Staying SANE when you have "crazy" Brain.

SHIFT. GROW. RISE.

Special Edition

In my last post, I wrote about the things I believe to be true about living with ADHD.  While not necessarily categorized as one, I also believe that ADHD can be spectrum based.  Or at least leveled off.  

I also want to be clear that this is my personal journey of struggling with ADHD brain for as long as I can remember, which unfortunately isn't much.  But I've been told stories about my behaviour from my pre-k days and it seems to correlate with present day diagnosis.  33 years.  YAY ME!

Not everyone who suffers is going to find that my personal story and coping skills is a fit for them, that's fine.  AND you don't necessarily need to be ADHD to utilize these tips.  But if you find yourself unfocused and distracted, I hope these tips come in handy!

And finally, I do not take prescribed medication for my ADHD.  It is a personal choice that I am very secure in.  Some feel that it is essential to the management of their symptoms, it is not my place to make any statements that defer or refer anyone to pharmaceutical use.  That is a conversation between you and your medical team.

Now that we've gotten the house keeping out of the way...

Secrets to Keeping my Crazy Brain, Sane.

• Quiet Time
• My crazy brain is ALWAYS on, it is running a 1 minute marathon that is hard to keep up with.  When I am dealing with a bout of anxiety, my brain is going MACH 1.  Managing the hamster wheel is daunting, especially on a daily basis.  I try to wake up about an hour before anyone else.  During that time I turn on soft classical music, start my pot of coffee, and journal.  During that hour of quiet I am relaxing my brain and giving myself some time to focus.  In my journal I write about things I'm trying to work out, what my goals for the day are, and other personal issues.  Direct focused attention helps calm my crazy brain.
• Tackle projects one at a time
• When I worked corporate, often times my inbox and my desk would be covered with job requisitions.  It became a crazy mess not just on my desk, but also in my brain.  Sometimes to the point that I would shut down from being overwhelmed with the mess.  On those days I would leave my desk for hours trying to go somewhere my brain could rest.
• Here's how I managed my tasks.  Every morning I would come into work and sit at my desk.  If there were piles of papers, I would organize them into priority and then section them off with bull dog clips to hang on my cube wall.  This allowed me to work one by one.  However, during my filing and sorting time, I used the Pomodoro Technique® - which I still use today.  
• Pomodoro Technique Basics: Set a timer for 25 minutes, focus on the task at hand for that duration WITHOUT DISTRACTION (no answering phone or questions or emails etc) When the timer goes off, give yourself 5 minutes of relaxing time.  Afterward set that 25 minute time and repeat 2 more times.  The 4th time is the best, you will take a 30 minute break.  During my breaks, I left my cube and did a quickie walk around our cubicle nation, during my 30 minute break I'd go talk to friends or leave the building and enjoy the weather.  I did this knowing that if I checked email or got online, returned phone calls, my time would waste away.
• If you are interested in trying the Pomodoro Technique, but 25 minutes sounds daunting - start with 10 minute increments and 5 minute breaks, then each time up your task time to something that feels not too bad.  If you're stuck at 20 minutes, then sstay there.  No need to get overhwelmed about something designed to help with overwhelm!
• Now that I no longer work corporate, I use the PT to tackle things at home.  Which is our next topic...
• Lifestyle
• How many hours can you spend on Pinterest looking at all the beautifully decorated living rooms and luxurious bedrooms, not to mention the uber organized closets and pantries.  It's a nightmare trying to navigate through the dreamland of a Pinterest Fairy Tale!
• But YOU TOO can have a beautiful and organized space!
• First of all, you have to tackle your STUFF!  ADHD'rs happen to have SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME, S.O.S. (heh!)
• How many plastic cups do you have in your cupboard?  Right now I've got WAY too many, but we've gotten off track with our goal because during new year my SOS got away with me and I fell into a trap.
• But here's something I did do.  Last year I had 3 different types of glass tumblers.  The reason I had 3 was because a set would lose a couple do to breakage and because I needed more, I would pick up some here and there.  But they were different because my SOS loved all the different styles!  Until one day I had HAD ENOUGH!  And I picked my favorite from the batch and gave the rest away.  Can I just say it felt GREAT!  I felt like I had lost 30 pounds!
• So I started to tackle everything that had a mish mash, or things that we were living with but weren't working for us.  And I just started chucking things away.
• One of the biggest changes I made, which was hard in the beginning, was picking a neutral color.  I have A LOT of white and black in my home!  But splashes of color pop out here and there.  It has made a world of difference.  And it is quite possible that the white canvas makes it easier to pick out things that "don't belong".
• However the biggest takeaway that I have from clearing out my space is that it was AGONIZING to get rid of ANYTHING!  I was emotionally attached to EVERY THING!  Books, chipped plates, furniture, plastic shopping bags.  Until one day I peaked into my future
  
  and I knew that if I didn't take care of this NOW then I may never be able to function without all my pretty and precious things.  So I made a list, set my timer, and dug in.
• MAKE LISTS
• Yes.  Make a list.  Keep it with you at all times.  It will keep you focused and on track!  In fact, I have a permament list that I keep for cleaning the house.  It's more of a check list, but it works magically when paired with the Pomodoro Technique®

I used 2 index cards and categorized them into sections, each section lays out a task.  When my family and I work together, each of us is assigned a section and then we set the timer and go about doing our task.  On good days, (because I have a teen in the house) we can get the entire loft clean in around 1.5 hours, bad days can double that time.
And just so I'm clear, we don't leave a mess and then wait to clean it up.
• PRACTICE
• Just like Buddhists, Concert Pianists, or Athletes (etc.), in order to become a master of a skill or technique, you've got to practice
• We are currently practicing the art of picking up after ourselves
• making the bed every morning
• emptying lunch boxes after school
• loading the dishwasher instead of the sink
• Each time we completed a task successfully, we are rewarded with clear brain space.  With out clutter, there is no overwhelm or crazy brain (well too much).