The economic crisis has many adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) feeling anxious and fearful. Here is an action plan for managing those feelings during this difficult time.
Copyright (c) 2008 Jennifer Koretsky
The 'doom and gloom' is upon us. It's in the papers, on the web, and all over the TV. Your friends, family, and neighbors can't stop talking about it.
The 'economic crisis' is on everyone's mind, and fear and anxiety are everywhere. Is it affecting you and your Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)?
If you're weathering the storm without feeling overly fearful and anxious, then bravo! I applaud you and encourage you to keep doing whatever is working for you.
However, if you're experiencing an abundance of negative thoughts and anxiety about the current financial climate, then keep reading.
What I don't want to talk about today is finance and economics. I'm not qualified to advise anyone in this regard.
What I am qualified to talk about is how a climate of fear and anxiety can wreak havoc on an ADDer, and what you can do about it. So let's begin by briefly looking at the reasons why ADDers in particular are having a difficult time right now.
First, adults with ADD are 'spongy.' We have a tendency to absorb our environments. So if we're surrounded by good news and happy, positive people, then we feel great. But if we're surrounded by bad news and worried and anxious people, then we can quickly find ourselves feeling worried and anxious, too.
Second, adults with ADD also have a tendency towards negative thoughts, rumination, and general anxiety. Anxiety is a very common co-existing condition for adults with ADD. Anxiety can increase ADD challenges, and ADD challenges can increase anxiety.
So you can see how the everyday challenges of ADD and/or anxiety combined with financial woes and a media circus can easily send an adult with ADD into a tailspin!
Specifically, I've been hearing from adults with ADD about how difficult it's been to:
* Stay focused at work without getting distracted by the financial news stories and updates.
* Reassure their family members (especially aging parents) that things will be okay.
* Fall asleep at night when they are so worried about their jobs and mortgages.
In response to these concerns, I've compiled an 'ADD Management Action Plan' to help you move forward in the present moment. Remember, this is NOT financial advice. It IS about managing your ADD when things are particularly stressful.
ADD Management Action Plan
1. Cut down on media time. This means television news, newspapers, and online news. It might also mean cutting off conversations with 'chicken little' types who want to dump their own anxiety on you.
In order to manage your own anxiety, you have to remove yourself from everyone else's. You can get all the news and information you need by watching one news broadcast, reading one newspaper, or visiting one website. Limit your news time to no more than 30 minutes a day.
2. Manage the everyday stress in your life. The overriding theme of my book Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD and my coaching is that Stress Management = ADD Management.
The more you control your stress, the easier it becomes to control your ADD challenges. You'll need to be calm, centered, and relatively stress-free in order to make good decisions about your finances and your future.
3. Stop brooding and take action. Express your fears, worries, and anxiety to the appropriate people. You might have some legitimate concerns about your job, your mortgage, and your retirement savings. Talk to your spouse, your financial adviser, your accountant, or anyone else you need to. Seek solid explanations for the things you don't understand. Get the facts before you make assumptions.
Additionally, talk out your anxiety when you feel it setting in. Journal about it if you have to. Don't let those thoughts swim around in your head and become rumination!
And if you can't seem to get a hold on your anxiety no matter what you do, then don't hesitate to talk to your doctor or a therapist.
Remember, you're not alone. Many ADDers are having a hard time coping right now. But you CAN do something about it!
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