5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD

5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD | Outfit Details

Sweater: Cents of Style // Pants: Gap // Shoes: Keds // Necklace: Made By Mary // Necklace: Kendra Scott // Earrings: Kendra Scott // Trench Coat: Banana Republic // Purse: Sole Society // Jackie's Dress: Gap // Jackie's Sweater: Jacadi // Jackie's Leggings: Old Navy // Jackie's Shoes: Freshly Picked

5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD | ADD Response

Before I start this post I just want to say thank you and send you all a HUGE hug! I can't believe the responses I have been getting since I have opened up more about having ADD. I have always been open about my ADD in person and I have done a few blog posts in the past but I guess I have just been talking about it more recently and the responses have been amazing. So many of you have told me that are you finding similarities between my story and your own. I am happy that my story has helped some of you and has encouraged me to do more posts about having ADD!

5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD | "Coping" with ADD

When you are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, it is something you are going to have to deal with for the rest of your life. It is not something that you can take medication for and just be done with. There are times that you don't take your meds or you meds don't work so you will need to figure out what to do in order to cope with your ADD/ADHD during those times. There is also only so much that the meds can do. So today I want to share with you 5 ways I cope with my ADD in hopes that one of them may help you.

5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD | Take My Meds

I am a big believer in medication. You can read about my experience of being diagnosed and finding the right meds here. I will admit that in college, I was not really consistent about taking my meds and it showed. Since I have been married and had a job, I have been very consistent about taking my meds. They work. When I don't take them, I can see a huge difference. In order to really function as an adult, do my job and be a mom, I need to take my meds. By taking my meds, I am able to keep my anxiety under control and I am just a better person!

I am really good about seeing my doctor every 3 months and getting more meds as soon as I can. All ADD/ADHD medications are controlled substances. That means you always need a prescription for a refill and you can only get a refill every 30 days. There have been times where I needed my meds a day early because I was traveling on the day I would usually fill them. I have since learned to skip a day of medication every few weeks (usually a Saturday) so that I can have a few extra pills in case I can't get my meds. Sadly that is the reality of taking a controlled substance. Don't get me started on the war on drugs and how that has impacted these kinds of things.

5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD | Stay Organized

I have talked before about how and why I used a planner but it has been a huge thing for me when it comes to coping with my ADD. I started using a paper planner my senior year of high school, per my psychiatrist's suggestion. I used a different color pen for each subject and I would write down my homework assignments in my planner using the color coded system. It was amazing to me how well I was able to keep track of everything and how I stayed on top of all of my work. I took this system to college with me and it was the only way I could keep up with classes. I have actually saved my planners going back to high school. There were a few years in college where I didn't use one and there was a huge difference. I missed deadlines and my grades suffered.

I have done the same thing in order to keep up with everything that I am doing now. I have a paper planner that I use daily. The brand of planner changes year to year but right now I am using Golden Coil. I write down all of my tasks for work in light blue, tasks for Breezing Through in pink, tasks for my job at church in green, tasks for Maskcara Beauty in purple and tasks for personal stuff in navy. My current planner is too big for me to carry around everywhere so I also have the digital download from the Rad + Happy planner that I print out every week and use at home. You can only get this download if you have pre ordered the Rad + Happy planner!

5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD | Stick to A Routine

This is something that I started doing in high school, totally lost motivation and track of in college and really only started doing once I got married. It is the ONLY way I was successful in working from home, which I did for a few years while The Husband was in law school and we lived in the middle of no where. My routine is going to look very different from your routine but it works for me and it really helps me.

I got up early, usually between 5 and 5:30 am. Sometimes I sleep in until 6, which tends to mess with my productivity for the rest of the day but I can make it work. I take my meds as soon as I wake up because it takes an hour for them to kick in (part of the reason why I get up so early). While my meds are working their way through my system, I shower, get dressed, eat and do anything else I need to in order to get ready for the day. Once the hour is up, I start doing things around the house (dishes, laundry, cleaning) until my meds have really kicked in. Then I start working. Usually I take this time to work on Breezing Through and Maskcara Beauty stuff. Blog posts, videos, pictures, research, responding to messages. Anything that goes into those businesses usually happens during that time. And I do that until Jackie wakes up. I then get her ready for the day and we head out the door.

The rest of the day varies and is usually unpredictable. But having that morning routine makes a HUGE difference for me.

5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD | Exercise

I was so good about this at different points in my life. Right now, I am not. But I have decided that chasing Jackie around and carrying her (she is almost 40 pounds) is enough of a workout for me at the moment. Exercise isn't just good for your body, it is good for your mind. It is a great way to get out frustrations and clear your mind. One of my favorite forms of exercise is yoga. It was a huge help with I was dealing with my hip issues and it has been a great way to clear my mind during times of stress.

I have always been athletic and was constantly moving as a kid. Softball, soccer, basketball, dance. I did it all. And I think it was part of the reason I was diagnosed so late with ADD. I was able to cope with a lot of things because of the exercise I was getting and my ADD wasn't a problem that it was for other kids.

5 Things I Do to "Cope" With My ADD | Don't Use It As a Crutch

ADD is an explanation not an excuse. I don't get to behave badly or not get things done because I have ADD. I remind myself of this every single day. I try my best to learn from my mistakes and I often spend a lot of time reflecting on situations that went badly to see what I could have done differently. My brain is different than the average brain and that is just the reality. Instead of using that as a reason to not do things or lash out, I have chosen to work with it. I do my best every day. Not every day is good. But as I have gotten older, there are more days that are good. And that is the goal.