Upside-Down - ADHD Series

Cindy Hyde’s Blog: ADHD Series

Attempting to do anything that requires discipline and routine is difficult for those of us with ADHD. However, I am turning over a new leaf. I am ‘rebooting’ my brain, reprogramming myself to function as a normal person who gets normal things done in a normal time frame. Who am I kidding?

If you have ADHD or otherwise known as ADHD you know full well that following a routine, going to bed and getting up at the same time, even working a 9-5 job can be hard, and for some, impossible. I have heard the phrase that ADHD people are round pegs trying to fit in square holes. It is true. I have coined my own descriptive phrase for what I endure and experience as an adult with ADHD. I tell my friends, “I am upside down.”  That’s right. Upside-down. That is exactly how It feels. Like I am upside-down while living in a world that is right-side up. When others are sleeping I am working. When the world is a buzz of activity I am sleeping. Totally the opposite of ‘socially acceptable behavior’ right? Well, who says I am the ‘upside-down’ one?

I struggled with ADHD even before I knew I had ADHD. It was not until I read the book, ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Home by acclaimed professional organizer Judith Kolberg and Dr. Kathleen Nadeau, a renowned ADHD clinical psychologist that I realized how serious this ADHD thing was for me personally. I read the book to try to help someone else. It helped both of us.

It is not just the distractibility, sure that’s there but you can learn to refocus as you get older. We learn to compensate for our shortcomings. But in my ADHD world insomnia is normal. This means I am up all night and then I have to sleep all day to get any rest. This puts me on a two-week cycle of being upside down. Yes, it’s like the rest of the world is right-side-up and I am upside-down. To be honest with you, it is exhausting. The upside is that while I experience insomnia I also experience the ability to get a great deal of work done.
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I have watched, and intend to track at some point, the cycles of ADHD in my life. The longest I have ever been able to get to bed around 10 pm and get up anywhere from 5 am – 7 am was three months. That’s it. The rest of the time I am bouncing from right-side-up to upside down.  Yes, this is hard on relationships. It is hard physically. It is hard mentally.

Do I like being upside down? No. If I had my choice I would always go to bed early and get up early. Yes. I like being able to hyper-focus and get more done in two nights than I would in two weeks being right-side up.

Welcome to an inside look at my upside-down world. Here are ten things I do to help stay right-side-up. In reality, sometimes these things just don't work. If they don't work for you either, try to 'swing' back around in shorter cycles. My top ten tips:

1. I take Melatonin at the same time every night 30 min before you go to bed.
2. I created a 'nightly routine' so my body could learn that it was time to unwind.
3. I unwind. I use Lavender Essential Oil in a diffuser and I pray or meditate.
4. I unplug. I try to unplug about 30 minutes before I go to bed.
5. I unload. I write everything buzzing around in my head down on paper.
6. I avoid caffeinated foods and drinks for 3 hours before my scheduled bedtime.
7. I set my room up for a good night's rest. Lower the temperature and darken the room.
8. I release all the negativity in my life. Thoughts, events, words, actions, etc.
9. I forgive. Yes, forgive yourself for not being "normal" and forgive others.
10. Listen to white noise or background sounds of nature or soothing music.

Living with ADHD is hard. It is challenging. It is often misunderstood, especially by those of us who experience it on a daily basis. Stay strong. Focus on your strengths. Try to stay right-side-up as much as possible.

Copyright 2018, Cindy Hyde, MA (ADHD Coach) cindyhyde.com
ADHD #UpsideDown #TenTipsforADHD #ADHDCoach #Unwind #Unload #Forgive #Unplug #WhiteNoise #Aromatherapy #Unload #Insomnia #CindyHyde