SO, you have ADD/ADHD. Big whoop!!! So I have this idea that i thought would help us get through a few small projects at home during the day or evening or whenever you have time. I'm a preschool teacher. One of the ways kids learn is through play. Learning with games is fun to them. So i thought i could maybe help YOU and myself in a little game called "Attack the ADD/ADHD in YOU". One thing is all you have to accomplish in order to play this out.
I know you guys have all heard this before. Set a timer, decide what you want to do and do it, create a schedule of cleaning days, yadda yadda yadda. Well, i'm about to tell you once again to do that same thing BUT, i wanted to make it into a game for you AND for me. I have the hardest time with doing things i say i'm going to do. I never finish a project that i start, and when i do it takes me forever, and i procrastinate anything that has a deadline involved. I think we all know that we have this thing called ADD/ADHD that attacks us, in other words, it may give SOME OF US limitations to what we can do or to what we THINK we can only do. Instead of letting the ADD/ADHD attack us, I say WE attack it first.
How do we do this? Those of us who have ADD/ADHD may be affected more so than others who have it, and those who are not as affected by it may not have as much of a hard time as some of us do. Either way, i think we can all have a moment of ATTACK the ADD/ADHD in YOU!!!! So here is what i think of when i say: ATTACK THE ADD/ADHD IN YOU!!! (I hope no one gets bored with this) I want to list at least 25 things if not more, if you have any ideas, please feel free to add on to it.
1. if you have been trying to clean out your kitchen cupboards (or whatever), set your timer or just go do it right now, not all of them, JUST ONE! If youre feelin froggy, well then, continue on. Once you have finished, you have attacked that ADD/ADHD. Then get on your ADD/ADHD Facebook, and share with us what you did, how many, how long it took you and how you felt after you got it done FINALLY!!!! (after saying it for over a month that you're going to get it done). If you cant focus, or stay on task, thats fine, do one tomorrow when you get up, before you go to work, or when you get home from work or even before you go to bed.
2. Clean that toilet bowl. Set your timer or just do it right now, get on facebook and share how long it took you, or better yet, race a friend from your ADD/ADHD facebook page. ATTACK THAT ADD/ADHD!!!!! Just one thing is all you have to accomplish. I dont care how big or little this project is, share it!!!!
3. Hey, you know that dirty spoon sitting in your sink or that piece of paper sitting on your floor that you keep walking by, but not cleaning it or picking it up, do it right now. ATTACK THE ADD/ADHD.
4. Ok, just so you all know, I am playing this game too. And i will share what i have done as well. My biggest problem is getting my car cleaned out. SO, as soon as i get that done (or at least part of it) i will share what i have done. If you feel the need to share pictures, and it makes you feel better, then do that of course. So your car, get busy on it. If its clean AND VACUUMED, great, find something else to do. People, my car is so awful, you would think i LIVE in my car.
6. Sweep and mop!! Even if that's all you do tonight, just do that much. If not, just sweep. If you already did, then go mop that floor. Don't forget to share what you did. If you don't want to share, that's fine too. This is only for encouragement.
7. Vacuum: I know i have been trying to do this about every other day. It just doesn't work out for me. If you have a moment, go do it right now. ONE BEDROOM even!! Or just the living room area.
8. If you don't feel like doing that boring chore that you know you have to do, now is the best time to do it. ATTACK THAT ADD/ADHD.
9. Put ALL your groceries away. If you cant, do one bag at a time, and come back later for it. But please put your frozen stuff away at least.
10. If you are feeling/or have felt sluggish, tired, irritable, fatigued, and you have been talking about "walking" to release some stress, go do it. (Well, here it is or was raining cats and dogs, but when the weather permits, do this). Even if you walk around the corner of your house for 5 freaking little minutes, so what. That's probably more than you have done in a week or a month (if not more). Build yourself up to 10 mins. Then for 15, then 20 then 30.
11. If you are working on homework for hs, college, or whatever, do as much as you can each night. (I can say that i do this). Every night, i work on just a little homework and try hard to understand as much as i can. My b/f helps me, so hes good in math, so far i have NOT quit or dropped out. But i'm still struggling. For me, i try to work on some each night, even it its an hour (sometimes more).
12. Read to your children. If you have not done this, stop what you're doing, go read to them. Go cuddle with them for 15-30 mins before they sleep. Those are precious moments. You will never get them back, don't worry about other things you have to get done. They will be there when honey bunny goes to sleep. I did this when my boy was little.
