FRUSTRATION!

[jpsimard]

Hello all,

Just wanted to share my frustration that I’m having this morning! I’ve recently started treatment for adult add, so I’m going through the learning curve of how to marry my life to my brain more effectively. A few months ago, before I was diagnosed, my beautiful girlfriend suggested that I make a daily schedule to help balance my life. I am a classical musician, an opera singer, and I balance that and a part time job.

My frustration comes in that sometimes I become hyper focused on a task and forget to move on to the next, or I simply find myself unable to become motivated to start a task.

The solution I have come up with is this: I am going to set a “calender” alarm on my phone for each individual activity. That way I know when to stop, and when to start a new task. I’m going to try this out for three weeks (allowing time for the ritalin to ramp up and become more effective with my system), and if it works, stick with it.

Just thought I would share incase this motivates someone else, or echos with their sentiments!

Feeling less frustrated already!

– Justin

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[Anonymous]

Hi Justin, I was the poster boy for this issue.

Maybe you can find some value in my experience with your new task.

-Go buy a cheap cooking timer-

-Select the task you are going to work on-

-Train the people in your life not to interrupt you at all when you are working.

-Turn off your cell phone including all other distractions, including email, Facebook whatever.

-If you get interrupted even for a minute it takes the human brain about 20 minutes to get back to where you where before the interruption

-you want CLEAN focus, work for 1-2 hours minimum without interruptions, when the timer goes off get up and take a breather completely detach from the task to refresh the mind. Example, play a musical instrument, dance with your girlfriend. Justin, whatever you do take this time to re-clear and reset your mind. This will set it up the the next focusing block and repeat.

-Putting head phones in your ears with calming music really helps relax the brain waves and focus.

-There you have a few basic tools that you can use.

Justin, let me know how this works for you, if you choose to try it out. Remember long blocks of uninterrupted work time, detach completely, reset yourself and repeat.

All the best

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[Anonymous]

I found that i had to buy multiple Cooking timers for the main areas that i do my work. This way I am more aware that it is there for me to use. I also leverage Cozi.com to build schedules for me to keep on track ( I am using “on track” loosely, to be honest i am too waiting for the strattera to kick in).

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[jpsimard]

Alrighty. I’m on to the part where the medication is “working”. I followed your advice and got a kitchen timer… one with three different timers built in, and it’s changing my life. Love it! Also trying to follow my schedule, or at least keeping to it loosely, so I don’t get lost. I consider it as more of a “to do list” schedule.

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[Anonymous]

We love kitchen timers at our house. We have them everywhere–course, that could be because we keep loosing them–but they work GREAT!

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[jpsimard]

My kitchen timer lives in one of two places. By my piano, or on top of the microwave. That way I -always- know where it is. A place for everything and all that. (God help me if I put it down somewhere else by accident, though).

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