Tips For Managing Worry and ADHD

DESCRIPTION: Too much worry comes at a cost. Here are the techniques you can use to put your worry to work so you can manage it. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * Not all worry is bad. * Too much worry comes at a cost. * ADHD working memory challenges can exacerbate worry. * There are techniques not to fuse with your worry. * Pause before acting on your worry. * Then either use techniques to either accept or create solutions for your worry RESOURCES: * Part 1 – ADHD and Avoiding Negative Thinking Traps * Part 2 – ADHD and Avoiding Negative Thinking Traps TRANSCRIPT: (00:00): Do you ever feel like your worry takes over sometimes and maybe you even hyperfocus on it. But you’d really like to stop? You’ve tuned into Scattered Focused, Done Re-Imagining Productivity with ADHD, a podcast for ADHD adults like you who want to learn how to adopt the best strategies, tools, and skills to get your essential work done in a way that works with the way your brain is wired. I’m Marla Cummins, and I’m glad you’re joining me today on this journey to re-imagining Productivity with ADHD, so you can get what is important to you done without trying to do it like everyone else. (00:41): Worrying isn’t all bad for ADHD adults. In fact, a certain amount of worrying can help motivate you. If you’re worried about ruining your car engine, you might be motivated to get your oil changed, right? But too much worry can come at a cost if it takes up much of your time and energy and causes inordinate stress, especially if there’s no benefit. (01:03): But you also shouldn’t try to avoid worrying because it makes you feel uncomfortable. Because you know that doesn’t work. The worrying, thoughts and discomfort, will just keep on popping up, right? Because there’s no amount of TV, food, or video games that can get your mind off what you’re worrying about. Because worrying is like a boomerang. But they can ricochet less when you use the strategies I’ll share with you. (01:29): First a bit about the relationship between ADHD and worry. While everyone worries. Adults with A DHD tend to get stuck in excessive worrying. One of the reasons for this is related to your ADHD working memory challenges. Remember, working memory is where you temporarily 10 to 15 seconds store information you are going to use to accomplish a task. For example, when you’re writing the introduction to report, you are holding in mind one sentence while you try to craft the next one. (02:06): The working memory challenge you have is that you have less capacity. So when your boss says at the end of one of your one-on-one meetings that he wants to talk to you about your career path, you might go into a worry spiral. You think it means something bad that he is going to fire you. As you are unable to hold in your working memory other reasons, he may have said that, like maybe a promotion. You’re also unable to work on the report that you’re going to do after the meeting because you are so worried. Your worry consumes all your working memory. Obviously, this worry is unproductive both because you’re ...