How Going 'Analogue' Is Helping My ADHD

By: Yasmin Bou Karim, Founder of Bossa Health

For the past few months, I have been trying different strategies to manage some symptoms of my ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) that have begun to affect my life in negative ways. ADHD includes a wide range of traits, so in this piece, I want to focus on hyperactivity and impulsivity, and how they show up in everyday life.

First things first, what are hyperactivity and impulsivity within the context of ADHD Hyperactivity refers to a higher than usual level of physical activity, restlessness, or energy that does not align with a person's age or situation. It often presents as constant fidgeting, excessive talking, and difficulty staying seated, and these traits can persist well into adulthood. Closely linked to this is impulsivity, which is acting without forethought. It involves a reduced ability to pause and consider consequences before speaking or reacting, often taking the form of a 'now, not later' approach that leads to interruptions, rushed decisions, and emotional reactions. Understanding these patterns is important, but managing them in practice is something else entirely.

From personal experience, managing either of these requires consistent and deliberate effort. For example, if you had met me seven or eight years ago, you might have struggled to finish a sentence in conversation with me. I would often interrupt before someone reached their point. It was not that I did not care or disagreed. More often, I felt that conversations moved too slowly and I would lose focus before they finished. At the same time, if I had something to add, I felt an urgency to say it immediately in case I forgot. This went on for years until I experienced the same behaviour from someone else and found it extremely frustrating. That moment forced a shift in awareness, and since then I have made a conscious effort to change.

Even with that awareness, controlling these impulses is not easy, and I do not succeed every time. Some days it feels manageable, others more difficult, depending on the topic, the person, and my state of mind. There is often a constant thought in the background about when I can speak. This is part of why ADHD can feel far more complex than it is often presented online. It is not just a set of surface level traits, but something continuous and often overwhelming. There are days when my thoughts feel so intense that I need to pause everything and sit with the noise in my head until it settles. After years of accepting this as my normal, I reached a point where I wanted to make some changes.

I decided to start with my use of technology and social media, as it was one of the most visible habits in my daily routine. I spend a significant amount of time on my phone. Some of it is work related, but a large portion is personal use, and I began to realise how unhelpful that was. It pulls me away from the real world, where there are far healthier things I could be doing, such as reading a book that draws me into a different world or spending time with friends and family. At the same time, it increases my agitation. The more I scroll through content that interests me, the more stimulated I become, and the harder it is to manage my energy and impulses. With that in mind, I made a few small changes. After 9 p.m., my phone goes on airplane mode. I stopped using LinkedIn at weekends, reduced how often I check social media during the day, and try not to use my phone first thing in the morning. These changes helped, but they also made something else clear.

Reducing screen time created space, and that space needed to be filled. Without somewhere for that energy to go, the restlessness did not disappear, it simply shifted. I began introducing short breaks during the day to stretch and clear my mind, but that alone did not feel sufficient. What I needed was a more deliberate way to spend that time, which led me to replace some digital habits with more tangible ones.

I returned to reading physical books at home, even though I still use a digital reader when travelling because it is easier to carry. I also bought a recipe book and began writing down my own recipes. Cooking has already helped me in other areas of my life, and this added a new layer to it. Instead of relying on my phone, I now cook with my recipe book beside me, which creates a quieter and more focused experience. That same idea of slowing things down and being more intentional carried into other areas too.

One of the most noticeable changes has been in how I listen to music. I have always liked vinyl records, partly because of my grandmother, who still has a large collection, and in recent years I have started building my own. Playing a record requires intention. I cannot simply skip a song with a tap, so I listen to full albums and feel less urge to move on quickly. Choosing what to listen to becomes more considered, and the experience itself feels more grounded.

Taken together, these changes are relatively small, but they have made a clear difference. I feel calmer, more present, and less anxious than when I spend long periods on social media. It is not perfect. I still slip back into old habits at times, but I have learned is that I do not respond well to sudden, drastic change. Gradual adjustments are far more realistic, which is why I see this as an ongoing process rather than a fixed solution.

If there is one thing worth keeping in mind, it is that sustainable change rarely happens overnight. It takes thought, consistency, and time. For me, part of that has meant being more deliberate about where my attention goes and how I choose to spend my time. ADHD can be difficult, and at times exhausting, but it does not have to define how you live. With the right adjustments, it is possible to build a way of living that feels more manageable.