It’s hard to believe October 2019 is past the halfway point.
The yellow, gold, red, and brown leaves have fallen from most of the trees, allergies
have slowed some of us down, and the days of leaving for work in the dark and
returning home in the dark has begun.
I haven’t posted in a while because I had become overwhelmed
with a variety of responsibilities that lead to a significant increase in my
anxiety and ADHD. Thankfully I was able to slow down, refocus, and get my
anxiety under control which meant I was then able to better manage my ADHD.
When I was able to slow down, I realized that my increased
anxiety was fuelled by taking on more than I could handle. So many ideas,
interests, and goals; so little time.
This paragraph from Very Well Mind describes what happens
when anxiety has a hold over you,
“ Sometimes anxiety develops as a result of the ADHD symptoms. …If you
have difficulty managing the everyday demands of life, are chronically late,
forgetful, have trouble meeting deadlines and obligations, become overwhelmed
with finances, tune out in conversations, speak or act impulsively, lack tact
in social situations—then certainly this can bring about feelings of chronic
anxiety.
You may worry about keeping track of it all. You may worry about what will go wrong next. When will the next “let down” occur? What will I say next to embarrass myself or someone else? You may dread that next time when you are rushing to an important appointment that you will surely be late to again.”
I was reminded that having too many things on the go
leads to increased anxiety as a result of ADHD symptoms. We are not able to
successful juggle as many things on our daily to-do list as others. This isn’t
something bad, it’s simply a reality. Over time we learn which activities and responsibilities
we can say “yes” to and which one’s require a “no”. This isn’t always based on choosing
what is most important, but what is best for us.
Your overwhelm isn’t going to look like mine did, but it’s
important to learn and remember what you can and can’t handle very well in your
own life. Decrease the things that cause your anxiety to increase.
Be honest with yourself and find out what activities,
people, habits, etc. might be causing a sudden increase in anxiety or a
worsening of ADHD symptoms. Then find a way to do something about either
eliminating or decreasing the problem.
Below I’ve posted two links with short, easy to read
information on managing anxiety with ADHD and also how to deal with ADHD
overwhelm.
First, I think it’s important that we know what self care is
and isn’t. From an article on Psych Central, licensed Counselling Psychologist Raphailia
Michael defines it as such, “…any activity that we do deliberately in
order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. …Good
self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety. It’s also key to a good
relationships with oneself and others.” She also defines what it is not, “It
is not something that we force ourselves to do, or something we don’t enjoy
doing. … “self-care is ‘something that refuels us, rather than takes form us.’ …It
is not only about considering our needs; it is rather about knowing what we
need to do in order to take care of ourselves, being subsequently, able to take
care of others as well.”
Living in an abundant society has meant that self-care is
often described as something involving luxuries and goods. Social media posts
about self-care often list ideas such as going on vacation, retreating to a
spa, having a fun shopping trip, or going to a nice restaurant. Somehow
self-care has come to mean escape.
When I engage in self-care I’m not trying to escape anything, anyone, or any
place. Maybe it’s my introvert tendencies, but to me self-care is simply about
refueling. For an extrovert, self-care might involve being with others and
doesn’t involve solitary activities.
Some people rest and others want to be active. Some crave quiet and others want
to be a part of the excitement and high energy of others.
Self care is mandatory for one’s physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. We see what happened to men in the 1970s and 1980s who worked non-stop: heart attacks, divorce, unhappy marriages, alcoholism, anger, children who didn’t get to be with their father’s, and a lost sense of self. They were prime examples for why self care is important for the self and for others you interact with.
For some having ADHD brings with it the ability to
multi-task, take on many activities outside of the workplace, start and
sometimes finish plenty of projects, and expend seamless energy; but at some
point the body and the mind says enough. ADHD can be physically and mentally
draining, especially if you have a co-morbid disorder such as anxiety or OCD.
