Sunday, October 3, 2010

A.D.D. and Job Interviews (this could be a problem!)

So I have had a few job interviews since we moved 3 months ago and I think a few of them I went and did my A.D.D. thing. At the time I didnt know I was doing it so I didnt realize I'd probably recked my job chances by doing them but...it happens to the best of us.

I'd first advice before a job interview:

1. Get sleep (it makes a HUGE difference)

2. DONT have sugar of any kind if you can HELP it (within a good 2 plus hrs before the interview if nothing else).

My first train reck came when I hadnt gotten sleep. Well I had 2 job interviews in a row. I thought I'd nailed my first one well. But now that I look back I realized I was talking too much at the interview, not listening and giving too much information. These are all *key* things that are from A.D.D. At the time I mistook that I was having a nice conversation with my interview guy. Yeah he might have ADD too so who knows what he truly took from it. But either way we talked too much and I think that was bad.

So right after my first interview I was still tired decided it MIGHT be safe to get some sugar. So I got a small chocolate milk at the 99cent store and went to the next interview. This time it was at the Mills and it was for Bath & Body. I had never had an interview with ANY B&B and it excited me. So we had a group thing but it was just 2 of us (1 didnt show). And it would have been fine till she asked me why I wanted to work at the store. I had sugar so I thought this sounded okay. But lmk what you think. I realized what I'd said hours later at home and still laugh over it:

"I want to work for your store because its so bright. I dont just mean the staff who is always so nice and friendly but the store itself. I've been in MANY different stores but none are as LITE UP as this store is!"

So I learned from that one not to talk about stores in general...or so I thought (see below haha).

I know I screwed up one for Claire's cause I well you know just took too long to answer a few questions...not a good idea I might add!! That was ADD too I know it was.

My last example was simply this. Dont tell the person anything about their store. I dont know why but I decided NOT once but TWICe to tell them at Childrens Place that she had the largest store I'd ever seen. Its one thing to do that but it prooved I didnt have anything else to say so I shouldnt be saying anything at all. Put it out of misery stop stalling and LEAVE!!

From all this I learned not only not to have sugar, not to be too tired but not to talk so much. Listen to questions, answer them, and try to not let my replies and their go off somewhere. Needless to say I'm sure the guy at Bookmans might have hired me. But either I really did talk too much, he forgot about me, or in the end realized he had ADD who needs another goofy person around like me?

You cant hide your ADD but at least for the love of pete and all thats normal just try to act normal. Just for that tiny spot of about 15 to 30 mint.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Shopping is NOT for people with ADD

I was just looking around Target the other day. I wasnt going to buy anything, and trust me I didnt. I really didnt have any money (thankfully!) but I've decided to declare that another thing that is not good for people with ADD is shopping.

You think you came for one thing but look at. You are stuck in an area of a store that is just filled with clothes. And they all look great. School shopping was my favorite time of the year. Not just cause I didnt pay for the clothes but because I liked new things. We didnt get them often as I wanted to. But there you go shopping.

Now shopping for the ADD person is bad because you get distracted. You see this and that your eyes are constantly wandering around. Now I'm not talking like you are trying to look for one thing, but if you are trying to get a dress and you end up with pants and a shirt know why. Hello ADD distractions!

I'd advise if you are going to go shopping NO coffee, NO sugar or you will be there much longer. While pick me ups are great for some people, the distractions from the ADD kicking in will be far not worth the wait for the shopping. So if you gotta go shopping dont bring along the sugary stuff.

I personally hate shopping. It takes too much time, its too distracting, it costs money.

Of course the number one winner for ADD people is credit cards! Now dont get me started on my issues with them but if you got a card everything becomes an emergency. You want to use it all the time. You forget what life is like when you didnt have it. Forget not shopping, you want to cause you can. And then you pay for it for years.

So I'd advise you not to have sugar, not to have a credit card and if at all possible avoid shopping. If you are with someone else with ADD this also spells trouble so the best way to shop is sugar free, credit free and alone. If all else fails set a limit, a time and be out of there quick as you can.

Or the shopping monster will eat you up!

Till I remember to write again...

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Tips for Organizing...ADD style!

