4 Non-Medication Strategies for ADHD
Here are 4 simple things I do every day to stay focused and feel good.
1. Exercise
Daily exercise is a simple way to manage energy. I go for a daily walk, and if I don’t get out for a walk by the morning or afternoon, in the evening I usually notice irritability or a lack of focus. When I go out for a walk, I often put on music. I might also dance, do errands, look at flowers, play with neighborhood cats . . . there are lots of options for stimulating, simple, and fun activities while on a walk. Bursts of exercise can also help if I’m feeling stuck with a boring task indoors — if I notice that, I might do some pushups in my living room or go for a jog around the block to regain momentum.
2. Mindfulness Meditation
Mm, meditation — a helpful yet unappealing activity for many people with ADHD. I keep meditation easy and fun. My version does not require any time. (In fact, I think the best meditation doesn’t, if you know what I mean.) To me, meditation is simply bringing attention the present reality, usually through awareness of thought or body. Walking, lying on the floor, pausing, stretching, enjoying forgetfulness, feeling my inner energy — that’s what my meditation behaviors look like on the outside.
3. Sleep
If I don’t get a good night’s sleep, I start re-evaluating my entire life: Should I move? Should I stay? Should I change my job? Why is everything so annoying? All sorts of stressful thoughts arise until I realize I need a nap. Irritability and other symptoms of ADHD are exacerbated by poor sleep quality.
Sleep can be a really easy strategy to overlook, especially since I don’t like being dependent on . . . anything really. But sleep is important. For example, as I’m writing this article, my flight home for Christmas was just cancelled due to the pandemic and automatically rescheduled later as a red-eye. This won’t work for me: I don’t sleep on planes and for the first 3 days of my trip everyone would be dealing with a grumpy jetlagged Christina. No one, least of all me, wants to deal with that. So, instead, I cancelled the flight and bought an even more delayed one, but it’s during the daytime, so I’ll get enough sleep first and then enjoy being awake.
4. Caffeine
Ah, stimulants. Many people with ADHD use caffeine to improve their focus. (I’m sitting here with a cup of coffee right now.) I suppose caffeine is technically medication, and it’s not fair to include on this list. However, caffeine doesn’t require a prescription, and I’m not one to stay inside the box.
If I have a cup of coffee in the morning, I find it easier to start my work, and I enjoy flowing with my creative projects. I’ve gone periods of my life without coffee, and I’m currently in a period with it. If I’m on track with the 3 previous strategies — exercise, mindfulness, and sleep — I may not drink coffee. Still, if coffee can makes my day a little more fun, why not have it?
These 4 basic strategies remind me to focus on simple things that help maintain my energy and focus. Exercise, mindfulness, sleep, and caffeine are easy ways to reduce the negative symptoms of ADHD while supporting the positive ones.
