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Earlier, I was sitting at my computer trying to write and I couldn’t quite focus on the task at hand.
As someone with ADHD, this is not an uncommon sensation so I kept trying to work through it.
I changed tasks a couple of times to see if I could build some momentum.
I made a better (a.k.a. more specific) list.
I walked through my writing plans in my head to make sure that I was clear on what I wanted to accomplish with my writing today (sometimes a lack of ability to focus is my only sign that my intentions aren’t clear enough.)
As soon as I wrapped my fingers around the mug, I realized what the problem had been all along.
I was chilly.
Not quite cold enough for the temperature to register as a problem but enough to be distracting.
Not quite cold enough for the temperature to register as a problem but enough to be distracting.
I threw on a shawl, put on my slippers, and sipped my tea then got back to bossing my words around.
Weird, hey?
I know that this is partially an ADHD thing (interoception is challenging for us) but I have seen many of my neurotypical clients have similar issues. We all seem to have a level of discomfort that is high enough to bother us but not high enough to spur us into action.
Today, I was chilly and I fixed it. But, at other times I have been a little hungry or on the edge of a headache or a little uncomfortable in my chair or…you get the idea and, even when I actually noticed the discomfort, I still didn’t change anything. I just tolerated the annoying thing even though I could have fixed it.
Now, I know that there are lots of things in our lives that we can’t change. And many of us don’t have as much control over our life circumstances as we would like to have.
But for most of us, most of the time, there are things that annoy or distract us that can be changed, we just haven’t bothered/haven’t gotten around to changing them.
We just kind-of accept the low-key annoyance and inconvenience in our days and go on about our business.
Now, a certain amount of acceptance is a necessary thing but there is no need to waste even small amounts of energy tolerating things that, if changed, would make life easier or more comfortable.
I’d like to invite you to make some of those kind of small changes today.
You’re worth it.
Things To Consider:
- Check in with yourself to see if you are hungry or thirsty, if you are too cold or too warm, or if any of your clothing is annoying (itchy, tight, sliding around) and take any action you can to improve things.
- Check if you have enough light (or too much light) for the activity you are trying to pursue and make any adjustments that you can.
- Is the chair you are using comfortable/appropriate for the task at hand? If not, how can you make some adjustments?
- Is there anything in the way of one of your regular tasks? For example, maybe you can only open the dryer door part way because a storage box is in the way which would make every load of laundry a little more of a hassle. Or maybe there is no electrical outlet close to your favourite chair so your phone keeps running out of charge when you sit there. Moving that box or using an extension cord could remove those minor frustrations from your life and make things a bit easier.
- Are the things you use regularly easy for you to access? I used to keep my timer in the top drawer of my desk where it would get jumbled in with everything else. I hardly ever used it because it was a little tiny bit of hassle to find it. Now, I keep it on my desk and I use it regularly.
