Learning Something New

10/8/24

No matter what age you are there are always new things to learn. New ways to be. Change is always possible, no matter what barriers you perceive. We can do it. We can make a change, learn a new way.

I will talk a lot about my own experiences, and I hope you share your own. At my age, I’ve been through great highs and lows. I’ve often had to make changes in my life to come out the other side, hopefully a better person. I have no illusions of ever being perfect, not even a little bit, but usually each change brings me to a better place.

I expect to continue to learn and change for the rest of my days, and I wish the same for you. So, you can count on my posts to be about learning and changing.

These are my current areas of concern: learning to deal with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) after a lifetime of not knowing I had it. Also, I’m recently retired and figuring out a way to stay connected to people and have a purpose. I’ll share some of the things that I find that work and also when I struggle. Please, when you’re comfortable, share yours.

So, I’ve learned that ADHD appears differently in women, rather than men in many ways. For some of us, hyperactivity lives in the brain, rather than being unable to sit still. Mine never ever turns off. Sleeping is a struggle, accompanied by dreams. As a writer, I have had many stories ideas from dreaming. But they usually are about an anxiety I am having, rather than a storyline. I also struggle to keep my occasional outbursts under control, am extremely blunt – not rude, simply straightforward. Noticing everything about everything and everyone, I compliment random people regularly. I have a very hard time concentrating on something I’m not interested in.

On the upside, I have learned enough to realize I have great strengths because of this condition. I easily see patterns in physical things but also behaviors and situations.  I can often see the problem and the solution way before others. I can hyper-focus on things I’m interested in and get things done quickly under a deadline. I’m extremely creative and innovative.

So, I work on managing the downside and appreciating my strengths. I’ll share some of tricks I’ve learned to change my habits and ways to use affirmations to build my self-image.

TIP #1 – When your mind is whirling and you can’t get off the merry-go-around, try this. Think “what is my next thought going to be?” This has worked very well for me. When my daughter suggested it, I didn’t think it would work. I was wrong.