Dealing with clutter is an ongoing issue for many with ADHD and ADD

Hi fellow ADD and ADHD sufferers,
I have a friend coming over today to help me with the housework.
Hopefully, things go well. Not only am I ADD, but I am a control freak, and junior hoarder.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Peace.

Make sure to enjoy a sample of original music from my band Molly and Sonny Boy's newest CD release http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mollysonnyboy2

From the creator of Cole's Kibble and How I fight ADHD comes this:

A book about a dog is always intriguing.
How about a book about a Poodle with A.D.D, also known as an Attention-deficit dog?
Bitey Poodle is such a dog.
In the first of a series of books involving Bitey Poodle, a trust fund dog with a whim of iron and a heart of gold, called "Bitey Poodle's Vices," dog-owner and dog fiction author Amalia E. Zents takes you on a comedic thrill ride through Bitey Poodle's world.
Learn more about how he copes in a major metropolis as a trust fund pup who is on the look-out for
adventure, fun, and romance.
Young adult readers will lap it up, and so will you!
For more information on the series and to read free samples of the ebook and paper-back see Amazon
I welcome your feedback.
Keep on smiling!
Amalia

Daily Tip: Eat nothing bigger than your head...and #CelebrityADHDSunday

A lot of us who have A.D.H.D or A.D.D. tend to have challenges with our appetites.  We have been blessed with BIG appetites and love every morsel of every meal AND snack.  We are enormously fond of love, life, grand emotions and most of all FOOD!
How to cope when you are HUNGRY?  Eat!  Right?  Weeeellllll, truth be told, we of the A.D.H.D, or A.D.D.-stripe often eat when we are not physically hungry, but out of a want to satisfy our taste-buds and comfort our souls.  This hunger is disguised as the craving to chow down, but the hunger is often a different one and can run a lot deeper.  It is a big hunger for happiness and a remedy to relieve stress.
I find

• blogging, dog-walking and doing any number of interesting activities helps,
• so does playing video games or activities that prevent you from having hands free to eat,

can help a little.  Maybe you can think of something else, like crafts or playing guitar.

Keep busy and keep in touch with your feelings.  Otherwise, get some exercise into your life, and make healthier food choices and then you will live longer and look better.

#CelebrityADHDSunday
Here is a glimpse of our celeb of the week who exhibits the traits and accompanying consequences of over-eating that might be led by A.D.D., or not.  Nevertheless, despite his wealth, Hollywood movie director, Kevin Smith still has not got a handle on his healthy weight, then again, he is like many obese Americans, myself included, a victim of the abundant food temptations here. 
Mr. Smith is also openly in favor of the legalization of pot, (a favorite drug of choice of many who claim to have A.D.D.)   He shares his views on weed as shown in this Tweet he sent to the Governor of California quoted from the L.A. Times online  “I said ‘Gov -- can I give you a piece of California advice?' He said sure," Smith wrote. "I said 'Before you ever leave office, legalize weed. Lead the way. You know it's the right thing to do.’ He laughed and said goodbye." 
Anyone who understands pot knows that it can create a condition called, "the munchies."  Don't allow marijuana to beat you down.  Personally-speaking, I've noticed among pot-smoking associates I have met at school and at work, that using pot OFTEN leads them to obesity, sloth, a lack of motivation, low self-esteem, poverty, alcohol abuse, (alcohol known to many as "liquid fat,") nasty relationships, breaking things, alienating family and adding to the A.D.H.D. symptoms in the hopes of feeling good. 


Take care of yourself movie director, Kevin Smith.
Dear reader have a great week, er feast, and don't just say, "No," to damaging health habits, say, "I'll stay safe and sober." 
Having A.D.H.D. is one burden, don't automatically add more by abusing your health, and finances.  Remember: you are totally cool already.
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Wishing and Hoping is different than working and action

Today I was busy the whole day long, and I have my husband to thank for being right by my side assisting me in all the chores.  Stove corn fuel is heavy and he brought in 600 pounds for me.  Going to the gym is great when your husband goes with you and cleaning and vacuuming the living room, making supper and walking the dogs together makes the load lighter.
I must say life means a lot of work, and there is a lot of joy to be had when one has a good partner and a plan to get things done.
Today my gratitude is for pen and paper.  I used the back of an envelope to write out my to-dos, but we got 'em done.
Now it is time for bed.
Amy Zents

© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Voluntary Simplicity

In spite of the billions of things there are out there to buy for every conceivable task, hobby, interest or taste, there comes a time when we have to deal with everything we have accumulated and scratch out heads and ask, "Is all this stuff necessary?"
Right now I am sitting in a cluttered computer room, in front of this computer thinking about the dishes in the sink, the untidy living room and the fact the dogs need to go out.
So much to worry about.  Having dogs is a pleasure, doing dishes is a pain.
Unfortunately, I cannot delegate the housework to a regal staff of housekeepers, and I can either wait for a Fairy Godmother, or else, do the work myself.
I intend to get some things done shortly, the dishes, take the dogs out and clean up a bit.  Right now it is time to have breakfast and then I need to get to the gym.  My daily gratitude is regarding my music 
education.  I am glad to have my college degree and all the privileges that go along with it.
I want to start edging towards less is more...and that means going through some stuff and deciding what to keep, sell or throw away.  That will be my work for this month of March!
Here is a song I wrote called, "I ain't no shopaholic."

Have a great day,
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Schedule Less to do more

Does it seem to you time just evaporates when you make a giant to-do list?
I have some priorities that need to get done everyday whether or not I put them on my to-do list.
These priorities surround my pets, my home and my personal needs such as good grooming and exercise.  Nevertheless, mere existence is not the only thing I am focused on.  I have many other things I would like to do besides, eating, sleeping, dressing and exercising myself and the dogs.
But, these recurring chores have to find a place in my day because they are mandatory for a pleasant existence.
One of my biggest time-suckers is TV-watching!  I like to watch mysteries and comedies, exciting adventures and for some reason I generally wind up staying up half the night watching TV.
I find it stupid when I reflect on it, why watch so many other people having fun while I am robbing myself of special dreamtime?  It makes no sense!
So, from now on I will try and force myself to not watch TV after midnight.
I wish I hated TV!  It is such a wonderful amusement, but not very profitable or very healthy.
I wish I could confine my TV-watching to Thursdays and Fridays....I think I will try that for the next 6 months because I am on a weightloss trek.
I have dropped 6 lbs since Februrary 17th, 2010 by counting calories and cycling at the gym.
My daily gratitude is regarding sleep. I am grateful to have a chance to recharge my batteries in sweet slumber, per chance to dream.  To help me to make good on my promise to abstain from TV-viewing most nights, except Thurs. and Fridays, my husband helped me to feel good about myself, by purchasing for me a mystery novel, and a glamorous romance so I can unwind to a book instead of to the bright lights of the bedroom HD TV system. Being properly rested will help me in so many ways, I am certain.  Everyone would do well to get enough sleep, and keep off too much TV!'

Well, time to get moving!

Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Be careful when being generous

Today I was charged 30 dollars for a 4 dollar overdraft at the bank.  I thought those days were behind me, but apparantly the way the bank I deal with doesn't care about disenchanting me by whomping me with the overdraft fee. 
Guess who is closing that bank account as soon as she can?  Me.  My gripe lies in the fact that their computer banking system is slow, and to me it feels as if they cheated me because I knew my funds were low, but the overdraft was not evident on my online account when I checked it yesterday. 
Why did I take out too much? 
I was trying to be generous. 
I was trying to buy our fuel for the past month, to help with the household expenses. 
We heat with corn stove fuel and everytime I go to buy it at the United Farmers Cooperative they only accept checks, so I write checks from my business account. 
I don't balance my checkbook, of course, because the detailed work is too cumbersome for a person who has A.D.H.D, that is, for me at least.
Well, I drove to the bank first thing this morning and put in monies to cover the overdraft, monies from a tuition check I received from one of my music students last week, and the paycheck I got from my radio job on Feb. 15th. 
That is another thing I fail to do very often, deposit checks. 
I get checks but I wait for them to pile up before I take them to the bank. 
You may wish you had that problem, but the checks arn't that big, and my employer has been promising direct deposit, but it has failed to materialize.
Money problems have to do with the organizational habits one strives to cultivate.  For me, I try to keep myself solvent by not racking up consumer debt through credit card use.  Nevertheless, if you do not balance your checkbook you may wind up in deep doo-doo, like I did: 
Flushing 30 dollars down the toilet in addition to the 4 dollar overdraft!
So before you write that check to be generous, be careful, you should have sufficient funds to cover it.
Or if you don't, you should have sufficient funds to make good on the overdraft and the overdraft fee!
My daily gratitude is regarding self-employment.  I am grateful to have a home-based business as a music teacher, it helps keeps me to feel good about myself while I educate others.  And it makes me tidy my home and it keep it nice for company, and it continues to nourish me in the field wherein lies my interest, that of music, and it nurtures my artistic ambitions, and entertains me as well, because music is fun!
Regarding money, I know that I need to care more for my income by managing it better, and monitoring it better.
I have a lot of cleaning to do now, since I have company coming over tonight.
Til tomorrow,
Stay happy.
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Eat right and sleep right to feel alright!

