4 ADHD Habits That Are Kinda Ruining Your Life

Summary

In this video, ADHD coach Cara Miguel outlines four common habits that can make life harder for adults with ADHD. She discusses how beliefs about ADHD limitations, rumination on mistakes, seeking external validation for decisions, and leaving tasks incomplete all contribute to stress and inefficiency. Through self-awareness and simple strategies like counterbalancing negative thoughts, trusting your body’s intuition, and consciously completing tasks, she encourages viewers to break these habits and create a lighter, more empowered approach to managing ADHD in everyday life.

Takeaways

• 😀 ADHD adults often believe certain tasks are impossible due to their condition, but this belief limits potential. ADHD doesn't make things unachievable, just different.
• 😀 Self-awareness is the first step toward transformation. Recognizing limiting beliefs about ADHD is essential for change.
• 😀 Negative rumination is a common habit for ADHDers, leading to a chemical imbalance (increased cortisol and decreased dopamine), making life feel harder.
• 😀 You can counterbalance negative thoughts with positive ones. For every negative thought, try to find a positive, true alternative to interrupt the cycle.
• 😀 Emotions linked to negative thoughts can affect your brain chemistry and overall mood. Reducing negative thinking leads to greater emotional stability.
• 😀 Trusting your inner instincts rather than relying on external sources for answers can lead to more empowered, intentional decisions.
• 😀 Learning to recognize bodily cues for yes and no helps you make decisions without constantly seeking approval from others.
• 😀 Many ADHD adults struggle with completing tasks before moving on to new ones, creating mental clutter and emotional guilt.
• 😀 Consciously decide whether to complete a task or move on from it without carrying guilt or shame. This can lead to greater mental clarity and emotional freedom.
• 😀 Building a habit of closing mental ‘tabs’ after completing or pausing tasks can help you clear your mind and reduce stress.
• 😀 Breaking free from these four habits can lead to a lighter, easier life by fostering greater emotional balance, focus, and self-empowerment.

Q & A

What are the four fundamental habits that are making life harder for adults with ADHD?

The four habits are: 1) Assuming that certain things can’t be done because of ADHD, 2) Giving too much air time to mistakes and negative thoughts, 3) Believing that answers to important decisions are always external and not internal, 4) Never fully completing things before moving on to something else.

Why is assuming that ADHD prevents certain tasks harmful?

Assuming ADHD is a barrier to certain tasks limits personal growth. It creates subconscious beliefs that prevent individuals from even trying to achieve their goals. In reality, ADHD may require different strategies but doesn't mean tasks are impossible to complete.

What is negative cognitive bias and how does it affect ADHD individuals?

Negative cognitive bias is the brain's tendency to focus on negative experiences, which can lead to rumination. This pattern causes a chemical imbalance, increasing stress hormones and reducing happiness-related chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, making life harder and creating a negative mindset.

How can ADHD individuals break the habit of negative rumination?

A useful strategy is to counterbalance negative thoughts with positive ones. By consciously interrupting negative thinking and replacing it with something positive that is also true, individuals can neutralize their thoughts and improve their emotional state.

What is the importance of finding answers internally instead of externally?

When individuals rely on external answers for important decisions, they can feel overwhelmed and disconnected from their true selves. By learning to tune into their body and intuition, ADHD individuals can make more aligned decisions and lead a life of intention and design.

How can someone learn to listen to their body for decision-making?

Start by asking your body how a 'yes' or 'no' feels. For example, a 'yes' might feel like warmth in the chest, while a 'no' might feel like a gut response. By developing this language between your mind and body, you can make decisions more confidently.

Why do ADHD individuals often struggle with completing tasks?

ADHD brains are wired for novelty, which makes individuals easily distracted by new projects and ideas. This results in unfinished tasks and clutter, leading to feelings of guilt and self-criticism. The key to overcoming this is consciously deciding when to complete or put something down without carrying emotional baggage.

What is a helpful strategy for completing tasks despite ADHD's novelty-seeking nature?

To combat task incompletion, individuals should pause and consciously decide if they’re done with a task or if it’s just on hold. Acknowledging that something is complete in the moment, even if unfinished, can reduce guilt and free up cognitive space.

How can ADHD individuals make life feel lighter and easier?

By breaking the four habits discussed—questioning limiting beliefs, reducing negative rumination, seeking answers internally, and consciously completing tasks—ADHD individuals can reduce the mental and emotional clutter that often makes life feel chaotic and overwhelming.

What should ADHD individuals do when they feel guilty for not completing a task?

Instead of holding onto guilt, ADHD individuals should explore the reasons why they left the task unfinished. Understanding whether it was left too early or if the task can be made more engaging can help create a healthier relationship with completion.