ADHD Center for Success

Adults with ADHD often share common symptoms, characteristics and traits. Can you relate to these real-life experiences of the ADHD Center for Success blogsite readers and my coaching clients? Can you relate to these experiences??

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“I loved your postings on your website. I am really trying to keep my emails more concise and to the point.  I have also thought a lot about how much structure was in my marriage/working schedule and how that made it much easier to function.”

  ~From Reader 
 

I am sure you have heard this before, but exercise is boring and especially to the ADHDer.   “What? An hour on that stupid machine- No way.”   BUT if I play video games (Mario Kart) while I am on the elliptical machine, I can go for over an hour.  I suppose the stimulation is enough to keep me on that machine.  So, it wasn’t that I am lazy or lack of disciple or lack of ambition.  It is the fact that I never had the stimulus to keep me interested. 

The funny thing is my wife asked me, “Do you know you had 4 miles in on that machine yesterday and burned over 600 calories.”  “Really, I didn’t know that, but I do know that I am really ripping through Mario Kart.”  

  ~ From Coaching Client

 
The last time I talked to you, I told you I was in “princess mode,” just sort of resting and chilling since the move.  It quickly progressed to POPCICLE MODE-  frozen solid.  I haven’t done as many productive things since I talked to you last week.  I guess I got moved in, saw all the boxes to unpack and go through, and CHOSE not to act. I truly believe that just “thinking” about these things, things, stuff, and more stuff, rather than “tackling” these things made the tasks seem much more difficult than they actually are. And the “thinking” and “fretting” created more emotional/physical fatigue than the energy I would produce by “doing.”

  ~ From Coaching Client

Last night I felt compelled to search my library of books to re-read Wayne Dyer’s book – “The Power of INTENTION”. I had forgotten how much I had enjoyed reading it the first time. This morning I sat down to my computer to read new email and found one of my favorite newsletters, Barb Melloh’s Law of Attraction Newsletter – “Magnetic News”. Those of you already familiar with the Law of Attraction will agree that it was no coincidence for me that the Newsletter’s title article was about “Intention”.

The newsletter article reviewed Lynne McTaggart’s new book, “The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World”. McTaggart clarifies the science behind intention by citing examples of specific scientific evidence. Yes, even the scientific has validated the power of intention.

So, what does Intention have to do with ADHD you ask? The answer is everything. Adults with ADHD often impulsively jump into their day without a clear plan, direction nor INTENTION. I was coaching a client this week and I pointed out that without a plan or clear ‘intention of outcome’ an individual is destined to drift aimlessly, victim to the whims of ocean/wind currents. As ADDer’s, we may frequently find ourselves drifting from one thought to another, one task to another, from… well you get the idea. Intention = FOCUS. There is a reason that research is indicating that the annual income of adults with ADHD is less than those adults without ADHD.

The Newsletter goes on to say that, “The process of setting intentions is a powerful way to design and create your life in exact accord with your desires. It’s a great idea to begin each day by setting positive intentions, for example – Today I intend and expect to: (examples)”.

Intention is a powerful tool to intentionally design and guide your life. Intention is also an excellent way to start your day. Here are a few coaching tips:

• Get clear of what you want to do, to create, who you want to BE.
• State the above intentions to yourself each and every morning.
• What is your ‘intended outcome(s)’ for the day.
• Write your intentions on paper. “Today I Intend to…”.
• Your daily TO DO list should include action steps to support your Intentions.
• Use Mindfulness Bells to stay on track and out of the drift.

Intention is also about ‘choice’. Make the conscious choice to live from your Intentions rather than meandering in the drift. Intention = Focus.

*Click on “Magnetic News” to read more about Lynne McTaggart’s new book.

~CoachRudy

By Shelly A. Meyers, Ed.D.

When students are in the K-12 atmosphere most teachers consider it their job to teach to all learning styles, particularly when there is an IEP to consider. This is not the case in the college atmosphere. There will be many more lecture presentations than discussions and in some cases PowerPoint is something very new. So how do students approach a course that is being taught outside of their preferred learning style? Particularly for students with ADD this is a challenge. The following are abbreviated steps that can be taken to convert the presentation of the professor to the learning style of the student.

Step 1: Identify your preferred learning style or modality and the professor’s teaching style. There are three basic types of learning modalities depending on the theorist. However, the most common are auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic. For most students with ADD or traits of ADD the most preferred are the visual and tactile/kinesthetic. In college the teaching types are lecture, discussion, and hands-on or combinations of each. It is a good idea to ask upper classmen about professors and their teaching styles—they’ll be happy to let you know.

Step 2: Ask the professor about the best way to study for the class. Some professors will give students copies of their notes or post their PowerPoints or recorded lectures to an internet site. If the professor happens to teach the same course on-line those resources will most likely be readily available. Be sure to indicate your accommodations and how these tools will benefit your learning in the course. Also ask the professor to recommend a student tutor. When students speak in “student” language, the same information just comes out easier to understand.

Step 3: Convert the professor’s presentation to your style of learning. If the professor lectures—convert the audio recording into PowerPoint notes or form a discussion study group. If the professor provides PowerPoint notes—convert it into a hands-on activity. These skills can be difficult to build in the beginning, but by the time you figure out your best way of learning—it will be well worth your time. If you have an ADD coach, ask him or her to help you with the conversion during your sessions. Be sure to store all of your conversions to study for exams—especially the final exams.

For more information please contact Dr. Meyers at smeyers@limestone.edu.

ADHDSupport.com, an educational Web site recently re-launched by Shire, is designed to provide families, caregivers, educators and patients with tools and resources about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

ADHDSupport.com offers information about the recognition, diagnosis and management of the disorder, assistance with how to identify and select a healthcare professional and what to expect when meeting with a physician about ADHD. It also features a symptom tracker to help record ADHD symptoms to be used in follow-up discussions with the health care professional; practical tips on how to get organized, and stay organized, and the best ways to set and evaluate goals; and detailed information about events that may be helpful to people living with ADHD. 

Click here for more information

Many of us are using email and texting as a tool for social and work related communication. While these tools can be very effective they also require some level of personal management. Remember, ‘stimulation is my friend’. Email and texting can be effective, quick, entertaining AND it can be a major distraction from other, potentially more important tasks and responsibilities.
 
Here are a few of Coach Rudy’s tips for ADHD Self Management: 

• I generally find it important to schedule your email time.
• Turn on your email only during your scheduled times.
• Keep your email turned off during all other times.
• Use mindfulness bells to help monitor your email use.
• Avoid texting while driving, walking and multi-tasking

 
Here are some ways to use e-mail to your advantage (source: Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, PhD, author of “10 Simple solutions to Adult ADD”).
 

• Keep questions in your emails to a yes-or-no format.
• If you receive an email that asks you detailed questions, type your answers in a different font color directly after the original questions.
• Unsubscribe from mass mailings you do not read. Usually, there is an “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email.
• Schedule a time to answer your email. Enforce a time limit on your email use.
• Send yourself an email to remind yourself of important information for the next day.