You’ve no doubt felt at least a tinge of overwhelm as summer is drawing to a close. It’s back to school, back to the big projects at work, and back to life as we know it. And, dare I say it, stores have even begun busting out their holiday merchandise! Talk about pressure!

Fall is quite possibly the most stressful time of the year for adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). You may even find yourself slipping away from the ADD management routines, structure, and systems that you’ve previously created.

I’ve been hearing from a lot of clients who are getting down on themselves because the transition from summer to fall has been more difficult than they anticipated.

With this in mind, I’d like to offer you the following reminder: Managing adult ADD is like riding a bike.

Remember when you learned to ride a bike?

You probably started out with a tricycle when you were very young. At some point, you got the coveted two-wheeler with training wheels.

And eventually the day came that your parents told you it was time to take those training wheels off. Excitement and joy arose when a sunny spring day appeared and you knew it was your time to shine…to be a “big kid.”

You probably resented the adult who held on to the back of the bike as you started pedaling in what would be your first-ever bike ride without training wheels.

But what happened when that adult did eventually let go and you were left to ride on your own?

You fell.

Splat! Right over on your side. You thought you could do it, but it turned out balancing on two wheels is a lot harder than balancing on four.

Maybe you cried. Maybe you skinned a knee or an elbow. Perhaps you found your little self completely disappointed and frustrated about what you thought you could do without effort.

But no matter how you felt, you got up and got back on that bike. Maybe right away, and maybe not until a week later. But you got back on the bike. You practiced.

You fell many more times, but you kept getting back on that bike, because you knew that the only way you’d ever learn how to ride that bike was to keep getting back on it.

And now, as an adult, you know how to ride a bike. You may not do it very often, and you may fall every now and then, but you know how to ride a bike.

So what makes you think that managing your ADD is any different than riding a bike?

What makes you think that the minute you set your mind to something, you can instantly accomplish it?

Organization, time management, better focus and concentration, emotional regulation…they all require practice. They require extra effort in times of overwhelm, like the kind we’re all experiencing now as life kicks back into high gear.

Learning to manage ADD is like learning to ride a bike. Expect a learning curve. Expect quite a few falls. Expect a hard time finding your balance. And rest assured that one of these days ADD management will be second nature.

Until then, don’t get down on yourself when you fall. No matter how bad things seem to be going, no matter how many times you fall, always get back on the bike.

Copyright © 2009 Jennifer Koretsky

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