Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Neat Desk


The folks at Neat who brought you Neat Receipts now has Neat Desk. Obviously this one is a little bigger than Neat Receipts, but it can scan up to 10 business cards, 10 receipts and 10 sheets of paper at one time, or even a single, 50-page document. NeatDesk is a high-speed, duplex desktop scanner and digital filing system. The software (NeatWorks 4.0) creates a digital filing cabinet for you and transforms the information into PDF files. The data can be exported to Excel, Outlook, Quicken, QuickBooks, and TurboTax. For us Mac users there is a Mac version of this product. 

Monday, May 18, 2009

Time Management-Living at Warp Speed

Time management guru Harold Taylor says even though technology has sped up our lives, the basic tenets of time management have not changed. Any time savers we had with technology were offset by “increases in complexity, choices, interruptions, expectations, stress, delays and errors,” he said. “Our bodies are not designed to live at warp speed and we’ve created this hazardous lifestyle.”


Taylor said we also have “mental multi-tasking,” where we are doing one thing and thinking of another. Other hazards of speedy lifestyles include:

Work/Life Balance. The blur between the division of work and life

Lost productivity. As the saying goes, haste does make waste. The average office worker loses 2.1 hours a day from interruptions. Taylor points out that this is 25% of the typical workday.

Stress. Surprise! It’s on the increase. Are you really surprised? Toss in ADD, info mania, clutter, and the never-ending to-do list, and you really have a stress party.

Lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation causes more accidents than drunk driving, Taylor said. The average night’s sleep is 6.9 hours a night, and Americans usually get 90 minutes less sleep a night than we did a century ago.

Obesity. One-third of Americans are clinically obese, and it’s caused by a lack of sleep and exercise and fast food.

Family Relationships. Wireless items, such as the trusty Blackberry, intrude on family time and can affect relationships.

Lack of Creativity. We have lost creativity because we don’t have time for it. As Taylor says, you can’t outsource creativity.

E-mail and PDA’s have increased the speed of our lives, and e-mail is a constant stream of interruptions into our daily projects, Taylor said. In fact, 4 percent of people admit to reading e-mails while in the bathroom. I’m certain a much higher number of people admit to talking on their cell phones while in the bathroom – a major pet peeve of mine. As you can see, we feel we have to be connected to the world at all times, but people should be able to go to the bathroom without the use of wireless devices.

People have a difficult time letting go of work while at home, and the statistics show that. Fifty-one percent of people keep in contact with the office while on vacation, and 15 percent describe themselves as being e-mail addicted. “Work is no longer a place you go to,” Taylor said. “It’s a state of mind. The blackberry is the cost of someone’s soul to be available at all hours for work.” Since office layouts, cubicle farms, and electronic communications make people too accessible, quiet hours are quickly becoming a thing of the past.


Taylor offered some suggestions to help slow down our speedy lives:

Have meaningful goals. If you have no goals, then you have no priorities. Use SMART Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, and Relevant and have a Time frame.

Planning. It’s important. The average American spends 40 minutes playing with their kids and four hours on shopping, according to Taylor. Schedule more time than you need for a task to account for the interruptions.

Prioritizing. Using the Stephen Covey quadrant helps you decide what’s important and urgent.

Life Balance. Blend work and personal life in a way that satisfies you and your family, Taylor said.

Slow Internal Time. “Time flies when you’re not having fun either,” he said. “Wherever you are, be there.” He also suggests adding variety to your life by going to different places and trying new things.

Don’t multi-task. Studies show that productivity actually decreases by 20 to 40 percent each time you “task switch.” Focusing on one task at a time is better.

Exercise Your Body and Mind. Regular exercisers reduce their risk for Alzheimer’s. “We are outliving our minds,” Taylor said. 

Snooze More. Get plenty of sleep. Turn off the TV, slow things down earlier, trim the nightly to-do list, and get some sleep.

