ADHD is a common mental illness that can affect any individual, including girls and women. However, males are diagnosed more with ADHD as compared to females, but the presence of ADHD symptoms makes the life of affected females more complicated. Women with ADHD have to struggle more in their personal and professional life. They also face difficulty in making and strengthening the bonds with their loved ones. Some women with ADHD seek professional help, while some choose the pathway of lifestyle support, which includes taking care of diet, regularly performing any physical activity, learning skills in group therapy, and employing some stress management techniques.
If you want to know what are the top significant lifestyle changes that can help an ADHD female to improve the ADHD symptoms, then this article is the best guide for you. So get familiar with all lifestyle supporting strategies and enhance the quality of your life.
Top Positive lifestyle supporting ways for ADHD women
ADHD experts suggest some top lifestyle supports for women battling with ADHD so they can better maintain a balance in each aspect of life and ultimately thrive.
1. Managing stress
Women battling with ADHD have to face multiple issues in managing their daily routine. They do not feel ease in fulfilling their responsibilities at home or a professional place. But if they delegate their responsibilities and their loved ones support them, then it helps in the reduction of their associated stress levels
2. Group therapy
Girls and women suffering from ADHD start noticing the unusual change in their behavior at the time of adulthood. When they get engaged in any social meeting, they feel reduced confidence and self-esteem and therefore face difficulty in expressing their inner self. In addition, they think that they do not have sufficient capabilities to deal with life challenges and therefore prefer to stay alone. They always compare themselves with other women and feel that they are worthless. Moreover, they think that they are inferior to men. So group therapy can help them in regaining their confidence or self-esteem.
In each group therapy session, experts develop a friendly and non-judgmental therapeutic space where each girl or woman with ADHD feels that she is listened to and understood by others. Another major benefit of group therapy is that females with ADHD share their previous life experiences and learn multiple skills to cope with ADHD.
3. Development of organizational abilities
Disorganization is one of the common ADHD symptoms that make the life of affected females more difficult. Girls and women with ADHD do not easily manage their tasks and time. Moreover, they also face difficulty in planning their routine. They do not stick to just one task and always feel the urge to jump to the next one without completing the previous one. To overcome this issue, they can take help from a personal organizer. Other ways to deal with disorganization due to ADHD symptoms include breaking complex tasks into simpler ones, using any digital tools to complete the task list, etc. If a problem still arises, they can take help from professional experts.
4. Parent training
Each woman is expected to be a house manager, so they have to focus more on their responsibility. Women with ADHD are unable to manage their personal and professional lives. Especially if they are a mother, then they feel every moment challenging when they plan or make an effort to take care of their child and loved ones. Such women need parental training to overcome the ADHD symptoms and become a good parent or family member. Multiple platforms provide parental training. Brainpower is one of them where you can share all your concerns and learn multiple ADHD management strategies.
5. Career guidance
ADHD women who are at the initial stage of their career or going to start a career can also take advantage of the career guidance from the experts. Professionals can guide them on how they can get rid of their negative thoughts that they are not capable of doing in their life. Experts first analyze all the factors and then suggest that women with ADHD switch their job or career to eradicate the stress associated with ADHD.
6. Regular exercise
Women with ADHD can prevent or reduce the severity of the ADHD symptoms by the help of any physical activity. As in ADHD, dopamine and norepinephrine are the major neurotransmitters that are altered and result in common ADHD symptoms. However, by regularly performing the exercise or any strenuous activity, the level of these neurotransmitters is regulated. Moreover, common ADHD symptoms also improved, including inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and various other cognitive functions. Women with ADHD can choose any kind of physical activity, which includes:
- Swimming
- Running
- Cycling
- Yoga
7. Nutrition
Your balanced diet is also helpful to overcome ADHD. An optimal brain health depends on your diet. Therefore, make sure to take a balanced diet which includes whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and all organic food items. Likewise, all also add the omega-3 fatty acids in your diet and avoid the excessive use of alcohol or any substance abuse.
8. Sufficient sleep
Your sleep is also linked to your mental health. If you have irregular sleep patterns, then you can experience more common ADHD symptoms, which include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The more you get adequate sleep, the more you will stay protected from mental issues such asd ADHD. Likewise, also reduce your screen time and develop a structured routine for your sleep.
Support groups
Support groups also help the women to overcome the ADHD symptoms. A support group can be of friends or family members, as they better understand each other and listen to their ADHD loved ones. Moreover, with the help of social skills, girls and women with ADHD regain their confidence and self-esteem and also learn multiple social skills.
Additional ways to manage the stress caused by ADHD:
- Relaxation techniques
- Deep breathing exercises
- Gratitude journal
- Self-care
Read More About:
Treatment for ADHD in Women and Girls
Understanding ADHD in Girls and Women
