Empowered Women with ADHD: Tools, Hacks, and Proven Strategies to Manage Overwhelm, Racing Thoughts, and Emotions. The Complete Guide to Living with Clarity and Confidence.

By Estelle Rose

Are you overwhelmed by a million racing thoughts and a never-ending rollercoaster of emotions? Then keep reading.

 

Do you constantly feel on the edge of burning out? Like you're always either stuck in hyperfocus or hyper-fatigue?

 

Do you feel held back at work or in relationships? Do you live in constant fear of rejection, criticism, or judgment?

 

Do you feel like putting your house in order is as big of a task as climbing Mount Everest, even though the clutter around you makes your mind feel cluttered too?

 

Have you always felt like you didn't quite fit in?

 

I know. I've been there.

 

Imagine having a switch to silence the constant chatter in your brain. Imagine feeling accepted and understood for who you truly are.

 

Did you know that only 3.2% of women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD compared to 5.4% of men? That's 69% more diagnoses for men when the prevalence is about the same!

 

We've been unseen for far too long. But the tide is turning, and adult women are now the fastest-growing group diagnosed with ADHD.

 

Inside this complete guide, specifically tailored for women, you'll find a treasure trove of practical tools, hacks, and proven strategies to help you manage your ADHD symptoms.

 

But you don't just want to survive with ADHD; you want to thrive, right?

 

With the guidance of this book, you'll learn to make peace with ADHD and embrace neurodiversity to unlock your full potential and live with clarity and confidence.

 

Here are just a few of the transformative tools and strategies you will discover in this book:

• 15 proven strategies to slow down your racing thoughts
• Facts and fiction when it comes to ADHD and women
• The mindset shift you need to embrace neurodiversity
• The 7-step guide to regulating emotions
• How to craft your own sensory diet to address sensory problems
• How to manage your hormones and their impact on ADHD
• The three simple steps you need to tackle the floordrobe (you know, that pile of clothes on the floor). And many more hacks to create a calming home
• How to make peace with your bank account and curb emotional spending
• The 3-step formula you need to set healthy boundaries
• How to navigate your relationships with friends, family, and professionals. We'll even talk about sex, baby!
• All the tools to harness the power of ADHD at work and tackle impostor syndrome

And much more!

From the American Psychiatry Association to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the U.K., leading psychiatric associations emphasize that lifestyle changes can improve ADHD symptoms, with or without medication.

 

If you're ready to make ADHD work for you rather than against you, then "Empowered Women with ADHD" is the book you need, even if you have the attention span of a goldfish and feel like you're drowning in a sea of information.

 

It is a practical guide written by a woman with ADHD for busy women with ADHD. You can start implementing strategies right now and at your own pace.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rosali Publishing
• Release date: Apr 19, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224055319

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

empowered women and adhd

UNDERSTAND ADHD, UNDERSTAND YOURSELF

ADHD, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurological condition affecting both children and adults. Think of it as having a noisy brain that can't sit still, like a super excited puppy that just wants to jump and run around all the time (and sometimes chase its own tail).

To put it simply, people with ADHD can struggle with things like paying attention, staying organized, and controlling impulses. We're often mega-forgetful, easily distracted, and have trouble completing tasks.

But you haven't picked up this book to hear that! We both know your ADHD symptoms are a lot more complicated than that. Heck, we both know your life is a lot more complicated than that! But don’t fret. We are going to take a closer look at ADHD. Why? Because understanding ADHD is the first step to managing it.

1. WHAT IS ADHD?

Before we dive into the complexity of the symptoms, let’s start with the basics, shall we?

THE BASICS

The usual cause given for ADHD is an imbalance of two key neurotransmitters in the brain: norepinephrine and dopamine.

Norepinephrine

Norepinephrine is a hormone that helps regulate attention, alertness, mood, memory, and our sleep-wake cycle. You might have heard about it under its other name, noradrenaline. I’m sure you can already see how its functions relate to ADHD symptoms, as our ADHD brains may not produce enough of this hormone.

Women under a scale which has Norepinephrine on one side and Dopamine on the other

Dopamine

Dopamine, on the other hand, is a chemical that helps nerve cells communicate with each other. On top of memory and mood, it also regulates motivation, movement, and addiction. You see, dopamine is big in our reward system. It gets released when we do something enjoyable, like eating chocolate or getting likes on social media, which then motivates us to seek that reward again.

In people with ADHD, the brain may not produce enough dopamine, and you can immediately see the association with classic ADHD symptoms, right?

In a nutshell, ADHD is caused by an imbalance of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. I’m telling you all this because understanding the underlying biology of ADHD can help us develop effective strategies for managing its symptoms.

Facts vs. Fiction

Oh, boy, there are plenty of misconceptions out there when it comes to ADHD! Let's dive in and separate fact from fiction.

Fiction: ADHD is just an excuse for bad behavior.

Fact: Nope, sorry, that's just not true. ADHD is a real neurological condition that affects how the brain processes information and regulates attention and behavior.

Fiction: ADHD only affects hyperactive children.

Fact: While hyperactivity is one of the hallmark symptoms of ADHD, it can also manifest as inattention or impulsivity. And guess what? ADHD doesn't magically disappear once you hit adulthood.

Fiction: ADHD only affects boys.

Fact: If only! For a long time, ADHD was seen as a boy’s condition. At best, it was considered a boys and men issue. But we now know that ADHD affects girls and women too, which is what we're about to dive deeply into.

Fiction: ADHD is caused by bad parenting or too much screen time.

Fact: Sorry, Charlie, but that's just not the case. While environmental factors like parenting and screen time can certainly influence a child's behavior, they don't cause ADHD. ADHD is a complex condition with a genetic component, meaning it's likely inherited from one or both parents.

Fiction: People with ADHD can't focus on anything.

Fact: While difficulty with focus and attention is a key symptom of ADHD, it's not quite as black-and-white as can't focus on anything. People with ADHD may struggle to sustain attention on uninteresting tasks. Still, they can often hyperfocus on tasks they find stimulating or enjoyable.

Fiction: Medication is the only treatment for ADHD.

Fact: While medication can be an effective tool for managing ADHD symptoms, it's by no means the only option and often not enough on its own. In fact, most psychiatrists will recommend lifestyle changes too. And you're in luck because this is what this book is about - non-medical strategies to manage your ADHD.

Fiction: Everyone has ADHD symptoms, like forgetting things or procrastinating.

Fact: To a degree, yes. But not to the same degree, and it can be very unhelpful, even hurtful, to hear this while trying to get a diagnosis. As we'll soon see, there is a lot more to having ADHD than forgetting our car