As a kid I never got why I couldnt be organized. Trust me, I TRIED! I tried everything. I would clean my room, my desk, whatever and wonder why two days later it was well on its way to being the same mess if not messier! So I would give up. I probably cleaned my desk area at least once every other month. It was nice when it was organized but I found I couldnt find anything.

Thats the problem with ADD you forget where things are when they are organized. Then again I also forget where things are when they are a mess. But at least I'm sure they are in the pile that I set them in (and most of the time they are). I recall I used to try to organize my desk and then write on a notebook what containers by the desk I had put stuff in. It worked at first...for a little bit. Till I lost the notebook or I forgot to keep putting it down.

I once read in order to keep track of your money (this is not for ADD people!) write it down in a notebook. I tried this for a while, every purchase it didnt last long. I couldnt ever keep a food notebook either for long. Its A)boring and B)I forgot to do it (or lost the dang thing!).

So the whole point of todays entry is about being organized with ADD cause its simply not easy! But if you must try to be organized for the sake of being organized do so that you will remember where things are.

1. Write stuff down in a place you will not only remember to do it (put it where you go the most!) but so you will remember

2. Also write stuff down on the go, on paper and with a pen or pencil. Although using your iphone, ipod, or even your cell phone is a nice idea you need to remember to actually look at those

3. Make it a habbit to always not only have pen and paper with you, but be checking these at night. You can remember to do certain things this just needs to become a habbit you keep. You brush your teeth, you feed the dog, you get dressed. Make it a habbit!

4. Get clear containers. My latest favorite! If you can afford to organize your space with containers GO CLEAR! It not only is a great idea but you can see whats in it. In fact make sure you can see whats in it. This shouldnt be a problem from drawers, to containers of all kinds and shapes and sizes you can be organized!

Now I need to follow my own tips...but for now I must say that have ADD is no fun. You dont want to be organized, or if you do you cant keep it. I have yet to learn how to keep it but you can learn along with me...why not?

Till I remember to write again....

Friday, March 5, 2010

Lost Track of Time

As someone with A.D.D. its not hard to loose track of time. Now most people do this on occasion but I find I do it a lot more than just once in a while. And I think it has to do with A.D.D.

For example. I go online. I have to first remember WHY I went online. It wasnt to check my facebook, my twitter, or emails. I had a purpose. Sure I might want to do those but I shouldnt be. On occasion I will look at the list I put on my ipod or my phone. But most times I try to wing it. Thats not a good idea. For I might get something done but it will take longer cause I will be distracted and loose track of time.

Since we dont have wifi at home (except when we borrow from the neighbors heehee) we have limited times, and days online. Now you would think on those days when we arent online meaning Mel and me. We would be writing down stuff to do online. I do this and loose the list or forget about them. So we have only like 1 to 3 hrs (on a rare occasion we have been online for 4 or 5hrs and man does my butt hurts LOL). In that time we are to do certain things.

I get distracted and loose track of time. Suddenly I've spent 1hr on Facebook we only had 1.5 hrs oh no. They I try to rush to do what I came to do and end up not getting it all done. I just lost track of time!

Now this happens more than just online trust me. Its not that hard to let everything get distracting. Even when I am doing something I want to do or love to do. Reading a book doesnt mean i wont get distracted if I forget about something or think of something. Its amazing how often my brain will suddenly think of something when I should be doing something else. Even sleeping. I have tried to in more recent weeks keep track of things before bed or when I get up in my ipod or on paper. The habbit isnt sticking well because I might write it down but forget to look at it next day. Starting to think this plan doesnt work! ha.

I was reading the paper one day and we were going to do laundry. I thought I could just glimpse at it and be done in 5 mint. Imagine my shock when almost 30 mint had passed, Mel was mad and it was all cause I lost track of time.

Are you getting the picture? No matter what I do I cant keep track of the important things without loosing track of time. Its a given. A.D.D.=loose track of time.

So if you have A.D.D. and you got lost in my blog. I'm sorry. My point being was just that...dont loose track of time. Try to find ways to do this. And if you do please lmk I am still trying to figure it out myself! :)

Till I remember to write again...


NOTE: Thanx to Mel for idea on this. She lost her watch for a few hours the other day and joked she'd "lost track of time" and made me think of the idea :)

Sunday, February 28, 2010

ADD doesnt mix well with...

