It’s flu session. Getting sick is never any fun, and as an adult with ADHD getting sick can be frustrating as your mind continues to work as fast as ever, yet your body isn’t as physically strong as usual and you don’t have your usual energy to keep up.

If you are really sick, then you have no choice but to lie in bed and sleep and watch movies. However for the days when you are ’sort of sick’ but by no means yourself here are some tips.

1)    Clear your schedule. Don’t feel you are letting people down. No one minds when you have to cancel a plan because you are not feeling well. Plus the people in your life don’t want to catch your germs and possibly get sick themselves.

2)    Sleep. Its not an old wives tale, you really do heal when you sleep. Get as much sleep as your body needs. Don’t feel guilty or lazy… just sleep. You will recover much faster if you do.

3)    Hydrate. Increase the amount of fluid you drink when you are sick. Drink water, hot or cold, herbal tea (Echinacea is great), juice, anything that will hydrate you will help. Avoid caffeine and alcohol because among other things it dehydrates you.

4)    Food. Listen to your body regarding both the timing of your meals and what the meal consists of. Don’t eat just because its lunchtime. Eat when you are hungry and something that appeals to you. Be sure to eat non processed food, so that you get the maximum about of  vitamins possible.

5 a)  To do’s. When your body is not as strong as usual, you can’t get as much done as you would usually and that can be stressful. Write a list of everything that needs to be done. Just the act of downloading it onto paper is very helpful.

b) Then when you have energy look at the list and pick something from it. Once you have completed the task and you find you have more energy select something else from the list. If not simply relax till you do.

6)    Avoid overwhelm. By staying focused on what you are doing at any given moment. If you are walking to the health food store to buy a few things to make you feel better, don’t start thinking about what needs to be done next. The next task might seem very daunting in your mind however when you are actually doing it will be fine. Simply focus on the task in hand.

7)    Don’t worry. When you are physically ill, it effects how you think and feel on an emotional level too.  Rather like problems seeming much worse in the middle of the night. If you find yourself worrying, remind yourself that you aren’t well and you will pay the problem some mental attention when you are feeling better.

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Getting a good night’s sleep when you are an adult with ADHD is not an easy task. The reasons vary from not being able to switch your mind off to the medication you are taking. If you have trouble sleeping, then no caffeine near bedtime and no stimulating brain activities two hours before bed are all tips you are familiar with. This article addresses other strategies for a good night’s sleep.

1. Fresh AirFresh air is a great way to experience deep, satisfying sleep. It is easy to spend the day going from one man-made environment to the next. We make these environments pleasant with heating or air conditioning, and can go from home, to the car, to work, to the gym and back home without ever spending much time breathing in fresh air. It’s important to ensure you get fresh air into your lungs during the day. Also, leave your bedroom window open a little at night to keep the fresh air entering your body even while you sleep.
2. Essential OilsEssential oils can have a powerful effect on the body and lavender oil has been found to be helpful when it comes to sleep. Scientific evidence has shown that lavender oil encourages relaxation, reduction of anxiety and improvement of the quality of sleep. Plus it’s very easy to use. You can pop a couple of drops of the oil into your bath before bed or pour a few drops on a handkerchief and tuck it inside your pillow case.
3. Get a Great MattressMattresses are the most important item of furniture in your home. Not only is it the item you use the most, if you aren’t getting a good night’s sleep then the quality of your whole life is affected. Everyone has their own preference of what a comfortable mattress is – hard, soft, medium, etc. When you are choosing a mattress, take into account your preferences and also remember it’s hard to sleep when your mattress is too small for your body size.
4. BeddingMake sure your bedding is made of natural fibres rather than synthetic choices. This is because it’s important that your body can breathe at night, and that it can regulate your temperature. If you become too hot you will sweat and if you become too cool you will shiver, both of which disturb your sleep. Cotton, wool and even silk are great choices.
5. Body and MindIf your day didn’t stretch and stimulate you mentally and physically, your ability to both fall and stay asleep will be affected. So make sure you tax your brain and your body every day. That could be taking up a new physical activity or joining a club or doing the New York Times crossword.

The action steps to getting a good night’s sleep are

1. Spend time each day breathing in fresh air.
2. Open your bedroom window a little.
3. Buy some lavender oil.
4. Assess your mattress… is it time for a new one?
5. Check your bedding. If it’s man-made, invest in some new linen.
6. Set yourself a mental and physical challenge every day.

Sweet dreams.