 

For more information on Harold Taylor’s time management strategies, visit: http://www.taylorintime.com.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Snapping Out of Hyperfocus

This article was written by my colleague Dr. Bobbie Tsukahara, ADD Austin:

The difficulties with concentration and focusing for people with ADD are well known, but the flip side – “hyper-focus” can be just as problematic. Our ability to focus our attention and shift it as required is dependent on the complex orchestration of many processes in the brain.


In the person with ADD, there is a breakdown in this orchestration that leads to dysregulation of the “attention centers” of the brain. This dysregulation is sometimes viewed as a matter of the will, but in fact the ADD brain often needs heightened stimulation (e.g., a high degree of interest or the immediate feedback of a computer game) in order to become engaged. Once engaged, the ADDer may find that breaking out of a highly stimulating activity is also very challenging.

If you find this is the case for you, here are some tips to help you break out:

Identify the specific activities that are frequently problematic for you. What are the “black holes” that pull you in?

Before engaging in the activity, decide how much time you can afford to spend. Be very specific. (E.g., “I can only play this computer game for 30 minutes.”)

Set a timer or alarm that requires you to get up to turn it off. Many newer stoves have such a timer. It should be loud enough and intrusive enough that you cannot ignore it. If you do not own such a timer or alarm, purchase one. It is money very well spent. While you can use your computer’s timer with computer-based activities, these are often too easily dismissed or ignored. You have to know yourself well enough to decide if that will work for you. Here are some links to products that might help you:


The Puzzle Alarm Clock -www.bimbambanana.com/index.php?p=Puzzle-alarm-clock-cool-gadgets&side=visProd&prod_id=21 

Clocky – designed by an MIT student who could not wake up www.nandahome.com

Time IT by Technika – for the computer guru http://www.sperdirect.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=810050


If your activity is computer-based, set your computer to shut down at a specific time, with a pre-set warning. How to do this will depend on the operating system you use. This tip also works well for those of you who stay up too late doing computer-based work or play. For Windows XP go to:www.winxptutor.com/schsd.htm.


Ask a friend who is sensitive to your ADD to call you at a specific time. Use this wisely because it can lead to resentments. As a general rule, I strongly recommend that you do not ask a parent or spouse to play this role. It has the potential to put too much strain on the relationship.


If you have found other tricks that work for you, please send them to me at: mailto:rlyman@ahelpinghandforyou.com. I’m always for new strategies to share with my clients.

 


Thursday, May 14, 2009

Multitasking: Myth or Magic?

By Kay Grossman, MA, ACG, ADDCA Graduate. 

Multitasking has become our modus operendi. Busy professionals, parents, adolescents, and even President Obama talk about the necessity of multitasking. The demands of modern life seem to require it, and technology certainly enables it. At home, we talk on the phone while preparing dinner and helping our kids with their homework. At work, we check our Blackberrys and answer e-mail while listening in on conference calls. We do more than one task at a time in order to get everything done.

 So multitasking must be good for us, right? The answer is maybe--maybe not, depending on how and when we use it. Used properly, it offers novelty and efficiency. Used without forethought, it can be a drag on productivity, creativity and learning.

 Scientific research shows that true multitasking is a myth. In the strictest neurological sense, the brain can pay attention to only one activity at a time. When we multitask, we shift our attention back and forth rapidly among several tasks, giving none our fullest, deepest attention. 

 Sometimes this works to our advantage. When we engage in familiar, routine tasks that do not require complex thought, it is often easier to persist if we stimulate our brains using another sensory modality. Listening to music while paying bills, or chatting with a friend on the phone while folding laundry, may facilitate our ability to get the job done.

 Often, however, something important gets lost in the process of multitasking. When we do activities that require more complex thinking, such as answering our child's questions, writing an email, or talking to our boss on the phone, we are far more efficient if we attend to a single task at a time. One reason is that our brains require time to store information. We risk losing that information as we shift our attention. For example, if we attempt to finish writing an e-mail while talking to our boss, our brain may not have time to register a key piece of the conversation. We may later make a poor decision because we missed some critical information.

