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Category Archives: ADHD Coaching
Do You Have ADHD?
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We all have friends or coworkers who just can’t seem to sit still or stay focused. “I must have undiagnosed ADHD,” they joke. You already know that ADHD is no joke. When you get right down to it, most individuals have felt restless, disorganized, or distracted at one time or another. So then, do we all just have ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) is one of the most common disorders in childhood, affecting about 7.5 percent, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is estimated that 50 – 75% of those children continue to have ADHD into adulthood. But many adults with ADHD don’t even realize they have the disorder. They do know that everyday tasks—from keeping appointments and getting up in the morning, to staying focused and being productive—are a real challenge.
Adults who have ADHD have had it since childhood. The Mayo clinic states that out of every three people with ADHD, one grows out of their symptoms, one has symptoms that are less severe than when they were younger, and one has persistent and significant symptoms as an adult.
In children, the symptoms of ADHD fall into three broad categories: trouble paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. While it’s normal for all children to be inattentive, overactive and impulsive at times, these behaviors in kids with ADHD are more severe and frequent.
Symptoms
While everyone likely experiences a couple of the below symptoms from time to time, for people with ADHD, the symptoms have caused a long history of problems in their schooling and work.
According to the Mayo Clinic, adult ADHD symptoms can include:
- Trouble focusing or concentrating
- Restlessness
- Impulsivity
- Difficulty completing tasks
- Disorganization
- Frequent mood swings
- Hot temper
- Trouble coping with stress
- Unstable relationships
Impairment
When it comes to diagnosing ADHD, the notion of “significant impairment” is key. Impairment refers to the ways in which the symptoms disrupt a person’s life. For example, a person with ADHD may have trouble staying employed because of their inability to meet deadlines or stay focused, or they might have a whopping credit card bill because of impulsive spending. Still others might be failing college because of their symptoms, or have an unusually high amount of stress and conflict in their marriage. While the impairments are not required to be as significant as these examples, ADHD is diagnosed only when a person’s symptoms have significantly impaired at least two major settings in their life, such as work and family.
And since people with ADHD have had trouble ever since they were kids, if it’s gone undiagnosed, many also develop low self-esteem.
Managing ADHD
While there is no cure for ADHD, there are ways to manage it. Treatment focuses on reducing symptoms and improving quality of life. While there is still some debate about the best treatment, combining medication and behavior modification seems to be the most effective. Coaching helps adults to set goals regarding their ADHD challenges and develop action plans to reach those goals. From attaining better grades in college to overcoming obstacles at work to improving your personal relationships, ADHD coaching can assist adults with ADHD in moving forward. Counseling for adults often includes psychotherapy and education about the disorder, as well as developing the skills to successfully manage daily tasks and responsibilities.
What one step can you take today to manage your ADHD?
Author’s content used under license, © 2011 Claire Communications
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Getting Things Done – On Time!
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There is a well-known axiom in business that “failure to plan is planning to fail.” Well-known, and, all too often, honored in the breach. It is planning, in its many guises, that ultimately has the greatest impact on whether you finish a task or project on time. When you have ADHD, planning can be especially challenging.
But for many of the tasks thrown our way at work, especially when you have ADHD, planning seems to be an unthinkable luxury. Assaulted by emails, barraged by phone calls, sliced and diced by meetings and interruptions, the idea of planning a day, let alone a longer-term project, is almost laughable. And if someone else isn’t imposing unrealistic deadlines on us, impulsivity can cause you to commit to them yourself, agreeing to be somewhere or accomplish something in impossible time frames.
You can take positive steps to help increase the odds of getting your projects done on time.
Protect your calendar
Your calendar isn’t your to-do list. Loading up your planner with the 19 things you want to accomplish each day just creates frustration, not productivity. Instead, separate the functions of your calendar and your to-do list, and use the calendar only for events that are time-specific.
“But the Nibblers ate my day”
Julie Morgenstern, author of Never Check E-Mail in the Morning, calls them the “nibblers”—interruptions, procrastination, perfectionism and meetings—because they will definitely consume your workday. Meetings and interruptions can be managed with a variety of tactics, starting with controlling your email habit, as the title of her book suggests. Procrastination and perfectionism are best fought, she says, with the ultimate weapon for expanding your day, planning.