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In order to lead a healthy, well balanced life, it is important to have some special people in your life. This makes you feel connected, loved, cared for and valued. We all need human connections to thrive and also to be the best we can be in this world. There are many qualities that make up a good friend. Here are three important ones:

1. People who think you are amazing just as you are.One of my clients is very energetic and has a hard time sitting still. She tells stories with her arms as well as her voice and her friends love her extravagant gestures because it makes her who she is.When she started dating a man who was very conservative, he was embarrassed by her gestures and wanted her to change. This took a real toll on her confidence and self-esteem as she tried to conform to someone else’s ideals.The moral of this story is to surround yourself with people who love you just the way you are. Who don’t judge or try to change you.
2. People who lift you up when you are down.People with ADHD can receive lots of negative feedback from people, so it’s important to counteract that with lots of positive comments from those nearest and dearest to you.One day, after experiencing one of life’s setbacks, I phone a friend to share the experience. Towards the end of the conversation, I jokingly asked, “So, you still think I am the best thing since sliced bread?” My sentence was barely complete when she was uttering the word “BETTER!” with complete sincerity.We all need people like this. They are in your corner 100%, they say just the right thing to put things into perspective, make you laugh and generally lift you up when you are down.
3. People who are there to share the good times.Some people love a good sob story. They love it when you are down on your luck. They can commiserate with you and tell you their woes, too. However, not everyone is able to share the good times with you, too. The people who can are worth keeping close. They don’t feel threatened by your achievements and accomplishments, and are genuinely delighted for you.Life does have its ups and downs and you want the people you’re with to be able to share both with you.

The following five steps will help you to make these important human connections:

1. Think of who in your life is a “good person.” Having wonderful people in your life does not happen by accident. It takes a little time and awareness on your part. So think about who is in your life at the moment. Feel grateful for the wonderful people who are already in it. Also be aware of those who no longer support you, so you can spend less time with them.
2. Remember that you deserve good people in your life. If you haven’t been used to having them, it may seem a bit strange at first. However, you are not asking them to do or be anything you aren’t to them.
3. If you already have people in your life who are amazing, then spend a few minutes thinking about how you could spend more time with them.
4. If there is room in your life for new people, spend a few minutes and think about how you could meet them. Joining groups where people share a common interest, such as a book group, is a great way, as is volunteering for a charity that captures your interest.
5. If you have had great friends in the past that you have lost touch with, try to reconnect with them. Facebook is a great tool to help you with this.

People with ADHD are usually so focused on getting through the day and staying on top of life, that they barely have time to think beyond their to-do list, let alone the planet. Time is often one of the biggest reasons people say they don’t do things they know to be green. However, it is possible to have ADHD, do things for the environment and even help your ADHD, all at the same time.

Here are five environmentally friendly ideas:

1. Take shorter showers. Taking shorter showers is a win-win situation. Not only does it help the environment by saving on the energy used to heat the water, it also helps you to get out the door faster in the morning, which can be an ongoing battle for people with ADHD.To make this fun, time yourself today to see how long your normal shower length is, and gradually reduce that time to four minutes.
2. Eat less animal protein. There are many reasons why eating meat taxes the environment’s resources and die hard environmentalists would suggest becoming vegan. You don’t need to become vegan, however be mindful of how much meat you eat. Most westerns eat much more protein than their body actually needs.You can help the environment by choosing organic and locally produced meat. This helps the environment and is better for you. I recommend that adults with ADHD have a source of healthy protein (lean meat, eggs, etc.) with every meal as it helps your ADHD brain function at its peak.
3. Grow your own veggies. One of the reasons growing your own vegetables is good for the environment is that it decreases the amount of emissions that would have been used to ship them hundreds of miles. And gardening is great with ADHD as research has shown that being outside in nature decreases the negative effects of ADHD. It also is a great way to distress and give you a sense of achievement.Last year a client gave me a big bag of tomatoes she had grown herself. I can honestly say I have never tasted anything so good. Growing your own veggies is also good because you know there are no pesticides on them. If you’re not sure how to start, do a quick search on the Internet and no matter what size your garden, you will be able to grow something.
4. Recycle. Recycling helps the environment as it reduces pollution, saves energy (less is used by using recycled products than new materials) and preserves natural resources. Adults with ADHD have many great intentions about recycling, however then the time is tight, company is coming over, the carefully saved containers end up getting thrown into the trash along with the other waste.Recycling becomes a habit. Take it day by day. You might feel like that one Coca Cola can won’t make a difference, but the little steps and actions quickly add up and make a big difference.
5. Buy products with the smallest amount of packaging. There are lots of examples of how to do this, however, this week I honed in on fresh produce.A quick quiz: Does it take longer to choose courgettes (zucchini) that are pre-wrapped in packs of three OR select three that are displayed individually?

   Answer: It’s four seconds faster to pick the pre-packed option – I timed myself! However, when there are 86,400 seconds in a day, its four seconds well spent.

   Other ways to save on packaging include looking for products that are sold in bigger quantities or that come in concentrated form.

These five ideas are a great way to get started being green. Good luck and let me know how you get along!

Two weeks ago I was invited to speak to a classroom of twelve-year-old girls about goal setting. I don’t often have the opportunity to hang out with twelve-year-olds so it was interesting to get a sneak peek into their world. Besides having a ton of positive energy, wanting to get good grades and loving the Jonas Brothers, they shared a common concern: protecting the environment.

This experience was the inspiration for Monday’s article. I also asked a young, super smart and extremely environmentally savvy client her top five things we can do to help save our planet. (These will be in the article.) The really cool thing is that some of the points can actually help your ADHD as well as the environment.