If you find it difficult to make self care an important practice in your life,
consider that even Jesus took time for self care. It’s hard to imagine the
divine taking time to rest, but here on earth he had to, there was no other
option. A lack of sleep, food, fellowship, and rest would not have made for a
good, strong leader and saviour. Not taking time to refuel also takes away from
being our best selves as followers of God. It affects our relationship with
God, our self, and others.
Here are a few ways to get started with spiritual self care.
From there you will be able to make decisions about tangible ways you can
integrate self care into your daily life.
Pray-alone
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark,
Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
Mark 1:35 NIV
If long prayer times are difficult for you consider breaking
up your prayer time throughout the day.
-Try starting your day with simple short prayers. Even
something such as, “Thank you God for giving me another day. May I reflect
Christ in all I do.”
-Take time to do short prayers throughout the day. Praying
doesn’t always involve talking, sometimes it means taking time to be quiet and
still, inviting God to bring rest and renewal to your body and mind.
-Pray at the end of the day. Give thanks for your day and
those who were a part of it, confess, forgive, pray that you won’t bring
anything short of the fruits of the spirit into your sleep or the next day.
Honour Your Body
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy
Spirit, who is in you, whom have received from God? …Therefore, honor God with
your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
-When taking this verse out of context it can still be applicable
to so many instances where we don’t honour our body. We dishonour our body when
we don’t take breaks, don’t rest, become too busy to eat or drink, or don’t get
enough sleep when we can. We honour our body because we are created by God and this
is the one and only body we are given. Treat it well.
Stop Trying to Keep up with the Jones
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test what
God’s will is: his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 NIV
We all have different needs and we all live different lives.
You will have different ways that you care for yourself. Some will spend lots
of money, for others it won’t cost anything. Working to have all the latest
material goods is a fast way to burn out. Your time and money will have gone to
living someone else’s life instead of your own.
Evaluate your own values. What is important to you, where does most of your
energy and attend go towards? Living your own true and authentic life is one of
the best ways to care for yourself. God doesn’t ask us to impress Him, so why
do we spend so much time trying to impress others? Your authentic self replenishes
instead of depletes. Being yourself adds to your life instead of taking away
from it.
However you choose to live and care for yourself, do it according to how God
has designed you; gifts, talents, and the resources you have.
As I write this Christmas Day is pretty much over. All the gifts have been opened, people are tired, the dishes have been washed, and people are hungry again, but don’t want to have a 5th helping of dry turkey with lumpy microwaved turkey. Others are upset, angry, bitter about something somebody said or did during the evening.
For some, Christmas Day has been a great day. They ate well, spent time with those they love, and received gifts they actually wanted.
Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to start looking towards the new year, 2019. During the last week of December I always grow impatient waiting for the calendar year to come to an end. I’m not sure why I am in such a hurry with time, it’s not as if my life is going to significantly change because December 31 and January 1.
This year my anxiousness is the result of shattered dreams, the realization that something I worked hard on and invested all my money into was not going to happen. I had been mislead by the person I was collaborating with and she plugged the plug on a ministry project.
With Adult ADHD, many of our dreams and goals end up going nowhere. Some become excited about an idea and before they can start working on it become interested in something else that they likely won’t start or finish.
There are those who started something , worked hard for a while and then became overwhelmed by the “boring”, detail oriented tasks. For others, they became overwhelmed while aiming to be organized, slowly falling behind on tasks, deadlines, and responsibilities. Eventually they finish all that needed to be done, but barely, and what was completed is sub par. Their work covered in anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and regret.
Then there are those who got stuff done. They accomplished what they set out to do this year and they did it well. Their ADHD helped bring out their creativity and energy. Their hyper focus did them well in learning new information, skills, and techniques.
Regardless of how your 2018 will or has ended, you’re still alive, you have all of 2019 to accomplish new goals. Leave the failures of 2018 where it belongs, in the past. Take the habits, accomplishments, gains, and lessons from the past year into 2019 and allow them to help you continue on the path to doing well.
As the holiday season comes to an end, take some quiet time to pray and reflect on the past year and plan ahead for 2019.
What are you most proud of from 2018? What are you least proud of?
