Author Ed Hallowell says if you’re feeling “frazzeled and overwhelmed” you might have “environmentally induced attention deficit disorder.” The good news is that he’s not prescribing Ritalin for anyone getting stressed out by the modern world, but just some time to relax and think. At least there’s no “co-payment” involved for those.
Among his Ideas
- Don’t allow the world to have access to you 24/7
- Set aside time to work before you check e-mail, voice mail…turn off your blackberry, cell phone
- Stretch or have a conversation (with a person no less!)
- Prioritize
- Give yourself permission to end relationships and projects that drain you
- Do what you’re good at and delegate the reset
- Some of our best thoughts come when we’re doing nothing
Cnet News goes much more in depth in their interview of Dr. Hallowell where he describes the problem as “attention deficit trait.”
Are certain professions more susceptible to ADT?
Hallowell: I think anything in the corporate world is, particularly these days, with the forces you just mentioned of global competition. Doctors are, in their own way, because we live in a sea of data and a sea of patients and sea of paperwork. Lawyers are, in their own way, for the same reasons.
Even moms are susceptible, but it comes in a different way. They’re taking their kids from one activity to another, making all these play dates, supervising homework and supervising soccer, and doing laundry and shopping.