Help! I think I have ADD!

A New Normal - for kids and for adults.

Constantly busy. Always on the go. Rush, rush, rush. So much to do.

We don’t “go” to the store anymore; we “run” to the store.

We’re not just “busy” anymore; we’re “crazy busy.”

We don’t rest and relax anymore; we have stuff to do 24/7.

We don’t pay attention to just one thing at a time; we’re tuned in to multiple things.

Have we all become ADD (attention deficit disorder)? Check it out. Here are a dozen symptoms of the disorder that have become the norm in our overly stressed lives.

1.Do you have trouble organizing yourself, your work or your possessions?
2.Do you often lose, misplace or forget things?
3.Do you make careless mistakes?
4.Do you neglect to pay attention to important details?
5.Do you have difficulty sustaining focus until a task is finished?
6.Do you find it difficult to screen out distracting stimuli?
7.Do you make impulsive decisions that you later regret?
8.Do you interrupt when others are talking?
9.Do you get upset with others with little provocation?
10.Do you get frustrated easily?
11.Do you find it difficult to sit quietly and just ‘be’?
12.Do you find yourself always ‘on the go’?
If you kept nodding “yes” as you read these questions, here are five ways your busy life style may be edging you toward ADD.

1.The first casualty of being overly busy is the loss of rest and relaxation. Who has time for R&R when there’s so much stuff to be done? The upshot: Days go by without ever feeling a sense of calm or peacefulness. Think always being ‘on’ doesn’t take its toll? Think again.
2.An over-extended life wreaks havoc on your waistline. There’s no time to plan what you’re going to eat or even consider cooking a home-cooked meal. So what do you do? “Grab” a snack, “graze” all day, “bag” a fast-food fix, loosen up with a drink or two, order in dinner (which you finish in 15 minutes or less). And of course, you have no time to exercise. Not exactly a recipe for good nutrition or for a good-looking bod.
3.By the end of the day, you’re so tired, you can’t even move. You collapse in front of the TV or on your laptop or wherever you last placed your weary body. Though you’re feeling totally tuckered out, a good night’s sleep eludes you. You either have trouble falling asleep because you’re still “on.” Or, your sleep is fitful because you’re still preoccupied with all the things yet to be done. Is it any wonder that you have difficulty getting up in the morning?
4.Though much of your busyness may be focused on chauffeuring your kids, attending their events, meeting your family’s needs, pleasing your spouse and texting your friends, you may be so busy ‘doing’, you may actually have no time for ‘being’ in these relationships. Relationships require time. Not quick dash-off-a-text time, but quality time. Slow time. Do nothing time. Appreciate-each-other time. Loving time. If you’re always ‘on the go’, your relationships are feeling it. You, however, may be too busy to even notice that this is happening.
5.When you’re “crazy busy,” your body is geared toward a “ready for action” state. So, is your body ready to run away from a bear or spear a tiger? No! We live in civilization. No need to do that anymore. But you may “jump all over” whoever disturbed your train of thought. Or “pounce on” whoever frustrated you. Or “tear apart” whoever kept you waiting. Crazy-busy people have no time to be easy-going, easy-tempered or tolerant of another’s foibles.
Yes, being overly busy affects damn near everything. So, do your best to make this week a little less busy. Then, take a few moments to be aware of how much better you feel.

Copyright 2012