What had you feeling stuck? How will you become “unstuck” ?
What were you most and least excited or passionate about?
Did you have self-compassion and grace for yourself? How about for others?
Are there any grudges that you are holding onto that you will be bringing into the new year? How can you begin to let go of them.?
What activities did you spend most of your free time engaged in? Will you continue to give the same amount of time to these activities for the new year?
What ways did you practice self-care?
What condition were your various relationships in? What will you need to, or what do you want to change about any of these relationships?
What were some new things you learned? Are there intentional things you are looking forward to learning?
Did you overcome any challenges? How will that impact your future?
What songs did you enjoy singing along to or found yourself humming when the music wasn’t playing?
What was your spiritual life like? Do you feel you grew closer or further away from God? What spiritual disciplines will you focus on in the new year?
What were some of your biggest obstacles this past year?
What were some instances where you felt relaxed and free to just be yourself?
How much of a positive or negative impact did your ADHD symptoms have on you this past year: work/family/spirituality/friendships/finances/creativity/health/fitness?
What are some of the symptoms of Adult ADHD you most need to work on managing or tending to this coming year? What worked and didn’t work for you last year?
This week is the first time I’ve ever heard of the term “Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria”. I saw it on an adult ADHD Facebook group and many of the comments were people who highly identified with the symptoms and how this disorder affects their work and relationships. ADDitude magazine states, ” Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is an intense vulnerability to the perception – not necessarily the reality – of being rejected, teased, or criticized by important people in your life. RSD causes extreme emotional pain that may also be triggered by a sense of failure, or falling short – failing to meet either your own high standards or others’ expectations.”
The Greek word Dysphoria means “difficult to bear”. I can’t think of too many people who would describe rejection as “easy to bear”. What apparently makes rejection different for those with ADHD is, the rapid change from being fine at one moment to feeling deeply emotionally wounded. The switch is fast and the person sometimes erupts in anger towards the person they feel rejected by.
At the time of writing this post, RSD is not in the DSM-5. Some psychiatrists believe in RSD, others don’t, but that can be said about many disorders, even those that can be found in the DSM-5 and past DSM. What is important is to recognize if you have the symptoms of RSD and if you do, address them. You might require behaviour therapy, medication, changes in your environment.
I don’t know about the scientific legitimacy of this article https://www.thrivetalk.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria/, but it’ a good place to start. You can find further information about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and decide if it is something you’d like your doctor or therapist to look into further.
Rejection is not something that is easy to handle when you care about the person doing the rejecting or the rejection comes with major loss (opportunities, jobs, housing, etc.). Personally, I’ve only been able to handle rejection by rooting myself in God’s word and understanding that rejection, real or perceived, is not the end. I stop and do the dirty and difficult work of finding out why a rejection has wounded me emotionally. Am I over reacting, was I truly rejected, what does this rejection mean–what are my next steps. What’s most important to me is that I don’t allow rejection to become revenge. Revenge is not of God and it robs you of Godly joy, contentment, and energy. The following are some study books and devotionals that may be helpful to you in dealing with rejection. Why Her – Nicki Koziarz Anxious for Nothing – Max Lucado Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out and Lonely – Lysa Terkeurst Wait and See: Finding Peace in God’s Pauses and Plans – Wendy Pope Victory in Spiritual Battle – Tony Evans Detours: The Unpredictable Path to Your Destiny – Tony Evans
People who aren’t familiar with ADHD sometimes mistakenly believe that people with this disorder have some sort of advantage; whether it might be the supposed super powers of prescription stimulants, being given special needs status, receiving inclusion education status in college, or some sort of magical mental ability to learn things quickly and exhaustively.
When it comes to getting a head in life, being successful, and achieving personal goals, ADHD provides no advantages. None. Those with ADHD, like everyone else have to put in effort, discipline, determination, and consistency in order to accomplish achievements. What having ADHD does mean, is that for some persons with this disorder it takes a lot more effort to accomplish end goals due to this neurodevelopmental disorder.
