No Questions Before Noon

On Saturday Erin and I took a trip to a farmer's market. This particular market is about an hour away, but has such great farms selling there that I felt it was worth a trip. The problem was that the market is open from 9am to 2pm.

Although it does happen, it's rare that I get out of the house before noon on the weekend. I like to sleep in and then I like to take a couple of hours to really wake up. During that time a big mug of coffee and some gardening shows are about all I can handle.

I made the commitment this past weekend, however, to get up "early," get on the road, and coffee on the way.  We stopped at Starbucks, my favorite.

We walked into Starbucks well before noon. I had been up less than an hour. And we were greeted by the perkiest Starbucks employee ever.

This woman was clearly a morning person. And she proceeded to happily shoot questions at me as I ordered for Erin and myself.

Bold or mild coffee?
Both mild?
With room or without?
Both with room?
Breakfast for here or to go?
Do you want that breakfast sandwich heated?
Do you want that scone heated?
Do you want the sandwich and the scone in separate bags?
Do you want ketchup with that breakfast sandwich?

Now I do appreciate good customer service and a happy person behind the counter. But 20 questions before noon - and before coffee - just doesn't work for me. If I was a computer I would have crashed, and I left Starbucks in complete and total ADD overwhelm.

While I have had a few clients who claim to be morning people, the vast majority of ADDers I know are night owls. Are you a morning person or a night person? What sends you into ADD overwhelm before you get going in the day? Please share your thoughts and experiences!

 

Comments

[Maggie]

Hey Jen, I am a dyed in the Wool Morning person with ADHD. I bounce out of bed raring to go. Getting off my time table throws me into a frenzy. I have trained myself to arrive early, so I have a time in mind when I want to leave. If I don't, like when I have a dawdling 7 yo, I go off the deep end. I.Have.to.stay.on schedule! Now just don't try to get anything intelleigent out of me after 9:00 PM. One would think after almost 14 years my husband would have figured that one out.

[Jen Koretsky]

You'd think my partner of 5 years would get it by now, too, Maggie, morning chirpiness will only annoy me. ;)

I must admit I envy the morning people ADDers (not to mention early to appointment ADDers) sometimes. More power to you!

[CT]

Jenn, if it wasn't for my big sister, I would have no idea what you were talking about... It was a lesson learned waaaay early in life: Never, ever try to talk to my sister for the first hour after she wakes up. No, NEVER! Too dangerous.

Me? I was always the one overwhelming everyone else, morning / noon / night. Especially back when I was drinking a lot of coffee.

Example: at one job, my buddy the warehouse manager counted my "refills". After 2 re-ups, he would "cut me off." Reason? He was "Worried about the damage" to his 14-foot high warehouse ceiling from all my bouncing around! (He was only kidding a little. I did get a bit too revved some days...)

So, anyway, AM, PM... all the same to me. Always on, for better or worse.

(Still love my Caribou...DeCaf!)

[Jen Koretsky]

Wow, CT, I can't imagine being switched on 24/7! I also can't imagine decaf. ;)

[Kathy]

I'm always on in terms of once I"m up I can talk, be cheerful, etc....I know, I know, *I* the one annoying folks like you!!

But I am definitely not a morning person in terms of being revved and ready to be focussed. My Saturdays look JUST like yours...or very close. Once I get my coffee (around 9:30, I flit back and forth between HGTV and TLC...watching (GULP) cleansweep, or Paul James, or our local Cisco Morris...I don't usually budge until 1. Yikes, the day is gone!

Lucky me, I have an understanding boss...on the weekdays I get to roll in around 10 "or so" and then just stay as long as it takes to put in my 8 hours of work. (which is usually much more than 8 hours cuz I'm keenly aware of how many times I'm off task/on the web, etc. I'm honorable, if not self disciplined! )

[Jeff]

Jen, I'm an ADD morning person...and an evening person (though not always in the same day). However...mid-day is my killer. By 1 or 2 pm...my brain is fried. A nap helps...as does a walk or just doing something completely non-work related.

The only thing that might put me into ADD overwhelm in the morning is if my wife expects me to remember to do too many things and she hasn't written down any of it. And then the kids pile on their demands and before you know it...I'm screaming.

[Jen Koretsky]

Hmmm...perhaps I'm wrong about most ADDers being night owls! Any non morning people care to join the discussion?

Kathy - the weekend just isn't the weekend without Paul James, is it?

Jeff - I think a lot of people fade out after lunch. Me, I'm just getting going at that point.

:)

[John M]

I threaten my ADD spouse with attempting to wake her up early in the morning. We both know that it is a futile threat. Although I am keenly aware of the consequences of dealing with my ADD spouse before she has had her coffee and time to adjust, sometimes my active morning mind gets the best of me, there is also a part of me that enjoys annoying my spouse.

[Mitchell Teplitsky]

Jen, I'm a big-time morning person - much more calm and focused. I tend to get frazzled as the day goes on - unless I can take an exercise break mid-day, which changes everything.

[Jen Koretsky]

John, I bet you do like to annoy your spouse! Erin knows better. I've got the title of most annoying in our household. ;)

Mitchell, I can understand getting more frazzled as the day goes on. That recharging piece is essential! Your film looks great - good luck with it! :)

[Andy H.]

Are you a morning person or a night person? What sends you into ADD overwhelm before you get going in the day?

I'm a late afternoon person. I can get more done at work between the hours of 4-6 p.m. than I can the entire rest of the day. I've learned over time what some of the triggers are for me to be overwhelmed at the start of the day. First I learned years ago to keep the radio station tuned to simple/calm stations. NPR works well or the "soft rock" stations. Hard rock on the drive in the morning stimulates a grouchy response. But before leaving on the drive I'll have the TV turned on. I've found that the morning shows that are heavy on world new or doom and gloom depress me way too much. I prefer the shows with host that have a good time, kid and laugh as well as feature light entertaining segments. As comparison, in the NY area I watch the local FOX station, Channel 5 on your dial. This is NOT the Fox News Channel. I've tried NBC's Today Show and the host really depress me.

If for some reason I don't have breakfast, watchout!! I need to eat all the meals. If I miss breakfast I'm a real grouch.

My thoughts, of course YMMV.

Andy

[Jen Koretsky]

It's great that you've built such strong self-awareness, Andy. Kudos!