It’s common for women with ADHD to have anxiety. In fact, women more likely to struggle with anxiety than other people. That’s partly because the challenges that come with ADHD can create frequent problems — in school, at work, and at home. Typically, anxiety isn’t constant. It comes and goes and may be limited to specific situations. But when the feelings are more frequent and start to take over, people may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Many women with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder. At first glance, it may be hard to tell whether a person has one condition or the other or both. Not only do the two disorders co-occur, but their symptoms can look the same. So, it’s important to be evaluated for both, and to treat each disorder individually. Here are some strategies for women with ADHD to stop anxiety and to stay calm under pressure
Calm Your Anxiety by Using H.A.L.T. – The H.A.L.T. acronym stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. Each of these triggers,has a mental and physical reaction that resembles anxiety – and each one is within your control. Using H.A.L.T. is a handy tool for maintaining calm and avoiding anxiety. After anxiety attacks tortured me for so many long years, I learned to become aware of what was happening in my body and how to avoid triggers. When I felt myself on the edge of panic, I’d run down the checklist and immediately take action to fix one of the four possible causes. Taking action was empowering and grounding. It also calmed the anxiety.
Know when to Take a Timeout- Our ADHD lives can go at a fast pace, it’s easy to get caught up in the motion, especially when you are a women with ADHD. Our fast brains can handle a lot, but sometimes we get overwhelmed. Anxiety happens quickly. Become more aware of rising tension and get ready to hit the buzzer. Take a walk outside or grab a cup of hot chai tea and smell the spices. Just do something to stop the pace temporarily. Refresh and renew yourself throughout the day.
Trashing Your Anger Calms Anxiety – Women with ADHD feel anger not only in the mind but also in the body. These intense emotions causes high levels of anxiety and leads to out-of-control behavior that you later regret. The next time you start to feel your blood boil when things aren’t going according to your script or you think you were treated unfairly, remember that your anger harms you as much as others when you lash out. Write down your feelings on a piece of paper, then rip it up and throw your anger in the trash along with your words.