When anxiety and ADHD decide to work together in your mind it usually means personal disaster for many individuals. Accomplishments are quickly disregarded and downplayed by anxiety that manifests itself as Imposter Syndrome.
“First described by psychologists Suzanne Imes, PhD, and Pauline Rose Clance, PhD, in the 1970s, impostor phenomenon occurs among high achievers who are unable to internalize and accept their success. They often attribute their accomplishments to luck rather than to ability, and fear that others will eventually unmask them as a fraud. Though the impostor phenomenon isn’t an official diagnosis listed in the DSM, psychologists and others acknowledge that it is a very real and specific form of intellectual self-doubt. Impostor feelings are generally accompanied by anxiety and, often, depression.” American Psychological Association
Be careful not to let anxiety and Imposter Syndrome rob you of the joy of what you have achieved. You worked for what you have, enjoy it. Humbleness is important, but low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, and depression are not the same as having a humble spirit.
If your achievements were earned without stepping on others, dishonest means, or blatant injustice then you have no reason to embrace your accomplishments.
“But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusivelanguage from your mouth.Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practicesand have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.” Colossians 3: 8-10
Give thanks to God for what you accomplish and thank those who helped you along the way. Gratitude is a great way to chip away at imposter syndrome.
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17
If you’d like to learn more about Imposter Syndrome and how to overcome it, below are a few links to articles on the topic.
This week I was reminded of a very important lesson; STOP trying to prove yourself to others, especially when they DON’T care about you. It was a painful reminder, it wasn’t humbling, it was physically, emotionally, and mentally draining.
A few weeks ago I was feeling more anxiety than usual, I was always on the verge of crying, my sleep was almost non-existent, and I was ready to crawl into bed, cover my head, and ignore the world for a while. Thankfully I have bills to pay, and things to do, so that was a wish rather than an option.
What I was made to remember was this: Trying to prove yourself to others is emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting. Having to prove yourself to others takes you away from doing the things you love, it takes you away from being yourself, it stops you from loving who you are.
I realized I was spending the majority of my days doing things to prove to a certain group of people that I was skilled, capable, good enough, intelligent, and forgivable. What a waste of my time! I finally accepted this was a group of people who would never admit to my abilities, talents, and skills. They had made up their mind that I wasn’t deserving and were doing whatever they could to knock me down and ensure that I stay there.
My mistakes were all due to classic ADHD traits: overscheduling, taking on more than was necessary for one person to handle, not knowing when to say “no”, working on things late into the night, and forgetting the little things. Throw in anxiety along with lack of sleep and you have a hot mess, named ME! My schedule was go-go-go! I was “going” for everyone except myself.
It you’re ADHD looks anything like mine does, sometimes you spend a lot of time making up for your mistakes by trying to prove yourself to your doubters. If you do this long enough it is no longer about proving what you can “do”, instead, you start trying to prove your worthiness. You start trying to prove that you deserve another chance for having been late, for having forgotten an appointment, for forgetting something and before you realize it, you are trying to prove you are worthy of second chances.
If you believe you deserve a second chance at something, don’t spend your energy trying to prove your worth. Do what you are good at, do what you love, fulfill your responsibilities because that is who you are, not because you want someone to support you, accept you, or believe you. Even if you are excellent at something, or very dependable, you might never get acknowledged or recognition; but it doesn’t change the fact that you are excellent at what you do and are a dependable person.
I took a break and I changed up my schedule. I decided to spend less time around the group I needed to prove myself to and it made a huge difference in how I felt. I suddenly had more free time for the things I love to do and for people who didn’t require me to “prove myself”; these were people who already knew what I was great at.
My time with them wasn’t spent trying to prove anything, we spent that time together and I was free to be myself. My anxiety decreased because I wasn’t spending all my energy and thoughts on how to prove myself to others. My focus increased because I only had a few things on my plate, and those few things I did because I knew I was good at them, not because I needed to prove to anyone else that I was good at it or capable of handling the work.
