This one’s been on the back burner…

Updates

Why don’t we start with some updates just because they seem so fresh. My parents were in town this past weekend. They are currently midair. I just quit a job as Animal Handler at a dog hotel for another job as an understudy/production assistant at City Theatre. Which I got from reading with the director after doing a play reading, two short plays actually, last Sunday. This was before I flew to New York with Bex to go to a callback I had for an Off-Broadway musical looking to cast non-musical singers. Very. Cool. Stuff. Hope I’m not bragging too much.

This was my first callback for anything at that level which is very exciting. I hope to, at the very least, receive good feedback. I think I made a good first impression. Really I want the damn part. But, seeing as how it’s my first callback, I’ll take it as a sign that I’m doing something right. If I’m being honest? I cried when I found out, sobbed really. I had submitted the tape so rushed and just got the job at the “hotel” cleaning piss and crap. I was feeling that, “this is all I got,” kind of lost feeling and had only been at the hotel one week, when I saw the callback email. Bex said when I called her that night that, in our taping the audition, I reminded her of Robin Williams, which made me squeal cry like a baby pig over the phone. I don’t think I’ve ever ugly squealed-cry like that before. That meant a lot to me that she said that.

After auditioning to the best of my ability, after flying on such short notice, after trying my best not to show up a mess, and after giving them the most present audition I could give, now I feel very proud of myself. In school they said we should focus on how to be a “callback actor.” Maybe I don’t book the job, but if I can make enough appearances in callback auditions, then I’m bound to connect with someone for some role. A good first step. Not only that, but now I’m working for City Theatre! Here’s an opportunity to enjoy the work and process. I want to make sure I go in with an open heart and a willingness to not be perfect, so that I can learn as much as possible about being a working actor. This is very special and how amazing is it that this opportunity came hand-in-hand with the callback in NYC? Beautiful.

Some things that weren’t so great: the flights. I almost can’t fly. I had to take 100 mg of HyrdOxyzine coming down. I was maybe the most anxious I have ever been. Except maybe the ER visits in December. I was sobbing in my seat. Man was it rough. Praying to God. Intrusive thoughts of dying in a plane crash. What that would look like from all angles. Like Nolan was directing it. Definitely hard for me. I may never do it again if I can opt for a bus ticket instead. That or a much stronger tranquilizer. Which can also be dangerous. At one point, that thought scared the shit out of me too. Anyway…

Moving on!

“Your Perfect…”

I forgot to blog about this one because it was so short. The basic idea is it’s a book on finding love from the perspective of an Indian matchmaker, who connects families together when the young adults are ready for their arranged marriages. I enjoyed this extremely slight dip into Indian culture and thought it was very sweet. Here are some takeaways:

-See a palm reader, Tarot reader, face reader, and matchmaker

-Believe in Destiny, if it is meant to be, then it will be

-You have to have an open heart and mind

-Be willing to work on yourself and the relationship

-If you have your options open, you’ll be too distracted and confused to give one person as much of your attention as possible

-Lean on your family as well as the other person’s, keeping an open communication with everyone

-Work on communication early

“Best Laid Plans”

This was a book all about planning, how to plan for BIG goals and plan for all the little goals that fall underneath.

-Have a master calendar with all accurate, time related commitments. Must integrate with other calendars and coordinate with appropriate family members

-Ideally you want your weekly planner in a vertical, hour-breakdown view

*Hobonichi Cousin Planner

-Use nested goals to plan: Annual, Seasonal, Monthly, Weekly, Daily

-Enjoy these lists, dont constantly look at the larger ones

-Decide when you will process emails, as a routine habit. Consider the 5 questions before trashing emails

-Take a full day to plan your year, envision yourself 5-10 years from now, ask yourself the questions, imagine 1 year from now and ask yourself those questions

-Then while planning the year, consider the years routine celebrations or expected special moments, write them all out

-Create multiple lists of things you want to accomplish into separate areas of your life: called domains

-Understand different types of goals and identify goals that need to be broken down

-Create your seasons, tied to the change in weather or based on your work, kids, annual routines, etc. 3-6 is a good range

-Always consider what worked in last (time period’s) list and what didn’t. What goals have to move to another list, be broken down, or let go of. Consider hard-time deadlines

-Always check in with your emotions to see what you are actually energetically up to do VS unrealistically overloading yourself with goals you don’t actually have the drive to accomplish

-Write out an hour-by-hour ideal week when planning a new season

-Finances are best to assess at the seasonal level. The key is your awareness of spending habits

*Kendra Adachi’s Lazy Genius: Meal Matrix for meal planning done at monthly or weekly level

-Each month is like a reset, celebrate that. Take 2 hours to plan these. Plan multi-fun days, social events. Have a fun list.

