Living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) isn’t always easy. As such, there may be times you feel anxious or notice symptoms of existing anxiety getting worse.
But dealing with anxiety doesn’t need to be part of your day-to-day life with ADHD. While there isn’t a cure, there are plenty of at-home methods you can use to manage ADHD and anxiety in adults, to make life that bit easier.
To help you find relief from this mental stress, we’ll look into 11 ways you can manage ADHD and anxiety yourself at home.
1. Get Enough Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is important for general health, but it’s also crucial to help manage ADHD and anxiety in adults.
Lack of sleep or poor sleep can mimic the inattentive symptoms of ADHD, according to the NHS. As such, when you don’t get enough high-quality sleep, both ADHD symptoms and anxiety levels may spike during the day.
To deal with ADHD and anxiety, you need to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night. Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon, limiting phone time an hour before bedtime, and creating a relaxing space to sleep in can all help improve your sleep.
2. Practice Mindfulness
A hyperactive mind is a common symptom of ADHD, but when your brain is overworked and tired, it can increase symptoms of anxiety.
Practising mindfulness is a great way to slow the mind down, allowing you to take a minute to soothe those anxious feelings. Not only does this stop the overthinking, but it can also improve the impulsivity and concentration difficulties of ADHD, too.
Body scanning is one mindfulness method you can try. To do this, get yourself into a comfortable space and sit down. Close your eyes and mentally scan your body, taking note of the feeling in your toes, all the way up to the top of your head.
3. Follow a Healthy Diet
What we eat and drink can have a huge impact on our mental state, as well as our concentration levels.
As such, eating a healthy, balanced diet is another way to manage ADHD and anxiety. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, walnuts, and edamame, support brain function, while complex carbohydrates like oats, brown rice, or wholemeal bread sustain your energy levels.
Eating lots of greasy foods can leave us feeling sluggish, tired, and even increase anxiety symptoms. On the other hand, excess sugar can cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, making it harder to focus and increasing irritability.
4. Get a Diagnosis
When you’re living with symptoms of ADHD without having a diagnosis, it can cause a lot of anxiety around what might be going on. That’s why getting that diagnosis is so important.
A diagnosis gives you the information you need to validate your feelings, as well as provides some much-needed clarity. Plus, your diagnosis allows you to gain access to treatments to manage your ADHD and anxiety better, helping to make the day-to-day a bit easier.
We know reaching out for help can feel daunting, but we provide professional, friendly tests for ADHD. If you’re concerned about symptoms of ADHD in yourself or a loved one, get in touch with us today.
5. Try Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a great way to learn the best way to manage ADHD and anxiety for you.
With a therapist, you’ll discuss how your symptoms affect you before developing skills to manage them. This could be developing coping mechanisms to control emotional regulation or practising routines to better your executive functions.
If you have a diagnosis for ADHD, you may even be able to receive free therapy on the NHS. Speak to your GP about how to go about applying for access to mental health services.
6. Stay Active
Staying active is beneficial for your general health, as well as a great way to manage ADHD and anxiety.
A bit of exercise can boost dopamine levels in the brain. Known as the ‘feel-good’ chemical, dopamine helps to improve your mood. What’s more, exercise can improve your focus, as well as help manage impulse control.
You don’t even need to do too much to experience these benefits. In fact, studies suggest a simple 30 to 40-minute walk can help with all of the above.
7. Speak to a GP About Medication
There are plenty of medications available from your GP to help treat ADHD, and if your anxiety is triggered by those symptoms, then it’ll help with that too.
Medications include fast-acting stimulants and non-stimulants, which take a couple of weeks to feel the effects of. Typically, you’ll be prescribed a stimulant first. If those don’t work or the side effects are too bad, then you’ll be given non-stimulants.
Both ADHD medications are used to treat impulse control, improve focus, and reduce hyperactivity by increasing the neurotransmitters in your brain. It’s important to note these do not cure ADHD or anxiety, but they are an effective method of managing the symptoms.
8. Do Breathing Exercises
If you often find yourself in a panic because of ADHD and anxiety, then breathing exercises are a great method to bring yourself back to the present.
When you’re panicking, your body has activated its fight-or-flight response. Breathing exercises work by activating the rest-and-digest part of the nervous system instead, soothing the fight-or-flight response.
They’re really simple to do, and you can try them anywhere – at home, at work, out and about. Simply find a space you can sit comfortably, place one hand on your chest and another on your stomach. Inhale slowly through the nose, feeling your stomach rise as you go, before gently exhaling through your mouth. The NHS recommends you do this for at least 5 minutes.
9. Talk to Your Support Network
A problem shared is a problem halved. When you’re dealing with ADHD and anxiety, this is no different.
Sometimes all you need is a cup of tea and a chat with a loved one. In fact, studies have shown that speaking about what’s bothering you can reduce stress, improve your mood, and build emotional strength.
You could also try a support group, where you’ll be able to meet people living with ADHD as well. The UK Adult ADHD Network lists a range of different support groups, helping you find the one most convenient for you.
10. Use a Journal
Mental health professionals recommend journaling to manage symptoms of anxiety, but it can also help manage ADHD symptoms, too.
With ADHD, it can often feel like you have a million and one thoughts racing around your mind at one time. Getting those down on paper reduces mental clutter and also helps you make sense of those thoughts.
We know it can be difficult to know where to start, but if you’ve got a notebook and a pen, then you’re ready to go! Try starting with these journal prompts:
- What tasks feel the most overwhelming to you right now? Break them down into smaller steps.
- In what setting do you feel most productive?
- Think of a time you completed a task you found challenging. What strategies from then can you take into your daily life?
- What emotions do you feel right now? Where do you feel them in your body?
- What activities soothe your nervous system when you feel overwhelmed?
11. Listen to Music
Something as simple as putting your headphones on and listening to music can be effective in managing ADHD and anxiety.
When you listen to music, your brain gets consistent, predictable auditory stimulation. Through this, dopamine levels increase, helping to improve your focus and emotional regulation, while reducing distractions.
Neuroaffinity Gives Peace of Mind with Expert ADHD Diagnosis
Here at Neuroaffinity, we provide expert ADHD diagnosis testing to help you understand yourself more.
With us, you can skip the lengthy wait times, getting you the answer you need fast. More importantly, once you have a diagnosis, you’re able to access support groups, treatments, and therapy on the NHS.
Get in touch with us today to arrange an ADHD test for you or a loved one. You can contact us on 0776 856 5162 or fill out our contact form for a call back from a member of our team.
Looking for more information on ADHD? Learn the difference between ADHD and ADD, or discover how autism and anxiety are related, over on our blog.
Talhah Malik
Dr Talhah Malik is a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist specialising in ADHD and autism. He leads secure inpatient services, provides medico-legal assessments, and is passionate about evidence-based, person-centred care.