Always identify the next action
Trying to finish tasks on time can often fall victim to the “urgency vs. importance” dichotomy that stresses working on the important over the merely urgent. But in addition, to finish a project, every step is critical, even the “unimportant” ones. If you are building a boat, caulking the hull so it doesn’t leak may seem more important than buying the anchor. But both tasks have to be done if you are going to put to sea.
According to productivity guru David Allen, what’s really critical is to determine the next action, the next physical thing you have to do to move your project forward. “Finish Phase II” isn’t an action. “Email Bill in accounting to release the funds for Phase II” is an action. By always keeping track of the next task for each of your open projects, you can always be productive without wasting time figuring out what to do next, which will help keep your project on track.
What are your favorite strategies for getting things done on time?
Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications
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Free Bike Give-a-way!
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Many children with special needs require an adaptive bike to enjoy the freedom and fun of bike riding. Unfortunately many parents are unable to afford an adaptive bike.Here is your chance to win a free adaptive bike!
Friendship Circle of Michigan has partnered with adaptive bicycle companies to give 15 children with special needs a free adaptive bicycle in a contest called “The Great Bike Giveaway.”
What is Friendship Circle?
Friendship Circle of Michigan is a unique organization that creates friendship in the lives of 3,000 children with special needs by providing over 30 weekly and seasonal programs.
Over the past few months, the folks over at Friendship Circle realized many special children miss out on the childhood joy of bike riding because their physical or cognitive limitations make riding a bicycle near impossible.
For this reason they have created a contest that will enable 15 children with special needs to win a bike. This contest will also enable people to learn more about Friendship Circle and help raise awareness for all children with special needs.
Contest Details
The Great Bike Giveaway is a free contest that is open to all families who have a child (or children) with special needs.
Step One: Submit your photo and caption
- The Great Bike Giveaway is a Facebook Contest. Visit Friendship Circle of Michigan’s Facebook page to submit a picture of either your child with special needs or a creative picture that portrays “why” your family would like an adaptive bike.
- Include a caption of 250 characters or less explaining your child needs an adaptive bike.
- The submission round opens at midnight on April 16th and closes at 11:59pm on May 10th.
Step Two: Vote & Share
- During the week of May 13th-18th, Friendship Circle of Michigan will display all submissions for a public vote-a-thon.
- Vote for your submission and share with your friends and family. You can vote once per submission for the duration of the contest.
Step Three: The Winners
- The top 15 contestants with the highest number of likes at the end of the contest will win their choice of bike (the highest number chooses first, the runner up chooses second and so on).
- Friendship Circle of Michigan will also choose three “Director’s Choice” winners based solely on the content of their submission, not on the number of votes.
If you are a mother or father of a child with special needs…take a few minutes and join this very exciting, very unique contest. A couple of minutes could win your child a slice of childhood they will cherish forever.
A Special Thank You To Our Sponsors
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4 Keys to Being Successful with ADHD and Money
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Having ADHD can cause issues with finances. Whether you spend too much, don’t save enough or just lose track of it, these suggestions can help you increase your success with money.
Say No
If your ADHD causes you to be impulsive, chances are that this carries over to your finances. This can cause you to stretch your finances too far by making purchases that don’t fit with your income. Say “no” to purchasing in the moment instead of saying yes… especially high priced items. This gives you a chance to evaluate whether or not you need the item and whether you really even want it. If saying “no” seems too harsh, practice saying “maybe”. You can always go back and purchase it later!
Automate
It can be difficult to remember to pay bills when you have ADHD. It can also feel like such a chore that you just never get around to doing it. Automate as many of your bills as possible to take some of the work out of the process. You can do this through your bank and/or through the company you are paying.
Keep Track
Whether you use technology or an “old fashioned” checkbook register, it is important to keep track of your money. Easier said than done right? Make it simple so that you stick with it. You do things like check your balance on-line once per week, set up low balance alerts with your bank, or review your register once per week. Set a goal to keep track and establish reminders for yourself.
Get Assistance
Learn more about how to manage your finances and gain success with your money. Getting assistance to help you improve your money management can go a long way towards becoming successful with ADHD and money. I recommend the ADHD & Money Management Online Seminar at ADHD Management with Dr. Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, Ph.D. She speaks internationally, and appears in national media outlets frequently covering the topic of ADHD and money management.
What are YOUR keys to financial success?