 A growing body of research indicates that multitasking takes more time than doing one task at a time. One of the stages the brain must go through in order to shift attention is to turn off the rules for the first task and turn on the rules for the second. This takes a significant amount of brain-time. Each time we are interrupted, or interrupt ourselves, it takes time to re-orient when we return to a task. Some studies report that it may take up to fifteen minutes to restart a project after an interruption.

 Many adults with ADHD are drawn to multitasking and cannot imagine any other way of life. With a greater understanding of how their brain works and increased awareness of where they are focusing their attention, my clients find they work more efficiently and productively. 

 Here are some techniques that may be helpful.

     • Purposely multitask in order to complete tedious, familiar tasks.  Choose activities that engage two different, non-competing brain processes. Listening to music or a book on tape while emptying the dishwasher or clearing junk e-mail are good examples of using non-competing brain modalities.

 • Note benefits and challenges associated with multitasking. Is it actually timesaving, or do you make mistakes that require time to fix? Do you remember better when you stick with one task?  Identify the tasks that lend themselves to efficient multitasking and those that do not.

 • Design your environment to eliminate distractions and promote your ability to stick to one task. When you want to tackle a complex assignment, turn off your e-mail, phone, and Blackberry and put up a sign saying you are unavailable until a designated time. Set a timer to alert you when the time is up. At that point, you can choose to check for messages or to continue with the task.

 • Practice pausing to consider priorities when you are interrupted.  Ask yourself, "What's most important right now? Does this fit with my priorities for today?" Keep a list of 3 to 5 daily priorities in your line of sight for handy reference at home and work.

 • Practice techniques for managing around thought interruptions. It is especially common with ADHD for random thoughts to come your way. Each time you realize your mind has wandered, make a tick mark on a sticky note. With practice, you will become quickly aware of your off-task thinking and gain the ability to return to the task at hand. Also, pause to consider your priorities when you interrupt yourself. Create a mantra or ask yourself questions that will help you get back on track.

 • Build downtime into your daily schedule. All of us need uninterrupted time to let our minds wander. This is when creativity has the time and space to take root!

 So, is multitasking myth or magic? The answer is neither and both.  With awareness of both its inherent challenges and productive uses, you can manage your time and attention to get things done and enjoy yourself along the way.  

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Results From Largest Treatment Study of ADHD

The following information was written by David Rabiner, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Duke University.

There have been preliminary reports of the results from the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA). This is the largest and most comprehensive treatment study of ADHD that has ever been conducted.  A few months ago the initial papers reporting the results of this study were published.

The MTA Study was designed to address 3 fundamental questions about the treatment of ADHD.  These questions are as follows:

1. How do long-term medication and behavioral treatments compare with one another?

2. Are there additional benefits when they are used together?

3. What is the effectiveness of systematic, carefully delivered treatments vs. routine community care? 
 

THE RESULTS

There is a tremendous amount of data presented in these papers and it is really not possible to summarize it all. Below, however, are what I found to be the most important findings.

First, let me list the variety of different outcomes that were assessed and reported.  These include:

Primary ADHD symptoms - ratings provided by parents and teachers;

Aggressive and oppositional behavior - ratings provided by parents, teachers, and classroom observers;

Internalizing symptoms (e.g. anxiety and sadness) - ratings provided by parents, teachers, and children;

Social skills - ratings provided by parents, teachers, and children;

Parent-child relations - rated by parent;

Academic achievement - assessed by standardized tests; (It is unfortunate, I think, that more frequent measures of academic performance in the classroom were not collected.  These tend to be more sensitive to change than scores on standardized achievement tests.  Thus, the reliance on achievement tests alone as the measure of academic performance may not have enabled important changes in academic functioning to be captured).

