Walking the Camino with ADHD

[brumthefirst]

Hi everyone!

In a few days my Camino del Norte starts from San Sebastian. I tried to win some advice from friends who already walked some routes, but I feel very insecure about my preperations.

I have ADHD and I really enjoy doing things on the go and not plan that far ahead. Sometimes it's also necessary to figure things out on the go, because I have a terrible sense of time, planning and my abilities (I don't feel tired untill I'm very much tired). So I also experienced that doing things that way usually results in me getting stuck in situations that are really clumsy or even down bad.

So reading all the topics saying things will be allright if you 'just think ahead', or 'if you leave the albergue early enough', or 'be on time at the albergue' make me really stressed. My idealised image of the Camino would've been to wake up around 10:00, make breakfast and lunch, then walk untill I'm hungry and tired somewhere early in the evening and then find a place to eat and an albergue to sleep.

I read about people waking up at 5:00 to arrive at an albergue in time to have a chance to find a bed. Waking up early is something that I struggle with every day, and because of everything I read, I can imagine myself standing in front of closed doors, not deciding what I should do next in time, end up sleeping outdoors or walking through the night (I have bad coping mechanisms and usually learn the hard way).

Are there other pilgrims with horrible time- and life management who can comfort me and tell me things will be fine? Is 'just wake up early' and 'just think ahead' a must, or something only people who write on forums like to write?

I guess my main question would be: what should I prepare and organize, and what will be okay without planning everything ahead?

Bram

 

[trecile]

My idealised image of the Camino would've been to wake up around 10:00

If you are planning to stay in albergues this is the first idea that you will need to abandon! You will be required to leave around 8:00.

I'd say that the most important thing to be flexible is to gather together your information resources. That way, you will have the necessary information to make decisions when things go awry.

 

[SabsP]

IMO you need a good combination of being structured and staying flexible. Common sense helps too.
Like @trecile wrote : if staying in an albergue you have to be out at 8 am in the morning.
If you cannot manage this and you have the funds : find a private room where you can checkout around 11 am.

About not feeling tired before you are too tired : then you will have to adapt to that. Work with a daily schedule and " force " yourself to stop at a certain point. Maybe already making a booking at a certain albergue so you have to stop there.

Do not underestimate btw that with daily walking, new environment and overall new experiences you might feel tired more quickly than when at home.

I do not know if your ADHD comes with a form of disorganisation ( feel free as not to answer this here, there is always the pm function ) but be aware that when you choose an albergue you will need to keep your things organised around your bunkbed or tidy up when you used the communal kitchen.


Im sure you will be fine! Happy preparations and Buen Camino!

 

[brumthefirst]

If you are planning to stay in albergues this is the first idea that you will need to abandon! You will be required to leave around 8:00.

I'd say that the most important thing to be flexible is to gather together your information resources. That way, you will have the necessary information to make decisions when things go awry.

Thank you for your reply! Although I've seen and read a lot of stuff, this is new information for me. Hopefully my daily routines will adapt more to a pilgrims life.

 

[brumthefirst]

IMO you need a good combination of being structured and staying flexible. Common sense helps too.
Like @trecile wrote : if staying in an albergue you have to be out at 8 am in the morning.
If you cannot manage this and you have the funds : find a private room where you can checkout around 11 am.

About not feeling tired before you are too tired : then you will have to adapt to that. Work with a daily schedule and " force " yourself to stop at a certain point. Maybe already making a booking at a certain albergue so you have to stop there.

Do not underestimate btw that with daily walking, new environment and overall new experiences you might feel tired more quickly than when at home.

I do not know if your ADHD comes with a form of disorganisation ( feel free as not to answer this here, there is always the pm function ) but be aware that when you choose an albergue you will need to keep your things organised around your bunkbed or tidy up when you used the communal kitchen.


Im sure you will be fine! Happy preparations ad Buen Camino!

Thank you! I dont have the funds, so I'll have to adapt more to a lifestyle of waking up and trying to sleep early. Booking the day before is something I might need to consider indeed. Is a daily shedule something I should be working on right now, or is that something I can do every day before? (Or even the same day?)

I do have a tendency to be chaotic and disorganized, but it's not the typical worst kind of situation kind of bad. Tidying up luckily always works when other people are affected by my mess.

Thank you again for your reply and bringing up things I haven't thought about!

 

[SabsP]

As someone with a tendency to ADD ( without the H and from the agecategory that did not get diagnosed during the schoolyears ) I can only tell you that there is a certain reassurance in working with a daily calendar, diary and stick to some basic life rules. So yes, you can only benefit from working out a daily schedule IMO. You will have enough energy left " to colour outside the lines " and stay creative.
Good to hear you are aware of others who might be affected by your behaviour. This alone makes me believe you will do great in an albergue setting!

I see you are from the Netherlands! Cheers from Belgium.

 

[trecile]

Booking the day before is something I might need to consider indeed. Is a daily shedule something I should be working on right now, or is that something I can do every day before? (Or even the same day?)

Do you mean booking everything in advance or doing it day by day?
I recommend booking a day or two ahead if you need the security of knowing that you have a place to stay. I do a combination of showing up and getting a bed at the municipal albergue (they generally don't accept reservations - it's first come first served), booking the day before or even during lunch on the day.

 

[MinaKamina]

Hi Bram,

These wise words from a friend of mine who has ADHD:

'I planned my first Camino meticulously. I made sure that I had a place to stay every day for the entire trip before I started. I knew where food and / or water would be scarce and where I had to plan ahead. It wasn't easy, but I am glad I did. It allowed me a lot of freedom and energy to walk, experience and live. I got into trouble anyway, trouble is my middle name after all, but it was small beer compared to what might have gone wrong.'

