What If You Can?

What are you avoiding right now?

Work? Chores? People?

Whatever you might be avoiding, you’re not alone!

Many ADHDers find themselves wrestling with avoidance.

A lot of times this issue of avoidance comes from limiting beliefs. We have a belief or a feeling that something will go wrong or that we’re inadequate, regardless of whether or not these feelings are really true.

But, most often these limiting beliefs aren't a real portrayal of the situation. Our view tends to be warped; based solely on our feelings and not the truth of the matter.

Luckily, there are things you can do to break the streak of avoidance.

Look for the signs

Before we can break the avoidance cycle, we need to be able to see what we’re avoiding.

This is a step that takes time to master. A lot of avoidance practices have been learned over long periods of time. Sometimes they’re so ingrained you don’t even realize you’re doing it.

Start by pointing out a task you’ve been avoiding. Ask yourself a few questions about the task:

• Why am I avoiding this?

• What am I saying to myself about this?

• What emotions do I feel about this?

What if…

Once you’ve pinpointed some of the limiting beliefs surrounding a task, it’s time to get honest with yourself about what comes next.

Ask yourself what your real options are.

To start, you can ask yourself “what if…”

What if I can?

What if it’s not as hard as I’m imagining?

What if I succeed?

Asking these questions will open you up to a growth mindset which can lead to great things.

Give it a try

Now that you’ve identified the negative emotions and asked yourself “what if”, it’s time to move forward on what you’ve been avoiding.

It might be scary to take that first step, but I promise, you’ll be happy you did.

What’s the worst that could happen?

Thank you for your time and attention,

-Nikki