ADHD in adults can result in you struggling with certain unwanted behaviours, however  ADHD in adults also means good things too! Just like adults who don’t have ADHD, not all people with ADHD have the same talents and strengths. However, there are a group of positive talents that are often seen in people with ADHD and below are five of them. Give yourself credit for the things you do well. This in turn will boast your confidence and self-esteem.

Great Company

The combination of your vibrant energy and sense of humour make you a great person to be around. Friends want to spend time with you and strangers naturally gravitate towards you.

Compassionate

You are compassionate to other people, causes and animals. Your sensitivity helps you to relate because you have less inhibitions than a non-ADHD person. You will be the person who helps a lady with a stroller or speaks loudly to protest against something you believe in.

Impulsivity

Impulsive actions allow you to take action quickly. This allows you to do things that many people think of doing, but by the time they take action, the moment is lost.

You think swiftly and act swiftly. Your impulsivity also means you make decisions quickly, which can be a huge gift, as some people can spend hours agonizing over something that can take you a matter of seconds to decide.

Spirit of Enquiry

You have a spirit of enquiry and love to gather facts on many different subjects. You can hold interesting and informed conversations on a wide variety of topics. Your natural thirst for knowledge keeps you young, whatever your biological age and also makes you an interesting person to be around.

Weakness Can Become Strength

While this article is about celebrating your strengths, sometimes a weakness can become your strength. An example I see quite often is having an organized environment. Some adults with ADHD, once they discover how calm and happy they feel with a tidy environment, become experts at keeping their environment super tidy. They become more efficient at creating and keeping their environment tidy than any person who did have a clutter problem.

This Week’s Actions

1. Do you recognize yourself in any of the above talents? Just because they come easily to you, remember not everyone has them.
2. For each of the five points above, ask yourself:
   • Is this a trait I have?
   • When have I noticed/experienced it recently?
   • How could I maximize this trait and use it more to my advantage?
3. Keep a record of when you feel good about one of your talents, or get positive feedback from another person. You can refer back to it to this list give yourself a lift at times when you aren’t feeling so good about yourself.