What is self-care?

What is self-care?

  • Self-care is the act of attending to your own physical and mental wellbeing and is a really important part of minding yourself.
  • Adults with ADHD often experience more stress and anxiety than someone without ADHD and are less likely to engage in self-care and have unhealthy coping strategies (like avoiding the problem or lashing out), so it’s really important to make an effort to mind your physical and mental wellbeing.
  • Self-care is about making the time to do things that make you happy.

What are some ways I can practice self-care?

  • Prioritise your hobbies. Organisation is a big challenge for people with ADHD so it's really important that when you work out a plan to manage your time effectively, you make sure there's time for your hobbies somewhere in your week. The same goes for scheduling time to relax, whatever that looks like for you! 
  • Activity outlets (like sports or something that gets you moving) are really helpful for peopel with ADHD. It's great to join a group that has classes regularly, so it becomes part of your schedule. Doing it as a group also means an opportunity to socialise and commit to the activity.
  • Make an effort to reach out to friends, asking for help or just for a chat. Staying in contact with people and having a network of people you care about is really important. Create a list of people who support you and make note of is in the My Support Contacts page. This will be helpful on days you might feel lonely or isolated.
  • Learning about ADHD can provide a lot of comfort. Reading this App and other bibliotherapy options, like books or blogs, can give you other techniques. Finding a community can offer huge support. Check out ADHD Ireland for more information, as they run support groups and social events for adults with ADHD.

What is self-care?

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References

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