How to manage ADHD without medication

Mindfulness and meditation techniques

Mindfulness is simply bringing your attention to the present moment and keeping it there. Studies show mindfulness training can be a useful tool for people with ADHD. It’s especially useful for refocusing the mind when it starts to wander, and regular practice can help keep you in the present longer.

Here are some mindfulness techniques that can be practiced at any time, no matter where you are:

• Observing: Notice what’s going on around you or what’s going on inside you. You might pay attention to how your feet feel on the ground, how your hands feel on the steering wheel or other physical sensations. You can also observe your surroundings, such as focusing on the way clouds are drifting across the sky.
• Labeling: Similar to the above, but with the added element of labeling or naming what you see. You might notice your emotions and give them names, such as worry or anger. You can also label things in your environment, such as identifying the colors of objects or counting the number of items of a certain color.
• Focusing on your breath: This is a common and effective way to practice mindfulness. You can either focus on observing the breath as it comes, or you can try a specific exercise like counting breaths or repeating a mantra as you breathe in and out. Emphasizing the out-breath can help foster relaxation and calm.
• Writing down your thoughts: Journaling is very effective at not only clearing your head and focusing your thoughts, but also grounding you in the present moment. You can also combine this with other techniques by observing the feel of the pen on paper or by focusing on the way your hand traces the letters.

Meditation can also be an effective way for anyone, including people with ADHD, to train their minds to slow down. There are different types of meditation, but for the most part, it’s going to look like an extended, intentional version of the above mindfulness techniques.

One common way to meditate is to sit or lie in a comfortable position and focus on your breathing. As the mind wanders, simply notice that and bring it back to the breath. The point isn’t to do it perfectly, but to train yourself to notice when you’ve lost focus and try to recapture it.

If you don’t feel like you can sit still, you can also do a walking meditation, where you focus on the feel of your footsteps. Start with just a few minutes and gradually increase the time as you become more comfortable.

Diet and nutrition tips for ADHD

While there’s no specific diet that’s proven to help with ADHD, certain types of foods may help lessen or exacerbate symptoms. Including or excluding these from your diet could help make managing ADHD easier and improve overall health and functioning.

Foods that help with ADHD:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Complex carbs (examples include sweet potatoes, peas, corn, beans and whole grains)
• Protein (especially fish, which is high in valuable omega-3 fatty acids)
• Healthy fats (examples include avocados, fish, nuts and eggs)

Foods to avoid with ADHD:

• Excessive sugar (a review of research suggests that excess sugar can worsen certain ADHD symptoms, although additional studies are necessary to confirm)
• Artificial food colors (another review of research also suggests that artificial food colors have adverse effects on kids with ADHD, although it’s noted that this effect isn’t necessarily limited to ADHD and therefore might be more of a public health issue than an ADHD issue specifically)

While some of these studies have focused on children, adults with ADHD may still want to consider limiting these in their diets.

Vitamins and minerals:

You’ll generally get enough of the nutrients you need from a balanced diet, but you may want to have your doctor check for deficiencies in the following important vitamins and minerals. Deficiencies in these could make ADHD symptoms more difficult to manage, according to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA).

• Iron
• Zinc
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Vitamin D
• Magnesium

If this all sounds like generic healthy eating advice, well, it is. And this may make adhering to it slightly easier since you don’t need to remember anything too specific. Just focus on eating a balanced diet, and you may see some of your ADHD symptoms improve.

Caffeine and ADHD

According to the ADDA, there is some evidence that caffeine may help improve some symptoms of ADHD by increasing focus and alertness — similar to the effects of prescription stimulant medications. Some people may find it to be useful in moderation.

However, caffeine shouldn't be considered a treatment for ADHD and it should be used with care. Too much can cause unwanted side effects, including headaches, trouble sleeping, irritability and a racing heart. Mixing caffeine and stimulant medications may compound these effects.

Exercise routines for ADHD

Exercise can go a long way toward improving ADHD symptoms, as well as overall physical and mental health.

Cardiovascular exercise is excellent for your general health and has been backed by at least one published review as being able to help people with ADHD improve executive function (the ability to plan and execute tasks), as well as attention and impulse control. Examples of cardio include running, cycling, swimming and rowing.

Yoga can be good for helping develop mindfulness, as it often involves observing your body and your breathing. Yoga is also great for improving overall mental health and has even been shown to have a positive effect on brain function.

Research has suggested that outdoor activities seem to be better than indoor ones for ADHD specifically — that includes outdoor running, biking, hiking or swimming. Even just spending time outdoors that’s not specifically exercising could be beneficial. It’s certainly good for your mood and general well-being.

If you struggle with developing a habit of exercising regularly, try the following tips:

• Find an accountability partner and motivate each other.
• Choose a form of exercise you enjoy and focus on that. While cardio might be effective, you’re less likely to stick with it if you absolutely hate it — try yoga or strength training instead.
• Schedule your workouts — and try to do them at the same time each day, so you can build a routine.
• Remove barriers to starting. Lay out clothes the night before, gather any supplies or equipment you’ll need — think towels, weights, water bottles and similar items — beforehand and keep them somewhere accessible. Take any steps you need to make getting started easier.

Behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Behavioral therapy emphasizes identifying and changing unhealthy behaviors and replacing them with healthier or more beneficial alternatives. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a specific type of behavioral therapy that focuses on identifying the inaccurate or negative thinking that drives these behaviors.

CBT is commonly used to help people with ADHD and has been shown to be effective in studies. It can help counter negative mindsets that can develop in people with ADHD — especially “all-or-nothing” or “black-and-white” thinking, where things are either 100% good or 100% bad, with no room for nuance. While CBT may not “cure” ADHD, it can provide valuable tools to help you live a fuller and more productive life.

Organizational tools and time management

Effective time management — or a lack thereof — is one of the biggest challenges for people with ADHD. Fortunately, there are a plethora of time management and organizational tools and techniques that can be used to help get more done or just declutter your head and relieve stress.

A calendar is a good first step in getting organized. Knowing where you need to be and what you need to be doing at any given time is essential.

Several task apps can also help you remember what you need to do and organize projects. Some popular apps include Todoist, Trello and Notion, but you can also get plenty done with just the basic Reminders app on your smartphone.

Finally, you can try some techniques to help you manage your time better so you can actually get those tasks done:

• Pomodoro technique: A time management method that alternates periods of work with short breaks. You focus on your task for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break. It can help improve focus and overcome procrastination.
• Time blocking: A method where you break your day into blocks of time and dedicate specific tasks to those blocks — scheduling your to-dos, essentially. For example, you might schedule two hours in the morning to work on a draft that’s due. You can get as granular as you want here, from just scheduling your most important tasks to planning out your entire day’s agenda.
• Break tasks into smaller steps: Big tasks can be daunting and if you’re prone to procrastination, it can be harder to get started on them. Breaking them up into bite-sized chunks that you can complete in a short stint of work makes things much more manageable from a psychological perspective. You can then incorporate the Pomodoro technique or time blocking to get those bite-sized tasks done.

Bottom line

ADHD can be disruptive to your everyday life, but there are non-medical options available that can help. Practicing mindfulness, getting proper nutrition and exercise, seeking therapy and utilizing time management tools and strategies can all help alleviate symptoms, reduce dependence on medication and increase productivity and well-being.

Making big changes all at once can be overwhelming, so start with one or two strategies that sound appealing and build from there.