I was diagnosed with ADHD 3 times, in 3 different countries.

At the ages of 10, 16, and 27.

I denied it, hard. And kept on living.

But I knew, as much as I love herbal medicine, a medical diagnosis x3 doesn’t lie.

Years put into learning how to function “normally”.

I finally feel at ease, balanced, and calm.

How?

There’s a lot to unpack. And a lot I tried and did.

Here are a few.

1️⃣ I embraced the way I am, and the way I think and do.

I asked my parents…if they were concerned.

No - “Oh, yeah, well you were always a different kid…”

“But we let you be.”

So I let myself be.

2️⃣ I gave up fitting myself into any role, box, or puzzle a long time ago

I tried for a decade, maybe two.

But throughout the process, I asked, “Who created these boxes anyway?”

And as long as there’s no harm

As long as I’m true to myself…

I’ll create my own box

And change it when it’s outgrown?

3️⃣ I built an extensive system to organize and focus myself

Notion is my best friend.

I have processes - 5 years, quarter, month, week

If I want to get things done, there are clear steps.

It’s trained. It’s a habit.

And expands to how I talk myself into focusing, too.

4️⃣ I learned to “go with the flow” - balancing the hyper-focus and hyper-flow

Feeling interested, curious, energetic? Cool! Let’s do this thing for 14 hours…

I won’t try to peel you away.

Feeling flowly? Fine! Let’s daydream, think, create, and imagine all of the possibilities.

You’ll have time to prioritize and ground everything later.

With general things I want done pre-planned, it’s easy to choose the ones that match my state throughout the week.

5️⃣ I put EXTREME effort into things that make an impact on others

Being late is one. Still not great here, but it was a serious “habit” to train.

Unfinished projects. Set daily reminders in all forms: “When you’re done with this, you can move on.”

Reminders for everything…everywhere.

6️⃣ And I put in EXTREME effort into things that impact my health

Cut down..coffee. Focused on activities that calm vs. stir.

Trained in “breaks”. If it’s that 14-hour work phase. Well, I’m only allowed 2 in a row. And then it’s time for the gym, to get out of the house, anything!

Take time to breathe, slow down, and reset multiple times a day.

And there’s so much more…

With love and light,

Angelina