5 Awesome Resources That Will Help Manage Your Adult ADHD Right Now

I know. You’re wondering how you can “manage” Adult ADHD, when the first two words “Attention Deficit”, pretty much say it all.

You can manage the symptoms of Adult ADHD though, or even just short attention syndrome, and... you can excel while doing it.

Let’s be honest.You’re probably reading this while on break from setting up your most recent organizing system, right?

Why?

To re-organize your three previous organization systems of course.That makes perfect sense...to someone with adult ADHD...Am I right?

Everyone has days when they feel overwhelmed, un-focused, and chaotic. But what I’m talking about is something different.I'm talking about daily events, like when your son walks into the room with his arms crossed over his chest.

 He levels his little boy eyes at you.Then, in a very adult and dis-approving voice, and an audible SIGH… says

”Mom, the freezer is ringing. You left your phone in there…. AGAIN”,

and walks away shaking his head.

How about when you go running around the house, frantically searching for your keys, so that you’re not late to your time management class (which, of course, you end up being late for). ...only to find them hanging from your neck.

And let’s not forget grocery shopping.

You organize the entire trip right down to your coupons.You even get smart and put the name of the nearest store as the title of your shopping list “Trader Joe’s Shopping List”.

You get in your car, crank up the radio, and immediately get lost in Adele’s new song.

15 minutes later you park and get out at the Whole Foods ,7 miles out of your way, wondering how the heck you got here (they don’t even honor any of the coupons you brought with you).

How many times do little distractions like these affect your day?How frustrated do you become each time?

Current Estimates Of Adults With ADHD

Most of us have heard of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder), but we usually tend to think of it as affecting mainly children. However, according to a study of over 11,422 adults for ADHD in 10 countries the estimate of worldwide adult ADHD averaged about 3.4%.

With a current US population of 316.1 million adults, that means about

One little known fact, every adult who suffers with ADHD however, had it as a child, whether they were diagnosed at the time or not. It is a chronic condition that is considered one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders.

According to Web MD, “approximately 40% of children grow out of it, but the remainder will experience it as adults. Many of those will go un-diagnosed".

Adult ADHD affects men and women equally.It’s been compared to a roller coaster, except it’s not a roller coaster, it’s your life, and sometimes you feel trapped upside down.

Types and Common Symptoms of Adult ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has three subtypes:

If you have adult ADHD, diagnosed or not, you may have extreme difficulty with: Concentration…Following directions…Organizing tasks…Information recall…Little or no follow through. This in turn can lead to one or all the following concerns such as:

Anxiety…The Good the Bad and the Ugly

You know how it feels and it isn’t good. The NIMH (National Institute for Mental Health) characterizes anxiety as:

It’s estimated that over 60 percent of people with ADHD have a comorbid, or coexisting, condition.Anxiety is one condition that is often seen in people with ADHD.

Anxiety is one condition that is often seen in people with ADHD. About 50 percent of ADHD adults have it.

I am not staring off into space thinking about what recommendation Netflix just texted me. I'm actually thinking about so many things, at the same time, that my brain has knocked my eyeballs together, and created thought boogers that are threatening to spew out of my nose.

I do not lack motivation.I am an extremely motivated employee, in fact I’m a firecracker…I am just in need of INTERESTING motivation, but if you request an Excel document about the "percentage of printer paper usage among employees", I will need 47 thousand cups of coffee, a lipstick taser to stick up my nose, and a brick wall to continually throw myself against, in order to stay focused.

I do not procrastinate.I am just going over the 80 different ways that I could accomplish this one task, and figuring out the very…very, very, very…. veerrrryyyy best way.

Lack of Impulse control aka-“Fun facts about impulsiveness”

While it's true that laughter is the best medicine, let’s put humor aside for a minute.

Adult ADHD is a very serious problem, and people who live with it need as much structure and guidance as they can get.

What you should know about adults with ADHD and their standard of living.

An article in WebMD.com reports that Joseph Biederman, MD, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, has surveyed ADHD adults,and found that the incomes of households with an ADHD member are substantially lower, than those without.

Biederman calculates that households with an ADHD member have incomes that are $10,791 lower for high school graduates and $4,334 lower for college graduates.

This comes out to an annual revenue loss of close to $77 billion in the US.That’s a pretty big discrepancy, and it’s probably because adults with ADHD need more specific structure, and management, just to get through their day-to-day routines.

There are a ton of resources out there to help with that, but I’m going to focus specifically on 5 today that can:

I know you’re ready, let's get started.

