Explore the unique challenges of finding rest when living with ADHD. Discover why our brains resist downtime and learn strategies to incorporate guilt-free breaks into your day. Find out how rest is just as vital to productivity as work itself, and get practical tips like the Pomodoro method. Uncover ways to engage in low-stimulation activities that can help you recharge effectively. Embrace pacing and redefine your relationship with rest!
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insights INSIGHT
Rest and Stimulation
ADHD brains crave stimulation, making rest challenging because restful activities are often not stimulating enough.
Constant stimulation creates an uncomfortable feeling when trying to do nothing, amplifying restless thoughts.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Napping Challenges
William Kerb struggles with taking naps due to his inability to relax both physically and mentally.
He oscillates between needing to find a comfortable position and wanting to get out of bed.
insights INSIGHT
Rest Challenges with ADHD
All-or-nothing thinking contributes to difficulty resting, leading to pushing harder even when exhausted.
Executive dysfunction makes planning and prioritizing rest, especially during brain fog, challenging.
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It’s that time of year again where I feel like I need a kick in the pants. My kids are back in school and it feels like I have a glut of time available. It feels like I should be knocking things off my todo list left and right.
But I’m not. I’m tired and I’m not getting things done. And it’s frustrating because it feels like now that I have this time, I’m wasting it. It feels like if I take this time for rest that I’m going to look back later and regret that I didn’t push myself harder. But rest is important even when it feels like I don’t have time for it.
Rest can feel like a foreign concept when your brain’s always on the go. It can feel like trying to sit on a treadmill that’s still running.
In this episode, we’re going to explore why our ADHD brains find rest so uncomfortable and how we can use pacing to finally make it part of our day. We're going to explore why our brains resist rest and how we can try and work in those much-needed breaks without feeling guilty. If you’d like to send me a question answer on the show feel free to head over to hackingyouradhd.com/contact and click the orange button Support me on Patreon Ask me a question on my Contact Page Find the show note at HackingYourADHD.com/194 Check out SunsamaThis Episode's Top Tips
It’s important to recognize that rest can feel uncomfortable because we aren’t getting enough stimulation in our restful activities. To solve for this we can seek ways to add low levels of stimulation so that we can better recover during our relaxation time.
We need to build white space into our calendars and schedule intentional downtime in our day to allow for rest, transitions, and unexpected events.
Coming up with ideas in the moment can be hard so prepare a go-to list of activities like reading, stretching, or listening to podcasts to help you relax when needed.
If we can shift our mindset to see rest as part of your productivity routine, it can help us reframe it into something that will better help recharge and avoid burnout without the guilt.
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