What helps your ADHD outside of medication?

[undertheflower]

Could we have a thread for ADHD sufferers who for whatever reason can't use stimulant medication and have found no benefit or too many side effects from other meds. I have a diagnosis and have trialled various medications but cannot take any stimulant type medication due to constant migraines.

Things on my radar are mediation and yoga but really I am interested in anything so any apps, books, podcasts, supplements, strategies, self hypnosis and anything that you have found have helped you with your adhd outside of medication.

A good quality cbd oil helped with emotional dysregulation for me (not as effective as meds, but there was a noticeable difference)

@PerditaNitt Interesting, was it an over the counter oil? If you could share the brand that would be great but I understand if you don't want to. I did try a CBD from holland and barrett for my migraines but I didn't see much effect but I have heard the high street brands aren't very good.

DS19 walks 10k steps a day as he didnt want to carry on taking meds. He also now goes to the gym. Came off Ritalin 4 years ago and has coped really well with things since.

@Sasha19052 Yeah I hear exercise is supposed to be great I just struggle to get into a routine with the ADHD and then my migraines on top of that I feel like I am always playing catch up and really struggle to build a routine I can stick too enough to make it a habit.

The less clutter, the calmer I feel. (But also on meds)

Following.

@SunnieShine Yes having the house clean, tidy and clutter free is so good for my mental health. If it gets past a certain point I get totally overwhelmed and struggle to sort it out.

Ds, teen comes off meds every summer.
He has a good sleep schedule, monitors his screen use at night time.
Takes regular exercise.
Focuses on eating a good diet.
He gets sensory input from hammocks, showers and spending time with the dog.

He is very mature about it all and does a great job I think.

@maybebalancing I suppose if you can take the medication it gives you a good platform for establishing good habits when not on the medication. Anyway thanks for that info about what works for him.

I can’t be on adhd meds because it clashes with my heart and blood pressure meds.

I struggle badly with adhd but I do find that exercise helps especially walking. It seems to clear my head and give me that clarity I need but at the same time makes me calmer.

recently I’ve found a planner that I really like.. the Legend planner, it’s undated which I really find useful, if I miss a week then it’s ok, I don’t get stressed.

writing a big huge long brain dump, this can take hours as I go blank but again it’s fine, it comes back to me. I pick 3 things off that list and complete them , then another 3 things etc. sometimes as simple as have a shower, wash up, take cups downstairs.

it’s not fool proof at all but it helps a bit for me

Daily meditation (massively helps).

Exercise and lots of walking.

Time to myself to zone out during the day.

Keeping my house and office at work organised and clutter free.

No miracle diaries or planners or organisational systems work for me. I keep one long list in my phone notes, plan about a week-10 days ahead, and put tasks / appointments /people’s birthdays etc under each day. I have a list beneath called ‘dates ahead’ where I put in anything I need to remember in coming weeks and months.

Exercise every day, some needs to be intense.
Routine with timings for the morning. If I am not productive within the first hour of the day and I'm not at work, it's a right off!
High protein diet, add sugar on at the end of a meal, not random chocolate throughout the day
Coffee
Water throughout the day
A purpose in life or somewhere you feel a sense of community
Limited time doom scrolling on insta etc
Therapy
ADHD podcasts/YouTube/tiktok etc
Supportive partner/friends who you don't have to mask around who don't take your behaviour personally.

Routine, with visible reminders of that routine in places I know I will naturally look during the day e.g. wall in front of desk, fridge door, opposite the toilet (that's a good one!)

Habit forming, proactively.

Giving in to some of the behaviours e.g. accepting if I'm doing something at 1pm, I won't be productive all day until after that thing is done.

Asking my partner to hold me accountable for things that are in my control if I use my coping mechanisms.

Lists, lists and more lists. Colour code things that are genuinely urgent, things that need to be done by the end of the week and things that can be done the following week. Keep it up to date, updating the list at least daily and be honest with myself about what colour each task is.

Realise you can't do it all (to the level you want) so do less.

Cut out sugar and eat more protein. I hate to say it but cutting out caffeine...I cut it out and felt better. Now on white tea which has half caffeine of black tea (you drink white tea without milk and it is not bitter, quite delicate).

Lift heavy weights three times a week.

Go for a morning walk in natural light every day.

Magnesium glycinate.

I'm like a hopeless ADHD case and these have been transformative.

I use Color Note which is coloured post it notes on my phone. They can be stuck to the phone screen or opened in the app. It is searchable by key word (this is a great trick for ADHD as you don't have to file stuff in an organised way or remember where you put it - just keyword search).

Other things ... routines...I always click and collect food same day/time so I know when I have to enter the list. I also have a lot of the same meals on repeat or slight variations but still balanced. Meal prep and batch cook.

Eat leftovers for lunch...not sure why it took me 40+ years to figure out that saves time.

Eat something every 2-3 hours.

The thing with dopamine is that sustained effort creates it, hence why I love strength training. That is also why meditation works as it takes effort to focus on nothing (not nothing, could be bodily sensations, awareness of thoughts, one spot a foot in front of you).

I don't get on with ADHD meds, tried them but they make me anxious.

Exercise is crucial for me. I used to exercise like a demon every day until peri-menopause hit and my body suddenly could no longer handle it. Which made my ADHD worse, as well as the meno hormonal changes also making it worse. Now I stick to religiously going to the gym 3 times a week and weight training (with a bit of cardio afterwards). I have a coach at the gym so there's someone to hold me accountable. I get migraines (have done since my teens) but if they cause me to miss a session, I go the next day without fail.

I also use an app every day (evening) called Impulse Brain Training for a dopamine hit. It's various games / challenges for memory, attention, problem-solving, maths etc. Using the app helped me curb my evening dopamine seeking (especially on days when I didn't exercise) which usually resulted in over-eating.

I’m not keen on the meds - they made me very jittery and prone to weird facial twitches.

At Easter I started running a mile every morning as the first thing I do when I wake up. It has made an amazing difference to my ADHD. More effective than the meds ever were. And it only takes about 12 mins (I am not a quick runner!).

Following, thanks for all the helpful ideas so far.

Exercise helps for me, and I'm much more productive if I shower first thing in the morning, otherwise I procrastinate all day and don't get dressed and never get anywhere.

Exercise is key. If I exercise before work I am far more productive and centred for the day, without it I’m a disorganised mess. I generally need to exercise again at lunch if I’m at work otherwise I’d never make it through the day ( desk job) . Changing my diet to low sugar, high protein and using intermittent fasting also seems to help.

Following - great tips!

These are all amazing, keep them coming I can see myself implementing a few of them for sure, also 💐to my fellow ADHDers who can't do the meds!

Are you me?

What meditation are you all doing?
I wonder if walking might be good for me. I am also overweight and that would help I am sure

I think I might be! Only relatively recently realised I have ADHD after identifying with every meme and being totally overwhelmed by motherhood, been on waiting list for diagnosis for a couple of years now, but now I know what to look for I spot ADHDers everywhere and note the similarities we seem to share!

Brainzymes focus pro - natural supplement is brilliant. I take 2 in the morning and 2 about 3ish.

Micro dosing has also helped.