In considering the results presented below it is important to place them in this overall context: 

Children in all 4 groups (i.e. medication only, behavioral treatment only, combined treatment, and treatment in the community as chosen by parents) showed significant reductions in their level of symptoms over time in most areas. Thus, even though some treatments were clearly superior to others in certain domains, overall, even children receiving the "least effective" treatment tended to show important improvement.  Thus, these data should not be interpreted in a framework of "what worked" and "what did not work".  Instead, it is a matter of what seemed to be most effective among treatments that all showed some positive effects. 

Link to read the rest of this important study: file:///Users/admin/Desktop/Current%20Projects/ADHD-To%20Read/ADHD-Results%20largest%20treatment%20study.webarchive

Friday, May 8, 2009

Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinet


Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinets

Out with the old and in with the new

By Sarah Aguirre, About.com

With the beginning of spring comes the end of winter’s flu, cold, and cough medicines. At the same time spring means sun, insects, and lots of outdoor activities. It’s a great time to add a few necessary components to ensure that you have the right supplies for spring’s medicinal needs. De-cluttering this one tiny section of your home will get rid of dangerous and outdated items, while getting you ready for spring.


What To Throw Away:

• Expired medicines lose their effectiveness and in some instances can become dangerous. Check expiration dates thoroughly.

• Nearly empty bottles create clutter and may not even have enough medicine left for a full dose.

• Improperly stored items can partially evaporate, leaving them more concentrated and dangerous. Get rid of items that were not sealed or stored properly.

• Duplicates of items that are not used often only create clutter. If you do want to keep duplicates, move them out of the medicine cabinet and into a larger area to store. Try a large bathroom cabinet, or your pantry.

• Old prescriptions or partially used prescriptions should not be saved.

Check with your physician if you have questions about saving prescriptions.                                    

What To Add:

• Sunscreen with the right amount of SPF protection.

• Aloe Vera to treat burns.

• Insect Repellant to keep spring’s bugs at bay.

• Insect bite relief for when they bite you anyway.

• Heating and cooling packs for sprains and strains during outdoor fun.

• Allergy medications for allergy sufferers.

• Updated First Aid Kit including band-aids, antiseptic wash, and ointment for spring scrapes.

Take the time to free up your medicine cabinet for the items your family will need this spring. 

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Do It In Two Minutes

Many of us have a problem deciding on priorities. What do I do when? For tasks that are short and sweet and can take you the amount of time to watch a commercial on TV try this simple two minute rule: “If I can do it in two minutes or less, I’ll do it now. “

These are tasks that have to be done on a regular basis anyway, why not do them in two minutes or less right now?

• Straighten up your family room
• Check your emails (don't hyper focus on this task, get in and get out)
• Bring your mail into the house
• Sort through your mail, standing up with a recycling bin next to you
• Shred your mail from your shred bin or box
• Plan your week by writing a realistic to-do list (keep the list short & doable)
• Write up a food shopping list for the week
• Plan a meal or meals for the week
• Make your lunch and/or the kids lunch for tomorrow
• Water your houseplants or outdoor annuals
• Empty all trash cans and dump the trash in your outdoor trash can/bin
• Review family birthdays or holidays coming up (Do you have a card ready to send your family?)
• Load or unload your dishwasher
• Start a load of clothes in your washer
• Move a load of clothes from your washer to the dryer
• Empty the dryer and fold your clothes or hang them up
• Put your clean clothes away
• Get your clothes and/or the kids clothes ready for tomorrow's activities
Note: Doing the laundry means that you wash, dry, fold and put away. If any of these steps are left out, you have not done your laundry, you are still in process. Try to start and complete this task as you do each load or every other load. It will make a big difference in actually getting your laundry done and not having to iron as much. Delegate by getting other family members involved in the task if possible.

If you can think of other two minute tasks to add to this list, please let me know about them so we can share this info with others.