Finding out I had ADHD was a game changer for me.
Before I knew this, I struggled so deeply with shame that I just “couldn’t get it together.”
I didn’t know how to organize the literal non-stop-idea-and-inspiration-fest that is my brain. I didn’t know how to move from deep, hyper-focused, creative/spiritual states into doing tasks that kept my life on track. I just couldn’t grasp how anyone could do it.
When I understood, on a chemical level, how my brain functioned, it was the biggest relief ever. Some people don’t like labels, but this one saved my life. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would never be able to handle running anything on my own, and that’s when I reached out for help from a team.
I had to learn, very slowly, how to outsource because my shame in my inadequacy kept me hiding everything behind the scenes for a long time.
I learned that my brain needed more help when the dopamine left my frontal lobe after a time of hyper-focus because the fluctuations were severe.
No longer did I need to berate myself for that; I needed rest, some good supplements, and then gentle activity to get the dopamine flowing so my brain could work again. Then voila, I could handle small tasks and meet my responsibilities. Over time these fluctuations then naturally decreased.
People told me it was trauma, and maybe it was, but learning how my brain functions has been the most effective in bringing my life into a balance, where I can manage the 24 hr onslaught of creative energy with the reality of physical life.
This understanding took the pressure off the timeline for my success and allowed me to slow down and take things at my pace, allowing plenty of time for waves of inspiration to play out that either went somewhere or didn’t!
Many systems track how our optimum design works, and they are all helpful, but the simple steps I took to work with ADHD have been the most effective to function well on planet Earth.
For those out there who struggle a lot to keep their life on track and organized, do some research on ADHD, and you may find some goodies for yourself!
From the Deep Mystery,
CC Treadway