Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a medical condition that is genetic and environmental. If you have a family member with ADHD, then chances are you’re also susceptible to this condition. This condition affects your life. However, you aren’t alone in this journey. In 2023, about 6.8% of adults worldwide are diagnosed with ADHD.
You can make your day-to-day life a little easier by making some lifestyle improvements, taking your medication, and diet changes.
Take Your Medications
Do you not have the energy to purchase medications and take them at the instructed time of day? Or are you worried about the price of your medication? Your prescribed medicine is essential to managing your symptoms; it reduces impulsivity and improves attention and focus.
Medications like Adderall enhance the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain, increasing the activities in the central nervous system. Thus, it’s a must that you follow what your mental health practitioner instructs you.
This prescription can be expensive. Fortunately, you can purchase Adderall at Reduced Prices using coupons from BuzzRx! You can get coupons from their website and use them at nearby pharmacies. Using these coupons, you don’t have to worry about paying for your prescription at its total price.
Exercise for Body and Mind
Physical activity can promote brain growth, strengthen learning abilities, and improve brain efficiency. As you know, ADHD affects the brain in terms of attention, working memory, and executive functioning. Exercising is another recommended form of therapy due to its impact after medication and therapy.
You can get exercise in the form of team sports or just exercise at the gym. Any physical activity would do as long as you get enough endorphins (feel-good hormones) to maximize pleasure, feel good, and have a fresh outlook.
Try to get at least one hour of exercise each day, ranging from moderate to vigorous. Ensure you aren’t exhausting yourself but getting enough feel-good hormones. Additionally, try to vary the activities that you do. You can join a basketball team, dance, or practice martial arts. If exercising tends to be difficult for you, just take it little by little.
Learn to Prioritize
Have you ever experienced jumping from one task to another? This is a common occurrence among individuals with diagnosed ADHD. As a result, completing tasks can be complex and would take too long to finish since you’re doing everything at once. It can be overwhelming when you don’t overcome this. The following are some of the things you can do to manage impulse control:
- Take one step at a time. List every task you must make and try to break down the large projects into smaller, more manageable steps.
- Determine what to do first. As you list the tasks you must accomplish, rank them based on importance and deadline. Ask yourself the most important task you have to accomplish, then put your other priorities after that.
- Stay focused. This may be easier said than done, but you must at least try. Avoid getting distracted by other tasks and entertainment by sticking to a schedule. Using a timer can also help to let you stay focused.
Learn to Say No
Impulsivity is one of the criteria to be diagnosed with ADHD. If adults haven’t learned how to practice logical decision-making and how to say no, you may find yourself agreeing to way too many work projects and social engagements. A jam-packed schedule can make you feel overworked, tired, and overwhelmed, affecting the quality of your work and relationship with others.
When you’ve learned to say no to specific commitments and not overload your schedule, you can improve your ability to accomplish tasks, maintain healthy relationships and social dates, and live a healthier lifestyle. Before you agree to something new, check your schedule first. Think about it first to maintain your impulsiveness.
Give Up Bad Habits
ADHD can worsen when you practice unhealthy habits in your life. If you want to manage your symptoms, you should avoid or limit the following activities:
Cigarette Smoking
Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Many people find it hard to give it up; just one attempt isn’t successful. It’s even more challenging for individuals with ADHD due to their impulse control. Smoking can be harmful to your body and make your symptoms worse. So, try not to be tempted by smoking cigarettes.
Drug and Alcohol Use
Steer clear of any substances. You might think that alcohol and drugs can help ease the negative feelings you experience due to the condition, but it would worsen things. Like nicotine, it’s hard to stop getting addicted to these substances.
Final Thoughts
The abovementioned tips are some things you can do to manage your adult ADHD. It may take some time to master each section fully, but don’t forget to be patient with your growth. It’s also recommended that you work with your therapist to guide every step of your lifestyle change properly.
ADHD is a severe mental health disorder that affects many people. You aren’t alone in this journey, so don’t be afraid to rely on your friends, family, loved ones, therapist, etc.