Inspiration
John Ratey is an American psychiatrist and author who has written several books on ADHD and other mental health topics. He has also been diagnosed with ADHD himself and has spoken about how he has used exercise to help manage his symptoms. In his book "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain," he writes: "Exercise is really for the brain, not the body. It affects mood, vitality, alertness, and feelings of well-being."
In Spark, John embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADHD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's.
I will leave it for you to decide how much it impacts you, but I have definitely noticed a significant improvement in many of my symptoms after I started exercising regularly. It helps me stay present, almost like a meditation, and let go of many of my swirling thoughts since I'm only focusing on the exercise. Check out the book here!
Intention
Start your day with a routine: Establishing a morning routine can help you start your day with a sense of purpose and intention. Whether it's exercising, meditating, or simply taking a few minutes to plan your day, a consistent routine can help you feel more in control and prepared for the day ahead. I've found that having at least an hour to myself to complete my morning routine puts me in a much better place mentally so I'm able to tackle the rest of my day. Here's a couple of examples of morning routines you could try. Feel free to pick and choose what helps you most! You can use The ADHD Project Planner to help establish and track your morning routine, it has some built in tools to help you with this!
Morning Routine Example 1 - The Zen Master
- Wake up to your alarm - NO SNOOZE
- Quick 5-minute shower to wake up your nervous system
- Meditate for 15 minutes
- Read for 15 minutes - self improvement or mindfulness based
- Daily Intention Setting (5 minutes)
- Plan your day (15 minutes)
Morning Routine Example 2 - The Athlete
- Wake up to your alarm - NO SNOOZE
- Meditate or Read for 15 minutes
- Exercise for 30 minutes - Even just a walk counts!
- Shower and change
- Daily Intention Setting (5 minutes)
- Plan your day (15 minutes)
Morning Routine Example 3 - The Hybrid
- Wake up to your alarm - NO SNOOZE
- Read for 10 minutes
- Exercise for 15 minutes
- Meditate for 10 minutes
- Shower and change
- Daily Intention Setting (5 minutes)
- Plan your day (15 minutes)
Action
Use positive affirmations: People with ADHD often struggle with negative self-talk, which can make it difficult to build confidence and self-esteem. Using positive affirmations can help to reframe negative thoughts and build a more positive mindset. Try creating a list of positive affirmations that you can repeat to yourself throughout the day, such as "I am capable and competent," or "I am worthy of success." Here's a short list that you can use to get started!
- I am grateful for my success
- I accept myself and my ADHD
- My attention span is getting stronger each day
- I am good enough
- ADHD allows me to be creative
- I am loved
- I am happy with myself
- I can do whatever I put my mind to
- I believe in myself
- My opinions matter
- I am resilient
- I deserve to be happy
- I am perfect just the way I am
