Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with ADHD, ADD

Dave spends a few minutes talking about the power of routines regarding adult ADHD. Having routines, especially in the morning, as well as those that guide us in the workplace can reduce our stress, promote increased productivity and efficiency, and ultimately reduce the contribution to burnout. Dave talks about two areas that those with ADHD need to focus on when it comes to routines. We must have a morning routine that gets us out of the house and into the office without stress. And when we get to work, we need to build routines that allow us to work effectively and enjoy our career or job. Dave also talks about how it is important for us to be flexible because life changes, and we need to respond appropriately.

Burnout can happen to everyone, including those with ADHD. Adults with ADHD can burn out much faster when faced with an unhealthy work environment. Burnout also occurs when those of us with ADHD are not in the right job. ADHD career coach Shell Mendelson is on the podcast this week talking about what causes employees with ADHD to lose interest and even burnout. And Shell talks about the warning signs of being in the wrong job, how to correct that and how to lay the groundwork for finding a new career or job. Some important points to the discussion include: Why performance improvement programs at a job can backfire on people with ADHD. Why confidence is important when trying to navigate your career. What contributes to burnout in the workplace including poor communication, lack of flexibility, and not enough physical space or open spaces such as cubicles. And, of course the amount of house someone works. Shell discusses how to start the process of finding a new job or career. She walks everyone through an exercise for identifying what they like and what might cause them to experience any level of burnout in the workplace. She also has suggestions for a successful job interview to ensure you ask good questions before accepting any position. Find out more about Shell here: www.passiontocareer.com www.shellmendelson.com  

One trait that many with adults with ADHD are good at is making assumptions. However in most cases, those assumptions are about negative outcomes of various situations. We assume that when our boss or client calls a meeting or calls us, it's to discuss a negative situation or to speak with us about a job that was not done properly. We also assume that some people do not like us or do not understand us. And many of us assume that the car next to us is going to cut us off on the highway. Dave talks about why making assumptions only adds stress to our lives and he discusses a couple very simple strategies to implement in your life to start the process of not assuming everything is bad. Sometimes it's as simple as rewriting the conversation in your head. If you have a habit of assuming the worst in all kinds of situations, join Dave for this short podcast about ADHD and assumptions. Learn more about working with Dave at: www.OvercomingDistractions.com

Time management especially when you have ADHD can never be about “Set it and forget it.” Your systems will only last for so long before you need to adjust to personal and professional circumstances. This week, Dave talks about how you can go back to the basics and hit the reset button on your time management. If you feel like you are running out of time and energy each day, and you feel like your schedule is taking over your life, check with Dave on this short episode. Sometimes we don’t see it coming and we find ourselves running in all directions and heading towards burnout. Dave talks about hitting the pause button and doing a hard reset on how you manage your time, commitments and your schedule.  With a few basic tips on how to blow your schedule up and start over.

The topic of this podcast is about the feelings many with ADHD feel about having a different brain. Many with ADHD go as far as to feel that their brain is broken. That's what many say to themselves. Tamara Rosier, Ph.D., is the founder of the ADHD Center of West Michigan and the author of the book, Your Brain’s Not Broken. The book has received much praise from many in the ADHD community. Tamara wants people to understand that ADHD is just a part of you and does not define you. Dave asks Tamara why many people with ADHD feel their brain is broken. They ask questions such as “Why am I like this? Or why do have this brain?” “Why can’t I be normal?” These are common messages we feed ourselves as individuals with ADHD. It's not uncommon and the frustration that comes with having ADHD can feed this. By the same token, Dave asks Tamara why many with ADHD have a default negative type of thinking? For example, “I have ADHD so I can't do that.” she discusses what those of us can do to begin to change our negative way of thinking. Tamara also spends an entire chapter in her new book on setting boundaries. It's an essential part of managing your life whether you have ADHD or not. But even more important if you’re an adult with ADHD. She explains why. In chapter 12 of her book, Tamara lays out practical ways to manage and thrive with ADHD. She discusses these briefly and tells people why it's important to be practical. Building a solid foundation for managing your ADHD is one of the most important things you can do. You can find Tamara’s new book here: https://www.tamararosier.com/

