

The ADHD Skills Lab
Skye Waterson
Navigate each day in an ADHD-friendly way – with research-backed strategies, real-life experiences and expert advice. Each week, UO founder Skye Waterson chats with expert guests, reviews the latest ADHD research, takes your questions and offers practical support to help you move past whatever may be holding you back. Skye Waterson is a former academic turned coach, podcast host, and founder of an international ADHD support service, Unconventional Organisation. After getting a surprise ADHD diagnosis in the first year of her PhD, Skye turned her struggles into research-based strategies. She researched and wrote over 50 articles with a combined readership of 250,000+ and then began her next phase of disseminating these strategies around the world. After being invited to share her strategies with the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) in 2022, Skye has supported late-diagnosed healthcare professionals, professors, lawyers, reporters, fortune 500 directors, and entrepreneurs. She crafted her vision for Unconventional Organisation after realizing how few personalized ADHD strategies were available for adults following her diagnosis.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 11, 2023 • 41min
ADHD Research Recap: Emotional dysregulation across genders, internet-delivered therapies, self-reporting and diagnosis
Explore gender differences in emotional impact of ADHD, internet-delivered ADHD therapies, and the limitations of self-reporting methods for diagnosis. Discover the higher levels of emotional dysregulation in children with ADHD and the contrasting struggles of neurotypical girls and girls with ADHD. Delve into the underdiagnosis of ADHD in females and the significance of teaching self-regulation. Lastly, discuss the challenges in accurately differentiating ADHD from other conditions in screening tests.

Sep 4, 2023 • 34min
How to hack your ADHD with Will Curb: Managing your energy and avoiding burnout
Noted ADHD podcaster Will Curb talks about managing energy to avoid burnout. They discuss personal experiences with ADHD diagnosis, need for energy and time management, dealing with professional failures, learning from experiences, and encouraging engagement with listeners.

Aug 28, 2023 • 37min
ADHD Research recap: Hyperactivity, biometric changes and the benefits of ADHD coaching
Join Sarah and Skye for another Research Recap. This week, they discuss hyperactivity, brain scans, the potential risks of undiagnosed ADHD and autism, and the benefits of ADHD coaching for all.Trigger warning. 'Risks Associated with Undiagnosed ADHD and/or Autism: A Mixed-Method Systematic Review' includes a discussion of suicide. Unconventional Organisation: https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/The ADHD Academy: https://courses.unconventionalorganisation.com/the-adhd-academy Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: a Narrative Review of Biological Mechanisms, Treatments, and Outcomes.Risks Associated with Undiagnosed ADHD and/or Autism: A Mixed-Method Systematic Review.Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of English-Speaking Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder During a Verbal Fluency Task. P.S. If your ADHD symptoms turn every business day into chaos—unfinished tasks piling up, revenue stuck, systems that don't stick—it's not you. It's your operating system. We help service business owners unblock their next $50-500k with simple systems that focus their brain. Watch this video to see how we do it, then take the program walkthrough.

38 snips
Aug 21, 2023 • 37min
ADHD planning, punctuality and the power of bite-sized tasks with Conor Doyle
In this episode, Conor Doyle, a former Unconventional Organisation client and L'Oreal colour specialist, joins the podcast to discuss ADHD strategies and experiences. Topics include breaking tasks into bite-sized chunks, mastering time, thriving in professional hairdressing, and the importance of routines and accountability in managing ADHD. Conor also shares about promoting neurodiversity in education and provides information on connecting with their ADHD coaching organization.

Aug 14, 2023 • 31min
ADHD research recap: Motivation, procrastination and the childhood experience
Exploring the connection between ADHD and procrastination using the temporal motivation theory. Examining the challenges in diagnosing ADHD in adults based on childhood experiences. Discussing a research study on the genetic component of ADHD.

Aug 7, 2023 • 41min
Overcoming ADHD-induced chaos with Russ Jones: Learn how to “be cool with yourself”
Join Skye on this week’s ADHD Skills Lab podcast to hear from coach, expert and host of the ADHD Big Brother podcast, Russ Jones. The pair discuss ADHD and Depression and the importance of self-acceptance before exploring tried and tested techniques to wrangle order from ADHD-induced chaos.Whether through one-on-one coaching, his hit podcast or online support forum, Russ is on a mission to help adults with ADHD learn the tools and strategies needed to live the life they want.Unconventional Organisation: https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/The ADHD Academy: https://courses.unconventionalorganisation.com/the-adhd-academyCareergasm: Find Your Way to Feel-Good Workhttps://www.amazon.com/Careergasm-Find-Your-Feel-Good-Work/dp/1770413715Bullet Journalhttps://bulletjournal.com/ P.S. If your ADHD symptoms turn every business day into chaos—unfinished tasks piling up, revenue stuck, systems that don't stick—it's not you. It's your operating system. We help service business owners unblock their next $50-500k with simple systems that focus their brain. Watch this video to see how we do it, then take the program walkthrough.

