Plan Your Disruptions

I’ve noticed that some of my ADD coaching clients as well as others with ADD sometimes feel a bit strange when things are working too smoothly, when there systems seem to be functioning well, a sort of vague uneasiness, some more stronger than others.

I think that some people with ADD periodically, unconsciously create problems or chaos as a way of making life challenging thereby providing needed stimulation to their dopamine scarce ADD brains. Provoking a crisis or chaos to help get stimulated, get the dopamine flowing as it were. Not deliberately of course.

If you do have things running fairly smoothly at home and at work, why not periodically plan your disruptions?

Once a week or once every 2 weeks, try doing something you don’t normally do. Or do something you regularly do but do it:

a different way
a different time
a different place
with different people
combine it with something else

You don’t need to plan much in advance, just pick one day of the week and that day decide what you’ll do differently that week. Spontaneous planning.

By doing it consciously instead of unconsciously you’ll be less likely to create chaos and possible future work and suffering, and more likely to do something that might be productive, positive and interesting. Instead of fighting against how your ADD brain works, work with it, sort of Taoist style. Similar to Aikido if you’ve ever tried it. You don’t directly block the attack but you merge with their energy and redirect it the way you want it to go. Anticipate that you might get bored with things running smoothly and plan to shake things up in advance periodically on your terms.

Have other people tried this and if so how did it work?