Top 5 Resources To Help with Symptoms of Adult ADHD

Adult ADHD Resource #1 - Nootropics

If you're dealing with the type of anxiety associated with ADHD, then you will be ecstatic to learn about nootropics.

Drum roll please!!!

What are nootropics?

The clinical definition of Nootropics is that they are any drugs, supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional foods that help improve mental functions, and they should also include 6 specific characteristics:

… And nootropics have been used with amazing results, for years. These supplements help with things like anxiety, stress management, memory impairment, focus, and clarity with very little side effects.

Let’s look at some of the most highly regarded nootropics.

Natural Supplement #1 - Bacopa Monnieri

or Brahmi as it’s been known in Ayurvedic medicine since the dawn of time.

Dr.Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS who is a doctor of natural medicine and clinical nutritionist, regularly featured on Dr. Oz says that Bacopa has been used to help treat anxiety, symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, epilepsy, as a general stress reliever, and symptoms of ADHD. Check out this study that he quotes regarding it's specific ADHD benefits…

In a 12-week, double-blind, randomized clinical trial children with ADHD who took 50 milligrams twice a day showed significant improvement over children receiving a placebo in tests of mental control, logical memory and paired associated learning.

Evaluation of study subjects did not occur until four weeks after stopping bacopa usage, indicating that the supplementation had a lasting effect.  And that's just a single study. There are many more clinical trials to review.

Take a look at our next nootropic.

Natural Supplement #2- Rhodiola Rosea

Another power house of benefits. Rhodiola Rosea, also known as arctic root or golden root, is considered an adaptogenic herb.

Adaptogenic herbs must have broad uses for health and specifically help reduce stress, both mentally and physically. Above all, they must be completely safe and non-toxic.

It has been used in traditional medicine in Russia and Scandinavian countries for centuries, to treat depression, stress, cognitive impairment, and yes, anxiety, among others.

Studies of Rhodiola rosea’s medicinal applications have appeared in the scientific literature of Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, the Soviet Union and Iceland.

Preliminary evidence indicates that it is highly neuroprotective against toxins.

In a pilot study of Rhodiola rosea (Rhodax) in the Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) , for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD),participants from the UCLA Anxiety Disorders Program received a total daily dose of 340 mg of R. rosea extract for 10 weeks.

Assessments included the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), the Four-Dimensional Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Clinical Global Impressions of Severity/Improvement Scale concluded that significant improvement in GAD symptoms was found with R. rosea, with a reduction in HARS scores. 

Boy, that's a mouthful, but what it means is that it helps anxiety-big time.

Let’s look at one more beneficial nootropic useful in the management of ADHD with anxiety symptoms.

Natural Supplement #3- Gingko Biloba.

Ginkgo biloba extract is another herb which contains two components (flavonoids and terpenoids) that have strong antioxidant properties.

Laboratory and animal studies show that flavonoids protect the nerves, heart muscle, blood vessels, and retina from damage. Terpenoids (such as ginkgolides) improve blood flow by dilating blood vessels and reducing the stickiness of platelets.

It has been used for years as a mood stabilizer, depression lifter, and focus enhancer, and is one of the most investigated remedies in the prevention of dementia related illnesses.

On top of that, a study in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents was done using either gingko biloba or placebo as a secondary treatment along with methylphenidate (20-30 mg/day) for 6 weeks. Parent and teacher forms of the ADHD Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV) were completed at baseline, week 2, and week 6.
Treatment response was defined as 27% improvement from the baseline.

The results…

Compared with placebo, more reduction was observed with Ginko biloba regarding ADHD-RS-IV parent rating inattention score, as well as teacher rating inattention score . Response rate was higher with Ginko biloba compared with placebo based on parent rating (93.5% vs. 58.6%).

Hopeful, isn’t it?

This is why we created a single, proprietary formula including all these amazing nootropics called MindBoost day. You can find more information about the benefits you might experience here.

Let’s move along to our second resource for managing your adult ADHD/anxietyAdult ADHD

Resource #2 – Smartphone Apps That Help With ADHD Symptoms

You read that correctly.

Apps... for ADHD. This is self-management at it’s best...with a little help from the techies.

With regular use of these amazing smartphone apps, your productivity, scheduling, clutter in your head and home, can all be managed a little bit better.

I’ve chosen the apps that are for both apple and android, because people with ADHD also own androids (ahem).

