Physical vs. Mental Tasks | ADHD Information

Just wondering how everyone else feels about this.  Well, it depends on the tasks. But, I probably have an easier time doing physical tasks. Like putting oil in my truck. Or changing the litter box. Or grocery shopping. Much less taxing on my brain, than having to read instructions, or look up a phone number in the awful phone books they have here.

If I'm real hungry, and don't know what to do with what's available in my frig, I'll look up receipies just to get some ideas. That's not such a bad mental task, but only if I'm real hungry.   

What about yourself, bcgirl? Elaborate a little? hmmmm

 

Gypsy - I don't know if you'd call relating to people a mental task or not - but, I think you have a kind of skill in that area.

GypsyWomyn's comment got me thinking.....

What about automotive/mechanical interests? Do you think maybe we have a tendancy toward such things?

I know that my favourite tasks usually involve figuring out what is wrong with my truck and working on it.... but trying to think about it theoretically by reading and troubleshooting is a lot harder....

I have no trouble with either, as long as I can do them tomorrow.

Mark -

Mark you crack me up.

For me... I find physical tasks much easier. Strictly mental tasks make my brain feel like it's on the verge of a meltdown.

In my previous job, I was a filing clerk. It was very mundane, but I was filing, stuffing envelopes, and doing other such physical office tasks. I didn't hate coming in to work. My hands could work while my brain wandered off and did its own thing. It didn't matter if I daydreamed. But... I felt I could do better because I had a university degree, yadda yadda yadda. That was over two years ago, and long before I knew about the ADD. Then I got a promotion into the job I am doing now. It is ALL mental work and I HATE it. I miss my old boring filing job, as silly as that may sound.

After giving it some thought, I realized that all my favourite hobbies involve DOING something with my hands - crafts, cooking, gardening, sewing, etc.

I ALWAYS learned by doing, not by reading a manual. I can learn something by doing it once or twice, rather than by reading the how-to 10 times.

Shiny, that's interesting about mechanical/automotive interests. I LOVE putting things together. An old roommate of mine once bought a really fancy entertainment centre that had to be assembled. She was totally lost, but I was right there, tools in hand, eyes lit like a Christmas tree, screaming, "Lemme at it!!!" LOL.
bcgirl197838435.5434027778

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a's mom38460.7546296296Okay, LEARNING a new task hands on and following directions is hard for me, but if i'm cleaning or grocery shopping or doing things I KNOW how to do then physical tasks are easier.  If somebody is showing me how to hook up a VCR or put something together I have a hard time understanding what to do for some reason.  Or, following directions.  Mental tasks, forget it.

[QUOTE=bcgirl1978] Mark you crack me up.

For me... I find physical tasks much easier. Strictly mental tasks make my brain feel like it's on the verge of a meltdown.

In my previous job, I was a filing clerk. It was very mundane, but I was filing, stuffing envelopes, and doing other such physical office tasks. I didn't hate coming in to work. My hands could work while my brain wandered off and did its own thing. It didn't matter if I daydreamed. But... I felt I could do better because I had a university degree, yadda yadda yadda. That was over two years ago, and long before I knew about the ADD. Then I got a promotion into the job I am doing now. It is ALL mental work and I HATE it. I miss my old boring filing job, as silly as that may sound.

After giving it some thought, I realized that all my favourite hobbies involve DOING something with my hands - crafts, cooking, gardening, sewing, etc.

I ALWAYS learned by doing, not by reading a manual. I can learn something by doing it once or twice, rather than by reading the how-to 10 times.

Shiny, that's interesting about mechanical/automotive interests. I LOVE putting things together. An old roommate of mine once bought a really fancy entertainment centre that had to be assembled. She was totally lost, but I was right there, tools in hand, eyes lit like a Christmas tree, screaming, "Lemme at it!!!" LOL.
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OH MY GOSH I TOTALLY AGREE!!

I just got promoted in April of 04. I was previously answering phones, telling customers about account balances, stuffing envelopes, filling out forms & filing. I excelled at that so they promoted me. Now I am keeping track of late records, adding late charges to accounts within certain balances ranges, & printing letters & reports all on their own different schedules & following a very annoying spreadsheet to try to remember it all. I already screwed up at least 3 things this week just from the added stress of my boyfriend moving out Monday. It takes such extreme concentration that I cannot understand why I feel fatigued at the end of the day. Last night I couldn't sleep a wink, and the house is so quiet and I am starting to feel so lonely, & I can't find all my friends phone numbers for that girl chat stuff (lost them someplace). On days like this I miss the days I lived at home where my parents were constantly right behind me telling me to meet deadlines, hurry up & straighten up my act. Why? Because it was my only form of ADD control. hehe

Reizende

[QUOTE=yellowdog]Gypsy - I don't know if you'd call relating to people a mental task or not - but, I think you have a kind of skill in that area.[/QUOTE]

Ha! Little do you know...or perhaps that's it...you do know.   In the "normal" world, no one listens to me, and it's their loss, I'd say. I guess that's been the thorn in my side all my life, like for many of you, not making friends, not being accepted, not being listened to, being misinterpreted, not fitting in...shall I go on? And I just realized it's not because we can't relate to them, THEY can't relate to us.

In any case, I must admit it's so much easier to relate and communicate with you *special* people (and typing, not talking helps a lot!) It sure gives us the opportunity to think before speaking and to be nonjudgmental. Right?

And Gee, thanks for the sweet words, *puppie* (I agree with what someone posted elsewhere...why do you use "yellow"dog? Just doesn't seem appropriate. hmmm?

Wow, now THAT was a mental task, finding the words to say all that!

[QUOTE=a's mom] *wondering if I should pick mental because the poll question was easy for me in answering that physical is easier* [/QUOTE]

HA HA HA!! Just being able to understand what you wrote the first time reading it, is proof enough for me I'm AD(H)D!    GypsyWomyn38435.8255787037[QUOTE=look! shiny!]GypsyWomyn's comment got me thinking.....

What about automotive/mechanical interests? Do you think maybe we have a tendancy toward such things?

I have always been slanted toward the mechanical trades, I was an auto mechanic for over 10 years until sidelined by a nagging injury. Additionally I worked as a pin setter mechanic in varius local bowling centers (there's that job history thing again) I've always enjoyed working with my hands fabricating odd parts to help complete jobs, when they actually do get completed. I seem to have the gift of being able to look at a mechanical item and have a basic if not better understanding of it's workings.