Managing ADHD Impulsivity: Strategies And Coping Skills
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral disorder that usually impacts the way an individual perceives sensory information from the world and processes it in the brain. Common challenges for individuals with ADHD can include impulse control, the completion of tasks requiring sustained mental effort, and forgetfulness. Regardless of a person’s age, managing impulsivity and other ADHD symptoms can reduce stress and anxiety while improving productivity at work or school. Managing ADHD impulsivity usually requires a multidimensional plan involving cognitive strategies, mindfulness practices, and environmental modifications. For individuals with ADHD who are easily distracted, make careless mistakes, lose things, or struggle to control impulses, working with a mental health professional in person or online can be a good place to start.
What is ADHD impulsivity?
One key symptom of ADHD may be impulsive behavior. In general, impulsive behavior occurs in the brain and refers to making decisions quickly without taking enough time to think about the consequences. It can also involve acting spontaneously or making life choices without planning for the future. For example, an impulsive child may blurt something out in class or run across a street without looking for cars, or an adult may quit their job on a whim.
How does ADHD impulsivity impact daily life?
Managing a mental health disorder like ADHD can be an important part of functioning in everyday life. ADHD can impact a person’s daily life in several ways, including the following:
- Feeling overwhelmed – Impulsive choices can lead a person to take on too many things at once, which can increase feelings of stress and overwhelm. Learning to say no or think about something before committing can be helpful.
- Missing deadlines – In some cases, individuals may impulsively choose to engage in a task without thinking about other responsibilities in their lives, and this can lead to missed deadlines. Using a scheduling or calendar app can reduce missed deadlines and keep a person on track.
- Experiencing difficulty in school – Children with ADHD may struggle to adhere to the social norms that are expected at school. Sitting still, not shouting out, and focusing on one task at a time can all be challenging for a student with ADHD.
- Having trouble at work – Impulsive behavior at work might include ignoring social norms when speaking, making sudden decisions that appear erratic, and struggling to focus on a task due to competing impulses.
- Encountering challenges with money – Impulse buying and spending can occur more frequently for individuals with ADHD. Developing and sticking to a budget can be beneficial.
Although these challenges can be difficult to overcome, various strategies and coping skills can reduce the impulsive behavior associated with ADHD. Connecting with a mental health professional may help an individual take stock of how ADHD symptoms may be impacting their life and how best to proceed.
Strategies to manage ADHD impulsivity
In thinking about ADHD and impulsive behavior, there may not be any single technique or strategy to reduce impulsivity and improve decision-making. However, by trying different methods and seeing what works at the individual level, a person with ADHD may develop a cohesive strategy to move forward and manage impulsivity.
Cognitive behavioral techniques
Using cognitive behavioral techniques to manage ADHD symptoms usually involves identifying triggers for impulsivity and patterns around impulsive thoughts. Working individually or with a therapist, it can be possible to identify what typically triggers impulsive behavior. It could be seeing an ad on television or social media, being put on the spot at work or school, or feeling stressed. Identifying impulse triggers can provide a starting point for learning to manage them.
After the triggers have been identified, a therapist can help an individual restructure their thoughts around the impulse. This means that when the trigger happens, the person with ADHD may identify that it is happening, think about how they feel as a result, and either use a coping skill or make the decision not to engage in the impulse at that time.
Mindfulness practices
Mindfulness practices generally include strategies like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga. For individuals with ADHD, mindfulness practices may be used to control impulses more effectively and improve decision-making skills. Mindfulness practices can also be used with CBT techniques to slow down the decision-making process for individuals with ADHD and enable the person to fully consider the potential consequences, as well as the reason they are experiencing the urge to act on an impulse.
For mindfulness practices to be most effective, they should typically be integrated into daily life, rather than using them only when an impulse occurs. This can be done in various ways, including waking up with morning yoga, meditating during certain times of the day, or using a deep breathing technique before starting a meeting or phone call. By integrating these practices regularly, individuals may see a decrease in impulsive behavior and a more positive response to impulses when they occur.
Environmental modifications
Outside of internal thinking processes and mindfulness, individuals can also change how they interact with the world around them by making environmental modifications. For example, a person with ADHD may benefit from working or living in an environment free from clutter because additional items in a workspace may be overstimulating and could make it more challenging to manage impulses.
In addition to organization, it can also be possible to structure a workplace or home in a way that avoids typical impulse triggers. In general, a person with ADHD should work in an environment designed to be free from distractions. It also may be beneficial to structure the day in a way that allows for planned distractions, such as taking a walk every hour or two or planning a trip to lunch with coworkers.
Coping mechanisms
Sometimes, impulse-triggering situations may be unavoidable. In these cases, it can be beneficial to have a toolbox full of coping mechanisms. These mechanisms can include walking away from a situation or enacting a 24- or 48-hour rule, in which a person may wait a day or two before making major life decisions. It can also be possible to work with trusted friends and family members, getting input from multiple people before making big decisions.
When the impulse is not something that can wait, there may be other coping mechanisms to use. Taking a moment to count to 10 and practice deep breathing can offer time to reset and think before jumping in. Most coping mechanisms for impulsivity involve taking a moment and thinking about a decision before making it.
Professional guidance
In addition to other strategies for reducing impulsivity in individuals with ADHD, seeking professional guidance from a licensed therapist may be beneficial. A therapist may ask questions to identify triggers and use their expertise to recommend helpful strategies. They may also walk the individual through the cognitive behavioral process to reduce impulsivity.
Benefits of online therapy
When searching for a therapist, it can be important to work with a person with whom you feel comfortable and who has the expertise needed to provide the help you deserve. Online therapy can offer a larger database of providers with whom to connect, which can make it easier to find a therapist specializing in helping individuals with ADHD.
Effectiveness of online therapy
In terms of treating ADHD symptoms, including impulsivity, online therapy can be highly effective. Therapists in an online environment can provide the same evidence-based mental health care as those who practice in person. Studies show that online therapy can effectively treat ADHD, especially symptoms like attention deficit and social function.
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