Navigating ADHD Triggers: Best Ways to Gain Control Over Your Mind & Emotions

Have you ever had to deal with a faulty light switch?  One moment, you can see clearly. The next, the lights go out, and you’re stuck trying to find your way around in the dark. Life with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be a similar experience. One moment, you’ve got your symptoms under control. And the next, you’re navigating scattered thoughts and intense emotions that feel out of control. In this fast-paced world, it’s crucial to pause and reflect on which triggers can flip the switch and aggravate your ADHD symptoms – whether that’s stress, poor sleep, or a cluttered workspace. Once you’ve pinpointed your personal ADHD triggers, you can develop strategies to minimize or avoid them. This enables you to function your best in everyday life.

Identifying and Managing Your ADHD Triggers

Let’s explore some common triggers that can worsen the symptoms or responses of a person with adult ADHD and how to overcome or limit them.

Recognizing Emotional Triggers

Scientists have found a strong connection between ADHD and emotions. People with ADHD are much more likely to experience emotional dysregulation than those without the disorder. This means that ADHDers often have trouble controlling their feelings and how they act upon them.^[1]  Acknowledging this struggle is the first step to take. Then, you can look into the possible triggers for these intense emotions. You might notice specific situations or interactions that cause you to react – or that minor issues tend to accumulate over time. Some emotional triggers to look out for include relationship conflicts, criticism, rejection, or personal failure. Everyday struggles like misplacing your belongings or forgetting an appointment can also trigger anger, disappointment, or frustration. The following strategies may help you cope with these ADHD triggers:

• Walk away from the situation as soon as you can. It’s also best to give yourself a cooldown period before responding to the person or situation.
• Accept your feelings and validate them instead of bottling them up. You can channel your emotions somewhere safe, like writing a personal diary or doing a voice recording of your experience.
• Remind yourself that the emotion will pass. Find something to do to take your mind off the situation, like calling a friend, going for a bike ride, or reading a book.
• Learn how to recognize what the early stages of overstimulation feel like. This helps you escape the situation as early as possible. If you know you have an important event, meeting, or task coming up – you can determine where your emotions are beforehand.

Lastly, getting medications or ADHD therapy is also an effective way to combat the effects of ADHD triggers on your thoughts and emotional responses. Plus, a professional can help you assess if you’re using unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol, as a crutch for handling negative emotions.

Managing Environmental Triggers

Your environment is either friend or foe. If your surroundings are constantly filled with distractions – focusing and staying motivated will be even more challenging. Try to find out what environment-related triggers worsen your ADHD. Some examples include:

• Distracting noises, like chatter or the sound of a busy street
• Distractions such as your mobile phone and other devices
• A crowded environment with lots of movement
• A cluttered and messy workspace
• Strong and sharp smells or odors
• Harsh and bright lighting

Once you’ve zeroed in on your triggers, you can create strategies to minimize them. Here are some examples of what you can do:

• Organize your work desk and only keep the needed materials and items on it.
• Find a quiet and isolated workspace away from busy streets or crowds.
• Consider investing in noise-canceling earphones or earplugs.
• Limit the time you spend in an overstimulating environment.
• Keep your devices on silent mode or switch off notifications.
• Use an app or website blocker when you’re on your devices.

Try one or two of the above tips to see if they work for you. You’ll need to experiment to see what helps you block out distractions best.

Coping with Academic or Work-Related Triggers

ADHD can make it harder to focus, meet deadlines, and remember important information.^[2]This can affect your performance at work or school. Certain ADHD triggers may worsen these symptoms and further affect your ability to function. Examples of them include:

• Lack of sleep: Studies have linked ADHD and sleeping problems.^[3] Not getting enough sleep can worsen ADHD symptoms and make you irritable or moody. It also affects your thinking skills and focus and can increase procrastination and forgetfulness.
• High-stress situations: People can experience higher perceived stress due to ADHD.^[4] Trying to get too much done in one day and being overloaded with instructions or information can increase stress. Impending deadlines, complex projects, and trouble focusing can also raise stress levels. Additionally, a sudden change in your routine can contribute to your worries.
• Unhealthy lifestyle: Many ADHDers find that poor eating habits, dehydration, and a lack of exercise can aggravate their symptoms, making it harder to focus and get work done.

These tips may help you tackle the above triggers and reduce their impact on your functioning at work or school:

• Practice good sleep hygiene. Stick to a sleep schedule, and keep your bedroom environment cool and dark. If you can’t fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you start feeling tired. This helps your brain associate your bed and sleep. Some ADHDers also find that listening to audiobooks helps them fall asleep quicker.
• Plan with visible lists. List all the work, school, and household tasks you need to complete, and keep the list visible. You can update it daily and check things off as you finish them.
• Update your calendar. Add dates to your calendar as soon as you set an appointment, get assigned a deadline, or schedule a hangout. This should help you keep track of all your meetings, due dates, trips, doctor visits, and other important events.
• Be realistic with your daily goals. Pick 1-3 of the most important tasks to complete, and focus on them. You can also use the traffic light system to organize your to-do list. “Red” tasks (most urgent) need to be completed that day, followed by “yellow” tasks, and finally, “green” (least urgent) tasks that can wait.
• Use time management techniques. Time blocking is a method where you divide your time into focused blocks of work. Each time block will be dedicated to one task or a group of similar tasks. The Pomodoro technique can also be helpful. You’ll break your time down into 25 minutes of focused work, followed by a 5-minute break. You can adjust the duration of work and rest based on your preferences.
• Attach healthy habits to your routine tasks. For example, you can exercise while waiting for the laundry to finish or get in a few squats while the water boils for tea. Another example is associating drinking water with a routine habit like checking your phone.

