Managing your ADHD when everything goes wrong….
What do you do when things don’t go according to plan? This week we went live and chaos ensued...
We planned ahead and prepped for our IG live, writing our key points, researched, and had it timed. Just one of the ways we manage our ADHD - planning ahead and keeping us on task so we don’t go off on 2392 tangents
and then…
Someone walked in on Tiff in the middle of the live
Joy’s phone overheated and shutdown
and…our live never got saved .....
all the distractions and unpredictable things occurred
we had two options we could
SHUT DOWN and feel like 💩 and ruminate on what went wrong or decide
THE SHOW MUST GO ON and accept this is part of the journey, deciding this “failure” as a learning opportunity
this is basically what every day with ADHD feels like …
but it doesn't have to be that way
You can choose where your focus goes at any given moment-
Yes, we know it sounds impossible - hear us out
What did we do?
We took a deep breath together, laughed it off, redirected our focus, and chose to ride the wave despite the hiccups along the way, fully unmasked and letting go of perfectionism.
This goes to show that the most vital part of mastering your ADHD is the power of emotional regulation.
While you may feel like life has dealt you a bad hand, it's not the hand you are dealt, but how you react to it that matters most.
Below you will find a tool we like to use in moments like these:
1- PAUSE
Stop and be present in the moment. The power of the pause helps with the executive function of emotional regulation. When you get upset, act without thinking, pausing allows you to breathe, connect to your prefrontal cortex which is vital to our ADHD brains, and think logically.
2- OBSERVE
Pay attention to what you’re paying attention to. What are you paying attention to and how does your body feel? Locate the feeling- observe your thoughts knowing it's just that - a thought.
3- PROCESS
Capture and articulate the array of emotions you are feeling in your natural processing style.
4- PINPOINT
Name it to tame it. Identify the specific emotion that is preventing you from moving forward. Are you angry? Feeling bombarded or feeling anxious? Then pinpoint empowering thoughts and feelings that will support what you are trying to do and who you are trying to be.
5-PLAN AND PURSUE
Organize and implement a strategy of action which plays to your strengths to overcome any barrier. Start identifying what simple go-to strategies you can use in times of crisis and remember each time we face a challenge we're collecting new tools.
Yes, This feels easier said than done - so here is your quest for the week to guide you
QUEST OF THE WEEK
We challenge you to ask yourself this question daily:
What am I choosing to pay attention to in this moment?
And join us this Thursday at 2:30 PM EST on Instagram Live (take 2) as we talk about ADHD & Masking what it is, our own experiences, and how to use this ADHD superpower in a way that is true to you.
This time learning from our lessons and accepting that we can’t control everything BUT we can control our focus and most of all - ENJOY this journey building along with you!
See you on our live,
Coach Tiff & Joy