If you recently received an ADHD diagnosis, you may feel completely lost. While you feel relief that you finally have some answers, you likely have even more questions. "What do I do now? Is there any way I can manage this?"

In most cases, when you find out that you are neurodivergent, it comes with a medication recommendation. Medication can be effective in treating ADHD. However, not every person is comfortable taking medication for their mental health. Or, potentially, these medications could interact negatively with other medications. It's a personal choice, and there is nothing wrong with that.

That leaves many people, however, wondering how they can manage ADHD and the associated symptoms when medication is the first line of defense to treat ADHD. Fortunately, medication is NOT the only answer to managing ADHD symptoms. Here are three ways you can manage this condition without medication.

1.  Stress Management

Stress is something every person deals with almost on a daily basis. However, when it comes to neurodiversity, stress can really impact a person and their life. ADHD symptoms can worsen when someone is continuously stressed out. This is why learning to manage stress levels is going to be crucial for your management of ADHD.

Stress management is going to look different for every person. What will work for one person won't be as effective for someone else. It may just be a matter of trying to find what works for you. Most of these tips can be implemented immediately.

• Meditate for five minutes

• Practice deep breathing exercises, which help calm your "nervous" nervous system down.

• Go for a short walk

In addition, don't be hesitant to admit that you are feeling stressed and need to take a short break. Give yourself the grace to take a step back and breathe.

2. Do Little Things Each Day To Keep Organized

Your brain may feel like it's in overdrive, and you can't focus on any one particular task for long periods of time. That's completely okay; you can still take little steps each day to help your brain not feel as overwhelmed. With a neurodivergent brain, it's common to feel really overwhelmed by your surroundings when things get to be too cluttered. Help to counteract this by trying to take little cleaning steps at a time around the house or office.

Make a note to do some small daily housekeeping things to keep your spaces organized and tidy. Maybe one day you focus on tidying the kitchen up. The next day can be the bathroom. When you have trouble focusing, sometimes the best thing to do is just take it one small baby step at a time. It is small progress, but it won't feel like you are pushing yourself beyond what you can handle. One simple tip is to put away rather than put down. It's easy to leave items on the coffee table, couch, or bed, but if you put each item away after you use it, you'll notice your home is tidier, and you'll be able to find things more easily.

3. Stay Patient With Yourself

If you have ADHD, you likely feel pretty frustrated with yourself at times. Our brains are complex pieces of equipment. Instead of becoming frustrated with your neurodiversity, stay patient with yourself. While ADHD comes with a set of unique challenges, that doesn't mean you are broken. The brain is so complex that you can learn to rewire how it functions and manage the symptoms that it causes with ADHD.

4. Bonus Tip: Try Counseling

It might seem uncomfortable initially, but reaching out to a therapist for ADHD Counseling can help you immensely. We are here to help you learn to manage your ADHD feasibly. Reach out to us soon to learn about ADHD Counseling or Anxiety Treatment.