I don’t know about you, but where I live (Detroit area), Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind as to what season it is. We’re expecting temps in the 90s today, dropping to the 60s later this week. If that alone doesn’t throw us off, well…the change in season often does. The free- floating days of summer abruptly switch into back to school days. For moms, that means rushing to get new clothes and supplies for the kids. For kids, it’s having to transition into a faster pace with daily expectations.
Whether you have children or not, transitions, in general, can be pretty tough. Ever notice how hard it can be to stop yourself from, say, playing Candy Crush on the computer (don’t even get me started about that game) to getting dinner on the table?
It’s hard. It requires a change in focus and attention. We know that with ADHD, we can super duper hyperfocus on things we enjoy. But tell us to stop an interesting activity and switch to something we find boring or worse…hate…well then…we often procrastinate, shut down or simply avoid. Or..we do move on but with tension or resentment.
Here are some ways to help you transition from one activity to another:
- Use a planner or other time management system. Check it throughout the day so you’ll know when transitions are coming up. Stay- at- home moms should use one as well to help structure your otherwise unstructured day.
- Build in extra transition time. Instead of a cold turkey transition into a new activity, give yourself 10 extra minutes to stick with what you’re doing before moving on.
- Recognize that transitions are difficult. It’s your ADHD brain- NOT being lazy or high strung.
- Remind yourself that the transition is temporary. You can go back to your favored activity later or on another day.
- Send yourself a reminder that it’s almost time to stop what you’re doing. Most email programs offer alerts or check online for programs. Smart phones have plenty of such apps, like 30/30: You set up a task—such as washing the car or doing the laundry. Assign it a set time—like 30 minutes. Then you just start the timer. As you work, you’ll see exactly how much time you have left. When time is up, 30/30 will tell you to move on to the next task.
Do you have any tricks on how to transition more easily? Share them below in the comments section!
