In my coaching practice, there are certain weeks that I
refer to as "theme weeks." These are weeks in which many of
my clients seem to be dealing with a similar challenge. For
the past week, that challenge can best be described as "The
Blahs."
It's not that things are falling apart, but stress and
overwhelm are kicking in for what seems like no particular
reason. More than anything, people are feeling tired,
bored, and just kinda "blah." Since this is a recurring
theme in my coaching, and I have to admit I've felt it a
bit myself, too, I can only conclude one thing: this
inexplicable blah feeling is a result of season changes.
While not all of us suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder
(depression often brought on by winter), adults with
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are more neurologically
sensitive than most. So small changes in our environment
can have big effects on our mood. There are about 2 weeks
left before winter officially begins, but the days are
already much shorter and, for many of us, the temperatures
have dropped significantly. The loss of daylight hours
alone is enough to make an ADDer feel sluggish, tired, and
moody. In other words: blah.
Slowing down in fall and winter is actually quite normal
and natural, just as it's natural to feel more energy in
the spring and summer. Rather than beating yourself up over
feeling "blah," why not give yourself permission to slow
down a bit?
Adults with ADD have a nasty habit of punishing themselves
for not being productive enough. You set big goals, get mad
at yourself when you don't finish them quickly enough (or
at all), and you tell yourself that you're not allowed to
have fun until you get all that work done. But does that
approach work? Nope.
If you don't feel up to going out as much, or taking on too
many projects, don't push yourself. If you find yourself
getting tired earlier in the evening, get some extra sleep.
Humans, like all animals, are programmed to take our cues
from nature. So when the sun goes down early, the animals
begin to hibernate, and many of the plants around us go
dormant, it's natural for us to want to slow down, too.
Of course, if at any point you find yourself wanting to
sleep all the time or feel extreme sadness or hopelessness,
then you may be depressed and it's important to talk to
your doctor.
For most of us, however, the seasonal blahs will visit us
every year around this time. Instead of pushing yourself to
be "productive" and beating yourself up because you're not
getting as much done as you were a month ago, try putting
your energy into cooking nourishing meals, enjoying good
books, and catching up on the movies you want to see.
I'm willing to bet that when you take the pressure off,
those seasonal blahs will begin to fade. Remember, it's
okay to slow down when the seasons change. Just be sure to
take good care of yourself!
----------------------------------------------------
Jennifer Koretsky is the Founder of the ADD Management
Group, Inc. and the author of Odd One Out: The Maverick's
Guide to Adult ADD. Jennifer and her team work with ADD
adults who are overwhelmed with everyday life in order to
help them simplify, focus, and succeed. For free resources
and information on adult ADD, visit
http://www.ADDmanagement.com .
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