I attended a wedding shower last weekend. It was a happy occasion, of course, and I enjoyed being with people I love and care about. But it also ruined my week. Or I should say, the last two weeks. Why?
This is one of those ADHD “issues” that most people simply can’t understand. Like many women with ADHD, I have a hard time making decisions. I procrastinate. And…I hate clothes shopping. That combination is a recipe for disaster when there’s a special event coming up and there’s nothing to wear- EVEN when my closet is filled with clothes. Ok, so some of that stuff IS from the 1980s, but that’s another issue.
Another common trait seen in ADHD is ruminating, obsessive thinking. So…in thinking about this shower that was coming up, I worried about the fact that I didn’t have an outfit to wear. Instead of looking forward to the event, I obsessed about what to wear and put off solving the problem by not assessing the options in my closet and avoiding the real possibility of having to get some new clothes.
Two days before the event, I began to panic. So I did what every other “normal” woman would finally do- head into the closet and see what might or might not work. Of course, that takes tremendous effort. Many women with inattentive ADHD, especially, have little energy to do things they hate. Trying on clothes, for me, is one of those exhausting activities. But imagine my surprise when I found an outfit that would work!
Lesson learned? The obvious one of not putting off what you can do today. Or as one woman recently told me, never put off today what you can do tomorrow (gotta love it). But really, what I learned is that had I jumped in and faced my fears early on, I could have avoided two weeks of ruminating and worry. I could have looked forward to the shower instead of dreading it.
What can you do to face an unpleasant task- today- so that you can finally get it off your mind or to-do list?
