If you have ADHD, Yoga can be Helpful

I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until my late 30’s.


Once I was, many things made sense in hindsight.


I forget details. A LOT.

I lose things. A LOT.

I LOVE the feeling of being organized but struggle to stay that way A LOT.

I’m impulsive. OFTEN.

I feel overwhelmed A LOT.


In college, if I was struggling in a class or uninterested… I just quit the class (sometimes unofficially… whoops - sorry mom) even through I was a star student in my writing classes - because I enjoyed them.

I used busy-ness as a self medicating drug of choice for most of my life… not knowing that the way my brain worked wasn’t “normal” and under the assumption that I just had more energy than most people. Later I found yoga, and the practice helped me channel my energy, and I believe, kept me healthy for many years. 

Here’s the thing - my high levels of energy and creativity have served me well and sometimes I actually think (now that I understand it) that ADHD is a gift. Experts say Attention “deficit” is quite the misnomer, because we actually have an ABUNDANCE of attention- we just don’t always know how to channel it. 

But wow when we DO find something that holds our abundance of attention…. Watch out. Some of the most brilliant women I know have ADHD. Many of my entrepreneur friends, some brilliant female artists friends, and even an author friend of mine. (And HELLOOOO female celebs with ADHD… Emma Watson, Zooey Deschanel, Simone Biles, Solange Knowles, plus tons of guys: Justin Timberlake, Walt Disney, John Lennon…)

The troubles come when we don’t have something positive to channel our energy into or when we have a traumatic life event happen and our brains don’t know where to spend our energy so we end up with symptoms of anxiety and depression, when what we really need is help prioritizing what to feel and when to feel it. 

Symptoms of ADHD in girls are different from boys. The symptoms aren’t as “annoying” or “disruptive” to adults and are often considered personality traits rather than symptoms which is why it’s rarely diagnosed.


A few symptoms include:

*verbal impulsivity (interupt often)

*hyper talkative

  • Fidgety

  • Forgetful

  • Spacey (daydreaming)

  • Difficulty following through

  • Time blindness

  • Disorganized

  • Slow processors

Girls and women with ADHD are more at risk for anxiety, depression, unplanned pregnancies, self harm, unemployment, and suicide. So, while an abundance of attention and energy can be incredible for creative projects…. unmanaged and untreated ADHD is not always a gift. 

My ADHD was diagnosed after a particularly hard time in life. I was struggling and SSRI’s only made me feel worse. It was explained to me that the SSRI’s weren’t working because depression wasn’t my primary issue- it was secondary to the fat that I was unable to process the big emotions because my brain couldn’t categorize what to feel and when.

Previously I had tried a more natural route to my symptoms, and in time, I hope to get back to that. Some hormonal issues can cause ADHD like symptoms in women. So can severe stress and trauma. But if the symptoms aren’t acute, and you can look back and see that they’ve been there all your life, it’s safe to assume that a lifestyle that helps keep your nervous system regulated is ideal.

Yoga can help. I truly believe that yoga saved me from myself for many years. I had no idea that I was walking into a my first yoga classes and my yoga training, that the practice would help regulate my stress response and ability to focus. That it would be a sort of medicine for my ever busy mind. I didn’t realize that I was drawn to more physical types of yoga because my body chemistry is such that I need to “go fast to slow down,” much like a runner finds solace in a long run or a boxer clears their mind at the punching bag.

Mindfulness and meditation help the brain learn to be still and present. More physical practices can help us burn energy in a safe and effective way. Several studies confirm that yoga reduces symptoms of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and depression which those of us with ADHD are prone to.


Kathleen Nadeau PhD. Is an incredibly well regarded physician who has spent her career studying girls and women with ADHD. I cannot recommend her research and writings enough for anyone who has (or thinks they may have) ADHD. If you think you have ADHD… definitely talk to your provider. There are so many tools to make life easier. And I am with you. Reach out if you want to chat or if you want some direction on which yoga classes at Jax will benefit you most.

Stuart Smith