Take a look at your life, your goals, and how you spend your time. Do you find that a lot of time is spent “proving yourself” to others? Is your self-worth wrapped up in trying to make up for some of your ADHD flaws? Do you spend a lot of time worrying about what others will think of your work?
Spending a lot of time worrying about what others might think or how others view you means you are not spending enough time being you, being yourself. Take time to value yourself. If you have done your best and all that you can or could do or were asked to do; take pride in that and give yourself a pat on the back.
Permission: “the right or ability to do something that is given by someone who has the power to decide if it will be allowed or permitted” (Webster’s Dictionary) or in simpler terms, “the approval of a person in authority” (Webster’s Dictionary).
I’m still working through the book and O-Course, “The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are” by Brene Brown. This book study continues through to the beginning of May 2016. I’m thankful the schedule allows us to work our way through her writings and insights slowly, one week at a time.
In the first 48 pages Brene Brown covers the topic of shame and her first art journaling assignment is to have participants create their own permission slips.
In relation to having adult ADHD, I began to think about the amount of shame this disorder has helped to create in my mind. I wasn’t diagnosed until later into adulthood, and by then I had excelled in a number of failures and mistakes resulting in shame becoming a constant part of my identity. My list of shames included constantly being late, forgetting things I had agreed to do, unintentionally blurting out words that ended up causing others hurt feelings, struggling in the workplace, over eating to the point of morbid obesity, and struggling to get through my undergraduate degree which took me much longer to complete than the average student. In addition to ADHD induced shame, I also struggled with an anxiety disorder that prevented me from perceiving my mistakes and failures in a healthy manner.
What I’ve finally learned is that we cannot manage our ADHD properly if we do not give ourselves permission to make mistakes and learn from them. Shame is a powerful emotion. It is powerful enough to prevent us from living a more successful life as persons with ADHD. Shame can cause the following problems:
An inability to accept responsibility for the hurts we have caused others due to embarrassment
Fear of trying new things due to a fear of not being “good enough” or worthy
Anger towards our self and others; this sometimes presents itself by blaming others for our mistakes or perceived failure
Symptoms of depression or increased depression for those who already have it
Anxiety or increased anxiety in those who have this disorder
Self imposed isolation because of not wanting to be around others due to moodiness, blame, fear, or embarrassment
This list is not exhaustive, but it certainly shows the emotional harm caused by shame.
I am still adding to my list of permission slips as I increasingly realize the areas of my life where I haven’t given myself permission to be a flawed person. Even if you haven’t read Brown’s book I encourage you to try her assignment where you create your own permission slips. It doesn’t have to be specifically ADHD related, that was my decision after realizing the strong connection, impact, and association shame had on this disorder. However, I do think it would be a great learning experience for you to write some slips that are specific to your experiences with ADHD.
For further information on shame and adult ADHD, I recommend reading the following links:
Remember, you are God’s creation. He loves you exactly as you are and where you are in life. His love is not influenced or determined by our earthly achievements; as He has reminded us, His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. We have been given the ability to search our hearts and minds to know when we have wronged others and have been wronged. Embrace God’s daily grace and mercy knowing we always have the opportunity to get back up, dust ourselves off, and carry on stronger and wiser than before.
Below is a generic permission slip for you to print and sign, granting yourself permission to make mistakes without it leading to self-sabotage and self defeat.
Here is the permission slip assignment from Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection O-Course
“What do you have to give yourself permission to do when you’re doing something scary? Draw permission slips in your journal or simply write them down as a list. I give myself permission to __________.
Decorate the page by using colored pens or markers and watercolors to create the permission slips or list.”
A few weeks ago I joined a small group book club where we are going through The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown, Ph.D., L.M.S.W. I had originally read the book on my own over a year ago. I signed up for the OCourse on Oprah.com and lasted less than a week. I read through the book, but skipped the videos and the art journaling assignments. I had decided it wasn’t for me because I wasn’t ‘an artist’. I now know I missed out on a lot of learning and potential for personal growth.
