Yes And...

If you've ever taken an intro to improv class, and like any educated, comedy-loving, white middle-class gal of left leaning persuasion, I have, you learn the phrase, "Yes, And..."  It's used in improv to help the student keep an open mind but can also be applied to all aspects of life.

If you have untreated mental illness, or cognitive processing disorders, your, "yes, and" may be actually sound like, "umm, well, yes...I guess, oh, god what have I done?!"  Or more likely as time goes on,  "F*** no."  

I have much, "yes, and" in me by nature but it has too often been thwarted by an uncooperative brain.  This has gotten me thinking about how I can have a bit more, "yes and" in my life and with it the spirit of openness to new experience that I desire. 

So how can Adults with ADHD find their, "yes, and" and feel some measure of optimism and excitement to accompany it?

It's so imperative with any cognitive processing disorder to know what your challenges are and how they manifest in your life on a day to day basis.  I am the first to say that this is an incredibly challenging task.  It has taken me years of reading ADHD books, therapy and jobs-beneath-my-education-and-talent, to suss out how my brain functions at it's best and worst.  

For example: THE most important I have learned over the  past two years is that consuming beans has a profoundly positive effect on my brain, mood and focus.  When I began to figure this out, I was then stressed out because I wanted to create wonderful dishes to eat, which wasn't happening. The other day though I inadvertently bought canned, ready-to-eat "chile beans."  So I just simply added some whole grain rice, consumed this tasty-though-not-particularly-creative mixture and was subsequently stunned at how calm, focused and craving free I felt for hours afterward.  In light of this discovery, I've decided to treat eating beans and brown rice like medicine.  Recipes be damned! Get those ready-to-make beans, brown rice and take as needed.  

Let's try to get to our version of, "yes, and."