Pause – Part 2 —- ADD Tip of the Day 353

I highly recommended The Power of Pause, by Terry Hershey, especially for someone with ADD or ADHD.  I found it interesting, persuasive and helpful, as well as easy to read – an important issue for us ADDers.  It offers an alternative to the hectic pressured rushed life many of us live and also promotes self acceptance.

I do have some concerns tho:  Terry seems opposed to to-do lists and self help books or programs (it is, of course, a self help book.)  In some ways it seems the antithesis to my book on ADD strategies.    It appears to some that using strategies, rules, and lists makes life intense, rigid, limited.  This may be partly true, but without these strategies, my life is more intense, frustrating, hectic and busy, tho less rigid- you can’t call flopping around in all directions at once and getting nothing accomplished very rigid –  and it is pretty limited, just in a different way.

The trick would seem to be balance, some structure with strategies, and some time off, pausing.  ( and, as my sister noted, not just to sit, tho that is good, but to sit and enjoy.)  I’m trying, and Terry has motivated me to be sure to take time to just sit every day, more than I was.

doug  

I also found this interesting from Terry:

“Blame it on age,but I tend to lose a lot of stuff. Misplace. Forget.  And every time it unnerves me.  I forget things when I pack for my travels: my lecture notes, a tie, a shirt, or my socks. Thank God for e-tickets and cell phones with memory dial.

On my recent trip , I left a sweatshirt on the plane. The week before, I lost my glasses, my favorite glasses – the ones that made me look young, handsome, and desirable.  On this last trip, I lost my favorite fountain pen.  That one got me.  I’ve been writing with that pen for fifteen years.  It knows me, has bled for me.”

and this –

“- being faced with a lot of options – like standing in the grocery store trying to choose cereal or toothpaste – makes me want to beat my head against a metal pole -“

Yesterday, I lost my cell phone.  After looking for an hour, I found it, hooked onto my back jeans pocket.”

I think we need pauses – and strategies.