13. You know that cluttered space next to your bed, in the living room corner, or even say....the laundry room? Yeah, get busy on it. Set that timer, race a friend, or just say 1, 2, 3, go!!! Start it, and pick up what you can for just a few mins. Pick a time that you want to spend on it, or even better, just clean that cluttered space, then reward yourself. If you want, do it all and then do something else that needs to be done. Time yourself to see how long it takes you. Remember, whatever amount of time you spend getting SOMETHING done, it doesn't matter, its about overcoming that ONE ADD/ADHD problem and feeling a sense of accomplishment.
14. Clean that glass table that you have been meaning to do for the past week. Set a pretty decor on it so you will feel better about it being clean. If you keep it clean and you dont have a center piece to put there, reward yourself and go get one.
15. Find a place to put those shoes. Papers, books, get them out of the way, put them away.
16. Load up the dishwasher, start it, let them clean, don't worry about it until the dishwasher is done. Then, put them away. (I hate dishes), but sometimes i have to make myself do it the very moment i notice it just so i don't have to worry about it later on. Even better, put every dish you use in the dishwasher so all you have to do is start it up and no dishes in the sink.
17. Do you mow your lawn?? I do. For one, its great exercise, two, I don't like for my yard to look like shit, and three, i hate to be outside doing any kind of work including gardening, so decide how long you want to mow for. If you can only stand to be outside for 15 mins at a time, mow for 15 mins, then take a break. But get back out there and finish for another 15 mins. If you can do more than that, great. If you want to, do some today, and do some tomorrow. I will usually do mine in one day because i can handle doing the whole thing because it normally takes me about an hour to do it.
18. My dining room table is a big rectangle glass table that sits 6 people. Perhaps i should downsize since no one uses the table to eat at, instead, we all pile everything we own on top of it. Dishes, water bottles, papers, books, pens pencils, computers, left over food, homework, notes, and so on..... Its a struggle just to get and keep this table clean. One of my many to do's on my list of ATTACK THAT ADD/ADHD. What is YOUR clutter space? Attack and declutter
19. Do you have "another world" living under your bed? Oh, that's got to go. Crawl under there, and get rid of those garbage aliens who stole your pens, and those dirty underwear....eeewwwwwwww.
20. Lets talk about those end tables right next to your couches. The ones where the lamp sits on it, and you have a few picture frames with your loved ones it. Attack, de-clutter that table, and throw away the trash and empty cans or bottles so everyone can see your pretty picture frame with you and your mom/dad/daughter/son/husband/wife.
21. STOP!!! Stop letting that trash can in your kitchen overflow. That's the smell in your house. Take it outside, then pour some vinegar and warm water in the trash can to clean it out and give it a fresh scent. Make sure to put a garbage liner back in there. Do it right away so you don't forget.
22. Clean your windows, use water and vinegar. Clean 1-2 windows a day, or decide that the windows will be your project for the day.
23. You cant see it, but there is dust in your room. There is more in your living room, your bathroom, your dining room. Just take a wet paper towel wipe over it, or use the "tools" from you vacuum cleaner. Remember, just doing this one small project can be your biggest accomplishment of the day. If youre feelin really good, while you have out the v-cleaner, go ahead and attack those couches too. Lift up the cushions and get all that junk out. You will feel so much better.
24. Overnight bags: I hate packing, I hate unpacking. So when you come home from a trip, put those dirty clothes STRAIGHT INTO the washer machine, get out your clothes you didn't wear and just take 5 mins to put them away. Where does your overnight bag go? Mine goes in my closet towards that back since I don't need it every day. Got dirty clothes on the floor, pick them up real quick, throw them in the washer too. Badda bing badda bang!!!!
25. One of my biggest problems is that I accumulate so much garbage around me. I just don't get up right away and throw it away like I should. SO, where ever you spend most of your time, (for me, in a chair at the end of my dining room table), keep a garbage can near you. Throw your stuff away while youre sitting there, and it wont collect garbage on your table. Put one by your bedside, BOTH SIDES, and even in your car. Put 2 small ones in the back on the floor board and one in the front passenger side, keep a laundry basket and/or garbage can in your trunk. No trash or laundry will pile up.
Making it through each day with ADD/ADHD is an accomplishment in itself. Remember, be good to yourself, no one else is going to reward you for following through on these everyday projects, but YOU CAN!!! No one has to understand WHY, as long as you do. I speak to myself just as much as I speak to you all about these little and big tasks that seem so difficult for US, but so easy for everyone else. Remember to share your accomplishments (if you so choose), and tell us how much you did at one time, what you did to reward yourself for staying on task, and following through with what you have been saying you're going to do for over a months time. I will share mine too, be honest with yourselves and everyone else too. If you were not able to get anything done, its totally fine. Get up, and try again. Attack the ADD/ADHD!!!!
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