#1. Dragon Mobile Assistant

If you are always on the move and have a hard time stopping long enough to type emails or texts, then Dragon is the app for you. Dragon uses voice recognition and allows you to simply speak whatever you want to type, be it a quick text or a lengthy email. You can even update your social media status on Facebook and Twitter just by speaking.

I LOVE that you can edit with voice commands, and it’s global-it supports numerous languages.

Certainly I don’t have to remind you to NEVER text or use your phone while driving.If you are always on the move and have a hard time stopping long enough to type emails or texts, then Dragon is the app for you. Dragon uses voice recognition and allows you to simply speak whatever you want to type, be it a quick text or a lengthy email.

You can even update your social media status on Facebook and Twitter just by speaking.I LOVE that you can edit with voice commands, and it’s global-it supports numerous languages.

If you are always on the move and have a hard time stopping long enough to type emails or texts, then Dragon is the app for you. Dragon uses voice recognition and allows you to simply speak whatever you want to type, be it a quick text or a lengthy email. You can even update your social media status on Facebook and Twitter just by speaking.

I LOVE that you can edit with voice commands, and it’s global-it supports numerous languages.

Certainly I don’t have to remind you to NEVER text or use your phone while driving.

#2 Evernote

Do you write things down and then forget where you put the note?
Evernote can help you store and organise your notes, thoughts, ideas, and projects all in one place. 

The app also has the ability to store your notes via drawings, video, audio, and photos, along with clippings from the internet.

To keep your projects organized, you can collect thoughts and reminders into a notebook for each project. And, if you have others involved in a project, you can easily collaborate within Evernote. This app will sync across most devices, including iOS and Android devices, computers, and tablets.

3. Motivaider 

This is the mobile version of an electronic device developed to help people change their behavior on their own.

The app keeps you focused on whatever change you decide to make so it doesn’t get lost in the business of your daily life.

It's very easy to use. You just choose the behavior change you want to make, select a cue that helps you remember to use the desired behavior, then choose the type of prompt you want and how often you want to be prompted.

It is that simple.

4.Priority Matrix

This app is great for organizing specific projects or managing multiple projects and responsibilities and, most important, for prioritizing your actions.

You can categorize tasks by "urgency" or "importance," or come up with your own labels. Break down big-picture goals into smaller, and easier to achieve goals.

It also allows you to look at just one project, or all of them, based on due dates. Don't underestimate the power of an eye-catching icon next to each task, either.

You can integrate your calendar and import e-mails into the app, if you purchase a license.

5. Unstuck, my favorite, and it's free!!!

Unstuck is an in-the-moment digital coach that's ready every time you're feeling stuck.

The app uses cognitive behavioral therapy principles, so you start by selecting and rating cards that best describe your feelings (overwhelmed, unmotivated, etc.), then you sort through those (for example, "I don't know why this isn't working") into two piles: "So me" and "Not me." Then choose from a list of behaviors, add some additional information about exactly how you are stuck, and it will give you targeted tips and action oriented tools.

You get a fresh perspective. Fresh is good.

Onto our third resource- the guilty pleasure of blogs...

Adult ADHD Resource #3 – The Top 5 Resource blogs for Adult ADHD

You can find humor blogs, coaching blogs, strategic blogs, and on and on for adults living with ADHD and anxiety.

Use them, visit them, comment and interact on them.

These are people who have had to learn the best coping mechanisms for their own ADHD, and I guarantee you, you will find some nuggets of wisdom that will help to manage your symptoms.

Not only that, you get to laugh with people who have experienced many of the same cartoon moments as you.

The 5 blogs that I've chosen for you:

Totally ADD.com

Rick Green is the creator of this farcical romp through ADD and ADHD, filled with insights and information all seen through a humorous lens, with posts like this :

"ADHD expert opinions, news items, ADD thoughts and... Oh, look! Cows!

If it makes me smile, it gets me every time. Try it..you'll like it!

Untapped Brilliance

Jaqueline Sinfield is the author and adult ADHD coach behind this structured, helpful blog.

She seems to have a real discernment regarding what may, and may not be a good use of your time, emotion, and energy.

This is an absolute keeper for your adult ADHD toolbox

My ADD Blog

Tara McGillicudy is an ADD/ADHD Support Mentor, and Coach, as well as the author of this prioritizing and productivity blog.

Try some of her suggestions and apply them to your daily life. You won't go wrong.

CHADD Leadership Blog

This is a little different, because it's not necessarily written by a single person living with ADD/ADHD, but a community effort to bring awareness and provide answers.

This is "a regular commentary on issues related to ADHD from the leaders of CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), plus occasional guest posts from ADHD experts".