I find because I have A.D.H.D. that I am hardly ever hungry, but I mostly eat for pleasure.  At other times, I ignore my hunger and then I go for hours on end without eating and then I feel famished and weak, and make up for it with overeating.
I think finding peace with food is vital for a good life and my husband and I are working on portion control, healthy eating habits and a good exercise program.
My daily gratitude is regarding the Internet. I am grateful to have a home computer, and the Internet that keeps me in touch with others, educates me when I need to do research on my interests and ambitions, and entertains me.  Regarding the Internet, I know that I need to care more for my band website for my band Molly and Sonny Boy, by improving it and updating it.
Yesterday I did a lot of things in the housework vein, and I almost ate more than my daily calorie quotient, but I did not overeat because I was counting my calories and so, when I stepped on the scale this morning I was pleasantly surprised.  I had dropped some weight, and I know this for a fact, if you count calories and manage your portion control you can succeed in weight control.
As for concentration, sleep is vital for it, and yet I am still lured to stay up half the night watching TV and movies.
I need to cut off my huge dependancy on Hollywood for mental stimulation, and get back into reading books.  That will surely benefit me in dropping off to sleep.
So, now it is time to head on over to the St. Peter food co-op, then hit the gym and do some cardio and stretching, a few full-range free weights, and some weight machines.
Have a beautiful day, and remember to remember, to relax and breathe.
Staying as focused as I can,
Amy Zents

© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Happy thoughts, or don't bring me down & #celebrityadhdSunday

There is a song called, "Don't bring me down."  I've noticed since I have been made aware of my A.D.H.D I have put myself down a lot.
It is vital to a healthy self-esteem to quit that negative self-chit-chat.  We talk to ourselves all day long.  Our attitude is one part of our self-image, and self-respect begins at home with yourself.
I know for the longest time, due to my A.D.H.D. and scattered thinking, I haven't been very respectful of me, or my stuff.
I think that translates to other things as well, and so now, I will try to affirm my own self-esteem by being a little kinder when I think of my condition.
Again attention-deficit is a two-edged sword, it can help or harm  depending on what you or I choose to hone in on.
I think for now I am just going to try and focus on my strengths and also what it is I can achieve, or have achieved.
There is a lot of good in each of us, and a lot we can be grateful for.
That is why I want to make one gratitude statement in my blog each day.
Today I am thankful for my 2 dogs, Cole and Pixie, that force me into the fresh air and get me to exercise and release my angst.

Here's to Happy thoughts.

PS. #celebrityadhdSunday

Here is an example of a celebrity who I think may have A.D.D. because of some of his things he says,

Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Hyperfocus Zone and Internet Temptations

There is a ton of information online, and a great chance to waste a lot of your time.  You can start a search at Google and wind spending 12 hours watching videos on YouTube or staring at Celebrity photos on Tweetphoto.
Time disappears if you have A.D.D. or A.D.H.D and when you have entered into: a phrase I have coined, the Hyperfocus Zone.
In HZ, you can fritter precious momemts of life in many unconnected, mundane ways, or you can decide to take use your skills, experience, and interest and channel your energies into making YOUR life the best it can be, and succeed wonderfully!
Alas, what generaaly occurs in the HZ, is we get so caught up in our Internet fun, that we create an atmosphere of obssessive attention  forming a type of self-hypnosis, that mesmerizes us and glues our bums to our chairs. so that even the thought of taking a potty break does not appeal to us!
How do we counteract this Internet addiction, or hyperfocused zone?
Well, the first things we need to do are Prioritize, Plan and decide.
Then we need to act.
1 hour on spent on Facebook, or Twitter is fine to catch up. 
10 hours is not really very wise, unless you want to, and can afford to.
Do your best to get real, and get offline, and I will too. 
It is hard. 
What good are your opportunities to visit the library, go to the ice rink, the park, the pool, the playground, the community centre, or your job when you have the Internet?
You decide.  You have the Internet now, like a giant fun temptation, a huge personal amusement park, and you also own an awesome ability to hyperfocus on what you like for hours on end.  Will you use your power to hyperfocus for good time use, or for evil time wasting?
Will I?
I shall make my list and hop to it.
I hope you will too.
Hyperfocusedly yours,
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Don't start your engine late. Read my scary tale.

