10 Things to Do for YOU

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Taking care of yourself is the most important thing that you can do – for your family, your friends, and yourself.

And yet as ADD Moms, we often put ourselves last on the list, if we even make the list at all.

Here are 10 things that you need to do for you.

Note: don’t try and add all of these into your life at once. You will be overwhelmed in minutes. Pick one (sleep) and start there.

1. Get enough sleep. Aim for 8 hours a night. A body and brain that are not well rested cannot function properly. Your ADHD, depression, anxiety, or whatever it was that you got with your ADHD will worsen as a result.

2. Eat real food. You know that stuff that you find in the produce section, the meat and dairy sections? That stuff. Not the stuff you get in a vending machine or at Mc Fast Food.

3. Take your vitamins. A good multi-vitamin is a start. You might want to add Omega 3 (fish oil), vitamin D and vitamin B as well.

4. Exercise. I know you didn’t want to hear that one, but it’s true; exercise helps ADHD symptoms. Do it for your brain if you won’t do it for your body.

5. Consider a gluten and casein free diet. There are studies that support the fact that eliminating these things from your diet can vastly improve your symptoms. I personally know several families who have seen a big difference in ADHD symptoms as a result of this diet. (Gluten comes from grains like wheat, barley and rye; casein is in dairy products.)

6. Learn to manage stress. We do seem to thrive on that adrenaline rush, but in the long run, stress is bad for you. Learn to meditate, practice deep breathing, or take up a violent sport that lets you get it all out. (Squash always appealed to me).

7. Think blue and purple. Yes, according to Oprah, blue is the color for fall, but that’s not what I mean. Foods that are blue or purple (blueberries, blackberries, eggplant) have vital nutrients that can positively impact your ADHD.

8. Take some time for you. You give and give all week to everyone else; give a little to yourself too. Give yourself a time out and do something you enjoy.

9. Say and think nice things about yourself. Tell that negative voice in your head to take a hike. Are you perfect? Nobody is and no one sees your perceived faults nearly as much as you do. Get over it. Love yourself. You’re wonderful.

10. Let your freak flag fly. Come on now. You know that all of us with ADHD are a little bit off center. We still have childlike qualities we never outgrew (and wouldn’t want to). So let loose now and then and just have some fun. It’s good for you!

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

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