These are the meat and potatoes posts. Things you didn't realize you needed to know, like this one below:

Education Department Issues Guidelines to Protect Students with ADHDBookmark them and utilize their knowledge.

Last, but certainly not least,

ADHD Rollercoaster

News and Essays About Adult ADHD with author Gina Perra.This blog runs the gamut.

It's got tools & strategies, medication discussion, news and research, workshops, myth busting, essays, and lot's of personal perspectives.

You can find something for all of your ADHD questions here.

Rolling right along..

Adult ADHD Resource #4-Social Media

 Yes, social media.Our next tool to help manage your symptoms, is social media.

Social media is like the "little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead"...it can be very, very good, but when it's bad, well out come the trolls.

The following social media resources for adult ADHD are very, very GOOD.

Let's hear it for the Top 5 Adult ADHD Facebook & Twitter pages!!!

ADHD Adult Support Group:

The "about us" statement on this FB page is cute.It simply states: "This is a page for Adult ADHD people to come to chat about ADHD stuff”.

With 15,000 plus people coming to chat, as well as a pen pal group, and private group, you're going to find community here.

Managing adult ADD/ADHD:

Another great FB page.Here's the about statement."A resource and community for those of us living with Adult ADD / ADHD. We don't sell anything,  we're just here to help".

15,000 plus on this one as well, which means you are going to have people who understand your setbacks, and cheer your victories.

@ADHD_news: "ADHD news from around the net". Little tweets about what to watch for early on.

This is the Twitter page of ADDitude magazine-www.additudemag.com, a comprehensive source for all things ADHD and another great website to bookmark.

@adultadhd:"The Attention Deficit Disorder Association provides information, resources and networking opportunities to help adults with ADHD lead better lives".

This is an international non-profit organization.Go check them out.

Go... visit Face Book, and then the bird, and "tweet- tweet," to your hearts content.

Get guidance, give guidance, and be among friends.It is good ... 

And now, we've come to the end. Your last... AWESOME... resource for adult ADHD/anxiety.

Adult ADHD Resource #5 – Wait for it…One ADHD treatment that doesn't require a prescription or a visit to a doctor’s office.

You're either going to love me, or hate me, because you know what it is, its...
Exercise!

Yes it is! Stop yelling at me through your screen, I can't hear you!

Better yet, do some strength training while you yell.I'm just kidding, but there's no getting around the studies, and they show very clear benefits.

Research is finding that regular exercise can improve thinking ability, and it may improve the symptoms of adult ADHD.

Why?

The Big D...Dopemine.

When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called neurotransmitters, including dopamine, which help with attention and clear thinking.

People with ADHD usually have less dopamine than usual in their brain, so it's reasonable to say that the dopamine released through physical activity is a great thing for your adult ADHD brain.

Don't take my word for it though, check out this excerpt from the Journal of Neurotoxicity Research, February 2012.

"Physical exercise provides a plethora of beneficial effects against stress, anxiety, depression, negative affect and behavior, poor impulse control, and compulsive behavior".

"Brain-derived neurotrophic factor,also known as BDNF,  an essential element in normal brain development that promotes health-associated behaviors and quality-of-life, is  reduced in ADHD, but increased markedly by the intervention of regular physical exercise".

There are so many types of exercise, that it's really up to you.You may see better effects from something like yoga, as opposed to HIIT (high intensity interval training), or you may love strength training for the boost it gives you.

Because there are so many fitness options to choose from, it can be overwhelming, but I've got you covered.I'm going to give you one and only one, that covers everything.

They blend all types of fitness, for all different fitness levels, and best of all, it's free!

You can go and choose how long you want to work out, at what fitness level, and what type of exercise you'd like to try.Thank you Fitness Blender!

This husband and wife team have a common-sense approach to fitness, not hype, so you'll be in good hands with them.They were even voted as one of Shape.com's Top 10 favorite startups.

It's time to get those yoga pants out and start blending, and get those dopamine levels soaring!

Here's your call to action...

Take your MindBoost Day in the morning.

Start blending, with Fitness Blender.

Go through your ADHD apps, to decide how you're going to navigate your day.

At the end of that incredibly productive day, share the things that worked for you on your ADHD blogs and social media resources.

I sincerely hope that this article has been helpful in providing some real tools, for the management of your adult ADHD/anxiety symptoms on a daily basis.

If you've enjoyed it or feel like you know someone who may benefit from one or more of these resources please share it...and share with us in the comments below!