Many adults today are not ADD (Attention Deficit) but have many of the symptoms and suffer from “a severe case of modern life.”
The Wild Trees is a spellbinding story about some daring, adventurous botanists and amateur naturalists who discover a lost, world — the unexplored, untouched canopy three hundred feet high in the coastal California redwoods, the world’s tallest trees. The book was just what I needed at the time to relax, unwind and imagine. It brought back many happy memories of my years in the Pacific Northwest.
The experience was relaxing and healing and brought back many happy memories of my years in the Pacific Northwest.
And then bam, I was back at work, the CEO of a growing company. Looking for a great blog topic, I picked up, what else, Crazy Busy: Overstretched, Overbooked and About to Snap, by Dr. Edward Hallowell, the author of many books on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The main idea is “Welcome to the Attention Deficit World: Frantic, Free and out of Control.” This world is one that is busy, fast, wired and going who knows where. In fact, it is the world of attention deficit disorder. Hallowell explains:
“People with untreated ADD rush around a lot, feel impatient wherever they are, love speed, get frustrated easily, lose focus in the middle of a task, or a conversation because some other thought catches their attention, bubble with energy but struggle to pay attention to one issue for more than a few seconds, talk fast or feel at a loss for words, often forget where they’re going or what they’re going to get, have bright ideas but can’t implement them, fail to complete what they’re doing, have many projects going simultaneously but chronically postpone completing them, make decisions impulsively because their brain’s circuitry is overloaded, feel they could do a lot more if they could just get it together, get angry easily when interrupted, feel powerless over the piles of stuff that surrounds them, resolve each day to do better tomorrow, and in general feel busy beyond belief but not all that productive.”
Sound familiar? Many adults today are not ADD of but have many of these symptoms and suffer what Hallowell calls “a severe case of modern life.”
Just as I find deep peace —reading, playing the violin, walking with my wife, being at the ocean with our children and grandchildren, engaging in prayer/meditation— everyone must find their unique formula for living fully, healthfully and artfully in this fast, frenzied world.
I also use technology to de-stress, and we use it in our business, Sparks of Genius.
Two programs come to mind.
One is the emWave® PC Stress Relief System, which will help you transform stress and anxiety into vibrant positive energy. You can learn more here:
The other is Journey to the Wild Divine, unique biofeedback adventure games for mind and body which create a beautiful, enlightening experience of deep peace and relaxation.
These computer programs teach us how to shift from a negative emotional state to a positive one. Negative emotions, just like frantic multi-taking, shut down the frontal lobes of your brain. This causes stress, disorganization and poor decision-making.
-Dr. Rohn Kessler
