Impulsivity & ADHD: Being Accepted For Who You Are

Impulsivity and ADHD go together like peanut butter and jelly or movies and popcorn. Somehow, they just fit. In many ways being impulsive is a super-benefit of having ADHD. It helps me get things done; I act on my feelings and people in my life know where they stand with me.

But, it can also go the OTHER way and get me into hot water. In fact, I would say that in all my years of living with ADHD, managing my impulsive reactions to things that happen in my life has been one of the hardest. And a very close second to impulsivity is my tendency to overthink things. As I mentioned in the video, when I start to feel my urge to be impulsive, I have to get ahead of it quickly or I am likely to act before I think, rather than think before I act.

For those of us with ADHD, this dance is pretty normal. The drive to act when you have a feeling, a thought, a wish, or a desire is so compelling, that it can be hard to resist. But, I’ve learned that it’s often much better to resist the first impulse to react in favor of a more metered, thoughtful approach. Perhaps you agree?

That said, it’s easier said than done. So I put together this list of 6 ideas to help manage impulsivity and ADHD without denying my true self. I have no desire to mask who I am, but I do want to gather more information before acting most of the time.

These 6 tips have dramatically changed not only my results but my relationships as well. Instead of having to do damage control after saying the wrong thing or mis-reading the room, I pause. Then, with all of the information I need, I can make a more informed decision and have a less reactive reply.

If you watched the video until the end, here is the website for Havening:


You can find out more about impulsivity and oversharing on my website https://carolinemaguireauthor.com/

Remember to like, share, and subscribe to our channel for more videos like this. Your engagement helps us reach and support a wider audience. If you or someone you know is navigating life with ADHD, leave a comment below—we'd love to hear your story and learn together.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:25 Manage Impulsive Behavior
2:55 Tells
3:43 Anti-Impulsive Policies
3:53 Policy Number 1
4:14 Policy Number 2
4:48 Policy Number 3
5:30 Policy Number 4
5:55 Policy Number 5
6:46 Policy Number 6