You see I am late.  Always, always late. What? You gotta be kidding!  Well, it takes me awhile to warm up to an idea, a problem, a gig, a place.
My boss gave me an ultimatum (well sorta, he teased me about tossing me in the dumpster,) in a kidding way.  Recently for my on-air shift he asked me politely to arrive 10 minutes early to work.  Happily, my attempts at doing so, have resulted on my arriving for my board-shift on time, with me being a lot more composed and prepared for the show.  Now the out-of-town, on-location gigs are a different story.    Read my scary tale:

This morning was a fast and furious one.  I had to move fast this morning.  When I'd finally arrived to meet a colleague to follow him to a broadcast, he was furious I was late!  He'd anxiously waited for me to arrive for our appointment.  It was pre-arranged that I should follow him in my car to another town for the broadcast, and he was positively fuming when I finally walked in the door.  He growled at me that we would have to drive fast.  So, I followed him out of town and he drove so fast, I lost him for awhile, but caught up to him even though I felt he was over-dramatizing my tardiness by driving dangerously at scary speeds to make it to the Cafe on time for the broadcast.  When we had both finally arrived to the broadcast location, and I had warmed up to the idea that it was time to get to work, then things settled down, and it was business as usual. 
The other day I had to meet a different salesman to drive to a broadcast except, in that instance, HE was late, and I felt a tad vindicated THAT morning.  But, NOT this morning! 
It was I who was the one who got dumped on for being late.
Most of all, it was stressful raising the ire of a respected colleague. 
It was also quite nerve-wracking to me to have to follow an angry driver out of town in rural country parts hastening at scary speeds on slippery roads.
The message of this story? 
Don't start your engine late.
Warm up to the idea of your appointment, task or chore, well in advance of crunch-time. 
This goes for me and anyone who has time management and organizational issues. 
A lot of A.D.D., and A.D.H.D-sufferers have problems shifting gears from one activity to another, but real life demands it. 
Just like sticking your hand in a pot of boiling water will make you cry "Ouch," lateness, and the REALITY of it, can bite you in the butt if you ignore getting to where you need to be, or doing what you need to do on time. 
If he says, "Meet me at 7:10am," and you say, "OK."  Then meeting him at 7:25am is late!
Don't be late.  Know what you need to do, and think about shifting gears, and activities before you wind up in a frenzy.
Remember: warm up your brain before you wind up late, or dead!
Peace,
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010

Daily Tip: Use monologuing to YOUR advantage

Hello.  If you have been following this blog, you may have noticed I have not yet written about monologuing.  What is monologuing?  Well, in the theatre, a good example would be, "To be, or not to be."  Basicaly speaking, monologuing is speaking outloud to yourself whether people are present or not.  More often than not, the A.D.H.D'er will have someone present, but will hardly notice whilst he or she rambles on and on, usually annoying the other person present, due to the overabundance of speech on the one side, and the lack of conversation on the other.
Why do we monologue?  The answers are varied, of course, but usually it is to try and sort things out in our A.D.H.D. or A.D.D.-addled minds.
If you are verbose, you can use monologuing to your advantage. How?  Well, you might enter the field of radio or public speaking where a wealth of speech is a good thing.  You may be a writer, and create stories and songs, or be a reporter to spill the beans, empty your mind and find clarity, serenity and more.
Here is a strange example of my monologuing, used to my advantage to express my love for my husband the day after Valentines Day:

Try and be as mindful as you can when others are around.  Note: usually monologuing is perceived by others as selfish one-sided conversation.  It isn't, but people think it is.
Keep focused and use your monologues to make money, or make good.
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents 2010