Here are five quick things you can do that have been PROVEN to boost your dopamine and let your ADHD work to your advantage. I do each of them every day, and they truly work!
1) Stand up and walk around. Reading this at a desk? Take three minutes (literally, only three minutes,) and walk briskly around your office or building. That’s it. Just three minutes has been shown to ramp up the dopamine in your brain, and leave you feeling more alert than drinking a cup of coffee. Bonus: No crash!
2) Eat a green thing. Taking care of your diet is hands down, one of the best ways to push your ADHD into the brilliant zone. Eat healthy, be healthy. Eat bad, be bad. Instead of fast food for lunch today, try some skinless chicken breast over a salad. Indulge on some good blue cheese dressing. Even the calories from that are far less than the double burger of death you were going to get.
3) Drink some water! Drink a LOT of water. Water boosts EVERYTHING about you. It helps your eyes, skin, brain, hands, cells, you name it. Here’s a tip: 100% of us are probably dehydrated 99% of the time. Drink more water. Right now. A big glass. Need to be reminded to drink more water? Try the Hidrate Spark. Lights up when you haven’t gulped H20 in a while;.
4) Early morning exercise will change your life. Really, any type of exercise will. But a 45 minutes on a spin bike, or even just hanging out on an Elliptical machine a few times a week will greatly improve your life.
5) (POSSIBLY THE BEST TIP YET) Get better sleep. I bought a white noise machine for $40 a few months ago, and it CHANGED MY LIFE. My sleep is SO much better now. Forty bucks? That’s like, 2 lattes at Starbucks that you won’t need anymore because you’re getting better sleep!
Take care of yourself. You’re all you’ve got.
I was not diagnosed with my gift until I was 50 years old and put on adderall that worked until it didn’t. Post adderall Post hysterectomy and I go in circles for years. Listening to your book a faster than normal as I drove across country I recognized many of the symptoms in me. Thank you for the tools and the knowledge I feel like I can forward with better success.
(PS Now I know why I was a skydive or for 13 years made over 1300 jumps D license the only reason why I don’t jump anymore is a nun skydiving related accident took me on the sport)
Hi Peter,
Really grateful to have come across your podcast and now your web site. As a mother of young adult sons who are neurodivergent, 24 & 26, I have always sought out to educate myself to better understand. Seeing their brilliance and yet see them struggle in a world for neurotypical people has had it heartbreaking moments. In my love to better understand them, at the age of 58, I have just recently had to acknowledge my own neurodivergent life. Wow, your community and your encouragement have truly been life transforming for me, my husband and all our children. Always knew that all of my children were a gift and now I feel even more excited to see how far we are all capable of going and live our best lives. All your principles and messages also align with my faith which means so much. Thank you Peter and everyone you have partnered with for having the courage, energy and positive impact on the neurodivergent community of super heroes. You are a gift <3