-At the week level, assess inboxes, what is coming up that you have to do, and then what can you creatively add to the mix to accomplish or work towards some bigger goals

-Schedule exercises if you intend them to be regular

-On daily planning, dont plan exhaustedly

-Take breaks, dont overwhelm yourself

-Don’t give the same number of tasks every day. Describe your emotions with one word for each daily planning sesh, 30 min.

-Be patient when plans pivot

-Consider a close out ritual every day, you can plan here and assess your day here, too

-Embrace the flow of energy that dips/rises

-Our limitations are features not faults

-Read about people’s lives

-Wallow up to 48 hours (not for grief, that’s more)

-Don’t put a moral value on things done in advance vs just in time. Might not matter

-If you’re procrastinating, consider your inner life, do you need sleep, are you pressuring yourself, etc.?

-What are you afraid of?

-Involve family

-Technology is time sucking

-Plan for shorter times before you plan long term

-Don’t expect to be perfect and don’t expect to meet every goal

-Don’t do all or nothing thinking

*ProAction Planner

-Write down a list of fun things as you do them

*Luxe paper planner

*Pilot juice up Pen

ADHD Magazine

-Low radiation from tech could be affecting me

-Outward hyperactivity may turn into inward restlessness over time

-There might be a bed-ridden fatigue associated with some people with ADHD

-If feeling paralyzed by ADHD, consider doing two small tasks at once or make one project the only thing you do that day

-Anger and ADHD is very real, meditation, mindfulness, sleeping regularly, breathing deeply, and exercise help

*How to ADHD on YouTube

-Medication is often tied to a plan that includes therapy and lifestyle changes

-Stimulant treatments can reduce impulsivity and sensory-seeking behaviors in ADHD people

-Move when you need to move, body double, stack multiple habits, figure out a sleep schedule

-Yoga improves ADHD symptoms

-There are downsides to Adderall

-Omega-3 fatty acids, Iron (not too much), magnesium, zinc, and copper help ADHD

-Vitamins are produced by plants and animals, Minerals come from soil and water and are incorporated into plants and animals we eat

-Research is inconclusive with supplements

-Melatonin

-Things to consider: has this supplement gone through clinical trials and does it promise miracles without any information of side effects, is it sold through mail?

-Music helps with calm and stress regulation in ADHD

-Binaural beats, Rock, Classical, Lo-Fi all work or don’t, depending on the person

-Use high nutrition, elimination or supplementation for ADHD diets

-Whey protein may be helpful, eggs, fish, nuts, beans, poultry and lean beef

-Whole wheat bread, brown rice, beans, Legumes, root vegetables offer carbohydrates

-Sardines, salmon, sea bass, crustaceans, chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans are good for Omega-3 fatty acids

-Avoid sugar, refined carbohydrates, chips, crackers, fruit snacks, possibly caffeine, food additives with complex ingredients like sodium benzoate or red dye

-Look for minimal ingredients with recognizable foods listed

-Use a stress ball

-Take lots of breaks, to run, do isometric exercises, breathing work

-Give the ADHD person 15 minutes of positive attention

-Make physical contact and eye contact, turning off distractions when asking for something to be done

-Give one instruction at a time

-Time out as a space to calm down when over-stimulated or upset, not a punishment

-Ignore attention-seeking behaviors

-Allow for Natural Consequences to happen

-Don’t organize systematically, just notice

-Use background white noise to focus

-Give your brain new things to kick up the focus, making small changes in routine to help keep focus

-Let go of expectations, if something works for you and is not harmful, it’s okay. Be kind to yourself

-Wash one plate and then stop, work with ADHD, stop a task even if you haven’t finished everything

-Try body doubling, use lots of alarms, write down important thoughts

-It was rare in one study that a person exhibited all criteria of ADHD over 9 different points in their life. Suggests that ADHD symptoms/severity may fluctuate depending on the person. Not yet proved that ADHD can completely go away, 30% say it does for them

-Embrace the messy chaos of ADHD, do not conform to neurotypical scheduling or work days. Find a job that aligns with your strengths

-Don’t always plan every minute, allow your mind to wander through to-do lists

-Embrace the energy of cramming if you still finish your work on time, hyper-focus is a part of ADHD

-CHADD.org, ADD.org, adhdawarenessmonth.org are all great resources