ADHD Challenges
In adults, the challenges tend to present in ways that others might interpret as lack of commitment, or even lack of intellect, such as: Disorganization at home and in the workplace – with bills paid late, meetings missed, notes lost, etc. Recklessness – with more traffic accidents, broken bones, affairs, etc. Poor listening skills – leading to misunderstandings, forgotten appointments, difficulty following spoken directions, partner feeling ignored, etc. Distractibility – contributing to relationship challenges and under-performance at work, such as forgotten deadlines, lost focus, mislaid items. Difficulty relaxing – no longer hyperactive, but always on edge, tense, moving about, or fiddling with something. Procrastination – difficulty getting started on a task unless it is novel, interesting, challenging or (has become)…
Exec Function / Self Regulation
ADHD is often described in terms of inattention/distractibility and impulsivity/hyperactivity, but these symptoms are now understood to arise from a deficit in areas of Executive Function, each of which is a form of Self Regulation. Executive functioning can be considered analogous to the role of a company’s Chief Executive – setting direction and goals, maintaining an overview of all activities to stay on track, managing time and resources, etc. It’s the processing that goes on in your brain to enable you to work out how to reach a future goal, and take the necessary steps towards it. | Self-awareness | Inhibition | Non-verbal working memory | Verbal working memory | Emotional self-regulation | Self-motivation | Planning & problem-solving | Here’s a brief explanation of these terms, and how…
ADHD Coaching – My Role, and Yours
An ADHD coach is a facilitator or catalyst. My role is to enable you to become more aware of the impact of ADHD on your choices, recognize and embrace your own unique strengths and thinking patterns, as well as tackle specific ADHD challenges that can derail the best-laid plans. Your role is to actively engage with the process, and be accountable for the results you achieve.
Tips and Tricks
Because it stems from difficulties in Self Regulation, ADHD is a disorder more of performance than skill, as in “I know what to do, but… I find that, in the moment, I still don’t do it (and then get frustrated with myself)”. The challenge is to create an environment that makes performance easier, and levels the playing field. An analogy might be the ramp that allows someone in a wheelchair to access elevated rooms. Make the most of your exec function skills, and help compensate for their weakness, by learning what works for you. Create Structure One of the simplest ways to ensure you get things done, is to have a regular routine so each step becomes automatic rather than a decision…
ADHD in Adults?
Yes. Kids with ADHD tend not to outgrow it. The symptoms evolve but the underlying factors do not. In fact, ADHD is as heritable as height, so a kid diagnosed with ADHD is likely to have at least one very close relative with the same condition – which is why many of us start our road to diagnosis soon after our offspring, when we realize many of the items on the questionnaire we’ve been asked to fill out sound perfectly normal! In adults, the challenges tend to present in ways that others might interpret as lack of commitment, or even lack of intellect: Disorganization at home and in the workplace – with bills paid late, meetings missed, notes lost, etc.…
Is it Like Therapy?
Both coaching and therapy strive to create a trusting, supportive and confidential relationship based upon dialogue to enable the client to craft a more fulfilling life, but the roles are distinct. Coaching is motivational and action-oriented, harnessing your passions and working on strategies for present and future goals. Therapy is analytical, looking at “why” and aiming to heal symptoms through focus on the past. Another fundamental difference is that the coach and client carry equal weight, working together towards a client-identified vision, whereas the relationship between therapist and client is that of doctor-patient rather than partnership.
I’m not Broken?
That’s right! ADHD is just a different type of brain wiring, not a character flaw or moral failing. Yes, it creates some challenges – especially relating to executive function – but it also brings some unique abilities. For example, have you noticed how much easier it is to do something that matters to you, rather than because someone else told you it was important? And how much better you are at it? By developing an understanding of how you work, and learning some simple strategies, you can create an environment that plays to your strengths and mitigates areas of weakness.
Why Use an ADHD Coach?
All great coaches work with clients to identify goals, tease out issues, and help instigate changes that improve their lives. But the ADHD Coach brings an intimate understanding of ADHD, and how its impact manifests across all areas of life – both challenges and benefits – and the skills to make a difference. How often have you missed a deadline, had to pay a late fee, felt overwhelmed and out-of-control, been frustrated with yourself for forgetting something, etc. and gone to bed exhausted, wondering where the day went? As a mentor and motivator by your side, I help you see ADHD as a frame of reference rather than label or excuse, learn how it affects your life, and take concrete steps…
ADHD Positives?
Absolutely! People with ADHD are highly intuitive, picking up on things that others might miss. Thinking differently, and making non-obvious connections, brings creativity and an ability to quickly capture the essence of a problem. Other strengths include: | curiosity | humour | empathy | imaginative story-telling | outstanding sales skills | charisma | entrepreneurial mindset | belief that anything is possible | spontaneity | hyper-focus | passion | compassion | ingenuity | great in a crisis | strong sense of right & wrong | a different perspective | rapid learning | high energy | multi-tasking | resilience | … For each trait that causes problems, there can be benefits too, with the right support, role models, mentors and mind-set. In…
ADHD Coaching?
Your ADHD coach is a mentor and motivator who understands how ADHD’s impact can be pervasive but needn’t be life-limiting. Coaching from this position of ADHD understanding is very effective because it works with the brain type rather than against it; it doesn’t start with the assumption you’re “broken” and need to be fixed. It’s a strength-based model that empowers you to make your own, self-directed, change. ADHD Coaching recognizes that ADHD is simply a different type of brain wiring, and allows you to reframe you experiences in that light. It teaches you ways to optimize your environment to bend the world to your needs. A good analogy might be to think about left-handed people in a world optimized for the right-handed. …