Recharge Your Drained ADDADHD Brain

Add a Spring to Your Step with Some Changes

By Linda Roggli

I thought ADD/ADHD meds, were hit or miss. I’d take medication when I remembered to (sometimes) or when I thought they’d help (occasionally).

Then I hit a wall. Work. Family. Politics. More work. I knew I was drowning, so I called my lifeline, Dr. L. He listened closely, changed my meds, and pleaded with me: “Just take them!” And for the first time, I took my medication as prescribed. The difference was astonishing. Within a week, I was bright and chipper. I was me again.

After years of excuses, I awoke to the truth: My ADD/ADHD requires more than a lick and a promise. It needs a boost now and then, perhaps on a regular basis.

More ADHD Articles from ADDitudemag.com:

Simple Ways to Send More Energy to Your Brain

As I thought about it, I realized that I have lots of ADD/ADHD boosts. I work with a professional organizer. I have an ADD/ADHD coach. I admit to an embarrassing attachment to my labeler and to my wireless headset. I have a key finder on my keys, purse, camera, and cell phone.

Sometimes my ADD/ADHD boosts are unintentional. I was having some trouble with my right hip, so I made an appointment with a massage therapist. To my surprise, the twice-a-week massages opened up a new channel for me: I get so much done now. My mind is clearer and more focused. I wouldn’t have guessed that such indulgence could help my ADD/ADHD symptoms. But it did.

Join My ADD/ADHD Brain Booster Club

So I’ve decided to start my own ADD/ADHD Booster Club. Membership is free and open to anyone who has an ADD/ADHD brain. Creativity and spontaneity are encouraged. There’s only one rule: Find boosters that work for your ADD/ADHD brain.

Perhaps it’s a meditation class or hiring someone to clean your bathrooms. It could be an afternoon nap or a quick run on the treadmill to refocus your mind. Your boosts might include playing with an iPhone or a BlackBerry or the opposite, a simple, no-frills phone. You might get an alarm clock that jumps off the table, forcing you to chase it.

Boosts can be big — a week at the beach to recharge — or small — 30 seconds of deep breathing to refocus. Even a dishwasher can be an ADD/ADHD boost, or the time-honored bubble bath.

So consider this an invitation to join the ADD/ADHD Booster Club. Create new, customized boosts for your ADD/ADHD brain. There is no shame in needing a boost or two — or 20. Everyone — especially you — deserves support to live a happy life.