This week’s Guidepost #3 is “Cultivating a Resilient Spirit: Letting God of Numbing and Powerlessness”. Resilience is, “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change” (Webster’s Dictionary).
Brown defines numbing as behaviours that we engage in to take, “the edge off of vulnerability, pain, and discomfort”. Numbing behaviour differs from person to person and can include doing things such as substance abuse, watching t.v., spending a lot of time on Facebook or other forms of social media, shopping, spending money, exercise, sex, and many other things.
As I was reading through this chapter, watching Brene’s video, and beginning the corresponding assignment, I began to wonder if some of the habits and behaviours we attribute exclusively to ADHD, might actually be a form of numbing. I wouldn’t say that this has to be either or, but sometimes it is easy to attribute certain emotionally based behaviours to ADHD when it might not actually be the case. Is watching hours of television per day a habit of ADHD, or could it be a result of numbing? I don’t have a medical answer, but I am curious about how numbing and ADHD effect our lives.
If you have a co-morbid diagnosis such as ADHD and an anxiety disorder or ADHD and depression, I think it is important to learn about and recognize which symptoms can be attributed to each disorder.
I personally know that when I procrastinate it is usually a combination of anxiety and ADHD. Thankfully, the anxiety increases enough to give me the kick in the pants that I need to do what needs to be done. Nothing gets me going more than a tight deadline. Of course, the down side to this is the depleted energy, the crash, the damaging self-criticism, and whatever numbing behaviour I am engaging in.
Brisk walking has always been a numbing activity for me, but I was not always conscious of this. Brisk walking gets my heart pumping, provides cardio exercise, and helps me to physically release built up tension. Numbing is not considered healthy, at least not according to Brene Brown, but for right now, I’m not ready to give that up. My doctor has stressed the importance of getting exercise for helping to manage anxiety, and so far it has been working. I look forward to the end of winter and the darkness that it brings so I can return to my daily 5k brisk walks free of ice and snow.
I’ll share with you the questions Brene Brown gave students for Guidepost 3. I think these are important things to consider and evaluate in your life. Take these questions a bit further by seeing how ADHD plays a role in these behaviours. Which of your behaviours are ADHD, which are numbing, and which may be both?
Part 1: Lesson 4/Cultivating a Resilient Spirit: Letting Go of Numbing and Powerlessness
“We can’t selectively numb just the bad and feel the joy at the same time. Think about the things you use to numb yourself when you’re feeling pain or sadness.” Brene Brown.
With adult ADHD, it can sometimes feel as if both our mind and body never stop moving. Not all people have hyperactivity as a symptom of their ADHD, however, it doesn’t mean your body isn’t free from some of the physical tolls of this disorder. Even quiet people who often seem like they are off in dream land can find themselves holding a lot of physical tension.
I have struggled most of my adult life with muscle tension, migraines, and tension headaches. I have often been told by doctors, physical therapists, and other health professionals that for me, these have been caused by anxiety and stress. I believe this could be true for others as well.
From the American Psychological Association, “When the body is stressed, muscles tense up. Muscle tension is almost a reflex reaction to stress — the body’s way of guarding against injury and pain. With sudden onset stress, the muscles tense up all at once, and then release their tension when the stress passes. Chronic stress causes the muscles in the body to be in a more or less constant state of guardedness. When muscles are taut and tense for long periods of time, this may trigger other reactions of the body and even promote stress-related disorders. For example, both tension-type headache and migraine headache are associated with chronic muscle tension in the area of the shoulders, neck and head.”
One of the ways that I know I am being emotionally and physically consumed by stress or worry is by evaluating my dreams. I rarely get a good night’s sleep, but when I internalize stress I tend to have very vivid dreams. For example, I don’t often speak up at work, where I do as much as I can to avoid saying things that I believe will upset people.