So I have decided there are certain things that do not mix well when you have A.D.D. I'm not talking the simplest ones like Sugar, or Not Getting Sleep. I'm talking things that arent a good idea. Here are a few that I wanted to throw out there.

1. Office jobs. Not only is that so boring just THINKING about it I dont think I could stand it! Imaging sitting at a desk. Now maybe if you worked in the front office of a vet I thought that might be fun. I've tried for that type job a few times no success

2.My favorite is LARGE houses. After doing some yellow page delivering to a neighborhood filled with HUGE houses I have decided that it would NOT be a good idea to EVER live in a house that big with A.D.D. Let me tell you why. In our place with two bedrooms, a living room dining room, kitchen, 1.5baths we still loose things ALL the time. Sometimes cause the place is messy. But the most biggest reason is cause we both set things down and forget about where it was put. Not only forget we dont remember we did it at all! I was just imagining loosing stuff in a HUGE house. Just think about it. You might have like 6 rooms, 3 bathrooms, several living rooms, a large garage. The possibilities are endless that you not only WOULD loose stuff but WHERE and WHEN. I would go insane. I cant keep track of stuff in our place. What would that mean in a huge house?

I will come up with more later. But for now. If you got A.D.D. dont work at an office and NO BIG HOUSES!

Got it? Or did you get so distracted you thought you were reading this...if not cheers and see you on the other side! :)

Till I remember this again.

Friday, February 19, 2010

To Marry Someone Like Me?

So my sister said to me tonight that she thinks that she cant marry someone unless they have A.D.D. and guess what?I think she is right! I am talking not just about her I am talking about *ME* too!

If you dont have ADD how would you deal with such things I deal with daily:
1. Disorganized to the max
2. Constantly forgetting things
3. Strange sense of humor
4. Talks a lot and very fast (trying to talk as fast as I think)
5. Cant be around too much sugar without blurting out or doing stupid things
6. Bored easily
7. Does several things at once (with NO promise of finishing any of them)
8. Daydreams
9. Always late


So that got me thinking back to all those guys I was interested in from grammer school through college and beyond. I never once I thought to myself hey that person has ADD or not. Sure I didnt even know *I* had ADD (never been tested but 110% sure I have it) till I was in college but yeah its there. So was it in those guys?

I get attracted to guys for different reasons. From how they look (I was attracted to a friend who was at least 7yrs younger than me and NOT straight!), to how they act, to things I find in common. But ADD who would do that?

Makes me worry. We joke about it now, but if we meaning me and he have ADD we might forget where we leave the kids, or forget to pick them up and do it often. How do paretns who have ADD and most certaintly will pass that along to our kids deal?

I've heard having ADD does things for you in certain private areas. I never really was a big hugger especially with guys! Man what does that do when you get more personal? I heard the whole touchy w/guys (for girls) was another ADD thing.

There is this book called "ADD and Romance" and I was looking at it once becuase it was really interesting. It talked about how you should act should you have ADD and they dont. It also gave plenty of tips for the person who DOESNT have ADD but wants to be supportive of the person they are dating or married to that has it.

No wonder I interrupted my mom so much. Hello ADD! My teachers called me a "daydreamer" thats the quiet version of ADD.

Huh. So I can make a list for the guy I marry. It goes something like this:

1. Christian
2. Taller then me
3. Gets my sense of humor
4. AND has A.D.D.

Add on to that...not more than 3 yrs younger or 10 yrs older (I changed that one more recently used to be 1 yr younger, 4 yrs older but then I ran into some people who were more mature and 10 yrs younger or not mature enough and 2yrs younger yeah you get the picture).

So anyways I thought I would just think about it now on my little ADD blog...how would it go if they didnt have it.

They'd never get my actions, or why on sugar I act like I'm drunk, they'd never get my talking fast, acting strange, my sense of humor or my constantly forgetting things.

A.D.D. affects EVERY area of my life. As a Christian prayer, bible reading, even church! And that goes for everything for ADD is a brain defect and ADD is me!

So in all that I say...I should marry someone with ADD. So anyone with it feel free to apply haha ;) Kidding!!!!!

till next time see ya!