If you want to go happy-go-lucky like you describe, your best chances are Sarria to SdC.

 

[David Tallan]

Hi everyone!

In a few days my Camino del Norte starts from San Sebastian. I tried to win some advice from friends who already walked some routes, but I feel very insecure about my preperations.

I have ADHD and I really enjoy doing things on the go and not plan that far ahead. Sometimes it's also necessary to figure things out on the go, because I have a terrible sense of time, planning and my abilities (I don't feel tired untill I'm very much tired). So I also experienced that doing things that way usually results in me getting stuck in situations that are really clumsy or even down bad.

So reading all the topics saying things will be allright if you 'just think ahead', or 'if you leave the albergue early enough', or 'be on time at the albergue' make me really stressed. My idealised image of the Camino would've been to wake up around 10:00, make breakfast and lunch, then walk untill I'm hungry and tired somewhere early in the evening and then find a place to eat and an albergue to sleep.

I read about people waking up at 5:00 to arrive at an albergue in time to have a chance to find a bed. Waking up early is something that I struggle with every day, and because of everything I read, I can imagine myself standing in front of closed doors, not deciding what I should do next in time, end up sleeping outdoors or walking through the night (I have bad coping mechanisms and usually learn the hard way).

Are there other pilgrims with horrible time- and life management who can comfort me and tell me things will be fine? Is 'just wake up early' and 'just think ahead' a must, or something only people who write on forums like to write?

I guess my main question would be: what should I prepare and organize, and what will be okay without planning everything ahead?

Bram

I think you will find as many people (perhaps more) in these forums that advise you to not plan at all and just buy plane tickets and start walking, without even a map - just following the yellow arrows. Perhaps that can reassure you somewhat.

That said, your idealized vision of walking until the evening and finding an albergue to sleep in then, is perhaps not entirely realistic. For one thing, most albergues will kick you out well before 10.

If you really want to keep that kind of schedule, you may need to rethink the kind of accommodations you'll be using. What is most likely to happen is that you will arrive. The albergue will be full, but that won't bother you because you want to sleep somewhere that will let you sleep in until 10. So you will look for a hotel, hostal, casa rural, pension, or the like. If there is one in the village you land in with a room for you, great! If not, you'll take a taxi to a nearby place with a free bed and another taxi back in the morning.

Alternatively, you can adjust your schedule. You'll leave earlier (not necessarily 5 am, more like 6-8 am) and stop walking earlier. You may find that you need to book ahead a day in advance and commit to a particular place to stop each day. Maybe you will find a group of people you walk with or hang out with in destination villages, who can help ensure that you find a place to sleep.

Chances are that you won't end up sleeping outdoors whichever option you choose, unless you don't want to accept the alternatives.

 

[Bradypus]

That said, your idealized vision of walking until the evening and finding an albergue to sleep in then, is perhaps not entirely realistic.

That is my preferred approach and it still works pretty well on the less-walked routes in winter which are my first choice of Camino these days. But I have to agree that on the busier routes in the main season you risk running into problems finding space late on in the day.

 

[Brenlea]

As someone with a tendency to ADD ( without the H and from the agecategory that did not get diagnosed during the schoolyears ) I can only tell you that there is a certain reassurance in working with a daily calendar, diary and stick to some basic life rules. So yes, you can only benefit from working out a daily schedule IMO. You will have enough energy left " to colour outside the lines " and stay creative.
Good to hear you are aware of others who might be affected by your behaviour. This alone makes me believe you will do great in an albergue setting!

I see you are from the Netherlands! Cheers from Belgium.

This is my first Camino and I have no idea what to expect so I have been planning and over planning I am sure and still feel uncertain, I also have ADHD. However some of my work situations and raising children has forced me to work with schedules and make lists lists and more lists. So I have determined I will aim for approximately 20 km per day, seeing if there's albergue's in the range and making a loose plan with that information. If I fall behind, I will take a bus and skip a day walking or I will stop early if I run out of time and head back. I have to take the pressure off I can't change my return date home as it's a plane to Canada, so toss the stress, make the best plan I can and choose to take the lessons as they come. I wish you all the best on your Camino and everything that comes with it.

 

[SabsP]

This is my first Camino and I have no idea what to expect so I have been planning and over planning I am sure and still feel uncertain, I also have ADHD. However some of my work situations and raising children has forced me to work with schedules and make lists lists and more lists. So I have determined I will aim for approximately 20 km per day, seeing if there's albergue's in the range and making a loose plan with that information. If I fall behind, I will take a bus and skip a day walking or I will stop early if I run out of time and head back. I have to take the pressure off I can't change my return date home as it's a plane to Canada, so toss the stress, make the best plan I can and choose to take the lessons as they come. I wish you all the best on your Camino and everything that comes with it.

Thank you but I was merely answering to the OP. Not sure yet if I will walk a Camino this year.

All the best with your planning!

 

[Robo]

I have ADD and am in the middle of my 4th camino.

I think you'll find the simple daily routine will help you structure your day.

And get used to spending a little time in the afternoon planning for tomorrow.

Where you might walk to. Places you can stop for food or drink, so how much food/water you might need to carry.

Preparing your gear for the morning.

I have just packed my pack ready for tomorrow. Filled my water bottles, and just have 'out' my clothes to get dressed in the morning.

Previously i looked at the route. Booked my bed for tomorrow night, and worked out where i'll get breakfast.

I'm all ready to enjoy another day.

Of couse if you meet up with other pilgrims, the planning for the next day can often be a joint affair over a meal or a drink....