11/27/2020 ADHD Brain Games, Exercises and Boosts

Inside the ADHD mind

ADHD Adults > Health & Nutrition

25 Everyday Brain Boosts from Our ADHD Experts

Ned Hallowell, M.D.

I allow time for daydreaming (without screens), thinking, or staring o into space. This is “waking
sleep,” and science has shown it’s actually good for us. Just a few minutes of waking sleep will give you a
huge brain boost to get through the rest of your day!

I get massive daily doses of what I call “the other Vitamin C,” which is Vitamin Connect (human
connection). I have many “human moments” every day. I make eye contact with people who pass by. I
o er smiles, and try to get them in return.

An app called Calm (calm.com) has got me meditating regularly. I love it, and so does my brain.

Supplements that help my brain and body are vitamin D, sh oil (Omega-Brite, speci cally), SAM-e,
NAC, acetyl-l-carnitine, rhodiola, and vitamin B complex.

I give and receive positive energy. The more I do this, the better my brain feels. We live in a world that is
starving for positive energy. So let’s all join the Positive Energy Brigade!

[Free Resource: Secrets of the ADHD Brain]

Eric Tivers
ADHD coach

My top brain boost involves improving my mindset, which improves my brain. As a therapist, coach,
podcaster, speaker, and entrepreneur, I take on a lot. Which means that sometimes, I drop a ball and fail.
Because emotions sometimes hijack my ADHD brain, I have developed an intimate and trusting
relationship with failure. I embrace failure, because it gives feedback. When something doesn’t work
out, I seek to understand why, and I try to learn from my missteps.

I listen to audiobooks and podcasts. My brain needs a constant ow of new information and ideas. I am
an integrator, meaning that I take things that I learn and apply them to my personal and professional life.
Learning fuels me. It charges me up.

I do fun types of exercise. This year I bought a crazy piece of exercise equipment called an ElliptiGO
(elliptigo.com), a cross between a bicycle and an elliptical. Exercise sharpens my brain, but I also know

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11/27/2020 ADHD Brain Games, Exercises and Boosts
how important it is, especially for people with ADHD, for exercise to be fun. This bike-elliptical
crossbreed turns heads, which is sort of interesting and fun.
[13 Coping Skills You Haven’t Mastered — Yet]

Terry Matlen, ACSW

I love nature and I love my dogs. I enjoy both when I walk the dogs in a park nearby. Studies show that
spending time in green spaces is good for you and your brain. My brain feels much calmer afterward.

I’m an amateur, self-taught musician. When I need to recharge my brain after a day of intensive writing
or other related work, I head to my home music studio and sing my heart out while strumming my guitar.

When I need to get away from it all, but also need a creative outlet to stimulate my brain, I paint or make
mosaic pieces. With ADHD, I am in constant search for mental stimulation, and these activities help me
shut out the world yet still be productive.

My favorite brain-resting activity is lying in my hammock and reading an engaging book. My body rests
while my brain oats into the author’s world.

Elizabeth Broadbent
ADDitude blogger

When my ADHD brain gets tied up in knots, I get out in nature. This can be as simple as hiking an urban
trail or as ambitious as a long hike through the woods. Research shows that getting outside helps reduce
ADHD symptoms. I’ve always loved being outside, and now I know why: It helps my brain.

I make sure to put down my phone. Electronic devices are like crack for people with ADHD, with their
instant grati cation clicks and quick transitions. While I love my phone and need it, I’ve found that taking
time away from it gives my brain some relief from the need to go in 12 directions at once. My brain
refreshes itself.

I spend a lot of time cajoling my brain to pay attention and remain on task. All this brain coaching can be
stressful. My brain de-stresses when it is allowed to do what it longs to do — wander. Some activities are
safer to do when you let your thoughts roam. I walk where there is little tra c, lost in thought, for three
miles on most days.

I engage in hobbies in which being lost in thought is OK, even advantageous. I love backpacking and
rails-to-trail cycling, but my favorite hobby is surf shing. When I surf- sh, I stand on a beach, pole in
hand, and allow my thoughts to roam freely. After a day of surf shing, my brain feels ready for anything.

Douglas Cootey
ADDitude blogger

When I’m at my most restless, it’s bene cial to go out for long stroll. Not only is the exercise good for me,
but the pace is slow enough to allow me to think. More intense exercise tends to ll my mind and shove to
the side the things that are bothering me, whereas walking allows me to focus. Regardless of how large or
small the challenge is, walking while problem-solving is a form of meditation that leaves me refreshed,
invigorated, and with greater focus.

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Those of us with ADHD are so used to ghting distraction that it seems counterintuitive to invite it in.
However, keeping myself focused and on task is draining over long periods of time. I nd it bene cial to
let my mind spin and wander for short periods. I might play a video game, read news on the Internet, or
do things that I consider fun and relaxing. I set a timer, however, so that I don’t lose track of time.

There are times when I can’t go out for a walk or plunk down on the couch for a quick break, because I
have a deadline to meet. That’s when I use white noise to block out distractions. Instead of limiting
myself to sound waves that sound like static-y radio stations, I like to pump dance music into my ears.
The constant beat and excitable tunes ramp me up so that I can engage hyperfocus and get my work done.

Sandy Maynard, M.S.

Getting aerobic exercise is not innovative, but it works well for me. Getting more oxygen to body and brain
energizes me, and improves my ability to focus while reducing stress. We all know that increased stress
causes the spinning ADHD brain to go even faster, so a good workout is a great way to short-circuit that
stress.

What really helps my brain a lot is “turbo meditation.” When faced with a di cult or stressful task, I sit
quietly and as relaxed as I can, take a deep breath, set my timer, and do a quick two-minute meditation. I
may not feel like the Dalai Lama when I’m done, but my mind is a lot calmer and I’m less likely to be
impulsive.

Linda Roggli
Founder of the ADDiva Network

My dogs make me do it — get up in the morning and go outside, that is. Research shows that if our eyes
are exposed to morning sunlight, we feel better. It’s a great way to start the day, although I am less than
enthusiastic some mornings after I have stayed up too late. The spectrum of morning light rays striking
the back of the retina wakes up my brain.

When my ADHD is out of control, I head for the medicine cabinet for a couple of Focus Factor tabs. Focus
Factor contains an extract of a ower, plus a mix of vitamins. Though research is not conclusive as to the
positive cognitive e ects of the ower essence, it works for me. I also take zinc and sh oil capsules.

My brain and its dopamine receptors demand fun-fun-fun. Fun for me is to wrestle with problems that
require research, comparisons, and evaluation, like shopping for geeky computer equipment. I research
for hours to nd the right-sized hard drive and peripherals. I know it’s an obsession, but it’s a positive
one for my brain.

Sleep. My brain craves it, and I regularly forget to get it. My ADHD tendency is to stay up late — whether
working or piddling — then wake up with a sleep de cit hangover. When I get seven to eight hours of
sleep, I am happier, I get more done, and my brain works a lot better. One of my best friends is the
afternoon nap.

[15 Good Habits Your Brain Craves]

Updated on February 24, 2020

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