Beauty Tips For Body Care
Hi y'all,I've browsed around and haven't really found anything on this topic, so I thought I'd contribute my experiences here.Things to do with health and self-care can be enormously challenging as a person with ADHD, and sometimes I find myself getting a bit blue on skincare and fitness forums - everyone seems to have their shit so together, calibrating the perfect routine and being consistent. Also, and this isn't a criticism, but I think people can come across as lecturing sometimes - especially with things like sunscreen, washing your face consistently, etc. etc. without realizing that the person they're talking to may really struggle with keeping a routine. (For example, I've seen someone downvoted pretty brutally for asking which makeup wipes were the closest to actually washing your face, and a bunch of users coming in to tell her that she should just wash her face.) So, I thought I'd make a post for people like me who are struggling with ADHD or related issues and are just aiming for something they can realistically maintain. 1. ADHD AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONManaging daily, routine things like skincare, dental hygiene, stretching, routine exercise, etc. are often a challenge for people on the ADHD spectrum. The big reason for this is something called executive function. Executive functions are the mental processes that enable us to plan ahead, evaluate the past, start and finish a task and manage our time. They can affect what we do in the present and also how we plan and organize for the future. These skills affect our ability to access and juggle many thinking skills at the same time. Centre for ADHD Awareness, CanadaPeople with ADHD generally struggle with executive function. A person with ADHD can often be perceived as lazy, forgetful, spacey, or just not caring about things like taking care of themselves. This is not true. The fundamental thing to understand about difficulties with executive function is that you KNOW what you should be doing, but struggle to execute the necessary actions. Executive function also covers many other ADHD symptoms like forgetting things and losing things. 2. ADHD STRATEGIES AND SKINCAREWhether you're on medication or not, there are many valuable strategies out there to help get organized and manage forgetfulness. Here are some examples and how you can apply them to your skincare routine:POSITIVE REINFORCEMENTOne of the hardest things to do when making a change is getting started. Positive reinforcements or rewards can help motivate you to become more organized. CHADD, The National Resource on ADHDFor me, I just won't do things like skincare if they're not pleasant in some way. It's worked for me to choose the things I like about skincare and focus on those - the abstract, far-off dream of better skin is just not something my brain can keep in the forefront. For example, when I pick out products, I try not to worry about which one is "the absolute best" and instead choose things that smell nice, or I like the packaging. I'm obsessed with green tea, so picking up some of the TonyMoly green tea line motivated me like never before. :DOUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MINDStore things where you use them, and label items when you have a large stock that overwhelms. And reduce items to the essentials ADDitude MagazineKeeping your stuff in the same place and reducing clutter is a no-brainer. Visual reminders are really helpful with ADHD because every time you see something, you remember it - try not to tuck things away in drawers or boxes. Another trick I use is instead of storing all my skincare stuff in the bathroom, I just put it wherever I'm more likely to use it - at my computer, at my desk at work, etc. etc. My skincare routine has improved by leaps and bounds since I started doing things like moisturizing at my desk or washing my face in the shower - efficiency is key, make things easy on yourself!DUPLICATE YOUR STUFFMultiple charging stations. Make sure all of your devices are never short on battery life by buying plug-in chargers for the bedroom, kitchen, home office, and, of course, the car. ADDitude MagazineThis tip saved my ass for keeping my phone charged (I now have four chargers: work, home, backpack, backup) and so I started applying it to skincare too. I keep all my nicest products at my desk at work, because that's where I'm mostly likely to do skincare stuff, but I have tubes of cheap Vaseline brand moisturizer and Burt's Bees cleansing wipes in my backpack and other slightly nicer stuff at home. This way if I forget at work, I can still do at least some things when I'm out and about or back home. (As a side note, my makeup lives in a little case in my backpack permanently. I am forever forgetting to put on makeup in the morning and then realizing I have a meeting or event where I have to look more presentable, so it's great to have some concealer and mascara always handy to slap on.) 3. BE KIND TO YOURSELF, OR: PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF GOODADHD, depression, and other mental illness is hard. Really hard. For all of you out there dealing with these challenges, you're all fuckin' SUPERHEROES for getting up each day and doing what you have to to survive.It can be so demoralizing to feel like everyone has their shit together except you. Especially for women, who not only face a different type of ADHD that isn't as well understood, but are often expected to be organized and juggling a thousand things at once. (I highly recommend this article on the subject; it's a great read.)Don't worry too much about the PERFECT routine or being consistent EVERY SINGLE DAY or the PERFECT products. Just find something that works for you that you can reasonably manage 80% of the time. If washing your face every night is too much of a hassle, use makeup wipes - it's better than no cleansing. If all you get around to is a dollop of moisturizer, it's better than no routine at all. Try not to obsess over huge HG product lists trying to find the exact right thing - just pick something you like the smell of to start, or that looks reasonable, and once you have a more established routine tweak it bit by bit.Lastly, be compassionate towards yourself - it's okay that you're just getting into skincare and your routine may be extremely basic. GOOD FOR YOU - HELL YES, you're taking care of yourself! That's awesome!! You're a badass, and even more so for overcoming obstacles on your way.I hope this is helpful to some of my ADHD peeps! There's a couple topics I wasn't able to cover here, like the effects of medication on your skin (because I personally choose not to medicate for various reasons) but please chime-in in the comments if you'd like :)
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by russianteacakes
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