Exercise, Sleep, Music for ADHD Adults



Does stress dominate your life? You’re not alone — adults with ADHD report relatively higher levels of self-perceived stress that interferes with daily life and functioning, a relationship that may have a lot to do with emotional dysregulation.1 What’s more, stress can intensify and worsen ADHD symptoms, causing a self-perpetuating cycle.

Treating ADHD (and other existing conditions) is key to reducing stress and improving wellbeing. But the work doesn’t stop there. Below are other fundamental ways to reduce your stress and its effect on your life.

How to Manage Stress: Control Your Thoughts and Mental Energy

1. Understand your triggers. Think about a typical day. When does your stress spike? Which situations cause you to feel irritable, anxious, or overwhelmed? Make a list of the parts of your day that cause the most friction.

2. Reframe the situation. Keep the following questions visible — like in sticky notes on your desk or notes on your phone — for quick reference.

  • What is in my control? Focusing on this will minimize wasted energy and help you move through stressful situations with less frustration.
  • What is the worst that could happen? How likely is that scenario?
  • How have I handled similar situations in the past?
  • Will the reason for my stress matter in a week? A month? A year?

What is stressful now won’t likely last forever. But if it will matter, then develop a plan to respond to the stressful situation. No matter the case, don’t hide from your worries. Avoidance is tempting, but it often backfires and leads to ruminating.

[Get This Free Download: Emotional Regulation & Anger Management Scripts]

3. Routines are invaluable during times of stress, as they provide structure and help you conserve your mental energy. As best as possible, stick to your daily routine, even if stress threatens to throw you off.

4. The last thing on your mind when you’re stressed is laughter – and that is reason enough to call in your sense of humor. Connecting with the humor or irony of a situation has a funny way of breaking the tension and putting you in a better place to problem-solve.

5. Be kind to yourself. Stressed about feeling stressed? Guilt and shame won’t serve you, so give yourself the kindness and understanding that you would give to a friend as you battle your stressors.

How to Manage Stress: Care for Your Body

6. Aim for daily movement. Consistent physical activity is powerful for warding off stress and its effects. Even a quick burst of activity, like a stretch or walking break, can help you manage stressful moments.

[Read: 33 Ways to Prioritize Your Mental Health]

7. Help your body fall and stay asleep. It’s a Catch-22: Sleep is crucial for managing stress, yet stress can interfere with sleep. Your mission during stressful times is to support your body in falling and staying asleep. You can do that by maintaining the same sleep-wake times, keeping your bedroom quiet, and following a soothing bedtime routine, no matter what that looks like for you.

8. Eat mindfully. Does stress ramp up or dampen your appetite? No matter the case, commit to making balanced choices across the food groups. Limit highly processed foods and drink plenty of water each day. When you nourish your body, it will handle stress better.

9. Go outside. Even short periods of time in nature can reduce stress and improve well-being.2 In the time you’re outside, put your phone away and remain present. Notice the sounds and sights of world around you.

10. Listen to music. An intense song can be your outlet for intense feelings. A relaxing melody can soothe you, while an upbeat song can energize you and bring you to a better state of mind. Consider creating playlists for different moods, all in the name of stress reduction.

11. Breathe deeply. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body relax. Get into the habit of deep breathing a few times a day. (Set a reminder on your phone!) Inhale for five counts, hold for two, and exhale for five.

How to Manage Stress: Lean on Others

12. Tap into your community. Whether through a hobby, your workplace, or online groups, bonding with other people — especially like-minded, neurodivergent individuals — has a way of reducing stress, even if you don’t end up talking about what’s on your mind. Not sure how to rekindle an old friendship? Get back in touch with these tips.

13. Manage social media time. Social media can help you connect with people and find support. At the same time, social media can increase stress due to content overload, doom scrolling, comparison, and other factors. Recognize how you feel when you’re on social media and plan to limit your time.

 14. Give back. Stress often causes us to get lost in our heads. So long as you have the bandwidth, take a break from your worries and put in the time to help someone else, which can help you gain perspective.

How to Manage Stress: Next Steps


SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

Sources

1 Corominas-Roso, M., Palomar, G., Ferrer, R., Real, A., Nogueira, M., Corrales, M., Casas, M., & Ramos-Quiroga, J. A. (2015). Cortisol Response to Stress in Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, 18(9), pyv027. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyv027

2 Jimenez, M. P., DeVille, N. V., Elliott, E. G., Schiff, J. E., Wilt, G. E., Hart, J. E., & James, P. (2021). Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence. International journal of environmental research and public health18(9), 4790. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094790



We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Daily Deals
Logo
Register New Account
Compare items
  • Total (0)
Compare
0