome emotions that 99% of people constantly fight against.
When you think about fear and worry from a logical perspective, you realize that neither of these emotions will solve any of your problems for you.
Plus, if you’re like most people, then you already fight about relationships, money, health and so many other issues. For the sake of your mental health, you can’t afford to add fear and worry onto your list of problems.
For the absolute greatest resource on eliminating unnecessary emotions like fear and worry from your life, you have to read How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie (Amazon).
That book is the greatest antidote for fighting off anxious thoughts and feelings for good.
Tip 4. Start using your energy more wisely
Human beings have a finite amount of energy. So, you have to be cautious of how you manage your energy. Otherwise, you’ll constantly find yourself running on empty.
You may want to think hard about turning off the TV, avoiding gossiping about others, and getting away from people who want to drain your energy in general.
When you dedicate most of your energy to taking care of yourself and helping others, the universe tends to reward you. Never forget this.
Tip 5. Take life-changing supplements
While I always recommend that you get most your vitamins and nutrients from natural foods, it’s difficult to get all of your vitamins and nutrients from the foods that you eat.
This is why I take mostly food-based, natural supplements like…
- Magnesium Citramate (Amazon) (This is the magnesium that I currently use, and it works great)
- N-Acetylcysteine / N-A-C (BulkSupplements) (NAC can be amazing for anxiety and ADHD)
Tip 6. Use ADHD medication resourcefully
I’m a big advocate of using the ADHD medication that works best for your mind and body.
But, I’m also a fan of using the Minimal Effective Dose (smallest quantity) of ADHD medication that gets you the results you’re looking for.
Side note: Medication titration (the Vyvanse dosage hack) is probably the most effective way for you to take ADHD medication.
Overall, it’s up to you and your doctor to decide on the ADHD medication regimen that works best for you.
Just don’t pay attention to the people who’ll inevitably try to shame you for using quality medication to treat a neurodegenerative disorder. Those people usually don’t have your best interests in mind. Only you have your own best interests at heart.
Tip 7. Exercise as often as possible (light strength training and cardio)
Everyone knows that exercise can bring tremendous health benefits.
But, did you know that exercise is also great for ADHD?
By doing light strength training and cardio exercises most days of the week, you’ll experience massive improvements in your mental and physical health.
Tip 8. Socialize and go on adventures
People rarely talk about the importance of socializing and having fun, and how it relates to ADHD mental health.
I can say from experience that going out on the weekends, and having ‘adventures’ with trusted friends can be amazing for your mental well-being.
Life is short. You need to make the most of it. Plus, you’ll literally feel energized after spending time with great people. I urge you to go out and have fun as often as you can.
If you only take away one tip from this article, consider that socializing and going on adventures just might be the most important point to remember. Interacting with quality people is that important for your mental health.
Tip 9. Therapeutic writing
Even if you don’t like to write, your life can change in profound ways by writing down your ideas, thoughts and feelings on a piece of scratch paper every day.
But, if you’re going to do this, it’s important that you write down your ideas using pen and paper.
There’s a special connection between your brain and the physical act of writing. This is why just typing your thoughts into Microsoft Word usually isn’t enough to benefit from the therapeutic aspect of writing.
I make it a habit to write on paper at least a few times per week. Every writing session is therapeutic. So, every little sentence that you write during the week counts.
Pro tip: I highly recommend grabbing a good pack of pens like the Vision Elite Rollerball Pens (Amazon). Having some good pens on hand will actually make you want to write therapeutically.
Tip 10. Eat real superfoods
Superfoods like spinach, beets, quinoa, eggs, sprouted grain bread, and wild caught tuna will literally change the way you look, think and live.
If you aren’t already eating plenty of superfoods, then you’re going to be in for a surprise once your skin starts to glow, and you start to think more clearly.
Your local health food store should carry all of the superfoods that you need to supercharge your mental health while managing your ADHD symptoms.
If you’re short on time, then I recommend using Barlean’s Organic Oils Greens Chocolate Silk (Amazon). This stuff is a powdered vegan superfood formula from a trusted brand. It also tastes like a chocolate milkshake when you blend it with ice and plain almond milk.
I recommend using a bullet blender or Blender Bottle (Amazon) to prepare this awesome delight.
Tip 11. Chat with other optimistic people who have ADHD
There are plenty of people with ADHD who will have no problem attempting to bring you down, and rob you of your energy. You have to ignore these people. The reality is that not everyone with ADHD is ready to get help. And, it isn’t your responsibility to help people who don’t even want to help themselves.
When it comes to chatting with other people who have ADHD, you have to be a little bit cautious about who you talk to.
Luckily, there are still some great options available for connecting with other optimistic people who have ADHD.
This community is one of them.
If you search for the term ‘local ADHD’ on Google you can also find safe ADHD support groups, events and educational resources near you.
One of your best options for having open conversations about ADHD is to find a great doctor who specializes in ADHD, and schedule a session to chat with them. Medical professionals are bound to strict doctor-patient confidentiality laws, so you’ll feel comfortable knowing that your local doctor’s office could be the ultimate ‘safe zone’ for discussing ADHD and your mental well-being.
ADHD mental health actionable tips conclusion
Taking control of your mental health while battling ADHD requires an abundance of willpower and trial-and-error.
While I don’t have all the answers – you ultimately have access to a goldmine of useful information regarding ADHD and mental health.
Between the internet, medical professionals, ADHD Boss, your local library, and support groups – your options for getting real help in the Western world are boundless…
It’s ultimately up to you to start making small changes in your life which add up over time (connect with people, seek information, get results).
If you can just start implementing these ADHD tips in your own life today, you’ll wake up one day and realize that you’ve become an emotionally resilient person who has total control over their mind, and ADHD symptoms.
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