At first glance, it would seem that Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and positive thinking have absolutely nothing at all to do with one another. But many of us who have Attention Deficity Disorder develop negative patterns of thought due to the fact that we begin to be frustrated by the challenges and many times a feeling of being completely overwhelmed. This very negativemanner of seeing the world then makes it even more difficult for any one of us to manage those challenges we are forced to face and move ahead.
Doing positive thinking allows people with ADD to focus on strengths and achievements, which increases motivation and happiness. This, in turn, allows a person to spend more time making progress, and considerably less time feeling stuck and down. The tips that follow provide very
practical suggestions that you can use to help youmove into more positive patterns of thinking:
1. Don't Forget to Take Good Care of Yourself
It's a great deal easier to be positive when you are exercising, eating well, and getting enough rest.
2. Remind Yourself of the Things You Are Grateful For
Challenges and stresses don't seem nearly as bad when you arerepeatedly reminding yourself of those things that are right in life. Taking just a minute every day to stop and have a good appreciation of the good things will make abig difference.
3. Look for the Proof, Don't Make Assumptions
A fear of not being liked or accepted sometimes leads us to assume that we know what others are possiblythinking, but our fears are usually not well founded. If you have a fear that a friend or family member's bad mood is due to something you did, or that your co-workers are secretly gossiping about you behind your back, speak up and ask them about it. Don't waste any time worrying that you did anything wrong unless you can come up with some proof that there is something to worry about.
4. Stay Away from Using Absolutes
Have you ever told anyone "You're ALWAYS late!" or complained to a loved one "You NEVER call me!"? Thinking or speaking in absolutes such as 'always' and 'never' makes things seem worse than they are, and puts programming into your brain so that you believe that certain people are incapable of delivering.
5. Refrain From Negative Thoughts
Thoughts you have can't achieve any power over you if you don't permit them. Should you notice yourself putting forth a negative thought, make sure you detach yourself from it, bear witness to it, and don't follow it.
6. Stomp on the "ANTS"
In his fascinating book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen tells about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, such as "these people are laughing, it's a good bet they are talking about me," or "You say the boss wants to see me? It must be something bad!" When you recognize thoughts such as these, realize that they are nothing more than ANTs and crush them!
7. Practice Squeezin', Lovin' and Touchin' (Your Friends and Family)
There's no requirement for you to be an expert to have an understanding of the benefits of a nice hug. Having positive physical contact with friends, loved ones, and even pets, gives you an immediate pick-me-up. One research project on this particular subject had a waitress touching some of her customers' arms as she handed them their checks. The tips she got from these customers were higher than from those customers she didn't touch!
8. Raise Your Level of Social Activity
By getting involved in more social activity, you reduce loneliness. Make sure you surround yourself with happy, healthy people, and their positive energy will have a very positive effect on you!
9. Try Helping Another Person, or Volunteering for an Organization
Everyone feels good after helping. You can volunteer your resources, your time, or your money. The more positive energy you put out into the world, the more you will benefit from in return.
10. Use Thought Pattern Interrupst to Combat Rumination
If you catch yourself ruminating, the best way of stopping it is to interrupt the pattern and make yourself do something that is completely different. What rumination amounts to is hyper-focus on something negative. Rumination's never productive, because it's not solution-oriented or rational, it only represents extreme worry. You can deal with it by trying to change your physical environment - sit outside or take a walk. You could also call a friend, turn on some music, or pick up a book.
When you think of the corporate world, protocol is pretty much practiced like a religion. Knowing the things to do represents the basic fundamentals of productivity, but interaction and having a steady mind makes up the entire thing to allow true productivity. There are some who appear to work well even if under pressure, but they are not common ones and we are just human and imperfect. If we permit these little things like stress under our skins, it won't solve our problems. Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to confess to the fact that we're well on our way to turning into workaholics than tell ourselves that we aren't doing our best.
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