10 WAYS TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE EVEN IF YOU SUFFER FROM ADD

Whether you know it or not, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is still a very controversial issue in the medical community. Many believe that it is not a ailment but a label that describes tendencies in children who have a very low attention span. 

At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and ADD have nothing to do with one another. But many of children labeled with ADD develop negative thinking patterns because they become frustrated by challenges and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. This negative outlook then makes it even harder for them to manage those challenges and move forward.

Practicing positive thinking allows people labeled with ADD to focus on strengths and accomplishments, which increases happiness and motivation. This, in turn, allows them to spend more time making progress, and less time feeling down and stuck. The following tips provide practical suggestions that anyone labeled with ADD can use to help shift themselves into more positive thinking patterns:

1. Take Good Care of Yourself
It's much easier to be positive when you are eating well, exercising, and getting enough rest. When you are hungry or consume poorly nourished foods your system craves for more nutrients and even though you are not thinking about it your mind can react with negative responses. Exercise, like food, i.e. the proper food is another essential element in keeping a positive outlook. There is no explanation or reasoning with the fact that the body and mind needs adequate rest in order for it to function. What you may or may not be aware of is that rest is necessary in order to maintain a positive disposition about life.

2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful For
Stresses and challenges don't seem quite as bad when you are constantly reminding yourself of the things that are right in life. Taking just 60 seconds a day to stop and appreciate the good things will make a huge difference. You cannot be stressed and challenged in the same moment that you are grateful. Gratitude simply eliminates stress and there are a millions things in your life you must be grateful for. For example, because you are sitting here reading this you should be grateful that your eyes are open, that you can see, that you are able to read, that you have a computer, that it works, that your fingers work and you can stop reading anytime you want. Got the point?

3. Look for the Proof Instead of Making Assumptions
A fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are thinking, but our fears are usually not reality. If you have a fear that a friend or family member's bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you when you turn your back, speak up and ask them. Don't waste time worrying that you did something wrong unless you have proof that there is something to worry about. In 99% of the cases the proofs are only assumptions that have nothing to do with facts. Understand that we are all unique individuals; no two people in the world have the exact same life experience. As such, we must expect that despite how we feel and see things there are millions of people who see the same thing completely different.

4. Refrain from Using Absolutes
Have you ever told a partner "You're ALWAYS late!" or complained to a friend "You NEVER call me!?” Thinking and speaking in absolutes like 'always' and 'never' makes the situation seem worse than it is, and programs your brain into believing that certain people are incapable of delivering. Follow the simple rule that absolutes are almost “always never” right. It takes only one exception to make an absolute untrue.

5. Detach From Negative Thoughts
Your thoughts can't hold any power over you if you don't judge them. If you notice yourself having a negative thought, detach from it, witness it, and don't follow it. Realize that the you that is thinking the thought is not the same as the you that you project to the world. Observe yourself as you think and ask yourself questions and the answers will come. Ask yourself; “Why am I thinking this thought right now?” “Could there be any other explanation for what is happening? “Why is this thought making me feel this way? Ask yourself and the answers will come from your own mind.

6. Squash the "ANTs"
In his book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen talks about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like "Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me," or "The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!" When you notice these thoughts, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and squash them! How do you squash them, well it’s really easy, all you have to do is what is called reframing. “People are laughing, must be a good joke”  “The boss wants to see me, must be a promotion”. Remember what you think about can and most time do happen. If you let the ANTs control you without you stepping back and observing your feelings and the results you are getting you will continue to make mountains out of moll hills. They will bite you everytime.

7. Practice Lovin', Touchin' & Squeezin' (Your Friends and Family)
You don't have to be an expert to know the benefits of a good hug. Positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, is an instant pick-me-up. One research study on this subject had a waitress touch some of her customers on the arm as she handed them their checks. She received higher tips from these customers than from the ones she didn't touch! We all operate on a very low level electrical vibration, unexplainably when our vibrations connect something happens at a much deeper level than our awareness to trigger positive feeling. Hug at least 3 people you know every day and your emotional spirit will raise if you do not do it at all or occasionally.  

8. Increase Your Social Activity
By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people, and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way! Choose who you socialize with wisely. That does not say you become snobbish and constantly avoid anyone but realize that certain activities acts as screens. The bottom line is that you have a choice and it is a conscious choice.

9. Volunteer for an Organization, or Help People
Everyone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your time, your money, or your resources. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will receive in return. But it is not about the receiving but the feeling that you get at a much deeper level than what you feel.  Think about it this way, the only reason that you are where you are today is because someone gave you something. We live in an interdependent world, it is created so that the only way any of us can get ahead is by the good will and human beingness of others. Search your memory and see if you cannot remember being helped by a mother, father, brother, sister, friends, acquaintances and even strangers. When you volunteer to help other people you are just formalizing what you spirit is willing to do and will do whenever the opportunity presents itself. The biggest benefit though is that you help yourself in the process. Giving is getting. Give.

10. Use Pattern Interrupts to Combat Worry
If you find yourself worrying, a great way to stop it is to interrupt the pattern and force yourself to do something completely different. Worry is like hyper-focus on something negative. It's never productive, because it's not rational or solution-oriented, it's just excessive thinking on things that usually never happens or is the way your mind sees it. Check yourself first, if you find yourself sulking, smile, if your head is drooping raise it, if you are just laying around get up take a deep breath and smile. Remember use gratitude it will work against worry too. Next try changing your physical environment - go for a walk or sit outside. You could also call a friend, pick up a book, or turn on some music. You are in charge of you. You squared.

These suggestions are just slices of responses that someone labeled with ADD can use to manage the tendency to automatically think negative thoughts. Unfortunately, very little of what we read is remembered especially for someone with ADD. Even for those of us who have not been labeled ADD these suggestions can help us take more control of our lives. In fact, they should become a way of life and not be remembered as something read somewhere. The idea here is to provide strategies anyone can use in everyday life to counteract the pressures of stress, negative thinking and worrying. Remember just one of these tips when you find yourself in a negative frame of mind and the time it took you to read this will have been time well spent.  

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