ADDitude Magazine
As an ADHD adult, have you ever found yourself saying, "What was I thinking?" after volunteering to do something you don't really want or have the time to do? There are things about adult ADHD that make it hard for us to say no. First, we often say yes to something that sounds great before thinking it through. Second, our interests are so varied that we can't choose—so we say yes to it all.
And then there is impatience. We don't want to wait until our eight-week salsa class finishes before we sign up for acting classes. We pack our schedules with important, interesting, and fun things to do, but we are too exhausted to enjoy any of them.
Christina knows this feeling well. She has ADHD, and admits that she loves the "H" part of her ADHD diagnosis. She has a bottomless reserve of energy, and is on the go from sunup to sunset. She is the first person family and friends think to call when they need a favor. She has a hard time saying no and has a tendency to over-commit.
Christina came to see me after her life had spun out of control. She was running on six hours of sleep, and, on top of her busy schedule, was helping her mother move into an assisted-living facility. Everything seemed equally important and urgent. Here are a few suggestions I made that helped Christina learn to say no and get her life back—not to mention eight hours of solid sleep.
Next: Prioritize and Practice Saying No...
