My Life with ADHD: ADHD Life Lessons
It doesn't matter what walk of life you've come from, what culture you are, what your sexual identity is, or your gender identity, life can be sneaky. At one point things can be going well, you’ll have everything under control, and you'll be hopeful for the future. You'll get the grade, meet the girl, sink the shot, and then puff, life throws you a curveball. There are two unavoidable and unfortunate things that we all share, the first is the fact that our time on earth will eventually come to an end, and the second is that not all the time we spend on this planet will be smooth sailing. Every single person with a conscience has experienced more than just happiness in their life. Sadness, doom, confusion, love, remorse, jealousy, fear, abandonment, pride, and everything in between are simultaneously being felt by millions of people around the world every minute. Add Mental health into the equation, and our emotions (and life in general) can seem impossible to navigate at times. What about navigating life with ADHD? Here are some things that I have learned over the years.
All or nothing thinking can be both helpful and detrimental. People with ADHD often have an all or nothing approach to things. All or nothing thinking is a form of cognitive distortions that causes someone to take on tasks with an approach that states they have to either put all their time into it or nothing at all. This means that the particular task becomes and if the person falls short of their own expectations they tend to give up on it altogether.
Utilise the skills you're given. Those with ADHD have a powerful tendency to be extremely talented at one or two things in their life. Take this and run with it. You may not have found your talent yet, but it’s there. Keep trying new things and exploring new hobbies. Use that time to find out more about yourself.
Don’t feel bad if you feel like you're too much. Those with ADHD tend to have big personalities. If others think that you are ‘too much’ that’s their own narrative. Don’t feel different about yourself just because other people say something or behave negatively towards you. Own your personality. Remind yourself, if someone told you that you were a monkey, would you then believe you were a monkey?
Be proud of your personality. Whether you decide to disclose that fact you have ADHD or not, be proud of your personality traits. Don’t mark yourself or hide behind other people’s expectations of you.
Find the right career: many people with ADHD think that they need to change themselves to fit their career choice. Or the job they are working. Guess what, that’s not always practical. Just like skydiving without a parachute, it’s difficult to perform properly at a job when you're not given (or born with) the necessary equipment to do so. Although you may not have intrinsic motivation for menial tasks or the ability to sit for long periods of time, it doesn’t mean you're unemployable. Find the job that fits you, don’t fit yourself to the job.
Get active. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned about my ADHD is that I need to stay active everyday to function at the level I want to. I have tons of untapped energy just waiting to come out. I use running and working out as a form of meditation throughout the day and it helps me to expel my extra energy supply in a healthy way.
Find the little things. Those with ADHD can be more susceptible to depression and anxiety. One of the reasons is because people with ADHD are always seeking a dopamine rush. We love new exciting things and live off adrenaline rushes or thrill seeking behaviours. However, as we get older there are less new things coming our way and we tend to have a more stable lifestyle. Stability can lead to frustration for some people with ADHD. In order to keep from getting bored, try enjoying the small things in life. Taking time to do the things you love and going out of your way to find new things is important for your mental health.
Living with ADHD can be so beautiful. Once you find a lifestyle that works for you, run with it. Do the things you love and use the extra energy you have to create, brainstorm, and grow all the beautiful things your brain comes up with.