ADHD and Self maintenance

Skin care, fitness, self-care and mental health

A Black woman in a bath towel washing her face with flowers behind her. Source: Canva

Hi, ADHDers!

I’m here to talk about self-maintenance while having ADHD.

I’ll dive into my self-maintenance (skin, dental, fitness, etc) issues and how they stem from ADHD. But I’ll also touch on how I’ve gotten much better and in a rhythm of taking care of myself and my body.

Why some ADHDers struggle with ongoing self-maintenance:

• ADHD

• Procrastination

• Finances/Lack of access

• Depression/Anxiety/other health conditions

• Being overwhelmed

Shall we get started?

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Running on E (empty)

Let’s face it, it’s hard to do anything when you don’t have the energy for it. It’s even harder when you have ADHD alongside being anemic and suffering from migraine disorder for years.

Yep, that’s me!

So I get the feeling of being too drained, having scatterbrain, and feeling like taking care of yourself is some sort of chore.

For me, fatigue alongside my ADHD has been the cause of my neglecting my self-maintenance. I had to get real with myself and start taking my vitamins, drinking water, and eating lighter so I don’t feel heavy and run down.

I started feeling better and had more energy than I did before. For some people, it could take some time to feel better but it’s worth a try.

That was step 1 for me. I would not have made any lifestyle and health changes if I didn’t start this first step.

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Dental Hygiene

A flashcard titled ‘Procrastination’ with a written example: ‘You have a toothache, you realize you might need a dental filling, but you delay going to the dentist. You stomach the pain using over-the-counter meds and home remedies. But in the end, you are left with an expensive dentist bill and possibly a root canal or tooth extraction to due to procrastinating’. Created by me and can be found at adhdtraits.com

Am I the only person that hates going to the dentist? It honestly feels like going to a torture house.

This fear of the dentist, the unknown, and a sprinkle of procrastination is the reason why I neglected regular checkups with the dentist. Because every time I’d go, there was always something wrong, sometimes I’d be like AIN’T NO WAY.

You’re probably thinking, why didn’t you just lay off the sweets and treats?

As someone that had undiagnosed ADHD back then, I needed snacks to keep me from getting distracted and restless when studying and working.

What made me go to the dentist?

The pain of untreated cavities. I also saw many TV adverts on the risk of mouth cancer and infection when you have an ulcer and bleeding gums. I called the dentist quicker than Usain Bolt reached the finish line!

I also have a full-time job that enables me to be able to afford to fix my teeth without stressing about throwing money at it. It was expensive but thankfully I could pay in installments.

So what changed?

• Brushing and flossing up to 3 times a day - I bought myself an electronic toothbrush, my dentist said they’re more effective and I started using interdental brushes as they’re more effective than the string floss. Mouthwash too.

• I cut down a lot on the sweet stuff. I replaced it with sugar-free chewing gum, lots of water, cut down on fizzy drinks and alcohol, and no sugar or syrup in my teas and coffees.

I am overdue a dentist appointment so I need to make one, oops.

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Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours

This is a term I learned a couple of months ago which is usually associated with OCD and General Anxiety Disorder.

BFRBs are compulsive, body-focused actions such as:

• nail biting

• skin picking

• cheek chewing

• hair pulling

• bone cracking

- Healthline

Do any of these ring a bell? These are common habits and there’s usually no need to be concerned until there is.

As an ADHDer, I can fidget with anything. My skin broke out as a teen and my acne was outta control, skin picking became second nature to me. Touching my face excessively and picking at my skin did more damage than good but it’s been so hard to break the habit.

I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of money on skin care treatments, seeing dermatologists, and buying the next best product. At one point, I just gave up as I was tired of the ‘Have you tried X or why don’t you try X’. It did ruin my self-esteem until I started to try again just recently.

My skin is nowhere near as bad but it’s not as clear as I want it to be. I’ve been waiting to start Accutane for years but I no longer think it’s the best course for me.

So what changed?

I’ve started:

• Trying to drink at least1 1L of water.

• Cutting down on nuts and chocolate (they give me flare-ups)

• Trying to stop skin-picking as much. Also, my hormones are gonna hormone.

• I bought some natural products that I came across on Instagram. I hope I haven’t been sold something useless.

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Fitness

An image of 3 women working out and stretching in different positions. Running on the spot, arm stretching, and leg stretching. They are wearing pink and purple sports bras and leggings, with purple trainers. Source: Canva

After I left school, fitness was never much of a priority for me.

You ever walk up some stairs and you’re out of breath? My sister has asthma, but I’m usually the one wheezing, holding on for dear life. I’m what some may call petite (well not as much now) but I am very unfit.

I went for a Thai massage a few months ago and I thought the lady was trying to kill me. Every stretch hurt so bad. The masseuse told me that I have issues with my tendons and I need to work out.

She didn’t have to tell me twice!

Every time I stretch my joints sound like bubble wraps popping! I’m only 29 so this has been quite worrying.

Trigger warning: Work stress has caused me to eat as if a famine is on the way. I’m seated most of the time which has messed up my posture and fitness levels.

Nearly all of my trousers and a few dresses no longer fit and I don’t want to spend money on a new wardrobe - not in this cozzie livs (cost-of-living crisis).

So what’s going to change?

So this is hard. Whenever I’m having a rough day or have been depressed in the past I like to eat, sleep and go to work and that’s it. But I no longer want to be a walking bubble wrap that feels winded - so I’m committing myself to exercise more often.

• I bought workout leggings, sports bras, and a T-shirt.

• I use my sister’s home workout equipment when I visit her.

• I’m going to go for light jogs then steadily increase.

This all sounds promising, right?

The gym is not really for me. I don’t know how to use most of the equipment (except for the treadmill and ellipticals) and I want to save myself the embarrassment.

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If at first you don’t succeed…

As I’m getting older (as she says being 29), I want to be intentional about my health and self-maintenance.

There have been moments throughout the years when I’ve been anxious or depressed and none of what I have written about was doable at the time. So I understand if you’re reading this feeling this way. I wish you well and hope you get better soon.

If you’ve been a reader for some time, you know how much I dislike routines. But I know I have to implement them in order to be consistent.

Any self-maintenance hacks you care to share in the comments?

That’s all from me,

Rach with ADHD!