Daily Tip: Soft guitar music may help you fall asleep

It is often hard for someone who is high-strung to relax and fall asleep.  Just like the saying, "A Tired Dog is a Happy Dog," the same often holds true for those of us with ADHD.  If you are tired you can find it easier to fall asleep, but too often when it comes time to sleep, we may not find ourselves relaxed enough to sleep due to confusion, intensity of thought or some other reason.
Sometimes some soft guitar music may be in order.
There are lots of free sources on the internet.
Here is one such free YouTube link of a playlist of classical guitar music that often can put me to straight to sleep.  No offense.
Pleasant dreams,
Amy Zents

Make sure to enjoy a sample of original music from my band Molly and Sonny Boy's newest CD release

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

Daily Tip: Avoid Medical Marijuana for ADHD

I can't take the idea of marijuana use for ADHD seriously.  The ne'er-do-well pals I have known that use drugs to cope with their ADHD have claimed it helps them, but from all appearances, all I have seen it do for any and all of them is turn them into slovenly, lazy and worthless human beings.  That is my opinion on using marijuana to help combat ADHD.  I think every one of us with ADHD is looking for a quick fix.
Well, friends, let me say, there IS NO QUICK FIX.  For the highly-regarded medical profession to advocate use of marijuana to get people to focus, get good grades, hold a steady job, manage their clutter, and deal with employees and employers sanely, is ridiculous!
All the drug has shown is what doctors have known all along.  Smoking or using only damages the precious brain all the more.
And that is my opinion.  I don't use, and I hope you won't either.
As you know I am doing an experiment called "Sing out, Clean up, and Work out." Today is Day 5 of the project.  I am delighted to say yesterday my efforts at healthy eating and portion-control was a fabulous success.  Thank goodness for modern food production, and that huge bag of oranges I got on sale that are full of fibre, sweet and delish!
Hope you are having a fine Friday.
I just walked the pooches to stretch my hamstrings and calves and to make the dogs happy.
Perhaps you do not know, for comic relief, I share a daily one-panel comic online called, Cole's Kibble
I am also a singer-songwriter with a BIG SENSE OF HUMOR, again, comic relief.  Enjoy this song I performed and wrote a couple of years ago called, "Good Morning Appetite."  I will lick the weight problem with your help and portion-control, calorie-counting and busy blogging! :-)
Have a great day!
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents

Daily Tip: A cozy nest, not a hornet's nest and Pet Peeve.

I must say with only 3 major things on my plate, keeping the house clean and neat is still a challenge.
Yesterday was day 2 in my 18 day experiment of doing the 3 major things:  Sing out, clean up and work out.  I did practice for the St. Patty's Day Gig with my husband.  We worked on such tunes as Early One Morning, All for me Grog and The Mermaid.  We also worked on Song for Ireland which you can see and hear a version of it here taped a long time ago.
We worked out at the gym for an hour.  I was glad that we did because it jump-started my plan to go daily to the gym and got it in motion.
I did dishes morning, noon, but not night; so now, when I go into the kitchen, I need to wrestle with a sinkful of yesterday's dishes.
I was supposed to run the sound board at the radio station for a game last night, but it got cancelled on account of the weather.   We watched a couple of episodes downstairs of an old TV show off DVD's I bought for my husband last Christmas about the ultimate fictional ADHD'er, "Get Smart," and enjoyed it, laughing and laughing.  Then we took the party upstairs and I wound up hanging out in bed with my man, watching a 1977 movie, starring Simon Pegg entitled, "Hot Fuzz."
A pet peeve day: I didn't realize pets can be so demanding and annoying at times.  Yesterday, it seemed every time I went downstairs, the cat was after me, meowing for milk, or the dogs were hounding me to go for a walk outside.
I have music students coming over this afternoon and evening.  The living room is cluttered with instruments, music books and a lot of "stuff."  So, I will be doing some cleaning this morning.  Now it is time for breakfast, a music practice, a jaunt to the local gym and then I will do my utmost to clean house.
I hope you are doing well.  As for other ADHD'ers,  try to limit yourself in worrying.  Yes, you want a cozy nest, and you want the best, not a hornet's nest, but the facts are clear, to worry about all of it only causes pain.  It is best to quit feeling sorry for yourself, and just do what you can do.  Afterwards, you can enjoy the pleasure of it all.
'Til tomorrow, stay focused and keep singing out, cleaning up and working out!
I remain, yours truly,
Amy Zents
Check out a sample of my song , "A.D.D. blues," here, YAY!  My bandsite is back up!
© Amalia Zents

Daily Tip: Avoid Overload, seek minimalism for now.

