Jessica McCabe, the creator of the popular YouTube channel How to ADHD and author of the upcoming book How to ADHD, shares her journey toward thriving with ADHD. She emphasizes the power of self-acceptance and crafting supportive self-talk. The conversation dives into practical strategies for managing executive function, navigating parenting challenges, and the writing process. By focusing on what truly matters and prioritizing joy, Jessica encourages listeners to move beyond mere survival to truly thrive.
To thrive with ADHD, it's important to prioritize the worth and value of tasks over mere productivity, ensuring personal growth.
Introducing variety and maintaining motivation in tasks through dynamic approaches can significantly enhance productivity for individuals with ADHD.
Deep dives
Transitioning from Surviving to Thriving with ADHD
To move from merely surviving with ADHD to thriving, individuals need to focus on not just productivity but also the value of the tasks they engage in. It’s essential to consider whether the effort put into certain tasks is genuinely worthwhile or simply a reaction to external pressures and expectations. Understanding this distinction allows individuals to allocate their time and energy in a way that fuels personal growth rather than just meeting societal norms. By actively engaging in this reflection, people can find fulfillment and joy in their activities while embracing their unique ADHD experiences.
Importance of Variety in Projects
Even projects that pique interest can pose challenges for those with ADHD, making it crucial to introduce variety and excitement into their approach. Different strategies, settings, and formats can help maintain motivation throughout various stages of project work. Engaging in activities like brainstorming sessions in new environments or incorporating breaks can turn daunting tasks into more enjoyable experiences. This dynamic approach can lead to enhanced productivity as individuals remain energized and focused.
Effective Project Planning Strategies
When managing long-term projects, working backward from the desired outcome can provide clarity and direction. This method involves visualizing the end goal and identifying necessary steps to achieve it, which helps create a manageable timeline for completion. Additionally, implementing accountability measures, such as scheduled check-ins with a co-worker or friend, can ensure adherence to deadlines. By establishing clear expectations and achievable milestones, individuals can create a structured process that better accommodates their ADHD-related challenges.
Cultivating a Supportive Mindset
Shifting from a critical inner voice to a supportive one can be transformative for individuals with ADHD. The idea of 'coach A' versus 'coach B' highlights the difference between encouraging self-talk that fosters growth and criticism that stifles progress. By practicing self-compassion and asking, 'What would coach B say?' individuals can reframe their thoughts toward a more constructive direction. Embracing this supportive mindset not only encourages persistence but also aids in creating a healthier relationship with learning and personal development.
We’re kicking off 2024 with the incredible Jessica McCabe - creator, writer, and host of the award-winning YouTube channel How to ADHD. I’m sure a lot of you are already familiar with Jessica’s work as her YouTube channel has more than a million subscribers, but for those of you who haven’t, her channel contains a wealth of knowledge about ADHD and is one of the things that kicked me in the pants to start taking my ADHD more seriously.
And now she’s coming out with a book: How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) - which is coming out on January 2nd - so tomorrow if you’re listening to this when this episode comes out.
In our conversation today, Jessica and I discussed how we want to go from surviving our ADHD to thriving with it, to get past some of our issues with executive function and universal design. We also get into a lot of stuff about her book and how she was able to use a lot of the strategies that she wrote about in the book to also help her write that same book.
Honestly, this episode was a blast to record and I hope you enjoy as much as I did putting it together. Be sure to check out howtoadhdbook.com to find Jessica's book Feel free to ask me a question on my Contact Page Find the full show note at HackingYourADHD.com/164 This Episode's Top Tips
When we want to move from surviving to thriving we want to start looking at not just how we can get more things done, but what’s worth doing.
Even projects we’re interested in can be difficult for us to work on, so it's important for us to keep them exciting with variety.
When planning out those big projects, work backward from where you want to be to figure out all the steps in between so that we can see that path to done.
Effort for us is not the problem, so trying harder is not the answer.
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