Why Rest Days are Vital When You Have ADHDWhen you have ADHD, it’s very important to schedule regular recharge days. These are days where you don’t have to do anything except relax.Β  No commitments; no schedule.Β  If you are thinking, β€˜But I don’t have time for that!’, I guarantee you do. Because if you don’t consciously schedule these types of days, then your body will make sure you get the rest you need anyway. Do any of these sound familiar?

  • Unable to move from the TV for 8 hours
  • Hours of mindless surfing on the internet when you sit down to work
  • Regularly getting sick with a cold or flu bug and having to rest for a few days
  • Unable to tear yourself away from a computer game, puzzle book or novel for hours

The problem with these is that there is a huge amount of guilt and shame attached to them. You planned to be productive and then your body sabotaged you and you β€˜wasted’ a day. As someone with ADHD, you already have enough guilt and shame in your life; we don’t want to add more!

It’s impossible to push ourselves to the max every day.Β Our bodies and brains need to unwind. When you schedule recharge days, you are giving yourself permission to relax and have fun. Plus, knowing you have a day to yourself actually makes you more productive in your regular days.

What do you do on your recharge day? Anything that you want! You can watch 8 hours of TV if you want, but it feels so much better when there is no guilt attached. The only rules are no commitments, no β€œshould”, and definitely no to-do lists. Wake up without an alarm and do what you feel like in the moment. See a movie, garden, crafts, read, do puzzles, surf the internet, cook, bake, sleep, take an exercise class, stay in your pj’s; whatever is relaxing and fun for you.

In order to have a recharge day, you might need to reschedule things a little. For example, do all your errands on the Saturday so your Sunday is free. If you live with other people, spouse, or children, then include them too.Β How many down days can you have? Lots! One per week would be ideal, but at the very least, once a month.

If a whole day seems like a lot at first, either it’s because you seem so busy, or you are prone to feeling blue when you have nothing planned, try half a day to begin with. Then, you can progress to a whole day.

If you are an extrovert and love being with people, remember you aren’t in solitary confinement! You can still be with people, but the idea is not to feel rushed and pressured to be β€˜on’.

Some of the benefits of having regular recharge days include feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, ready to start the week, feeling less stressed, less need of sick days; being happier, less frantic and more fulfilled.

Ready to try it? Go look at your calendar now and pick a day.

Let me know when your next recharge day is in the comment section below.

 

 

 

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