Tips for Enjoying a Nice Evening Out for Individuals with ADD & ADHD

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of imagerymajestic/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I love spending time with my wife. I am not just saying that because she reads my blog (hello honey), but because she is my favorite person in the world. Our love and admiration for each other is amazing (OK, sorry I am being so sappy, but I am honest to a fault). Plus, we both can be the life of a party. We’re two of the funniest people on the face of the Earth (I say this without any bias).

In my piece on narcissism (click here), us ADD/ADHD folk can give others the impression that we are more concerned with our world than the worlds of others in our lives. While it isn’t always true, it is something many of us deal with on a regular basis. So when my wife and I go out for an evening, there are a few things I do to make the evening more enjoyable for both of us.

  • While eating in a restaurant, I have my back to the entrance or bar area. It can be way to distracting to see people coming in and out of the restaurant, so I want to be sure that my focus is on my wife.
  • Cell phone(s) are not in front of either of us. We both agree that it’s rude to be staring at your cellphone while with an actual person.
  • When needed, I take a quick walk around the restaurant. It makes me less antsy.
  • We decide what we’re ordering before getting into an in-depth conversation. It can be difficult for me to transition from conversations to ordering, so we need to get that out of the way first.

These are just a few of the things we regularly do to enjoy our time out together. This didn’t exactly come to us right away; it took planning. When in any type of relationship, it is always important to identify the issue, create different resolutions, mutually agree and implement the plan(s).  I am very lucky to have an amazing wife that keeps me grounded and yet understands how I function.

For more helpful tips an suggestions, please check out my ADHD Guru podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. You can also find me on Twitter (@adhdguru) and Instagram (@adhdguru). Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call 877.398.ADHD (2343) with any additional questions.

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