Social Triggers and Interpersonal Relationships

Research shows that people with ADHD have more difficulty maintaining social relationships.^[5] This can lead to conflicts, criticism, feelings of isolation, or loneliness, which may increase stress levels and aggravate symptoms of ADHD. The following are some strategies that can help you handle these social triggers:

• Discuss your chores and responsibilities with your household members, and set routine reminders or alarms to help you remember them.
• Keep a calendar of all the important dates and events you want to attend (e.g., birthdays, anniversaries, hangouts, etc.).
• Participate in a group sport or hobby to make new friends.
• Join an ADHD community or support group for adults.

You may also wish to seek relationship, marriage, or family counseling with a trained professional like a psychologist or ADHD coach. Proper treatment for your ADHD symptoms can also help you better manage your friendships and relationships.

Understanding ADHD Meltdowns

An ADHD meltdown happens when emotions build up to an intense level, causing the person to lose control over their feelings and actions. This can lead to outbursts, screaming, extreme frustration, or even withdrawal. Living with ADHD can be overwhelming. When stress and frustration accumulate, a meltdown may happen. The following tips may help you prevent or handle an ADHD meltdown:

• Give yourself time to cool down before reacting to the situation or resolving the conflict.
• Find a private space or avenue to release your emotions, such as a personal journal.
• Schedule time to rest, pursue your hobbies, and do activities you enjoy.

With practice and self-compassion, you can learn how to better process and manage your emotions. You might also find the techniques in the following section useful.

ADHD Triggers Management Techniques

Incorporating stress management techniques into your daily routine can help reduce its impact on your emotions and actions. Here are some techniques you might find helpful in managing ADHD triggers:

• Mindfulness: Mindfulness training can help reduce symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and emotional outbursts.^[6] Mindfulness meditation involves paying full attention to your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. To do this, focus on breathing in and out. Acknowledge the thoughts that come, then redirect your focus back to your breathing.
• Breathing: Deep breathing exercises can improve attention and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.^[7] Sit in a quiet place and take five or six full breaths over a minute, focusing only on your breathing. Practice this until it becomes a subconscious response to stress.
• Journaling: Keeping a journal of your thoughts, emotions, and struggles can help you process them better. You can also record the activities you’ve accomplished throughout the day to remind yourself of your progress.

Let go of perfectionism as you learn these techniques. Dedicating just 5-10 minutes each day can help you ingrain any of these practices into your lifestyle.

Figuring Out Your ADHD Triggers Takes Time and Patience

Since ADHD affects each person differently, what worsens another person’s symptoms might not have much impact on yours, and vice versa. Take a mental inventory of the different situations you encounter in life and how they affect you. Then, write your triggers down along with practical steps you can take to manage them. With these targeted strategies, you’ll regain control over your symptoms, enabling you to perform your best and accomplish what you put your mind to. You don’t have to figure out life with ADHD alone. ADDA+ is a resource hub that offers plenty of expert-backed information, courses, and webinars to equip you for daily life.

References

[1] Beheshti, A., Chavanon, M. L., & Christiansen, H. (2020). Emotion dysregulation in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis. BMC psychiatry, 20(1), 120. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-2442-7

[2] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. DSM-5 Changes: Implications for Child Serious Emotional Disturbance [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2016 Jun. Table 7, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Comparison. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t3/

[3] Stickley, A., Shirama, A., Inagawa, T., Ruchkin, V., Koposov, R., Isaksson, J., Inoue, Y., & Sumiyoshi, T. (2022). Attention–deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, perceived stress, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1008290

[4] Surman, C. B. H., & Walsh, D. M. (2021). Managing Sleep in Adults with ADHD: From Science to Pragmatic Approaches. Brain sciences, 11(10), 1361. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11101361

[5] Moyá, J., Stringaris, A. K., Asherson, P., Sandberg, S., & Taylor, E. (2014). The impact of persisting hyperactivity on social relationships: a community-based, controlled 20-year follow-up study. Journal of Attention Disorders, 18(1), 52–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054712436876

[6] Modesto-Lowe, V., Farahmand, P., Chaplin, M., & Sarro, L. (2015). Does mindfulness meditation improve attention in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? World journal of psychiatry, 5(4), 397–403. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v5.i4.397

[7] Ma, X., Yue, Z. Q., Gong, Z. Q., Zhang, H., Duan, N. Y., Shi, Y. T., Wei, G. X., & Li, Y. F. (2017). The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 874. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874