Wow… all of that on negativity in Part 1 was a downer. Important stuff, but it can bring us down. Let’s turn to being more positive. The power of positive thinking is amazing! Many people with ADHD have trouble staying positive. They have so many struggles, they often find it hard to feel positive.
Turn that frown upside down!
That’s a popular phrase for a reason. When we act happy, it’s easier to feel happy.
Remind yourself to be positive.
If being happy isn’t your nature, give yourself some prompts. Put sticky notes around that remind you to be positive.
Some suggestions for your sticky notes:
“I’ve got this.”
“I can write this paper.”
“I’m a good friend.”
“I am smart.”
Basically whatever negative thoughts cloud your mind, counter them with positive words.
Just like when you’ve heard a million times that you’re not good enough, so you start to believe it, when you see these positive messages, you start to believe them.
Post positive messages. Read them. Start to believe them.
Do what you love.
Think about all the things you love to do. They are the things that naturally make you happy and put you in a positive mindset.
Sports… Dance… Art… Music… Reading… Writing… Running…
Whatever it is that you love, as long as it’s safe and healthy for you, schedule time in your day to do it. Sometimes we get so busy with the things we have to do, we don’t ever get around to doing what we want to do.
Schedule both. Get the things you need to do done, then do the things you want to do.
You know what’s great? Despite the fact that people with ADHD have a hard time focusing on many things, they can often hyperfocus on what they enjoy.
By doing the things you enjoy, you may benefit from being able to really focus. Doesn’t that make you feel good?
Surround yourself with positive people.
Surrounding yourself with positive people helps you stay positive. It makes sense, right?
When we’re around negative people, they bring us down. That’s why we try to avoid them. Their negative outlook and comments don’t help us and actually inhibit us from going forward.
The opposite is true. When we’re around positive people, their positivity can rub off on us. Let the power of positivity rub off on you!
Be grateful.
Take a moment each day to think about what was good about the day.
Go one step further and write it down.
What should you write? Anything that you’re thankful about.
That person who smiled at you at just the right time today.
The teacher who hinted at a pop quiz to give you time to review notes.
Perfect weather for your outdoor adventure.
Why bother writing it down?
Writing it down forces us to think of something concrete rather than just the vague, “I’m thankful for stuff.”
This helps us really think about what is good in our life. You don’t want to write the same thing every day. Yes, I’m grateful that I have a warm home and food on the table, and I shouldn’t take those for granted. But writing things down will help me expand to the little things that might otherwise get missed.
It also reinforces the thought in our mind and strengthens it. Just like when you take notes while studying you reinforce that information, writing your gratitude daily helps to reinforce them in your mind.
It’s also a great resource to review when everything seems wrong in our lives. If everything seems to be against you, take a minute to review your list of things you’re grateful for. That can be an immediate pick-me-up!
Go one step further…
Tell the people who helped with your daily gratitude that you’re thankful for them and why. It just might make their day!
This doesn’t have to be a long letter like people of generations past used to do. It can be a quick phone call. Or even a text. Just a word of thanks!
Top 5 Self Confidence Boosters:
1. Stop Negativity 2. Be Positive 3. Finish Tasks 4. Self Care (The Big 3: Eat well, exercise, and sleep) 5. Help Others