For a women with ADHD, dealing with overwhelm can feel like an everyday battle. From large projects to small tasks, from noisy environments to silence, from too much stimulation to not enough, there are countless things that can lead to feeling overwhelmed. And for a women with ADHD Without a plan or a strategy for coping, it’s easy to get stuck in a never-ending cycle of overwhelm.
But with the right tools in your toolbox, you can start to fight back and take control of your life once again. Here are some tips for dealing with overwhelm when you are a women with ADHD
Recognize The Signs When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed – It’s important to recognize the signs that you’re feeling overwhelmed. For a women with ADHD, these signs can include difficulty focusing, feeling easily distracted, being forgetful, feeling anxious or irritable, and having trouble sleeping. If you’re experiencing any of this, it’s important to take a step back and assess what’s causing the overwhelm.
It is Ok, Not To Be Ok. Those of us who are dealing with overwhelm it is easy to beat ourselves up for not being able to keep up with the Joneses, or for not being able to focus on one task long enough to get it done. But the truth is, we’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got. And that’s more than enough.
Step Back & Assess The Situation The first step in dealing with overwhelm is to take a step back and assess the situation. What are your priorities? What can be delegated or put on hold? Once you’ve identified your priorities, it’s important to develop a plan of action and stick to it. This may mean setting aside time each day to work on your top priority or breaking down a large project into smaller tasks that can be completed over time. The most important thing is to avoid getting bogged down in the details and to focus on taking one step at a time.
Keep Track of How You Are Feeling It’s not always easy to keep track of how you’re feeling, especially if you’re dealing with overwhelm. However, it’s important to try to identify your feelings so that you can address them in a healthy way. One way to do this is to keep a journal and write down how you’re feeling each day. Another way is to talk to a friend or family member about how you’re doing. If you’re struggling to identify your feelings, it may be helpful to see a therapist or counselor who can help you sort through your emotions.
Put Your Thoughts & Tasks Into Words Overwhelm is a feeling all too familiar for a women with ADHD. When you’re constantly bombarded with stimuli and your to-do list seems impossible to manage, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning. One of the best ways to combat overwhelm is to write things down. Putting your thoughts and tasks into words can help you to organize them and make them seem more manageable. Plus, seeing everything in black and white can help to give you a sense of control over the situation.
Use Self-Soothing Strategies It’s important for a women with ADHD to have some self-soothing strategies in place for when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Some techniques that may help include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization. Taking a few moments to use one or more of these techniques can help you to feel calmer and in control. Self-soothing strategies can help alleviate feelings of being overwhelmed. Things like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization can all help you feel calmer and more grounded.