I think the problems of two days ago are summed up in the statement, "Don't try and live your life in one day."  I had so much catch-up work to do, dishes, laundry, unloading all the stuff from my truck from that music studio display at the Chamber of Commerce, that I overloaded myself and then got worn out.
Perhaps you suffer from the effects of distractedness, and you think, "Wow, I need to catch up in my life." You might even try and make a massive list of all the work and activities you want to get done. Well, the facts are you need to lighten your load, at least that is what I have discovered.
Once you know what the most important things are that need to get done: i.e. paying bills, meetng expenses by working, getting enough sleep; then you need to find a way to get started. One way I would suggest is giving yourself the shortest amount of time possible to dedicate to the task. Then, go ahead and do what it takes to get 'er done. So what, if you did not :
devote 2 hours to working out at the gym, or perhaps you \
did not send a fancy new card to a family member,
as long as you got to the gym for a few minutes, and
wrote to the relative a short note on sheet of paper or a post card, and mailed it, with a stamp on it, good for you!
Minimalism is not just an art form. It should be your lifestyle, at least for now, until you find out what it is you can reasonably do in a longer period of time.

Make sure to hear my song ADD Blues. It is available now at CD baby on my band's latest CD release "Rhythm N Blues Grass," and on Amazon, iTunes, and Nabster.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mollysonnyboy2
Peace
© Amalia Zents

Daily Tip: You Deserve the Best, and #CelebrityADHDSunday

Good morning Friends, and Happy Sunday!
Before I reveal my blog for today, let me mention my most recent trying experiences with ADHD. I nearly stabbed my hand with scissors impatiently trying to open a stick of foundation makeup, and I dropped my new Nexus Cell phone a couple of times on the hardwood floor, and on the icy sidewalk yesterday. Why these banana-fingers, or butter-fingers, or whatever you call it? And why this impatience in handling sharp objects? We know the name of the disorder, ADHD! And the saga continues. But, let's move ahead to today's message, talking about your "best guest." Also, today I will feature one celebrity who seems to me to exhibit traits of ADHD.
Your Best Guest
Who is your best Guest, whose companionship do you think you ought to enjoy?
Of course, the answer is this: Your best GUEST is YOU!!!
First, why not talk about you? With ADHD, the mind is buzzing so much, that (much to the chagrin of family, friends and colleagues) the emphasis is often on you and what you feel you want, think, or need to satisfy that insatiable urge for stimulation and variety. Others may think you are narcissistic, but that is furthest from the truth, IMHO.
You may or may not believe this, but here is what I believe you deserve...
You deserve a world free from clutter, stress and emotional angst.
You deserve to wear clean clothes, take a daily bath or shower, have a nice hairdo, work out often by walking or going to the gym, by enjoying the blessings of family, recreation and romance.
You deserve traveling and visiting places without driving 100 miles off track winding up in another state because you couldn't prepare directions before the trip, you deserve laughter and good times, proper rest and happy, productive and fulfilling work.
You deserve the best because you are your best GUEST, and HOST. You can come home to a place of peace, order and harmony without opening the fridge or the closet and having an avalanche occur, you can decide NOT to binge-eat, binge-drink, binge-shop, or indulge in obsessive-compulsive actions that hurt you and others. You can treat your mind, body, self, dreams, lover, family and friends with respect and attention. You can avoid giving them the brush-off because you are so uptight from all your fears and pain.
You can find fulfillment with a goal and a plan to make it happen.
But you need to develop the will-power muscle and the organization to get to where you want to go.
In this blog, I am going to bring to mind different areas of life that deserve our attention, so that you (and myself) can continually transform our own lives in ways that will support and assist us in the quest for sane, happy, relationships and contentment while coping with our ADHD. Sound good? Stay tuned for each daily installment and subscribe to this blog. I am also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/therealamyzents

#CelebrityADHDSunday
Now here is your #CelebrityADHDSunday feature.  It highlights a star who I think exhibits impulsive, and high-risk ADHD behavior.  I am only stating my opinion, and do not wish to upset anyone with my conjecture, but take a look at Andy Dick with Ivanka Trump.


Til tomorrow, try to stay as focused as you can on what you really, really want to happen for your best and highest aspirations in life! And, I hope you will check out my song, "A.D.D. Blues," off my band, Molly and Sonny Boy's, latest CD called, "Rhythm 'N Blues Grass." Available for download at
CD Baby.
Here is a video clip with a part of the song featured in it.

Have a great day! Musically yours,
Amy Zents
© Amalia Zents