This week's ADHD Solution is: Reducing impulsivity.

Have you ever blurted out the answer to a question directed to someone else? Bought something you really didn’t need because it caught your eye in the checkout line? Sent a scathing email to a colleague without thinking through the consequences? Bounced around from one task to the next rather than doing what you had planned? These are all examples of impulsivity, one of the hallmarks ADHD.

In my opinion, impulsivity is one of the hardest ADHD symptoms to deal with. Why? Because we aren’t aware that we’re being impulsive, when we’re being impulsive. What we think, we do. There’s no filter between thought and action.

Before you can conquer ADHD impulsivity, you have to be aware of it in the moment. You have to realize that you’re about to do something impulsive before you actually do it. But how can you be aware of something that just doesn’t seem to be there?  Developing mindfulness will help. Over time, it is possible to increase your awareness.  Eventually that filter will begin to develop. You’ll hear a little voice that says, “This might not be such a good idea!”  Eventually you’ll start listening to that voice and heeding its advice.  

Here are a few strategies that should help:

• Reflect. After you’ve done something impulsive that you regret, ask yourself what you could have done differently. Make a mental note of it for future reference. Or better yet, keep a log. Don’t berate yourself, just learn from it.

• Slow down. Develop the habit of pausing before you answer someone. Sometimes if you give yourself more time, reason will step in and let you know that you’re about to do something you might regret.

• Identify situations where you tend to be impulsive. Shopping? Parties? Email? What are your triggers? For each of these situations, identify something you can use as a filter. For example if you’re prone to firing off inflammatory emails, consider a post-it on your computer that says “Think before you send”.

• Avoid temptation. Unsubscribe from all those shopping site newsletters. Don’t bring your credit card to the store with you.

• Take time to relax and recharge every day. If you build time into your schedule for the things that refresh you, you’ll be less likely to give in to them at inconvenient times.

• Before taking action, ask yourself some meaningful questions:  How could this come back to hurt me later?  Is this really how I want to be spending my time? Is this in service of what is truly important to me?

• Practice being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions in every moment.

Taking your time, asking questions, and generally being mindful will go a long way towards becoming less impulsive.

 

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