Balance

I had recently come across the understanding from a fellow ADHDer and medical person, Dr Hallowell, who explained about balance being good for resetting your cerebellum and therefore being beneficial for those of us within the neurodivergent collective. A lot of the people that I know personally and through social media do a lot of sports that could be related to balance. Ice skating, roller skating, wall climbing, martial arts, Tai Chi, yoga, skateboarding and the like.  According to physiological reports it seems as though ADHD brains are reported to be slightly different in regards to development within the cerebellum area. Dysregulation within the cerebellar circuits are known to contribute to the core symptoms of ADHD. Therefore balance and practise of postures can help to reset this part of your brain.

I have added in previous blogs that I am very impressed with doing Tai Chi. Prior to doing Tai Chi I Used to do pilates. For me the Tai Chi has not only helped my physical health but helped stabilise my moods. I find the group that I am with, whether they realise it or not, are very much on a similar wavelength. This has meant it has also been easier making the effort to go to class, having always had a struggle when making it out of the door after a day at work. And I am learning so much about how the exercises and the balance, not just in my physical body but my energy body, has such a beneficial effect on my mental health and supports me in so many ways.

I still find it fascinating to find that practising something such as Tai Chi actually makes such a difference. Even before I knew whatever it was about the balance and the cerebellum having an impact on ADHD and dysregulation within the brain. I know for sure I certainly feel a negative difference if I don’t actually practise Tai Chi for a week. I look forward to when the balance of life means I integrate it into a weekly or daily routine at home. It will be fascinating to see if this actually had a bigger impact if I practised it more often.

As for balance in the rest of an AuDHistic life, I find that keeping things on an even keel can be at times challenging. Being able to juggle and balance, life, partner, work, family, friends means that I have what looks like an extremely full calendar most of the time. But this is purely down to the practicality that I need a calendar to remind me what I am doing and when, and so that I actually don’t double book people, which has been an issue in the past. And as those of us under the ND banner know only too well, the guilt of letting others down can hit us like a train.

So balance within a neurodivergent lifestyle is something that is important and permeates quite a few areas of life. It is however extremely beneficial to try and get this balance right more often than not, I for one could not allude to consistency for sure. I would be foolish to think that it is something that I could practise perfectly every time, because that old perfectionism is yet another spin off from the ND list of character traits. Over the years I have learnt to drop the perfectionist act and just roll with the way that things are…well, most of the time lets say! This does not mean this is comfortable or easy, as it goes against a base instinct. Being a people pleaser and over-stepper of boundaries is a battle that persists in my life, so if at times I come across as cold or selfish – believe me, this is self-preservation before I crash! Since getting my diagnosis, at least I have a better understanding of why now. Thrashing about understanding the dynamics of the etiquette of life has been the most colourful of journeys so far. And there is still more to look forward to adding into this rich palette of life for sure.