Anything & Everything ADHD

Marla Cummins's Blog (12)

Quote: Accepting Help

When you clench your fist, no one can put anything in your hand, nor can your hand pick up anything. ~Alex Haley Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on March 31, 2009 at 2:26pm — No Comments

Last week, I suggested that asking for assistance will help you to move more efficiently toward your goals. As promised, this week I am highlighting what I consider to be often undervalued forms of help. Some of my suggestions may end up surprising you! The type of support you seek, of course, will be dependent on what you need. However, regardless of the type of help you are looking for, the objectives are the same; without a doubt, you want to receive support, motivation and constructive feedb… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on March 31, 2009 at 2:24pm — No Comments

Did You Know Slowing Down Is The New Fast?

Fo many of us with AD/HD, when there is a lot on our plate, our initial reaction is to move faster. After all we have a lot to do, right? So, we go from one task to the next like Speed Racer. We may do some of the following in our efforts to get “stuff” done. -going from task to task without actually completing any one of them -transitioning to a new task and then forgetting where we left off on the prior task -voluntarily adding more to an already overfull plate and then getting upset that we… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on March 30, 2009 at 7:10am — 1 Comment

What Could You Accomplish With A Little Help?

Why would you want to ask for help? The simplest answer is that there is a goal that you would like to achieve that is seemingly elusive, right now; you may or may not have an idea of what is getting in your way. What goal do you have that seems to be eluding you? Would you be willing to ask for help if doing so would increase the possibility that your dream could become a reality? You may be in the dreaming stages about something that you would like to make real or you may: -be in the stages… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on March 30, 2009 at 7:05am — No Comments

Is The Use Of Electronic Media Stealing Your Time?

One of challenges that many people with AD/HD deal with is spending more time than they would like using electronic media, including television, the internet, video games and, yes, even text messaging. For some, it can even be considered an addiction. When people are addicted, they are not able to limit their use, in spite of the deleterious consequences. In most cases, however, it is possible to employ various strategies to limit use to an acceptable level. What is considered acceptable will va… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on March 18, 2009 at 6:57am — 6 Comments

Preventing Hard Drive Crashes

At some point most of us have had to deal with a computer that is running too slowly. So, typically, we clean the hard drive in order for the computer to run faster and smother; the idea is to create extra free space. First, we analyze our hard drive, and then decide what items to keep and what items to delete. When you have AD/HD and your brain is full of information, like tasks and ideas, you may feel overwhelmed when faced with making these decisions when it comes to your life. When you do ma… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on February 3, 2009 at 10:15am — 2 Comments

Staying Grounded...In Tough Times

The state of the economy has taken up quite a bit space in my head, lately. This seems reasonable, when, aside from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, it is the hottest topic in the news, right? Specifically, I have been thinking about the connection between fear and the economy. Then I started pondering the relationship between fear, the economy and AD/HD. Whew… Clearly, the economy is in rough shape, as we slide deeper into a recession. While I was an economics major in college, there are resource… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on January 29, 2009 at 2:30pm — 3 Comments

How Do You Get Out of a Hole?

I received the following question this week. “Are you willing to share how you pull yourself out of those "can't get anything done" spots?” I did my best to answer. What do you do? I’m sure that you can add to this list. 1. Sometimes, I act “as if,” which comes from a Hebrew term I learned. That is I do one thing even if intellectually I’m thinking it does not matter. 2. I set a minimum goal for the day, if I’m not feeling productive. For example, even if I am in a hole, I make sure that I ta… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on January 23, 2009 at 10:26am — 8 Comments

Yes, I Can...

Today is Martin Luther King Day. It is a day when we not only remember the legacy of MLK, but it is also a day when we remember that there is still work to do to make this a truly just world. Tomorrow Barak Obama will be inanugrated as the first African American president. Yes, it is monumentally historic, but our collective work is not done, yet. Today and tomorrow are about hope, as much as they are about the results of a dream. While I am realistic about the challenges that we face as a nati… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on January 19, 2009 at 7:15am — 2 Comments

Are You Willing To Send Your Inner Critic On Vacation?

I think it is time to send your inner critic or saboteur on vacation. What do you think? Those of us with AD/HD are probably well acquainted with the idea of saboteurs. If you are not familiar with this concept, you may have heard it referred to as a Gremlin, Inner Critic or negative self talk. Whatever you call it, it is that self sabotaging inner voice(s) that holds you back from living the life you want. In order to live life according to your values, the need to address your negative self t… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on January 15, 2009 at 4:33am — 4 Comments

Don't Make New Year's Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions don't work for most people; they especially do not work for those of us with AD/HD. It can set us up for failure, rather than success, when it is just wishful thinking, like: I’m going to exercise. I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to get a better job. If you are serious about making a change, create a goal. We need a process, a strategy that leads to a result. The goal is the end result, not the strategy. Here is how I am defining goal: 1. It is your own. You have m… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on January 6, 2009 at 12:06pm — 3 Comments

ADD - ADHD: A Gift or A Disability?

Is ADHD a gift or a disability? This question has been the topic of many discussions in the ADHD community. Before I address this question, in typical ADHD fashion, I want to address a related question that I find more interesting, which is: What feelings and actions follow when you have you have the thoughts: ADHD is a disability or ADHD is a gift? If you are empowered to meet the challenges of having ADHD by either of these thoughts, then, by all means, stand firm in your beliefs. If having… Continue

Added by Marla Cummins on December 18, 2008 at 4:38am — 9 Comments