This is a big one, and it impacts on so many aspects of our lives. Let’s start with people. We have a number of loved ones, family and friends. We also have many acquaintances, colleagues, officials and other people passing through our lives. It’s very difficult to keep in touch with everyone we know, and sometimes we lose contact along the way.
It’s a journey and people can join us for part of the journey and then take their own path in a different direction. Sometimes our paths cross again later on. But we can feel guilty and upset when we forget to make contact or reply to messages, or miss birthdays and other occasions. We still love and appreciate people, but we can forget vital facts about them and their big life events.
Technology can help. Moonpig has a calendar service which reminds you about birthdays so you can order online and get a card there in time. Facebook reminds us to send birthday wishes on the day instead of cards in advance. We can keep track of people without having conversations with them, so we feel more connected. Our online calendars notify us of regular and one off events so we can be ready in plenty of time.
Many people with ADHD say that they forget about their possessions too. Kitchen gadgets and food packets stay in the back of the cupboard, clothes lay at the bottom of the pile, and items go into storage never to be seen again. It’s easy to forget things exist if we can’t actually see them. But there are a few ways we can address this.
Some people organise their living spaces using open shelves and clear containers so they can see what they have and remember to use things. Labels can be helpful on cupboards, boxes and drawers which are closed, so we can easily remember what’s inside. Decluttering can reveal our useful items and help us focus on the items we really need.
People and possessions being ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is not always helpful. But there are plenty of things we can do to bring them back into view.
