ADHD Crash Course

Habits can be tough! Today's episode focuses on 4 ways habits "go wrong" and what we can do about it. ***New starting Spring 2024! Clarity Coaching's ADHD Coaching Membership! For more information about the membership and updates for the launch, join the waitlist/interest list here: membership.

Planning and prioritizing can be a challenge for most of us, especially at work. Professional productivity often demands a lot from our executive functioning skills!Things like breaking down big projects, coordinating with clients or coworkers, monitoring progress, or managing our schedule/ time are components of greater responsibilities that we have at work. Struggling with these can impact our performance in big ways!Today I'm interviewing Antonia Bowring, a top ranked executive coach, speaker, and author who, at the age of 50, received a diagnosis of ADHD. Antonia will share a bit about her personal story as well as her own insights on planning and prioritizing at work.If you are interested in reading Antonia's book, Coach Yourself!: Increase Awareness, Change Behavior, and Thrive you can find it here.You can also connect with her on her website and on Tik Tok @ Antonia Bowring 963.

Today we chat with Erin Vandermore, a licensed therapist, wellness coach, and the founder of Age of Uncertainty Coaching about the complicated connection between trauma and ADHD. Since ADHD and trauma can show up very similarly, it can be challenging (even for clinicians) to differentiate between the two. The fact that many of those with an ADHD diagnosis have experienced trauma around their diagnosis and/or the impact ADHD has had on their lives adds to the complexity of this topic. Erin offers expert insights on how we can identify trauma and understand its influence on our lives. She explains how somatic therapies like EMDR work and how they can be used to overcome our traumatic experiences.Listen to this episode of ADHD Crash Course to learn more about the ADHD/ Trauma Connection! If you would like to connect with Erin, she can be reached at Age of Uncertainty Coaching.

Sometimes we're just stuck. It might look like scrolling on our phones, hitting the "next episode" button on Netflix, or even just staring out the window. What makes us "stuck" is not the activity itself; it's the fact that we want or need to move on but it feels impossible to do so.What can we do to move out of that place of stuckness to one where we can choose what we do next? How can we get going when we feel like we're moving through quicksand?Today we'll talk about using "transition activities" to gently move out of a frozen state and into one of mobility and productivity.  This is not about "trying harder", it's about learning how to work with your nervous system exactly where it is!

Many people with ADHD  have the experience of being perceived as selfish in conversations (or even in their relationships). It can be frustrating for both the person with ADHD and their friends! ADHD traits can negatively impact our communication and relationships; impulsivity, memory challenges, and divergent thought preference can make it harder for us to connect/ be in sync with others.In todays episode we'll discuss common ways ADHD traits impact our communication/relationship and what we can do about it. We'll discuss how we can make changes that line up with our own values without masking or being inauthentic.

We are always on the hunt for the perfect planner/ time system/ organization system for ADHD!The search can be frustrating AND expensive! The most important part of any system that we choose is something that doesn't come with the planner we buy...our habits around using it!In today's episode, we'll talk about several questions you can ask yourself to find the right planner/ time system for YOU and steps you can take to ensure whatever you choose actually works to keep track of your time and cut down on chaos.Discount link for the Remarkable 2: https://remarkable.com/referral/QDMY-7NUN

Although grades serve as one measure of our progress, they should NOT be the only measure! Students with executive functioning deficits (and even those without) benefit when we shift our focus from the outcome to the effort they are making. Not only does this decrease anxiety, it helps develop key EF skills like planning, prioritizing, self-monitoring, and flexible thinking. Building these skills matter more than achieving a perfect score on any one test or class.  When we overemphasize  grades, it can actually make it more difficult for students to develop the executive functioning skills they need! Why? They stop focusing on what they can control in the moment and get overwhelmed with a future outcome.Learn how we can shift our emphasis with our students and why it matters in this episode of ADHD Crash Course!

Working memory can be thought of as our shortest term memory; it's the information we hold in our mind in order to get things done. These are some common ways working memory deficits show up in our day to day lives:Having to dig a box mix out of the trash several times to re-read steps when bakingWalking into a room but forgetting why you're thereForgetting a new acquaintance's name seconds after you've heard itIf any of these sounds familiar, you can join us today for a discussion on working memory; what it is and how to support your brain if you struggle in this area!

Exploring the misconception that ADHD is used as an excuse, discussing the concept of locus of control and how it relates to ADHD, and emphasizing that ADHD is an explanation and not an excuse for certain behaviors.

There's a word swap you can use to strengthen executive function skills AND approach yourself (and others) with less judgment. Try replacing "why" with "how" in some of your questions.Example: "Why did I wait until the last minute to start this project?""How do I decide when to start my project?""Why is it so hard for me to make decisions?""How  do I make decisions?"When we're frustrated, why questions can make us feel defensive. They ask us to justify our motives or reasoning.  “How” questions shift us to a place of curiosity- how exactly is this thing getting done (or not getting done)? Why asks for motivations, but how is a question that looks at our process.  "How" helps us see the steps that lead us to an outcome and make changes. Then we can decide if there are different steps we want to take to change those outcomes!