At the Virtual Holistic Health Conference, I presented a talk on “Stress Management for Better Health,” and I’d like to share some of that information with you today, specifically as it relates to managing attention deficit disorder (ADD). ).

Have you ever been walking or exercising with an iPod (or walkman, or radio) and the batteries died? What is your job? Well, if you’re like me, the first thing you do is play around with the device in the hope that it will magically work again.

“Hmmm…”, you think. “What if I move it around a bit? Or turn it off and then back on again?” It usually works, but only for a few minutes. When the batteries are dead, there’s really nothing you can do about it. The battery needs to be recharged, and that takes time.

Did you know that this can also happen to you? You can run out of power and stop working!

Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have a low tolerance for frustration. We also have difficulty regulating our energy levels. So if he’s having a rough day at work, comes home to a sink full of dishes when he cleaned it up, and discovers that his new shirt somehow managed to get a lot of stain on it, he’s probably feeling drained.

Like an iPod that hasn’t been charged for a while, it stops working. You get to a point where you know you can’t handle anything else. You feel like your batteries have run out of power.

And just like an iPod that dies on its battery, you might be tempted to fiddle with the batteries to revive them. You can have another cup of coffee or have a sugary snack. And this could work, for a while. But just like an iPod, when its battery is dry, it needs to be recharged.

This is the perfect time to slow down and get away from stress. In fact, it is essential. Take a break to recharge your batteries. That could mean taking a walk, stretching, taking a drive, picking up a book, or whatever you do when you need to relax.

Of course, there will always be things on your to-do list. The important question is, would you rather tackle your fully loaded to-dos or run out of them? And in what way do you think it is more effective?

Remember this. And remember that a little recharge time can go a long way in reducing your stress levels and managing your ADD.