Regulated vs Dysregulated ADHD: Navigating the Ups and Downs

Do you ever feel like your brain is on a wild rollercoaster, just doing its own thing? 🎢🙈 One moment you're calm ("What ADHD?") and the next, you're spiraling into some emotional state? 😵‍💫

You're not alone. This is a common experience for those of us with ADHD.

Understanding that we transition between these states, often multiple times a day, is crucial. I recently discussed this on Instagram - because on any given day, someone with ADHD can swing through various regulated and dysregulated states. Realizing that I could shift between different states within a single day empowered me to take breaks, breathe, and develop a toolkit to help myself in those moments:

My Self-Care Toolkit for ADHD Dysregulation 🫠

Here's what's in my toolkit 🧰, and remember, these are things that work for me. I encourage you to discover what works for you when you're not feeling completely dysregulated.

• 🎶 Calming Sounds: Like a musical hug for my mind – it's a reset button!
• 🛌 Comfort Space: Creating a cozy, safe space to retreat to when things get overwhelming.
• 🌿 Nature Walks: Taking a short stroll outside – like a natural elixir for my ADHD brain.
• 🤗 Cuddling: A good cuddle with my favorite person or pets – it helps me feel grounded.

It's important to note that these activities aren't meant to solve, cure, or fix me. They're just my go-to 'escapes' to help down-regulate when needed.

What to Do When You're Feeling Dysregulated

Engaging in these self-soothing activities isn't just about finding temporary 'escapes'; it's a practical way to down-regulate the fight/flight response or mobilize yourself out of freeze and paralysis.

Instead of saying "oh, I am so dysregulated today," we can say "I feel dysregulated in this moment," pick up one of our toolkit activities, and understand that this feeling will pass.

Recognizing that we transition back and forth between these states and having pre-planned strategies in place is a game changer.

You can start to reframe your narrative and stop writing off an entire day just because you felt like a dysregulated hot mess at lunchtime (most of the time when this happens, I realize I was just hangry 😅).