4 Golden Rules to Make ADHD Your Super Power

Have you ever been told that you are not normal? can't focus? you won’t be able to graduate because you have adhd? Well, I am here to convince you that not only these claims are not true and are outdated information! I am here to tell you that if you learn a thing or two, you can make ADHD your superpower. I will share the secrets that helped me transform my life despite my ADHD and talk about strategies you can apply to become successful in anything you set your mind into.

How many people actually have ADHD & is this normal?!

A study done in Canada showed 6.1% of kids between 4-16 are diagnosed by ADHD. In US, 9.4% of kids have been diagnosed; that’s 6 million kids! About 1% of adults in the states are now diagnosed with ADHD. Keep in mind, this is only the number of people who actually made an effort to see a doctor and spent about 2-3 thousand dollars to get a proper diagnosis. So can you imagine how many people would actually have ADHD if we all got tested?

I don’t think this many people will have a "disability" per say, I think it’s just a way to be.

A lot of people like myself won’t even notice it until they are over 30 and you don't really see a point of getting tested anyway? I think having ADHD is more normal than you think and just because you don’t fit into the box they make for people it doesn’t mean you are disable!

ADHD & I

As you all know there are 3 types of ADHD:

1. Impulsive and hyperactive which make it really easy for parents to notice at an early age

2. Inattentive and distractible which is usually noticed in school.

3. Combined form of both.

I was super shy when I was younger, and somehow I got good grades in school because I grew up in a country where the education system was very different than how it is in North America. Honestly, I think anybody would thrive academically in that environment haha!

When I was diagnosed a few years ago, it was both disturbing and a relief.

It was disturbing because people looked at it as a disability; are you kidding me? I got a degree in Physics, I teach people math and sciences and okay I became overweight twice in my life time but I even managed to figure out a way to lose over 40 pounds

I thought I was pretty cool! I definitely didn't feel like I need any medication or any help!

It was a relief because I knew why I was so stressed and why I tried so hard. I get very distracted really easy and my working memory was terrible! I couldn't hold on to a 4 digit number in my head for more than 3 seconds! I swear! I remember when I went home from school, the homework looked like an alien to me like I have had seen it before even though I sat In front of the class and I took really good notes. Even my classmates in university always made fun of me for solving every single question at the end of a text book. I wasn't told I had ADHD and I wasn't labeled as a dumb kid so I had figured out a workaround to get things done; I worked HARDER!

I am here to tell you that even if you want a degree in astrophysics, you can do it. I made a video on how to organize your notes and how to study for math and sciences if you have adhd but here I want to talk about 4 important rule you should follow in order to be successful.

Rule #1: Love What You Do

I know this sounds like a cliché' but this is vital to your happiness. It is hard for people with adhd to focus on things they don't love, however if you enjoy the task at hand, your "hyper focus" superpower will kick in and you will fall into what they call “the state of flow”. People with adhd commonly experience periods of deep and intense concentration while they work on their favorite projects! That's something so called "normal people" work so hard to achieve. See ;) we are already winning!

*Quick Tip: Find what you love by trying new things and volunteering for random things!

Rule #2: Be the Hardest Worker in the Room

When they tell you, you can't do it, pick things up and work harder.

If these is something you have to get done, like passing calculus, you have to be prepared to put more work than other people. If you find it hard to focus on something like math or science, maybe you either haven’t spent enough time to like it or you don’t like it because you are just not good at it for now. As a math tutor, I promise that if you practiced more math, you will naturally become better at it. I have never seen it not be this way! So no matter what it is, come up with a plan, practice daily, get it done and I promise you will achieve it. It's just the matter of hard work and consistency with everything.

Rule #3: ESEM: Eat, Sleep, Exercise & Meditate

Every single article that's written on adhd talks about the importance of these 4 things which I like to group together and call ESEM. These 4 are essential to every human but specially people with ADHD.

After losing over 40 pounds, I not only feel free of anxiety and depression, my working memory has improved beyond my imagination and I feel a lot smarter! I have experienced the true effects these 4 things can have on a person's life and I suggest you start adding these to your daily routines little by little. I recommend the book Atomic Habits by James Clear to help you with introducing new healthy habits to your life.

Rule #4: Get to Know Yourself

Your career or what you decide to do in life should be aligned with your truest form of self. Here are some tips to guide you through the journey of getting to know yourself.

Type 1: Passionate

Are you a type of person who gets excited and passionate about new projects or helping people? People with ADHD need to do things they are passionate about jobs and would do really well in jobs such as social worker, fitness trainer, religious clergy, psychologist, special education teacher, author, doctor.

Type #2: High Intensity

Jobs that are high intensity for those of us how have a lot of energy and want to try new things. Jobs like Detective, police officer, critical care nurse, correctional officer, emergency dispatcher, sports coach, firefighter can help you maintain a high dopamine level.

Type#3: Structured

We also enjoy having structure but some of us really thrive on it. We like being organized! Okay, it's not like we have a choice or else we lose ourselves :)))

Jobs such as accountant, insurance claims adjuster, bank teller, factory assembly line worker are good to stick to for those of us who like to follow structure.

Type 4: Artists

Our minds are super creative and we are able to look at situations from angles most people can’t. We would make great musicians and artist, designers or architects.

Type 5: Entrepreneurs

Being an entrepreneur myself I understand that getting brand new ideas and following through with them is something MOST people struggle with. Most people overthink everything and a lot of the times they talk themselves out of taking action but it comes naturally to us! Like I always say, it’s true that if we get an idea of finishing a Nutella jar by ourselves, we will do it but if we get an idea of starting a whole business from scratch we can also do that too.

Nothing will make me happier to see you guys believe in yourself and transform your lives despite what is happening in your life right now. Remember to like this article and share it with anybody who you think needs to hear my message and remember we rise by lifting other.