My thanks to Larraine for letting me know that someone is reading the blog.
I am very self centered right now. It's all about me and will continue to be until I lose my wife. I'm sorry if someone is not being helped by me. I only have so much emotional energy.
I have fallen back into my old habits and am fighting to overcome that.
I have gained a few pounds, but have stayed with my diet for the most part.
Now, after seeing a counselor and getting ready for something other than related to my wife's situation, I feel as if I'm making progress again.
I am trying to organize myself so I don't feel so overwhelmed.
I feel as if I have way to much to accomplish. Here's a list of some of the things I am working to finish.
I am very self centered right now. It's all about me and will continue to be until I lose my wife. I'm sorry if someone is not being helped by me. I only have so much emotional energy.
I have fallen back into my old habits and am fighting to overcome that.
I have gained a few pounds, but have stayed with my diet for the most part.
Now, after seeing a counselor and getting ready for something other than related to my wife's situation, I feel as if I'm making progress again.
I am trying to organize myself so I don't feel so overwhelmed.
I feel as if I have way to much to accomplish. Here's a list of some of the things I am working to finish.
- I have a Honda helix that died. I haven't bothered to take it apart to find out what is wrong. It may be something simple, but I no longer trust it to take it on a long hard ride. I would like to replace it with a bigger bike. I miss the freedom of the open road.
- I have a ton of stuff on the porch that I want to get rid of. I have a couch that fell apart and it isn't something that I would feel good about selling it or even giving it away. I want the whole porch cleaned up. It looks terrible.
- The house has been divided into rooms. I made a series of cards. When I get time and don't know where to start, I can go to the cards and pick one to work on. This helps.
- The yard is a mess. I cut the grass and am starting to make progress with the trimming. I have several circle gardens that need to be cleaned out, but I don't have the time for them yet. I will get them done. I have toyed with the idea of paying someone to do the work, but don't really want to spend the money.
- I have been trying to find the time to play my guitar. I have picked it up a few times this past week, and plan to do more very soon. But, I need lots more guitar, and lots less other stuff.
- Finances are scary here as they are many other places. I've never been good at money matters. Advice is futile to paraphrase the Borg. I need someone who knows how to work the system. I have money coming in soon, and I know it could work for me. But, I don't know how to talk to it.
- Routine maintenance. The cars both need work. The garage door needs to be fixed. The driveway needs to be redone. The sidewalk is sinking and it's way too high to get into the house. The bathroom and kitchen need to be replaced and updated. The whole house needs to be repainted. Other than that, I have a whole 40 foot container worth of stuff to get rid of.
The neat thing, is that I'm actually making progress. I really am. The main problem is between my ears. My brain is working overtime and it wants me to do everything now! I mean NOW! It's not happy to see things moving along steadily.
One of the things I learned about ADD is that there are two ways to do anything:
One of the things I learned about ADD is that there are two ways to do anything:
- Follow a pattern and do things in order.
- Just work where you are and keep plugging away.
For example: When I get to the end of a row on my lawn, I can turn around and go back the way I came (1. above), or, I can keep going around the corner and finish the next part since I'm already there (2.).
I've found that I still finish the lawn no matter which way I do it. However, with the second way, I draw a crowd. Everyone is taking bets on which way I'll go next.
I can do the same thing in the house.
I start in the living room, and take something to the basement where it belongs. Since I'm in the basement, I see something that has to be done there, and I do it. Then, I go upstairs and start something there.
It's really hard for me to stay in one room, or one place for the whole time I'm supposed to be there. So, I have been trying to do just that. It is harder for me mentally, because I have to concentrate, and consequently, I get worn out faster.
These are all things that I am working on. With weight loss, it is probably better for me to keep moving no matter what I do. I shouldn't work on being efficient as opposed to just getting the job done.
I've found that I still finish the lawn no matter which way I do it. However, with the second way, I draw a crowd. Everyone is taking bets on which way I'll go next.
I can do the same thing in the house.
I start in the living room, and take something to the basement where it belongs. Since I'm in the basement, I see something that has to be done there, and I do it. Then, I go upstairs and start something there.
It's really hard for me to stay in one room, or one place for the whole time I'm supposed to be there. So, I have been trying to do just that. It is harder for me mentally, because I have to concentrate, and consequently, I get worn out faster.
These are all things that I am working on. With weight loss, it is probably better for me to keep moving no matter what I do. I shouldn't work on being efficient as opposed to just getting the job done.
2 comments:
ADD - the gift that keeps on giving. If you are looking for suggestions on how to deal with the ADD and accomplishing your monumental tasks in the house, I will give you some here. If not, then well, I guess I can just let you know that I too am reading your blog and continue to pray for you, Donna, and the rest of your family as you go through this prolonged agony. My husband has ADHD, and I worked for a number of years at a psychiatry practice that provided care mainly for adult ADD patients. I don't know if any of this will help, but sometimes just "hearing" alternatives is good for me. If you would prefer not to get this type of feedback, please let me know and I will leave it out. I realize it might be way too much at this time for you.
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Doing things the second way probably overwhelms the ADD part of your brain, but perhaps because staying in one place is difficult, consider setting a timer. 20 minutes in room 1 - use boxes or laundry baskets as sorting containers. Mark them either by the room or the floor things go to so you can "deliver" them when your timer goes off. That way you don't feel the need to hold the information in your brain about what you have to go where.
Distraction is very difficult for people with ADD. Have you tried having music that does not have words to it in the background? Not just acoustic versions of songs that have words, but just music? Some find that allows improved focus. Caffeine helps if you are not already taking a prescription stimulant. I know that is counterintuitive, but Ritalin and the other drugs used are pretty much "Speed" in moderate doses. Self medicating for ADD is caffeine, and often sugar, but the sugar does not help, it just is a part of what has caffeine often.
You can exercise while still in the same room. Work in circles around the room until finished rather than completing one area at a time in the room. That way you are still moving around, but will actually get to experience the joy of completion sooner.
Donna,
As is the case with ADD, we could go right off the subject of WLS, and into a long discussion of the dreaded initials that aren't really a description of the designation.
I won't do that here. But I will thank you for the tips. I have been using techniques since I found out about ADD, and they work.
ADD is probably part of the reason I gained weight too. I hated lots of things I was forced to do, and compensated by eating when I couldn't afford the time, money, or energy to do anything else to satisfy the cravings. I fight with it every day.
I try the first pattern all the time as a way of keeping my mind fresh. I don't like to do it that way, but I do it anyway.
Thanks for reading and offering good tips.
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