How can I manage stress with ADHD?
People with ADHD often experience more stress than others, not because they are less resilient, but because of how ADHD affects emotional regulation, sleep, and executive functioning. According to NICE guidance, managing stress in ADHD works best when strategies are structured, consistent, and supported by the environment, rather than relying on willpower alone.
Why stress hits harder with ADHD
Research shows that ADHD can make it harder to control emotional reactions, plan, and recover from setbacks. These challenges, combined with sleep disruption and ongoing demands at work, school, or home, create what some experts call an “executive overload.” A 2025 review found that poor sleep and emotional dysregulation reinforce one another, fuelling ongoing stress cycles in both children and adults (BMJ 2022).
Evidence-based ways to reduce stress
CBT-based coping skills, such as problem-solving, planning, and rethinking unhelpful thoughts, are recommended by NICE and the Royal College of Psychiatrists to improve coping and reduce daily frustration. These skills can be learned in ADHD-focused therapy or coaching programmes.
Mindfulness and physical activity also show consistent benefits. A 2025 PMC Review found that exercise improves attention, self-control, and social functioning in children, while mindfulness-based therapies can enhance focus and stress tolerance in adults.
Daily structure matters, too. Keeping predictable routines, reducing clutter, and using wind-down rituals before sleep all help calm the body’s stress system. NHS guidance describes these as “environmental modifications,” practical adjustments that reduce cognitive load and prevent burnout.
Tailoring support across ages
For children and teens, stress management is usually team-based: parent-training programmes, calm routines at home, predictable school schedules, and daily physical activity all reduce family tension and improve behaviour. For adults, strategies often focus on self-management, combining CBT skills, mindfulness, exercise, and workplace adjustments such as quiet spaces or flexible scheduling.
The takeaway
Managing stress with ADHD is not about doing more; it is about doing things differently. Evidence shows that combining structure, self-awareness, and supportive environments makes the biggest difference. NICE and NHS guidance agree that stress management should be part of a wider plan that includes psychological support, healthy routines, and, when appropriate, medication.
For adults seeking structured, non-medication support, organisations such as Theara Change are developing therapy and coaching programmes grounded in these same evidence-based principles.
