overwhelm

ADHD and Overwhelm: Finding Your Reset Button – 5 Ways to Reset and Refocus

by

frog overwhelmOverwhelm, that feeling that your brain is overloaded and cannot hold one more thing. It has a way of making everything seem like a priority whether it is or not and it is struggling to sort through what to do. The input can be from mental, emotional or even sensory overload, but it effectively paralyzes your thought processes. Your emotional center (the amygdala) takes over and triggers the fight, flight or freeze response.

Overwhelm can happen to anyone and it can come and go based on whatever else is happening in your life. With an ADHD brain, and its unique way of thinking, there are some additional things to consider.

Do you….

    • Need to do a “body check” to see if you are hungry, tired, restless or frustrated?
    • Need to reduce the distractions around you?
    • Need to adjust anything in your environment?
    • Need to change your thinking from “all or nothing” to something more flexible?
    • Need to get it all out of your head?
    • Know if your executive functioning brain “bank” is overdrawn from too many decisions, too much planning, or too many to-dos?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, then you know what your first step should be in reducing that overwhelm. There are also some simple steps that may help clear out what is causing your overwhelm.

    • Do you need to reduce all the thoughts swirling in your brain? Then do a “brain dump” or “cranial cleanse” as my friend calls it. You write down everything that is on your mind- no censoring it – just get it out on the paper. You can sort it later.
    • Break down projects into their individual steps/tasks.
    • Visualize the end before you begin. What will it look like when it is complete? Now work backwards. Make sure it is broken down into the smallest of steps.
    • Do you need more information?
    • Can someone else help you with it?

Once you have answered these questions, then it is time to help get the overwhelm out of the body and brain. Here are five strategies that can get you moving forward again feeling less overwhelmed.

Overwhelm Strategy #1: Move the Stress Out of the Body

For many ADHD brains, stress builds as restless energy. Movement helps reset the nervous system. Movement often works faster than trying to “think” your way out of stress.

Ideas

    • 10–15-minute walk (outdoors is best)
    • Dance to one favorite song
    • Jumping jacks or trampoline time
    • Stretch or yoga break

Overwhelm Strategy #2: Give the Brain a Sensory Reset

ADHD brains often feel overwhelmed by too much sensory input. Intentional sensory tools can calm the nervous system. These aren’t distractions—they’re regulation tools.

Ideas

    • Fidget or stress ball
    • Weighted blanket or lap pad
    • Noise-canceling headphones
    • Holding something cold (ice cube, cold drink)

Overwhelm Strategy #3: Create a Brain Break Ritual

Short breaks help prevent ADHD stress from building into overwhelm and gives your brain time to process and be ready for more. Think of these as mental reset buttons, not procrastination.

Ideas

    • Take a walk out in nature (15 minutes will reset your brain)
    • Add to your “done list”
    • Drawing or doodling
    • Journaling or reading for 5 minutes
    • Sitting with a cup of tea

Overwhelm Strategy #4: Simplify the Environment

Too many visual, auditory or mental inputs increase stress for ADHD brains. It can be difficult to filter out completely, so try to reduce what you can. Small environmental shifts can create big cognitive relief.

Ideas

    • Clear just one small surface in your field of vision
    • Turn off background notifications (put phone in a different room)
    • Work in a quieter room (use noise canceling headphones)
    • Reduce visible clutter in your work zone
    • Work with a buddy (body doubling) or join our Work it Wednesday session from 10a-12p EST.

Overwhelm Strategy #5: Use a “One Small Thing” Reset

When the brain feels overwhelmed, the fastest way to reduce stress is momentum. Progress—not perfection—helps calm the ADHD brain.

Ideas

    • Put away 3 items
    • Do a “brain dump” or “cranial cleanse” by writing everything down
    • Send one email
    • Start a timer for 5 minutes (and stop working when it goes off)
    • Do one small task (the smallest step you can think of)

When an ADHD brain feels overwhelmed, the goal isn’t to force focus—it’s to stop and identify what is happening and then to create moments of regulation that can help you reset. Small resets like movement, sensory tools, taking a break, or doing one simple task can help the brain relax and move forward again. Coaching can help you identify and develop personal strategies to decrease the occurrence of overwhelm and learn to detect the warning signs.

Designed for Focus or Distraction?

by

distracted squirrelProductivity isn’t just about willpower, motivation or discipline. It’s about design. Your environment has an impact on your productivity, well-being and efficiency through the cues that it is consciously and subconsciously sending you.

It can:

      • Encourage focus
      • Create calm
      • Promote distraction and procrastination
        • Intensify overwhelm
      • Make things harder (and take longer)

Visual Impact

Although our eyes “see” a great deal of visual information around us, it is our brain that processes only about 1% of that information. It tends to focus on anything survival related while keeping an ongoing “video” of the last 10-15 seconds based on attention and memory. So, it is our brain that interprets what we see and then makes sense of that information. The more cluttered the environment, the harder the brain has to work to see what you want it to see. If you’ve ever searched for your keys, only to find them 20 minutes later in one of the first places you looked – you know what I mean.

The busier the space, the more brain interference especially if there are things in your environment that are calling for attention. Maybe you have left something out as a reminder of a task or a decision you need to make. If that isn’t your focus right now, then maybe you can reduce the visual choices in that area and create a “focus zone” to help reduce the nonessential.

Sensory Input

First, we want to be sure our brain has everything it needs to be happy. The brain is continually sensing and responding to variations from the norm so it needs to have certain things like food, water, sleep, and safety to begin with. A quick body check of these internal needs will let you know if your brain needs something. To avoid being distracted by those needs, you should satisfy them before getting to work.

Next, let’s look at the things that can impact our senses externally. Starting with the ambient noise level. Is it too loud or too quiet? Which helps you stay focused more?

How about the temperature in the room – is it too warm, too cool? Also, think about the air quality as proper ventilation reduces indoor pollutants and increases your brain’s oxygen level which leads to better focus. Adding a plant or two can also increase the available oxygen.

Ergonomics, as defined by Google, “is fitting the task to the person.” This means making sure that you are comfortable and able to do the job without strain or pain. Check the chair for comfort and fit. Are your feet flat on the floor? Does the height of the desk fit with the chair? Check that the lighting is bright enough and focused on your work area and not coming from the ceiling to prevent working in your own shadow.

Lastly, color can impact your focus and productivity by reducing stress and stimulating brain activity. For example, blue and green are known for helping concentration, while red is known for boosting attention to detail (in short bursts). Color can also be used to help with learning. Grouping facts or like data together with one color aids retention. So, do what you can to make your environment suit your needs.

Friction vs. Flow

Sometimes it is not your hunger, or the ergonomics of your workspace, but the “friction” between you and the next small step. What’s friction, you ask? Anything that makes getting started harder (see above). There is not knowing where to start, not having what you need or being distracted by notifications. It all takes its toll.

Flow, on the other hand, feels effortless because the plan is clear. You know what to do and you have what you need to do it or can easily find it. The more friction you can alleviate, the more flow is possible.

Friction

  • Notifications and interruptions
  • Looking for things – disorganization/clutter
  • Perfectionism
  • No plan or clue about the next step

Flow

  • Have a plan before you sit down
  • Healthy snacks, water
  • Clear work space with needed supplies
  • Distraction free zone

Simple changes to your environment and the way you think about productivity can help make getting started easier with less friction and more flow.  And that will help you get things done.

How can your environment better support you and your brain? (What can be changed, removed, simplified or decided ahead of time?) Check out our Friction Audit on Facebook.