Somehow I believed that if I was cool and calm on the outside, I was not truly bothered by something and I was handling situations like a good Christian woman. Don’t’ speak up, remain silent, be a “yes” person; and this will help you to remain a good woman. If I wasn’t fidgeting, or day dreaming when I should be paying attention, then that meant, to me at least, that my ADHD symptoms were under control. Boy was I wrong. The truth was in my increased muscle tension, and pain in my neck and shoulders, and the headaches that left me in need of few long afternoon naps.
Scripture advises us not to let the day end with us being angry and upset with others or the trials that life brings us. God knows that stress and worry are bad for our mind and hard on our bodies. His son tells us to cast all our cares onto him and lighten our loads.
Maybe you’re not sure if you have been carrying around the physical stress of having ADHD and a dual diagnosis (e.g. Depression, Anxiety Disorder, OCD), check out some of these symptoms and see how often they occur for you.
Symptoms of physical tension caused by stress:
-Headaches (often starts in the back of the head and above the eyebrows)
-Muscle tension in the neck and shoulders
-Lower back pain
-Muscle spasms and ticks
-Clenched jaw
-Grinding of teeth
Although I engage in different practices to prevent or decrease stressors in my life, I still have times when stress takes a toll on my body. For me personally, the best methods for managing the symptoms have been tension releasing stretches throughout the day time, secular yoga movements, meditating on God’s word, and short leisurely walks in the afternoon during breaks or immediately after work. It’s important to find methods that work for you.
Some easy ways to ease and release muscle tension include:
-Having an Epsom salt bath in warm water
-Deep breathing exercises
-Basic yoga moves (or yoga alternatives)
-Going for a non-brisk, leisurely walk (remember to stretch afterwards)
-Prayer
-Finding a quiet place to sit and relax without engaging in any activity
-Simple stretches
-Going for weekly massages
Ephesian 4:26-32
“Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil…. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”
I am an art lover. I love looking at beautiful works of art in a variety of formats: painting, photography, drawing, film, mixed art, you name it. I admire those who have the talent to create works of arts inspired by nature. The closest I will ever get to being an artist is colouring.
I am glad the publishing word has realized there are plenty of adults such as myself who find colouring to be relaxing. If you find yourself needing to unwind and release all the stress, anxiety, frustrations, boredom, and unreleased energy that has built up during the day; colouring is a great way to do so.
If you need some inspiration, try going for a walk while summer is still hanging on. When Fall arrives, take another motivating walk and get inspired by the gold, browns, yellows, and reds of the season. If you feel even more creative, why not colour pictures with shades you wish were represented in nature. Who says a tree can’t be purple, and the sky turquoise?
Colouring for the purpose of relaxation and stress release allows for something you don’t get to experience during your daily routine; it offers you creative freedom. There is no competition, no judgement – unless you invite it, no limits, and no expectations. The colouring is completed by you and is done only for you.
The story of creations’ beginning always fascinated me as a child. The story books I was exposed to often started with a blank page and ended with beautiful colour and artistry. I can’t even begin to imagine what the world looked like before God brought the beauty of creation into existence. Imagine a world void of colour, various textures, and patterns.
As with most years, Winter weather will arrive alongside Fall. We will spend 8 months in a dark, cold, winter void of any colour other than white. For some people Seasonal Affective Disorder (link) leads to negative mood changes which last until longer hours of sunlight return during the Spring. Even those who are not affected by this mood disorder become more depressed due to decreased sunlight and more time spent in the cold weather, and decreased activity.
For myself, colouring bright pictures of spring and mandalas help to remind me of what I have to look forward to once Winter is over. If you don’t like the idea of colouring pictures of nature and mandalas, there are a variety of objects for you to colour: human anatomy, animals, science fiction/fantasy themes, and a host of other topics. Pick the themes you love and know will provide a sense of calm and relaxation.
Where To Start
Blogger Bette Fetter lists a few of her recommendations for adult colouring books at her website (link).
There are also a good selection of adult coloring books to be found on amazon.com (link)
If you don’t want to purchase a colouring book you can find websites with free colouring pages such as colourpix.com (link)
To save money you can also purchase colouring books at places like dollar stores, Wal-Mart and Target for under $5.00
Faithfully ADHD 