Embracing your natural weirdness can be a vulnerable process. But with enough confidence, it can also be one of the most rewarding decisions of your life.
If you have ADHD or any form of neurodivergence, your chances of feeling “different” are a little higher than they might be for the average person. This is because your brain simply works in a more unique way. But that’s part of what makes you who you are—and those differences are worth holding onto.
Embracing the parts of yourself that feel “weird” or different from those around you can be a liberating experience. Not only is it an excellent coping skill for adults with ADHD, but it can help you to connect with yourself on a deeper level. This will pave the way for a more confident, fulfilling, and often more fun life!
However, we know that embracing your weird self and choosing the path of unapologetic individuality isn’t always easy. Especially when you are living in a world where uniqueness isn’t as celebrated as it should be.
Fortunately, there are ways to do it. Embracing your idiosyncrasies and originality is something that everyone can benefit from—and we’re going to show you how.
1. Express Your Weirdness Creatively
One of the best ways to hold onto your uniqueness is to express it in a creative capacity. Finding ways to channel your thoughts, feelings, and ideas is a fun way to understand yourself and show the world that you are comfortable with who you are. Many ADHD adult coaches encourage people to express themselves by:
- Journaling – If you’re a natural writer, processing your emotions through written words can produce beautifully reflective and insightful results.
- Painting – Painting is one of the most therapeutic ways to express yourself. Grab some brushes and some paint and use them to create intricate visual worlds, characters, or scenes.
- Baking – A lot of creative expression can happen in the kitchen, whether you have a recipe or not. Baking is a fun and delicious way to channel your inner weirdness.
- Dancing – Those who love rhythmic movement have a lot to benefit from dancing. From hip-hop to ballet, show the world your unique style of dance.
These are just a few of the millions of creative mediums you can use to express your delightful inner weirdness. The point is to allow yourself the opportunity to unleash your ideas in a safe space so that you get more comfortable expressing yourself. It’s also a great way to learn new skills.
Creativity is a powerful tool for embracing your weirdness because there are no rules about how it should be expressed. The canvas is empty, and you get to decide how it looks.
2. Trust Your Instincts
Sadly, a lot of people repress their natural instincts due to social anxiety and a fear of being socially judged. But this kind of response to your intuition can leave you feeling disconnected and unfulfilled. If you feel the urge to pursue a particular path or live your life in a certain unique way, trust that you are doing the right thing.
As long as your actions and behavior don’t hurt anybody else, you get to decide what makes you happy. Instead of focusing on whether or not other people will think you are weird, focus on whether you are being kind to yourself. This is an important part of ADHD management, and it can help you to feel more comfortable in your own skin if you know you’re looking after yourself.
3. Find Your Community Of Weirdos
Embracing your weird self is much easier when you are not alone. Finding like-minded individuals you can connect and share your life with is one of the best ways to hold onto your uniqueness and stay true to yourself.
If you’re neurodivergent, seek out the company of people who you think you might be able to relate to in some way. This could be online or in real life. Both have the potential to make a big difference in your life and in nurturing the development of your coping skills for ADHD. Community is often a gateway to self-acceptance and love.
Bear in mind that it can take a while to find your people. In fact, it’s a lifelong journey for most, neurodivergent or not. But with enough consistency and a dash of courage, it’s 100% achievable.
You can also speed up the process of finding community support by setting an example. If you pretend to be someone you’re not, chances are the friends you make will have limited growth potential. The more yourself you are, the faster you can establish truly supportive and fulfilling friendships.
4. Be Confident In Who You Are
Easier said than done, right? However, self-confidence truly is the key to unlocking self-acceptance. Boldly being who you are with no facades is no small feat, but once you start living your life more authentically, you’ll realize how much more satisfying and rewarding it can be.
Everyone has something special to contribute to the world, and by sharing your “something” in confidence, you can inspire self-acceptance and positivity wherever you go. ADHD coaching can help you to recognize this and to feel more confident in all areas of your life.
5. Pursue Your Natural Interests
Love 17th-century typography, taxidermy, night gardening, or steam-powered fairground rides?
One of the best ways to embrace your weirdness is to give yourself the freedom to explore what feels naturally interesting and exciting to you. Instead of shutting down your passions for being too out there or unconventional, give yourself permission to delve into them head-first.
This is also an act of self-care because you’re showing up for yourself, putting your interests first, and taking the time and space to explore without judgment. This is an important part of ADHD management as it guides you towards acceptance and looking after yourself on every level.
These days, it can be easy to feel as though only certain hobbies or interests are considered “normal.” This is not only a very limiting belief, but it’s also rather inaccurate! There are millions of exciting, underrated interests out there, and you owe it to yourself to explore those that resonate with you.
Make Weird Work For You
No matter what society would like you to believe, nobody is normal. Everyone has their own unique brand of weirdness; some people are just better at hiding it.
Repressing your weird self doesn’t help anyone. In fact, keeping your weirdness under wraps often comes at the cost of personal freedom and happiness.
With these tips and coping skills for adults with ADHD, you can learn to accept yourself for who you are and start leading a life of pure, unadulterated self-expression and love.
Looking for a life coach for ADHD?
Work with a Shimmer ADHD coach to find your community and embrace your weirdness. Shimmer ADHD coaching can help you make positive life changes so that you grow and thrive!
