| If you're and adult diagnosed with Attention | | | | they are the things you will find easier to |
| Deficit Disorder (ADD), you likely become | | | | develop. Once you have established what |
| overwhelmed when dealing with the day-to-day | | | | works for you, both your personal and |
| tasks of every-day living. This can result | | | | professional lives will become much simpler. |
| in feelings of 'lack of achievement' in terms | | | | |
| of those things that are important in your | | | | 5. Concentrate on Your Strengths - Everybody |
| life and conjures up frustration that you are | | | | has 'positive attributes': strengths, skills, |
| just not coping. In turn, this causes stress | | | | knowledge, expertise and aptitude. |
| which results in additional frustration . . . | | | | Increasing the time you spend and the effort |
| after all, stress is caused by those things | | | | you make on these 'positives' will increase |
| you don't achieve, not the things you do | | | | both your sense of self-worth and your |
| achieve. Your entire day is on turbo-charge | | | | contentment. Positive energy attracts |
| as you constantly attempt to 'catch-up' AND | | | | positives! |
| this leaves you feeling disorganized, | | | | |
| frustrated and discontent. Do you recognize | | | | 6. Become an Optimist - It's easy to focus on |
| any of these feelings? You'll be pleased to | | | | the negative aspects of ADD. However you |
| know there are some valuable strategies for | | | | MUST constantly force yourself to focus on |
| dealing with and overcoming these feelings of | | | | the good things about yourself. If you |
| helplessness. | | | | believe in the natural 'cause and affect' |
| | | | principle, you will require no convincing |
| Here are 8 important strategies for dealing | | | | that when you focus on the positives, you |
| with ADD: | | | | attract positives. Positives energize you |
| | | | and people love being around positive people |
| 1. Slow Down - You often live life on hyper | | | | - it's all part of the 'law of attraction'. |
| drive, both mentally and physically. While | | | | |
| this strategy requires discipline, it's | | | | 7. Plan the Time to Plan - Set aside some |
| essential that you force yourself to SLOW | | | | time once a week to plan out the week ahead. |
| DOWN. When you experience those feeling of | | | | Start off by identifying what's great in your |
| being out of control, tell yourself to STOP, | | | | life and how you can improve those tings. |
| think about what's happening and SLOW DOWN. | | | | Then think about those things that annoy you |
| It is possible! | | | | and how you can (at least) minimize their |
| | | | impact on you. Write these things down and |
| 2. Take Special Care Of You - You most likely | | | | establish a quick plan of a few things you |
| have a tendency to put yourself last. You | | | | are going to commit to doing over the next |
| need to start to take very special care of | | | | seven days. |
| yourself and think about what makes you feel | | | | |
| good. After all, if you feel good, you are | | | | 8. Take Challenges - This does necessarily |
| in a much better position to take care of | | | | mean speed-boat racing or skydiving! It |
| others. It's a good idea to write down those | | | | suggests stepping out of your comfort zone |
| things that you like to do and the people you | | | | and doing things that may be a little |
| enjoy doing them with. | | | | uncomfortable. Examples might include |
| | | | requesting that pay-rise, joining a gym, or |
| 3. Know Your Own ADD - ADD takes many forms | | | | signing up for that course you've been |
| and affects us all in many diverse ways. You | | | | thinking about for years. If you don't take |
| cannot effectively manage ADD without a high | | | | the challenge, you wont get the return. |
| level of awareness of the particular manner | | | | |
| in which it impacts your life and the life of | | | | While there are many challenges to those of |
| those you care about. Become aware of your | | | | us who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, |
| specific behaviors . . . being aware is 50 | | | | we tend to ignore the positives and the |
| percent of the battle in managing ADD. | | | | opportunities we have to overcome adversity. |
| | | | While we have identified 8 strategies for |
| 4. Use Your Learning and Processing Methods - | | | | dealing with ADD, we are certain there are |
| This strategy follows on from the previous | | | | many more. When all is said and done, it all |
| one. Once you develop an awareness of | | | | gets down to attitude AND attitude is a |
| specific behaviors, identify the ways in | | | | direct result of how you choose to think. |
| which you concentrate and learn. Identify | | | | It's your choice! |
| those things you are passionate about because | | | | |