Changes and ADHD

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You may have noticed that it has been a while since I’ve posted anything new. That’s because of the changes that have been happening in my life. Good changes – my husband going back to work and not so good changes – he got put on the midnight shift.

You know that I have ADHD, and like most people with ADHD, I have difficulty when things change. We have a hard time transitioning from one thing to another.

It could be as simple as transitioning from being awake to being asleep or as big as getting married or getting divorced.

Although we sometimes rebel against it, structure is vital for our sanity and well being. When we know what to expect and when to expect it, it’s easier to relax and just get on with life.

Simple changes – the ones we experience every day like waking up or going to sleep – can still be difficult, but because we experience them often, they don’t disrupt our lives significantly. They’re more like speed bumps that slow us down.

Big changes, on the other hand, are difficult for almost everybody, ADHD or not.

Big changes can cause our lives to come to a screeching halt – or least make us try to slam on the brakes and just stop for a while. We need time to adjust to what has happened; to take stock and see where things go from here.

But life is not like that. We can’t put it on pause while we figure out what to do.

What we can do, though, while we’re gathering our wits about us, is to keep as much of a routine as you can.

My entire schedule of what I do and when I do it has been thrown off course twice in the last two and a half weeks. But certain things still need to get done: I need to shower and dress, make meals and keep the house neat and clean.

While I no longer had a set schedule that told me this is when I need to be doing that, I did manage to get through by just doing. Just doing – whatever. Stay active, look around at what needs to be done and just do it.

Some things didn’t get done – like posting to this blog – but sometimes in the midst of chaos you need to give yourself some permission to just do the best you can. And that’s what I did.

I’m back now. I hope that what I’ve learned may help you the next time life throws you a curve ball.

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

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One Response

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