11 snips
Jul 31, 2023 • 37min
ADHD Research recap: Inertia, distraction and links to obesity
Do you struggle to get going in the morning? You’re not alone! This week Sarah and Skye dig into the latest research around sleep inertia to get to the bottom of why so many of us with ADHD can be slow to start. They also examine a paper on the mechanics of distraction and discuss why ADHD can be a marker for obesity in later life. Unconventional Organisation: https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/The ADHD Academy: https://courses.unconventionalorganisation.com/the-adhd-academyLingering on Distraction: Examining Distractor Rejection in Adults with ADHDhttps://psyarxiv.com/cqe34/Activity-Based Prospective Memory in ADHD during Motor Sleep Inertiahttps://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/11/5181Emotional problems mediate the association between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and obesity in adolescentshttps://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-023-04882-x P.S. If your ADHD symptoms turn every business day into chaos—unfinished tasks piling up, revenue stuck, systems that don't stick—it's not you. It's your operating system. We help service business owners unblock their next $50-500k with simple systems that focus their brain. Watch this video to see how we do it, then take the program walkthrough.

Jul 24, 2023 • 25min
Rethinking ADHD with Peter Shankman: How growing up with a faster brain can be an asset
Join Skye on this week’s ADHD Skills Lab podcast to hear from six-time best-selling author, customer experience guru and neurodiversity oracle Peter Shankman. Tune in to find out how to channel your ADHD energy, discover tools and techniques to help you stay focused — and learn why it’s always important to be yourself.Described by the New York Times as “a rock star who knows everything about social media and then some,” Peter is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker and thought leader across ADHD, neurodiversity, PR, advertising and much more. Unconventional Organisation: https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/The ADHD Academy: https://courses.unconventionalorganisation.com/the-adhd-academy P.S. If your ADHD symptoms turn every business day into chaos—unfinished tasks piling up, revenue stuck, systems that don't stick—it's not you. It's your operating system. We help service business owners unblock their next $50-500k with simple systems that focus their brain. Watch this video to see how we do it, then take the program walkthrough.

Jul 17, 2023 • 34min
ADHD Research Recap: Does ADHD change over time?
On this week’s ADHD Skills Lab Research Recap, Skye and Sarah look at the latest research on ADHD and middle childhood. They explore how ADHD is experienced during this period, look at the connection between common symptoms and struggles at different stages of life and ask whether ADHD can change over time. Unconventional Organisation: https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/The ADHD Academy: https://courses.unconventionalorganisation.com/the-adhd-academy1:38 Genetic overlap between midfrontal theta signals and ADHD and ASD in a longitudinal twin cohorthttps://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(23)01274-X/fulltext 11:46 Impairment’s Role in the Pathway From Externalizing Psychopathology to Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents With ADHDhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10870547231159911 22:25 Predictors of Quality of Life and Functional Impairments in Emerging Adults With and Without ADHD: A 10-Year Longitudinal Studyhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10870547231153962 P.S. If your ADHD symptoms turn every business day into chaos—unfinished tasks piling up, revenue stuck, systems that don't stick—it's not you. It's your operating system. We help service business owners unblock their next $50-500k with simple systems that focus their brain. Watch this video to see how we do it, then take the program walkthrough.

13 snips
Jul 10, 2023 • 39min
Interview with Dietitian Aleta Storch: ADHD eating strategies, self-compassion and snacks
Join Skye and Sarah on this week’s ADHD Skills Lab podcast to hear from anti-diet dietitian, therapist, and Certified Body Trust® provider Aleta Storch. Together, they discuss how to set flexible rules and practice self-compassion when it comes to eating with ADHD -- and why any food is always better than no food! Aleta works with clients in her virtual practice, Wise Heart Nutrition, and is the creator of the groundbreaking Eating with ADHD® model.Unconventional Organisation: https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/The ADHD Academy: https://courses.unconventionalorganisation.com/the-adhd-academy P.S. If your ADHD symptoms turn every business day into chaos—unfinished tasks piling up, revenue stuck, systems that don't stick—it's not you. It's your operating system. We help service business owners unblock their next $50-500k with simple systems that focus their brain. Watch this video to see how we do it, then take the program walkthrough.


