Emergency ADD Management

What a crazy 5 days I've had! The snowstorms here in the Northeast really did me in and put my ADD management skills to the test! I'll tell you all about it in just a minute, but first I need to tell you that...

Because our offices were closed for the last few days due to power outages, we had to extend the Early Bird Discount deadline on the Odd One Out Coaching Program.

This means that you can still take advantage of the $100 savings when you register by 5pm EST tomorrow, Wednesday March 3rd!

Register or get more info at http://www.ADDmanagement.com/coaching/oddoneoutprogram.html

Now back to our story...

Last week the Northeast region of the US experienced a couple of major snowstorms that were even worse than expected. In less than 2 days, we got about 2 feet of snow. And that was in addition to the 9 inches we had from a previous storm!

Here in the Hudson Valley of New York State, it started snowing on Wednesday and we lost our power on Thursday night. I'll spare you all the boring details and just give you the important pieces:

• We were without power, heat, and running water for about 4 days.
• Only one nearby family member had power, and his house was packed with the rest of the power-less family, and all our dogs--some of whom don't get along. Come to think of it, some of the family members don't really get along, either!
• We had to stay at a hotel--with our dogs--for a couple of nights. This in and of itself was extremely stressful. Trixie is mostly blind and doesn't do well in new environments, while Rascal barks (and I mean BARKS) at everything!
• We had no choice but to close down the ADD Management Group while we were without power, which means that our personal income for the month took a hit.

(The above picture is Rascal [left] and Trixie [right] experiencing their first hotel stay!)

While communicating with clients on my BlackBerry, one client smartly asked, "What are you doing to maintain self-care throughout this experience?" How did she know I was secretly planning to write a newsletter on that very topic?

It's true--I'm always talking about how important it is for adults with ADD to make self-care a priority. That's because stress management is ADD management. The more stressed out you are, the more your ADD will challenge you.

And I fully admit that the stress and anxiety had me feeling close to the edge. I'm pretty good in emergency situations, but when the emergency situation becomes a prolonged event, I start to lose it.

For people with ADD, situations like these are extremely difficult to deal with. The main stressor, I think, is that we simply have no control over what is happening around us. It feels like chaos.

Despite my best efforts, I found myself feeling angry, unable to sleep at night, fighting with a family member, and stressing out about everything.

Here's what I did, to the best of my ability, to maintain self-care. This is also what I suggest you do the next time you find yourself dealing with an emergency:

1. Make self-care a top-of-the-list priority.

Make sure you get a good night's sleep. This is probably the most important thing during times of stress, as your body and brain get repaired and reset during sleep.

Eat only high-quality fuel. You need good, healthy food to keep you going when times are tough.

2. Let go of the stress.

Brainstorm an action plan to get clear about what you can control in the situation. But don't stress or worry about the things you have no control over because it won't do any good whatsoever.

Remember to practice mindfulness by staying in the present moment. Thoughts about the past and the future are often stressful, but the present moment rarely is.

3. Keep your brain busy.

This one won't apply to every emergency situation, but it certainly applied to mine! Boredom is like torture to the ADD brain, and there were many times over the last 5 days where I found myself freezing cold and bored out of my mind.

Challenge your brain to focus on something interesting and useful, instead of brooding on the problem. For me, this meant bundling up and digging in to some organizing projects, reading, and playing with my dogs.

I'm happy to tell you that we got our power back yesterday, and got our Internet connection back just this morning. I couldn't be happier to be back to my normal structure and routines. There's nothing like structure to comfort the ADD brain!

Now that the storms have passed, things are almost back to normal. And my loss is your gain!

As I mentioned before, we were forced to extend the Early Bird Discount deadline on the Odd One Out Coaching Program because we had no way to access the shopping cart and change the prices!

So...

Don't Miss Your Absolute Last Chance to Save $100 on the Odd One Out Coaching Program!

You have one last (and unexpected) chance to join us and save some money! Register by 5pm EST tomorrow, March 3rd, and save $100 on your enrollment. http://www.ADDmanagement.com/coaching/oddoneoutprogram.html

I also wanted to note that there are just a few spaces left in the Advanced Program, so don't delay on registering if you're wanting to join the program option that includes personalized coaching with me.

For those of you who aren't familiar, the Odd One Out Coaching Program begins on March 17th. This is a special program--based on my book Odd One Out, but much richer and more personal--that I host no more than once a year. In it, I work with a small group of ADDers who are ready to unleash their inner maverick. Maybe you're one of them?

In this interactive, 6-week coaching program that begins on the 17th, I'll teach you how to:

   1. Stop trying to fit in and start being true to yourself
   2. Break the cycle of overwhelm
   3. Work with your ADD
   4. Adjust your attitude for success
   5. Take control of your space and time
   6. Live out loud
   7. Unleash Your Inner Maverick, Embrace Your ADD as a Gift, and Enjoy Your Life!

Everyone in the program gets:

• Six, 90-minute, interactive teleclasses
• Access to the members-only website with downloadable notes, worksheets, and resources
• Personal study guides for each program module
• Downloadable recordings of all the teleclasses
• And if you register for the Advanced Program option, you'll also get weekly, personal email coaching with me, and private 1-on-1 coaching time with me (which is in short supply these days!)

==> *Take Advantage of the Early Bird Discount: Save $100 when you register before 5pm EST on Wednesday March 3rd.

http://www.addmanagement.com/coaching/oddoneoutprogram.html

I'm really looking forward to working with a small group of ADDers who are ready to unleash their inner mavericks! Let's just hope there are no more snowstorms to get in the way! ;-)

Have a great week, and stay warm!

P.S. How do you manage your ADD in emergency situations? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

And don't miss the Early Bird Discount extension for the Odd One Out Coaching Program! You can save $100 if you register before 5pm EST tomorrow, March 3rd!
http://www.addmanagement.com/coaching/oddoneoutprogram.html

Comments

[J. Scott]

Hey all. I noticed the question and figured I'd drop a word or two on how I adjust. Sure, I was only diagnosed in Sept, 2009, (and I'm 32!), but here's what I do: I make it a game. Take everything you are going through and make it a game, with success meaning you live. ;) Seriously. I work as an EMT, I've been the lifeguard (beach, lake, and pool), and I was a boy scout getting lost all the time...sometimes on purpose, with GPS, just because I could. So, I guess I've been in and around life or death situations for a while, and making things a game instead of the stressed out beyond belief, high tension, high blood pressure, hyperventilation....just makes life miserable as you deal with the issues at hand. So, when the fight or flight endorphins kick in, take a deep breath, and relax. In your brain, take a step back, watch everyone else blow up and turn to incoherent goo with no rational thought between them, and then...make use of the energy and adrenaline to get YOUR JOB DONE! Just say to yourself, "You're breathing, you have a pulse (although its racing...), and you're still alive...so relax. Use your ADD talents and do what these other people can't....have fun with this!" And that's what I did....and here I am today, still alive, still helping people in need...and still having fun with it.

Hope that helps.
:)
J