The other day, I went for a walk with a friend. We climbed to the top of a hill where we could see the blue sky surrounding the downtown core and the mountains in the distance. I felt gratitude for the cool fresh air in my lungs and the beautiful expanse. You would think I would do this on my own all the time because it makes me feel good, but I don’t.
I have a confession to make. I really enjoy activities that are sedentary. I like to write, play solitaire, watch Netflix and sports. I am not one of those people who wake up early to jog or swim laps. I am more of a wake up late and remain in a cognitive fog until the afternoon kind of guy. I regularly go for walks with friends but rarely on my own. As a result, I can end up staying home wasting time on less meaningful activities which results in me feeling guilty and lethargic.
One of my challenges is I, like many people who have bipolar disorder, have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). People with ADHD have a problem with something called, “Task Initiation.” We struggle when a task requires the completion of multiple steps. A person without ADHD could decide to go for a walk and just leave. If you have ADHD, your thoughts will be like this: “What to wear? Where to go? Runners? Weather? Clothes? Should I leave now? Music? No Music? What time is it? Do I have time? Weather? Do I have time? Clothes? Runners? Jacket? Imagine having all these thoughts without any meaningful division or sequence. It is overwhelming and discouraging.
The other issue is my bipolar disorder makes me feel tired. My medication is sedating, and my version of the illness lowers my energy level. My body is constantly telling me it just wants to rest, and I battle with the urge to remain on the couch all day every day.
To combat these issues, I have decided to try a new strategy to help me go on walks on my own. I have prepared a comprehensive list of every minute step required to leave to go for a walk on my own and I have scheduled it on my calendar. I have downloaded a playlist on my phone that will make my walk on my own more enjoyable. I hope all of this will inspire me to create a positive loop where exercise improves my ADHD symptoms making Task Initiation less of a challenge.
I totally relate.
Glad this blog resonated with you Paul. It’s always nice to hear from people who have the same experience.
Thanks for the great advice for coping with task-initiation. Do you want company when you walk? OBAD’s portal on Discord.com has a page called ‘Walking-Channel,’ where one posts walks and hikes for OBAD readers who may want to come along. Another new page called ‘Exercise’ invites readers to participate in a fitness challenge.
Thanks Sue.
Thanks Allan
Oh how I can relate to challenging fatigue. I really need to get outside at least 3x a week. Thanks for the inspiration I don’t feel like I’m alone with this challenge to get ourselves motivated. You and many are right there with me👍🏻
Thank you for your kind comments Annette.