Happily, we now know these as symptoms of ADD or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Yet, many people, including some doctors, still see ADD or ADHD as the result of bad parenting due to a lack of discipline in the home. Yet, attention deficit is a definite neurological difference in the human brain. There is no clear-cut way to scientifically test for the variance. However, there is a certain set of behaviors that, when exhibited for a period of six months or longer and are severe enough to disrupt people's lives, seem to point to attention deficit.
Only recently, however, have theses patterns been acknowledged in adults. Recent statistics show that 70% of children with ADD will outgrow it by the time they're teenagers, but it's now recognized that 15 to 20% still exhibit symptoms into their adulthood. ADD, when not treated by medication or counseling, can lead to bigger problems like addiction, depression, career-related issues, and difficulty forming strong inter-personal relationships.
When properly treated, however, adults with ADD or ADHD can live happier lives. That's what we're all about---finding ADD-friendly systems and solutions to make your life a little easier. It's important to plug into things that work for you based on how your brain works when you have attention deficit. But just what is an ADD-friendly system?
Let's say that you're a work-at-home mom. You have a husband's schedule to remember because he works different hours every day. Then, there are the kids with their after-school and summer activities and sports practices. Plus, you're trying to run your own home-based business. How do you keep everything that you need to know straight?
Train yourself to some type of planner.
For instance, if you have Microsoft Outlook, it has a calendar function you can use. Plug in all the times and dates as they arise. You're probably sitting in front of the computer a good portion of every day, so it will be easy for you to do that. Keep it open in your taskbar all day long so that you can refer to it often. Set up reminder sounds to tell you when something has to be done.
If you don't have Outlook, another good program for keeping your appointments straight is Time & Chaos. Or buy a daily planner or a handheld computer or cell phone, where you can write things in wherever you may be. Even a simple calendar on the wall or on your desk, with big squares that you can write into will do the trick.
But if you want something really high-tech and user friendly at the same time, try Mark Joyner's Simpleology at http://simpleology.com. His "Simple Science of Getting What You Want," also known as Simpleology 101 will organize every bit of time in your day and help you to see what you want in your life and to get it. Use it every single day. Simpleology even has a desktop solution that you can download to see your day plainly, every minute you're in front of the computer.
ADD sometimes makes it very hard to stay organized, so you must commit to building a system with one of these options and to follow it religiously. If you start the day organizing, and free your mind from worrying that you won't get something done on time, you'll be more productive.
Using ADD-friendly systems for everything from organization to achieving better interpersonal relationships can free your life. We'll be talking about these issues in the future, so be sure to stay tuned.
Add Friendly Ways To Organize Your Life
If you're like many adults with Attention Deficit Disorder, then you've got clutter problems! You've read books, watched TV shows, and tried numerous times to get rid of the clutter. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. When it does work, the clutter seems to magically reappear within days. It's frustrating and stressful.
You're not alone. Many adults with ADD find themselves stressed out and frustrated by an inability to manage their physical spaces.
Don't blame yourself and don't beat yourself up. If it was really easy to manage your clutter, you would have done it a long time ago! That said, however, I've found that ADDers often make getting rid of their clutter a much more difficult task than it needs to be.
When it comes to tackling clutter, it's important to realize that a great deal of the clutter-clearing strategies out there just aren't ADD-friendly.
For starters, ADDers get bored easily. And let's face it - cleaning and organizing is usually not that interesting! You may feel highly motivated to get your clutter under control one day, and completely uninterested the next day.
Additionally, most of us find it difficult to be as neat and organized as our friends, family, and neighbors. The organizational systems that we need in order to function properly will almost always be different than those of our peers without ADD.
And ADDers have a great deal of difficulty maintaining organizational systems once the clutter is gone. Traditional organizing techniques don't take this into account, and therefore don't work long term for adults with ADD.
Most importantly, ADDers tend to get overwhelmed by large projects. If you jump into your organizing project knowing that you want to clean up your clutter, but not knowing how, when, or where to start, then there's a very good chance that you will become overwhelmed. This overwhelm can lead to procrastination, low motivation, a lack of follow-through, and burnout.
The good news is that there is an easier way for adults with Attention Deficit Disorder who want to get rid of clutter. And it all begins with a plan.
Here's the method that I teach in the ADD Clutter Busters Workgroup. Start with one small room or space, and take just a few minutes to work on clutter busting each day:
Step 1: Sort through all that stuff that has taken over. Purge as much as possible and categorize the rest. Don't try to put things away or create systems until this step is complete.
Step 2: Create organizational systems that work for you and with your ADD. Don't pay attention to other people's systems. Use what's worked for you in the past, and use your intuition and personal knowledge to fill in the gaps.
Step 3: Develop maintenance systems to keep the clutter away for good! Don't just say you'll never let your clutter build up again. Create an actual maintenance plan that ensures you'll maintain your new skills.
The key here is to develop a habit of consistently spending small amounts of time each day to tackle your clutter problem and keep it from returning. As you build this organizational time into your routine, you see your clutter disappear, and your stress melt away.
Both Tellman Knudson & Jennifer Koretsky are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Tellman Knudson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Disease & illness, Email Marketing and Family. Tellman Knudson, CEO of Overcome Everything, Inc., is a certified hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner, who has coached many ADD clients to greater happiness. Get instant access to his free weekly ADD Success Tips when you visit Instant ADD Success at htt. Tellman Knudson's top article generates over 12100 views. Bookmark Tellman Knudson to your Favourites.
Jennifer Koretsky has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Small Business and Other Conditions. Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management Group, LLC, author of Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD, and Co-Founder of the Virtual AD/HD Conference. Jennifer and her team work with ADD adults who are overwhelmed with everyday life. Jennifer Koretsky's top article generates over 60500 views. Bookmark Jennifer Koretsky to your Favourites.
Change With The Times But there are reports that Blackberry 9000 has battery problem
