An explanation, and some closure.

Rest assured, folks, I have not abandoned anything! I am going through a “Bit Off Much More Than I Can Ever Chew By Myself” phase lately. I love my websites and podcasts, and I don’t want to discontinue any of them. This means that I will need help.

I would like to take this opportunity to put out a call for volunteers to help me revive my blogs and podcasts and get them back to a weekly release.

Guest blogging:
If you would like to write an article for the blogs, I’d be delighted to share it!

–The Balcony Farm – Any articles pertaining to no-land gardening, container gardening, hydroponics, indoor gardening, etc. These could be reviews, how-to’s, sharing/documenting experiences, among other things.

–Knit Misadventures – Knitting articles of almost any kind would be graciously accepted here. How to fix mistakes, personal stories of knitting perseverance, product reviews, etc. would all be in keeping with the “hard-knock” knitting theme of the site.

–ADDed Personality – Articles about coping strategies, book/product reviews, and any type of self-help/mutual-support group topics are greatly welcomed.

Guest hosting:
If you are feeling ambitious, I could always use material for the podcasts. You could record individual segments (3-5 minutes long is a good ballpark), or offer to guest host an entire episode if I am unable to get a show out. Co-hosting may also be an option if someone can teach me how to record that way.

–The Balcony Farm – As with the guest-blogging suggestions, anything pertaining to no-land gardening is fair game.

–Knit Misadventures – The most important segment I want is the Mishaps and Lessons Learned. If you have any stories to share about something you’ve learned the hard way, I’d love to play it on the show. I can always use material for the Nifty Thrifty and Library Book Review segments, too.

–ADDed Personality – As this is a virtual support group, I’d love to play anything you’d like to share about ADHD.

Technical help:
I can also use help on the technical side of things for all shows/sites.

–Troubleshooting – If anyone can be available to answer questions about rss feeds, itunes, etc., that would be a tremendous help. Alternatively, if anyone can direct me to any tutorials on how to fix problems as they occur, that would also be awesome.

–Show notes – Organizing and posting show notes isn’t hard in and of itself, but it can be taxing after going through the recording process by myself. If anyone would like to help organize links and come up with brief synopses, you would have my undying gratitude.

–Moderating forums – I’m not always able to keep activity going on the forums for the podcasts, so if anyone is interested in the care and maintenance of the message boards, I’d gladly promote you on the respective forums.

Moral support:
Sometimes I just need a kick in the behind to remember to get things done. If anyone would be willing to check in with me every couple days via email, IM, Skype, or whatever, that can help my ADD brain stay on task.

If you are interested in contributing in any way to the production of the podcasts and websites, drop me a line and we can set things up. I try to respond to my messages as soon as possible, but don’t be alarmed if it takes a day or two. If you haven’t heard from me in 3 days, please double-check with me to make sure I got the message, and feel free to bonk me on the head.

The Balcony Farm – elise@thebalconyfarm.com
Knit Misadventures – elise@thebalconyfarm.com
ADDed Personality – elise@addedpersonality.com

Lately I’ve been thinking about auditory stimulation as a coping strategy. Over the years, I’ve noticed that there are certain tasks I perform better when there is music playing in the background. Some other tasks are easier when I’m listening to spoken word works, such as podcasts or audiobooks. Most recently, I’ve discovered some “white noise”-type tracks with brainwave pulses embedded in them. Each works in its own way, but sometimes the wrong type of noise for a given task can make things even worse.

Have you ever experimented with sound therapy? How has it worked for you? Share your thoughts in the forum or the blog post.

Join the forum discussion on this post

I never wanted to tak e a break that long from podcasting, but I return to you with some new insights on To-Do lists.

Links:

Contact info:
Feedback voicemail line – 219-595-ADHD
elise@addedpersonality
@Betani on Twitter
ADDed Personality Facebook Page

Join the forum discussion on this post

I’m slipping in a last minute round table because I really need your insight!

Judging from the lack of podcasts the last couple weeks, you can probably surmise that my current coping strategies are no longer working for me. So I am going through that awkward process of trying to re-work my routines so I remember to do everything I need to do.

Have you ever gone through this? How long does it usually take before you find your next groove? Do you ever re-visit workarounds and routines that you used long ago to see if they’ll work again?

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Since I’m going through this phase right now, I don’t have much to offer by way of insights. I’ll be forcing myself to record episode 7 this weekend, so I’d LOVE your thoughts, feelings, and questions on this issue. Even if you don’t have any answers, I’d love to hear you commiserate with me!

I know there are only a few days to comment on this, so I’m calling on my listeners to go to bat for me. Spread this post around to as many ADDers as you know, and tell them all about the show. If we can get more interaction here, either on the blog or in the forums, we can make this a real support group and provide a real service for those who don’t have access to an in-person support system.

Join the forum discussion on this post

How much does the “H” come into play for you? Do you need to constantly keep your hands busy? Do you benefit from constant motion of some sort? I’d like to talk about fidgeting in an upcoming episode, and I’d love your input.

What do you use as a fidget, if anything? Do you need an object, or does just getting up and moving around every so often help just as much? What situations do you face where having a fidget can be a real life (or job)-saver?

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For myself, I have the predominantly inattentive type of ADHD. My brushes with the “H” include my habit of pacing around the apartment (or wherever I happen to be), bouncing my knee while sitting, and knitting at every opportunity to keep my hands occupied.

The odd part is that these habits serve different purposes. Pacing/walking helps me clear my mind when I’m overwhelmed. Knitting/crochet helps me keep focused on the here and know. I still haven’t figured out the knee-thing, though.

I keep yarn, hooks, and needles on hand at all times, and I have stashes at work, home, and at the homes of family members. Any time I have down or dead-time at work (when I can’t progress because I’m waiting for something) I pick up my needlework and work a few stitches. I also am able to take my knitting to most meetings, as the majority of my co-workers understand what this does for me.

At work, I also have a balance disc on my chair for “Active sitting”. I’m not entirely sure what this does for me, but I notice that I’m less likely to zone out when I’m always keeping balance on this inflated cushion.

Join the forum discussion on this post

Links:
Graceisoverrated.com
Journals Unlimited
Get-It-Done-Guy’s master grocery list
My ADHD consistency chart template

Contact info:
Feedback voicemail line – 219-595-ADHD
elise@addedpersonality
@Betani on Twitter
ADDed Personality Facebook Page

Join the forum discussion on this post

It’s a by-week for the show this week. See you next week!

Here’s another Round Table topic for a future episode:

Does making lists help you at all? What kinds of lists do or don’t work for you?

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For me, general to-do lists don’t work. I need something much more structured and/or specific, otherwise the tasks I need to remember disappear from my brain the second I write them down.

I’ve had more luck with outlines and guided list templates than anything else. I make outlines for working on my podcasts, and fill them out for each new episode. I recently discovered the daily guided journal pages at Grace Is Overrated, and I’m encouraged by those as well. Additionally, I’m trying out the master grocery list described by Stever Robins in his Get-It-Done-Guy podcast.

So, what works for you? Join in the forum discussion, or leave a voice message on the Voicemail line at 219-595-ADHD!

Join the forum discussion on this post

This week I’ll talk about focusing at work, and using accountability buddies. Also, I share an example of how I quantify my progress at work.

Be sure to check out the round table discussions in the forums!

Links:
Get-It-Done-Guy podcast
More Attention, Less Deficit podcast

Contact info:
Feedback voicemail line – 219-595-ADHD
elise@addedpersonality
@Betani on Twitter
ADDed Personality Facebook Page

Join the forum discussion on this post