Professional multi-tasking
Earlier today I was asked about A.D.D. Now, I seriously think that I am A.D.D., and I think I developed it as an adult, because I don't remember being like this as a kid.
When was the last time you went to the kitchen on a specific mission, say to get a glass of water, and 20 minutes later realized you were still thirsty? Much like my dear puppy, I can’t seem to stay focused for very long on any one task. Let me explain how my brain functions…
On a good day at work (and by good, I mean I started it with 2 or 3 cups of coffee—I’ll explain later.), I chat online, work on my budget, analyze a section of my collection, and have the radio going, while discussing the current debate topic with a student. All of the tasks are completed at the best possible level and in a timely fashion. On a bad day (a day I’ve either run out of coffee or decided to swear off the evil beast and go without caffeine), all I manage all day long is to read reviews for 10-15 books and eat lunch. Now, granted, that’s not all I do in that day, but that’s all I complete.
The key for me is the caffeine. In an ADD or ADHD individual, caffeine has the opposite effect as it does in a “normal” person. For some reason, and science hasn’t adequately explained this, caffeine helps control the misfiring in the brain. Now, my mind never stops working. I read in bed because I can focus a large part of my mind on the book—reading the words, comprehending them, painting the images in my mind. The only other way I’ve ever been able to fall asleep is when R “talks me to sleep.” He’s got a really nice voice that just slows me down—sounds like he’s from South Carolina. He'll attest that I just doze right off.
I had a great boss in college who kept chocolate around at work--Hershey's minis. If I got too wired or too spaced out, she'd toss a couple my way. Love that woman.
When was the last time you went to the kitchen on a specific mission, say to get a glass of water, and 20 minutes later realized you were still thirsty? Much like my dear puppy, I can’t seem to stay focused for very long on any one task. Let me explain how my brain functions…
On a good day at work (and by good, I mean I started it with 2 or 3 cups of coffee—I’ll explain later.), I chat online, work on my budget, analyze a section of my collection, and have the radio going, while discussing the current debate topic with a student. All of the tasks are completed at the best possible level and in a timely fashion. On a bad day (a day I’ve either run out of coffee or decided to swear off the evil beast and go without caffeine), all I manage all day long is to read reviews for 10-15 books and eat lunch. Now, granted, that’s not all I do in that day, but that’s all I complete.
The key for me is the caffeine. In an ADD or ADHD individual, caffeine has the opposite effect as it does in a “normal” person. For some reason, and science hasn’t adequately explained this, caffeine helps control the misfiring in the brain. Now, my mind never stops working. I read in bed because I can focus a large part of my mind on the book—reading the words, comprehending them, painting the images in my mind. The only other way I’ve ever been able to fall asleep is when R “talks me to sleep.” He’s got a really nice voice that just slows me down—sounds like he’s from South Carolina. He'll attest that I just doze right off.
I had a great boss in college who kept chocolate around at work--Hershey's minis. If I got too wired or too spaced out, she'd toss a couple my way. Love that woman.
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