Jeff Gibbard and Sara Ohanesian are back on the podcast to discuss ADHD and the myths surrounding productivity and focus. Many people with ADHD have let Tick Tock, Twitter, and Instagram influence how they think about their behaviors and habits. Especially when it comes to strategies and tactics for being productive and focused. To be direct, we let others on social media tell us what works and doesn't. When in fact, those with ADHD need to try a variety of these tactics to find out what works for us and our personal circumstances. We discuss the following in this podcast about productivity and ADHD. First, why do we let outside influences dictate our abilities? And have some of us just made up our minds? We discuss why we need to be curious and not dismissive of productivity tactics. One tried, and true way is to break projects down into small chunks and learn about the different systems that allow us to complete these projects. We talk about paying attention to what is working for you as a person with ADHD as well as what it feels like. We talk about paying attention to your reactions and when you try a certain productivity technique, try to understand if you like it or do not like it. The podcast covers so much more regarding myths about ADHD and productivity. Stay with it until the end because this podcast offers many great tips. If you have your mind made up about the productivity techniques that are working or not working for you, this podcast will change your mind. Find Jeff and Sarah here: https://getsuperproductive.com/

Grant Crowell is back to continue the conversation about how to return to the office successfully. Grant is the Author of Grantasms Creative twisted words for cool people! and a self-professed social wordsmith. Grant has extensive experience in corporate training and support. Grant discusses several of the challenges some of us face when asked to return to an office setting. These include having a new work set up such as a desk or workspace as well as adjusting to a possible hybrid scenario. He also discusses maybe not having an ideal office setup. Grant also talks about how your routine could change because of a different schedule, and the need for different types of communication and real-time interaction. Grand and Dave discuss the benefits of going back to the office. Those of us with ADHD are social animals so that face to face time for many of us is a benefit. Not only in the office but our ability to go out to lunch or other social activities. It also helps build new routines and work discipline. And of course, it gets us out of the house. Grant talks about what we can do to analyze our best work and conditions. That includes an audit of what is working and what is not and what you may be challenged within the workplace. He also discusses how to advocate for ourselves including having discussions and conversations with coworkers and your supervisor about how you prefer to work and how you can be most productive for your organization. Find Grant’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/GRANTASMS-Creative-twisted-words-people-ebook/dp/B07ZY9JDPP Connect with him on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrantCrowell  Do you want to work with Dave? https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/

This week we have back Grant Crowell, Author of Grantasms Creative twisted words for cool people!  and a self-professed social wordsmith. Grant and Dave discuss how to go back to the office full time, survive in a continuing remote work environment or how maximize hybrid working. As we are all too familiar with, the pandemic challenged our way of working for just about everyone. Especially if you work in an office environment. Now, after two plus years, many companies are refocusing their efforts on what their workforce will look like and how they will work. Grant is a seasoned corporate trainer in many different environments and industries and shares his tips in part one of this series on how to maximize your work environment, regardless of where you work. Grant discusses what he saw that were some major challenges to remote work including the basic needs of having an office, inadequate Internet connections, and getting used to sporadic communication with coworkers and supervisors. Create also talks about the challenges that come with remote work and a hybrid work model whether you have ADHD or not. Dave and Grant discussed the importance of taking control of various aspects of your work in conditions. These include getting ahead of time management, speaking up when certain communication styles are not working for you as well as not being afraid to ask for the accommodations that will help you do your job better. Keep your eye out for Part 2 of this podcast. Find Grant’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/GRANTASMS-Creative-twisted-words-people-ebook/dp/B07ZY9JDPP Connect with him on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrantCrowell  Do you want to work with Dave? https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/

In this short podcast with Dave, he talks about some of the ways in which you can improve your mindset to believe in yourself and understand that your brain is capable of much more than you think. Yes, those of us with ADHD have strengths and weaknesses like everyone else but it's important not to focus on the weaknesses that can bring us down into negativity daily. For example, racking up even the smallest of wins can help us create a positive way of thinking. Continuing to engage in negativity including the negativity that happens often on social media platforms only limits possibilities. Want to work with Dave? https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/

Many of us with ADHD take the self-employment route. Sometimes we have great ideas and want to run the show, other times maybe it's our only route because the corporate world isn't a great place for us to be. And…Maybe we got fired… Working for yourself is incredibly rewarding but it takes discipline, vision, and an obsession with minimizing distractions. Even if you don't actually own a business but maybe you're in sales, a freelancer, or another career where growth and revenue are directly related to your effort, listen up. Dave talks about three habits that entrepreneurs with ADHD do very well in this short podcast. There are many more critical habits that a self-employed person with ADHD needs to have but Dave talks about some of the top ones here. Staying focused on these three things will allow you to have less stress, manage ADHD much better as well as thrive in business and in life. Are you a self-employed person with ADHD and want to work with Dave? https://overcomingdistractions.com/workwithme/