How To Relax The ADHD Adult Brain And Body
Topic: How To Relax During And After The Working Day To Recharge The Often Over Reving ADHD Brain And Body. See the other Adult ADHD Issues.
Facilitator: Pete Quily.
Thanks to Christopher Stanbury for taking the notes.
March 2013 Meeting Notes for the Vancouver Adult ADD Support Group
Warm Up.
1. How else besides booze, drugs, food, TV, computers, the internet, & sleep do you relax? Real relaxation that relaxes and refreshes and regenerates you vs those types of escapist distractions that just further drains your energy level. What activities do you do that relaxes you? (daily basis)
2. How do you feel after you’ve done it?
3. How often do you do it?
4. Do you record you did it?
2. Benefits of relaxation
Adds structure to the day
Clarity
Creativity
Fewer mistakes
Lowers cortisol
Manage energy
More able to think
More productive after
Pull out of hyperfocus
Relieve tension
Schedule time to relax
3. Costs of not scheduling time to relax
A schedule provides an anchor.
Book end of relax time
Burn out
Denial of stress
Denial of the need to relax
Higher level of other pain and stress issues
Lack of awareness
Less likely to do unhealthy things
Less likely to waste time
Less productive
More irritable
More likely to get out of a good routine and into a bad routine
More likely to reduce unhealthy activities
More mistakes
Relaxing is not wasting time
Schedule time to stop
Take NON electronic breaks
If you stay up for days at a time could be bipolar
With no schedule, life becomes unstructured, which can lead to overwork, burnout, chaos and crisis
You need willthe ingness to take a chance
4. Why do ADDers have more problems relaxing?
Boredom
Chaos – chaotic environment
Confusion – where do I start?
Denial (or minimization) of their ADD symptoms
Destructive behaviour
Difficulty planning
Difficulty staying on task
Disorganization
Forgetful
Hyperactivity (of body or mind) www.healthfocusguide.org (re relaxation)
If you have ADD,you are very likely to have other conditions such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
Lack of self-awareness
Need for variety (important)
No need for shame or guilt for ADD.
Parents with ADHD
Racing brain
Rumination (negative hyperfocus)
5. Examples of relaxing activities (short term)
Animals
Aroma therapy
Art outlet
Breathing
Cardio (any exercise) only allowed to wear iPod while on the treadmill vs blind your primary defence sense while walking around in the street
Creative writing
Do one thing on To Do list
Gardening
Have a cup of hot water
Hot bath – especially before sleep
Make a list of things that you don’t want to do.
Make a list of things that you want to do.
Outdoor activity
Play a musical instrument
Reading
Sauna
Try some of these out for a finite amount of time.
Yogic breathing, pranayama
6. How to plan and remind yourself to relax
Create and practice a routine. Which you’re can change it to a new routine if you’re bored with it
Check list
Create a habit
Develop self-awareness
Have a friend to remind & encourage you
Have a goal (time, place, result)
Have leisure goals Google “wheel of life”
Internet reminders
Keep track of what you are really doing
Places GPS location alarm
Reward for achieving something (motivation)
Schedule
Specific time
Time log
Use alarms to start and stop
7. What gets in the way of relaxing?
How will you deal with the obstacles?
What will you do to relax?
When will you do it?
How will you remember to do it?
What will be your reward after you do it?
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