People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may have a hard time resisting temptation, talk more than most and struggle to get along with other people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Living with ADHD can make it difficult to regulate your mental and emotional health. Often, "due to emotional dysregulation, you struggle with feelings that seem bigger, more intense, and harder to control," writes psychiatrist Dr. Sasha Hamdani in her book, "Self-Care for People with ADHD."
"You may also struggle with feelings of shame and guilt, as you have limited control over your responses to emotionally demanding situations," writes Hamdani, who has ADHD herself.
Taking smart and deliberate care of yourself, though, can be a great help.
4 self-care practices for people with ADHD
Hamdani's book has over 100 suggestions for people with ADHD to re-charge and manage stress. Here are four that stand out as being particularly helpful for improving emotional health:
1. Reframe your idea of failure
People with ADHD are more likely to experience feelings of low self-esteem, when compared to those without the condition, research shows. That can lead to self-doubt.
Hamdani encourages you to not allow fear of falling flat to stop you from putting yourself out there and trying something new or difficult. Instead, let any fear you're experiencing motivate you.
Embracing mistakes, and learning from them, can benefit you. Former President Barack Obama considers getting comfortable with failure to be the most important thing to do if you want to achieve certain goals.
2. Challenge your negative thoughts
Notice moments when you're directing negative self-talk at yourself and counter the critical thoughts with hard evidence that they're wrong, Hamdani says. "Accepting that you are imperfect and still worthy of self-compassion is something we all could benefit from," she writes.
Punishing yourself with harmful speech doesn't support growth, nor does it encourage change, according to Morgan Schafler, a psychotherapist. Self-compassion, meanwhile, is associated with a higher sense of self-worth and an increased motivation to fix mistakes, she writes in her book, "The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control."
3. Focus on gratitude
Appreciating what you have is "a foolproof way to become more connected with positive emotions, to handle adversity, and to cultivate healthy relationships," Hamdani writes.
You can implement more gratitude in your life by celebrating small wins, practicing mindfulness and helping others, she says.
Some of the world's longest living people focus on gratitude daily to remind themselves of the great aspects of their life. That can not only give them perspective, but it can also make them happier.
4. Consider journaling
Documenting how you feel can allow you to slow down, help you identify patterns and give you a space to process your emotions in an efficient way, Hamdani says.
"It doesn't have to be pen and paper. Hammer away on your laptop. Do digital voice recordings. Record a personal vlog," she suggests.
Journaling for just 15 minutes a day has been proven to help people recover from traumatic experiences and improve their problem-solving skills, say wellness guru Deepak Chopra and New York Times bestselling author Kabir Sehgal.
DON'T MISS: Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life? Sign up for our new newsletter!
Take your business to the next level: Register for CNBC's free Small Business Playbook virtual event on August 2 at 1 p.m. ET to learn from premier experts and entrepreneurs how you can beat inflation, hire top talent and get access to capital.
