Dealing With ADD:
Dedication, Persistence & Elbow Grease

Hang in there! Just like anything else in life, there are ups and downs when dealing with ADD. What will drive you to successful living is dedication, persistence and a little elbow grease, during those down or tough times. Here are a few ADD tips.

First and foremost, is to focus daily on your overall health, both in mind and body. Eat right, exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day, get enough rest, avoid unhealthy places, substances, people…in short take good care of yourself. Be your best friend and your body (and mind) will thank you during those difficult days.

Next, always continue your education, either formally or informally. No need to enroll in a university. Continue to read nonfiction about your work, health and personal interests, participate in organizational events in your industry, attend a class or workshop series once a year. Keep up! Use your brain and put it to work for you and believe it or not, some ideas just might surface on tough days to get you through the challenging times; you might remember others who survived and overcame their own challenges and put some of their tips to work, for instance.

Don’t fail to plan. Plan to succeed. Learn about goal setting and achieving by studying from books like, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey. And put his steps to work in your own life.

Surround yourself with a positive environment as much as possible. For example, don’t worry so much if some people don’t seem to want to accept or deal with your ADD. Those people are probably self-absorbed in their own issues for one reason or other, and don’t accept other people’s disorders or issues, either. Actually, you never know - -they could be working on accepting and dealing with some very serious issues themselves, and are afraid to share discuss them with anyone. Either way, tough. It’s their loss, not yours. Hope for the best for them, but move on and focus on being around positive people who pretty much follow that “Do unto others…” theme. You can’t avoid ALL negativity, but you can choose to focus on more positive aspects of life. Reach out with your five senses for ideas to make your day better: shed the black business wardrobe and liven up your color scheme; turn on some lively, happy music and sing along; get out and learn to dance again; try some different foods from different countries to spice up your life; and plug in a seasonal air freshener for a change of scent. Be creative and jot down ideas for experimenting with new, positive environmental ideas each month. Dig in and enjoy life. And remember: when the going gets tough, …the tough don’t run!

AVAILABLE EDUCATIONAL OR WORKPLACE ASSISTANCE

ADHD is recognized as a disability. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations can at times be made in the classroom for children with ADHD, and in the workplace for adults with ADHD, because of federal legislation; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. These accommodations can greatly impact the quality of life, directly resulting in improved work efficiency and productivity. Learn as much as you can about opportunities that may be available to you and take action. Don’t be afraid to follow up, either, and get information you can understand – i.e. that’s not in government-speak.

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