Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, usually displays symptoms primarily associated with inattention and disorganization; while hyperactivity can still be present, it is generally less likely in adults who have ADHD. While treatments including therapy and medication have demonstrated their effectiveness in treating adult ADHD, there are alternative steps that have shown some ability to relieve some of the symptoms.
Diet
A healthy diet has been shown to diminish the signs of ADHD in some people. Healthy eating can reduce distractibility, hyperactivity and decrease stress. The Mayo Clinic notes that, for some people with ADHD, symptoms can be reduced by eliminating sugar and caffeine and foods that commonly cause allergies, such as milk, wheat and eggs. When removing foods from a diet, other foods should be consumed to obtain necessary nutrients. Small meals should be eaten throughout the day, to avoid dips in blood sugar levels.
Physical Exercise
Exercise has a calming effect that can help relieve stress, improve mood and reduce the hyperactivity and inattention that result from ADHD. When beginning an exercise routine, begin small and work up to more intense exercises in order to avoid injury. Also, the exercise should be something personally enjoyable and should be built into a person’s daily routine at least five days out of the week. People with ADHD have been shown to benefit from sunshine and green surroundings; therefore, outdoor exercise might be even more beneficial, suggests the Help Guide website.
Time Management
Time management is a central problem for most adults with ADHD. To treat this problem, these adults must gain a sense of time and how it passes. Adults should learn to watch the clock and understand what it feels like as a certain amount of time passes. Tasks should be given a limited amount of time to complete. Adults with ADHD learn to allot for more time and add ten minutes to however long they think it will take to do something or get somewhere. They should place reminders of when things need to occur, either in an electronic calendar or a planner.
Organization
Developing structure and increasing habits can help a person with ADHD become organized. Messes, paperwork and clutter should be dealt with right away and not put off when there is more time. If the small mess or the mail is cleaned up or sorted and filed daily, things will be kept under control and organization maintained. Lists will help keep track of things that need to be accomplished and when they need to be accomplished. Adults with ADHD should maintain a list of things that need to be done each day and cross items off after they have been accomplished. Filing systems can help reduce the constant disorganized paperwork generally associated with adult ADHD.
