Self-love is not selfish; you cannot truly love another until you know how to love yourself.” - Unknown
10 WAYS PEOPLE WITH ADHD STRUGGLE WITH SELF LOVE
- Abandoning and neglecting themselves, as they were abandoned in childhood
- A lifetime of being told they’re wrong, different, and misunderstood
- Not knowing or understanding themselves
- Feeling different and ‘less than’
- Surviving the trauma of emotional deficiency, rather than thriving in a loving environment
- Feeling the world is against them
- Dealing with fear and anxiety arising from extra sensitivity
- Feeling depressed and hopeless
- Feeling confused and unable to stop the mind-scrambling
- A feeling of having gone through too much for too long
HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF
- The greatest way we can love ourselves is to connect with ourselves through the tough times, with love and understanding.
- It’s easy to sit with yourself when the going is good, when friends are beating down the door, or you’re dipping your feet in an azure ocean.
- It’s more difficult when there’s more month than money, the car is dead, and you feel out of control.
- Our inner demons create the most pain. How do we stay with ourselves when we want to stuff 12 donuts, drink to oblivion, lose ourselves on Facebook for no reason, other than we don’t like ourselves much?
- The secret is so simple that most people miss it. To sit quietly with yourself. As you would with a dog that’s terrified. No judgment, know it’s ok to screw up, get it wrong. You’re just there to be with you.
- To do this you need support and connection. Join our tribe. Reach out for support.
WHY IT’S THE HARDEST THING IN THE WORLD
For most people, sitting with themselves is the hardest thing in the world. The simple ‘being’.
Particularly for people with ADHD.
They learned it isn’t ok to be them.
From birth, we all learn to people please, and in doing so, lose some sense of self.
THE SECRET
When you’re terrified to sit with you, stay calm, don’t push it, instead, sit with that terror. It’s enough. In fact, it’s everything!
(And it IS sitting with you!)
You get to:
‘Dance with your shadow and love your way back home.’
No perfection, no right or wrong, no judgment, just understanding, acceptance of wherever you happen to be, and a wild crazy love for yourself!
When you do this, your demons slink off into the night.
Your life transforms, and you get to do the stuff you want, instead of losing yourself in running away.
Self-love IS THAT important.
WHAT IF I CAN’T?
It sounds easy, yet it’s the hardest thing people will ever do. Most don’t even try and will go through all kinds of pain (like remaining in abusive relationships) to avoid it.
Here are some ideas:
- Do things to give yourself a sense of worth.
- Pamper yourself with a long hot bath, a movie, a haircut, etc.
- Buy yourself something (it can be very small) to treat yourself.
- Give yourself time off.
- Journal daily so that you’re in tune with yourself.
- Practice yoga, so your body and mind are in tune. Listen to what your body is telling you.
- Start catching yourself when you abandon or neglect yourself.
- Don’t isolate. Go out with friends, call them, share. Listen to them. Be part of their lives too.
- Balance your life and leave time for perspective.
- Get creative with music, art, etc.
SIMPLY REMAIN WITH YOURSELF, PRESENT, & IN THE MOMENT, HOWEVER UNCOMFORTABLE
EXERCISES FOR NOW
- Look at your life, relationships, and days; how would you rate your worth (self-worth) on a scale of 1-10.
- If it isn’t a 10, list the reasons why not.
- 10 FOR 10: List 10 things you can do to make it a 10.
- Take 3 things from this list that you can implement this week and make them happen!
If you’re searching for that one person that will change your life, take a look in the mirror.” - Unknown
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Download Itty, Bitty, Sh!tty Committee eBook
The world will put countless obstacles in your path but none will be as big as the ones you create for yourself. We call it, your own personal Itty, Bitty, Sh!tty Committee.
Self-love is not selfish; you cannot truly love another until you know how to love yourself.” - Unknown
10 WAYS PEOPLE WITH ADHD STRUGGLE WITH SELF LOVE
- Abandoning and neglecting themselves, as they were abandoned in childhood
- A lifetime of being told they’re wrong, different, and misunderstood
- Not knowing or understanding themselves
- Feeling different and ‘less than’
- Surviving the trauma of emotional deficiency, rather than thriving in a loving environment
- Feeling the world is against them
- Dealing with fear and anxiety arising from extra sensitivity
- Feeling depressed and hopeless
- Feeling confused and unable to stop the mind-scrambling
- A feeling of having gone through too much for too long
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Download Itty, Bitty, Sh!tty Committee eBook
The world will put countless obstacles in your path but none will be as big as the ones you create for yourself. We call it, your own personal Itty, Bitty, Sh!tty Committee.
HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF
- The greatest way we can love ourselves is to connect with ourselves through the tough times, with love and understanding.
- It’s easy to sit with yourself when the going is good, when friends are beating down the door, or you’re dipping your feet in an azure ocean.
- It’s more difficult when there’s more month than money, the car is dead, and you feel out of control.
- Our inner demons create the most pain. How do we stay with ourselves when we want to stuff 12 donuts, drink to oblivion, lose ourselves on Facebook for no reason, other than we don’t like ourselves much?
- The secret is so simple that most people miss it. To sit quietly with yourself. As you would with a dog that’s terrified. No judgment, know it’s ok to screw up, get it wrong. You’re just there to be with you.
- To do this you need support and connection. Join our tribe. Reach out for support.
WHY IT’S THE HARDEST THING IN THE WORLD
For most people, sitting with themselves is the hardest thing in the world. The simple ‘being’.
Particularly for people with ADHD.
They learned it isn’t ok to be them.
From birth, we all learn to people please, and in doing so, lose some sense of self.
THE SECRET
When you’re terrified to sit with you, stay calm, don’t push it, instead, sit with that terror. It’s enough. In fact, it’s everything!
(And it IS sitting with you!)
You get to:
‘Dance with your shadow and love your way back home.’
No perfection, no right or wrong, no judgment, just understanding, acceptance of wherever you happen to be, and a wild crazy love for yourself!
When you do this, your demons slink off into the night.
Your life transforms, and you get to do the stuff you want, instead of losing yourself in running away.
Self-love IS THAT important.
WHAT IF I CAN’T?
It sounds easy, yet it’s the hardest thing people will ever do. Most don’t even try and will go through all kinds of pain (like remaining in abusive relationships) to avoid it.
Here are some ideas:
- Do things to give yourself a sense of worth.
- Pamper yourself with a long hot bath, a movie, a haircut, etc.
- Buy yourself something (it can be very small) to treat yourself.
- Give yourself time off.
- Journal daily so that you’re in tune with yourself.
- Practice yoga, so your body and mind are in tune. Listen to what your body is telling you.
- Start catching yourself when you abandon or neglect yourself.
- Don’t isolate. Go out with friends, call them, share. Listen to them. Be part of their lives too.
- Balance your life and leave time for perspective.
- Get creative with music, art, etc.
SIMPLY REMAIN WITH YOURSELF, PRESENT, AND IN THE MOMENT, HOWEVER UNCOMFORTABLE
EXERCISES FOR NOW
- Look at your life, relationships, and days; how would you rate your worth (self-worth) on a scale of 1-10.
- If it isn’t a 10, list the reasons why not.
- 10 FOR 10: List 10 things you can do to make it a 10.
- Take 3 things from this list that you can implement this week and make them happen!
If you’re searching for that one person that will change your life, take a look in the mirror.” - Unknown
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