ADHD Feeling Like A Failure: 9 Powerful Ways to Prevent

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One of the worst consequences of ADHD is feeling like a failure. Figuring out how to combat this can be even harder.

This post will help you to prevent the feeling of failure that often comes with ADHD and how to achieve a better mindset.

This post is all about having ADHD and feeling like a failure.

Understanding the “ADHD Feeling Like A Failure” Mindset

Many of us with ADHD will feel like we are a failure for not meeting neurotypical standards.

You may have difficulty with time management and organization and may forget to complete a task you promised you would complete.

Or you may have impulsive behaviors and make a decision where you hurt someone or messed up at work.

You could misread a social situation and cause awkward tension.

All of these things can make you feel inadequate and like a failure.

9 Powerful Ways to Prevent and Overcome the “ADHD Feeling Like A Failure” Mindset

1. Recognize and Challenge Negative Self-Talk

When you notice you are thinking negatively about yourself, ask yourself what makes you think that.

Keep asking, “Why?” to yourself and figure out the root of your negative thinking.

Constantly challenge your thoughts, and it will become easier as time progresses. This type of self-care will benefit you in the future and help you see yourself like others do.

2. Set Realistic Goals and Expectations

Before you start a task, think of everything you’d like to achieve with that task and if that is a realistic goal.

Could you look at the expectations of your life and work to figure out if your feelings of failure are coming from unrealistic goals? ADHD can make you feel like a failure because you expect too much from yourself and can’t see how your goals and expectations should not look the same as everyone else.

Set goals for everything, and make lists for everything. Even after working at the same place for years, I still create lists of my tasks for that day, which takes the mental work out of my day.

3. Embrace Your Unique Strengths and Abilities

You may not be the quickest at your job, but you may be the best at foresight and seeing system failures. You can learn what you are good at, communicate that with your peers and coworkers, and see if they have support strengths that can pick up where you lack.

Sometimes, people with ADHD may get paralyzed with all the things they need to do that they don’t even do the things they’re good at. Start with the things you’re good at and move from there.

Gain confidence by working on yourself, building your strengths, and being the best at whatever you love.

4. Seek Support From Friends, Family, and Professionals

Your friends, family, and professionals can all help you see how amazing you are. They can also help you set realistic goals for yourself.

Open up to others to help you ease your anxiety and see yourself the way others see you. ADHD can often come with anxiety about yourself, so seeking guidance from others can help your anxiety.

5. Develop Effective Time Management and Organizational Strategies

LISTS!

The best thing I have learned about ADHD is make lists. Write everything down, even if that is on your phone.

Try Google Calendar which will allow you to add tasks and events. Finding ways to never miss another appointment and never forget an obligation can help your thoughts of yourself.

When you want to keep a note of quotes or ideas you can use Google Keep. It is basically a digital sticky note.

These resources will help you stay organized and create better time management. Writing everything down often helps with decision paralysis and not being able to just get started.

6. Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

The calm app is a great place to start with this and being mindful.

Mindfulness is all about being present and fully experience moments in life. Start by using all your senses and notice what you are experiencing using all of them.

This is just a tip to help manage your feelings, but probably won’t help you prevent them. So, use this tip to get you out of your head and enjoy your life a little more.

7. Prioritize Self-Care and Mental Well-Being

Take some time to work on yourself and your mental well-being. This can help immensely with your thoughts and feelings of yourself.

When you make progress in life you will start to feel better about yourself and about your successes.

8. Celebrate Small Victories and Progress

Celebrate literally everything.

Tell a supportive friend or a partner when you complete something that has been difficult to do. This can mean take a moment to enjoy your shower if you were dreading it, or cross a task off of your list when you complete it and remind yourself of how proud your past self would be.

When you finish anything you should always take a few minutes to enjoy your success.

9. Educate Yourself and Others About ADHD

Learn about how ADHD may have affected your life and how you can work through that.

As you learn about ADHD, you should be letting others know why you may struggle with one thing or another. They can help you find ways to get better at something or they will be more understanding and you can build a great support system that way.

Putting The Strategies into Action: Real Life Examples

I have implemented these strategies, and my productivity has skyrocketed. My imposter syndrome has also decreased. I am almost finished with College and I couldn’t be more proud of myself. Even when I had to retake a class or freaked out over a test, I knew that I was making progress and I was able to cross things off of my to-do list.

Taking one thing at a time and continuing to push yourself can help you overcome challenges in your life.

I don’t keep things in perspective; I like focusing on individual tasks, not the end goal. Occasionally remind yourself of your dreams, but with ADHD, it can get overwhelming, so focusing on small victories can help you go farther.

Additional Resources for Managing ADHD Symptoms

Here is a post I wrote about using Water for Managing ADHD.

Remember that you can always seek help from a professional to gain insights on managing ADHD. As I learn about the disorder, you will also find ways that you can work around it and be better at life.

Conclusion

The biggest way to prevent the ADHD feeling like a failure mindset is to learn about ADHD and find your ways of being productive. I encourage y’all to try out these 9 powerful strategies and see which ones work the best for you. Comment down below with more tips and tricks that you have found in your life so we can all help each other:). This post was all about how to prevent feeling like a failure with ADHD.