A Good Plodder On-er

I was talking to my husband recently while waiting for a train and he said that he didn’t rock, tap or engage in any self soothing behaviours while waiting, not because of any great self control it was just that he had no urge to. I guess because my autism and ADHD were undiagnosed I just always thought everyone was trying to stand still, not fidget, wriggle or tap and was just a bit better than me. Since my diagnosis I have let myself do these behaviours more because I realise I’m not hurting anyone and I honestly don’t care if people think I’m weird. Thinking more about my brain and how it works I suddenly realised why maybe I am not good at being organised and getting things done.

Today was a fairly standard day. I had taken Mr Barron with my daughter to his hydrotherapy and on my return I said hello to Tiny my other dog and decided I wanted to listen to a podcast. I realised I had left my earbuds in the car. I went to the car, found my earpod case, remembered that there was only one in the case as I lost one last night. I came back in to look for missing earbud. I saw the washing I meant to put on this morning. I got distracted by a new e mail on my phone. I put the wash on, cuddled the dog again, forgot to bring the washing basket back up, realised I need a wee, thought about posting on an autism Facebook site. I got my phone out went to put on my reading glasses and realised I had two pairs in my pocket. The ones I keep in the car had obviously migrated so next time I go out and have forgotten them I won’t have my emergency car pair because of course I never got round to putting them back. I saw a few messages on Facebook and started reading pressed ignore when I got the 15min timer I set up to stop me spending too much time on social media. I then realised I really, really did need a wee. Had a wee, start a post, stop mid word on my post because I heard Boo our foster kitten crying for attention. I went to see her noting the bowls of nearly finished food I put on the windowsill to take downstairs yesterday cuddled her and finished my post.

I then realised that I really should urgently fill in the forms for health insurance that I started over a year ago. I have half filled them out twice over this time and failed to just get the job done. Opening my computer I just “have to” check if there are any messages on the work site. first. Of course there are, I answer them, I get an email asking if I did an accident form for an accident I only vaguely remember happening (obviously I didn’t fill out a form).

My daughter has reminded me several times to have lunch. She finally gives up on my “yes I will in a minute” and brings me a sandwich.

I do as much of the form as I can and then decide that now I must do yoga. I go downstairs and on the way think that the washing machine must be finished by now. I open the door to get the clothes out to hang up and realise they are still dry, I never put the cycle on.

I go to do yoga but can only get through 10 minutes of the YouTube video as I suddenly feel I “have to” write another blog. I would bet money my socks are still on the floor next to the yoga mat.

I think this is one of the reasons I love long distance running so much. I have one thing to do, move forward. My brain can freewheel as much as it likes as long as I don’t get lost and remember to fuel and hydrate which, if you have read some of my other blogs, can be a challenge. Generally on a long run there are less options to prioritise than in “real life” and being in the middle of nowhere less to distract. Phones, computers and work can bring out the tendency to flit around getting nothing done in all of us so a bit of ultra running seems an obvious solution to me.

I have made a reward chart for doing my physio exercises. Visual cues, filling in things in colour and a reward at the end are all motivators for me. I am over half way through my chart and hopefully closer to being out there doing my thing.

Now I must find that earbud!!