In the tussle of everyday life, we rarely stop to enjoy the things around us. Especially us folks with ADD, ADHD and Executive Functioning concerns. We spend more time planning, doing or not doing things, and less time actually enjoying the world around us. I live in the Chicagoland area, and with the change of seasons bring some beautiful things, but I tend to miss most of these moments because I am too busy with something else.
Technology has brought us closer to the world, but also disconnects us from it as well. How many times have you missed a moment because you were staring at your phone or browsing your laptop? It can become very annoying to those around us when that text message is more important than the person in the room. It is very annoying and hurtful. I do not mean to throw stones here…I do the same thing. But it can become really upsetting to others and damages relationships.
When I have a meal with my wife, we’re starting to put our phones in a central location out of reach. We want to enjoy these few minutes and not be connected to the world. I have made the argument that being more connect isn’t exactly a wonderful thing. In fact, it makes us too available to others. Why is that so important? Why are we trying to cram more stuff into our already busy days? My father, who was a successful business man, left his work at work. He used to say anything people need to know at night can wait until the morning. This philosophy would be refreshing today, but unfortunately the world doesn’t operate that way anymore.
What about the teenager that refuses to put down his or her phone during a nice meal? Does the child own that much control over the situation? How about the parents? Do you think they enjoy spending money on a child that doesn’t care? I’ve advocated to families that they start to make a teenager pay for the meal he or she has wasted. If the phone is a priority, paying should then fall on the teenager. Things will quickly change.
For more information on my ADD, ADHD and Executive Functioning coaching, please visit www.adhdefcoach.com. In addition to working with clients in-person, I also work with clients all over the United States and World online, please visit www.onlineadhdcoach.com for more information. To learn more about my other services, please visit www.carrolleducationalgroup.com & www.iepexperts.com. I can be found on Twitter at ADHDGuru. You can also find me on Facebook, Google Plus and Tumblr. Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call 877.398.ADHD (2343) with any additional questions.