If you like what you hear on Overcoming Distractions the podcast and have gained value, insights and strategies you could implement in your life and business, please consider supporting the podcast and buy Dave some coffee!
How to have productive conversations as a busy adult with ADHD
Some of the challenges we as adults with ADHD are rooted in communication….That can be with co-workers, our boss, clients, family members…and others.
Expectations with clients.
Productive conversations with colleagues.
Asking for accommodations without disclosing
Checking in with a supervisor.
In this episode, we talk about how to have productive conversations and meaningful communication, especially in the workplace.
Chuck Wisner is the president of Wisner Consulting. His client list includes companies such as Google, Rivian, Apple, Tesla, Harvard Business School, Ford, and Chrysler. Chuck was a senior affiliated mediator with the Harvard Mediation Program…. among countless other credentials.
He is the author of “The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact,”
Chuck discusses the many challenges of effective and meaningful communication in the workplace and other professional settings and why some people struggle.
He also discusses whether we have ADHD or not, some of the possible mistakes many people make when trying to communicate with others in the workplace and even at home.
Chuck discusses some of the different types of conversations he outlines in his book, including collaborative and creative conversations. He also discusses how to navigate these different types of conversations in the workplace.
Dave and Chuck discuss how many people with ADHD overcommit themselves, and Chuck has some quick tips about how to commit or decline diplomatically.
Is there a general formula for effective communication? Chuck answers this too.
Chuck’s book, “The Art of Conscious Conversations,” is now available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your favorite bookstore. Find Chuck at: https://www.chuckwisner.com/
Thriving as a serial entrepreneur with adult ADHD
What do you have to do to become a successful entrepreneur with ADHD?
Today we discuss that with Stephanie Mearse, CEO of Empower Hour and Vice President at Desert Capital Management Group.
Stephanie is a busy adult with ADHD and she tells her story on this episode of Overcoming Distractions. She has many professional accomplishments to her credit and talks about how she thrives in an entrepreneurial world with ADHD.
Stephanie also founded Crowned Consulting, where she helps other entrepreneurs thrive. She’s known on the speaking circuit and an author.
Stephanie starts out by giving us a day in the life of a busy entrepreneur with ADHD. She discusses how she attacks each day and stays on track.
She also talks about those must haves that need to be in place in both her professional and personal life to help her continue to thrive.
Stephanie discusses why she finally sought out to get an ADHD diagnosis and how that helped her.
As a serial entrepreneur, Stephanie discusses what her strengths are, why she calls it her superpower, but she also discusses the challenges that come with being an adult with ADHD and how she mitigates those.
And she gives adults with ADHD a road map if you’re an entrepreneur, or you have a demanding job or career.
You can find Stephanie on her website. https://stephaniemearse.com/
How can I get a good night’s sleep when I have ADHD? Part 2
We’re back with Nick Stewart sleep coach and author. This is Part 2 and if you need an introduction
In this episode, Nick Stewart gives us essential steps to get back on track with sleep;
Nick talks about proper sleep hygiene. And these include the following.
Sunlight in the morning.
Compensate for no sunlight with lighting products, commonly found on Amazon.
The types of professionals you should consider if you’re having challenges with sleep.
Discipline with bedtimes.
Proper blinds and shading in your bedroom.
Dedicated area for sleep.
The temperature of your room.
Reading habits before bed.
Nick also discusses some of the myths associated with getting a good night’s sleep.
Find Nick Stewart on LinkedIn: LinkedIn Page
Why proper sleep is mission-critical for adults with ADHD-Part 1
Here’s a fact that nobody can argue with. Adults with ADHD can have challenges with sleep.
And sleep is something that comes up in the world of ADHD over and over again. Many adults with ADHD have legitimate challenges getting a good night’s sleep and many of us were the ADHD also need to improve our sleep habits.
One of the big ones is that a lot of you are going to bed at 2:00 AM. Not a great idea…. Just saying…. Unless of course you’re working a third shift.
So today we’re going to try and move the needle in the right direction and understand why sleep is so vital for busy adults with ADHD.
Dave talks with Nick Stewart, Certified Sleep Science Coach and the author of Sleep Fitness-the top ten sleep facts that matter
Nick talks about why quality sleep is so mission critical for anyone with ADHD.
He discusses some of the common and maybe some uncommon reasons why adults with ADHD struggle with sleep.
Dave and nick discuss what happens when we cannot achieve quality sleep such as reduced executive functions, general health concerns, increased stress and anxiety and more.
Nick talks about some of the first things somebody with ADHD should tackle if they are struggling to get a good night’s sleep and sustaining that over time.
Nick talks about why routines are incredibly important in both the morning and night and he shares the one tip for getting started on getting a good night’s sleep.
Stay tuned for Part 2 as Nick discusses more specifics about how you can achieve quality sleep.
Find Nick on LinkedIn: LinkedIn Page
How to start getting “unstuck” as a busy adult with ADHD
Every single person gets stuck in their lives at one time or another. That could be in their career, their job, or their personal life at home. We all get stuck from time to time.
How do we get unstuck?
This podcast is about getting unstuck. Whether you have ADHD or not, you’ll learn something about it.
Dave’s guest today is Britt Frank, a clinician, speaker and the author of the Science of Stuck and the Getting Unstuck Workbook.
We can get stuck on a decision to do the dishes in our house or making a major career or life decision. Being stuck can show up everywhere.
Britt discusses the science of being stuck which she equates to having the emergency brake on in your car. She also discusses the shame many of us feel when we’re in stuck mode.
Britt also discusses with Dave the following topics.
Procrastination.
Decision fatigue.
Intention gaps.
How to get a micro yes accomplished.
Why boundaries are related to being stuck.
And stay to the end of the discussion because brick gives three steps for anyone to get unstuck.
Find Britt Frank and her book the Science of Stuck here: https://www.scienceofstuck.com/
How visual aids can help busy adults with ADHD
Out of sight out of mind is probably one of the best descriptions of ADHD. We need important items and reminders in front of us and it needs to capture our attention.
So that’s what we’re going to talk about today: why visual cues for busy adults with ADHD can be a game changer. Many of us have challenges with short-term memory, and visual cues and aids can help us tremendously.
Dave talks with Sara Olsher, the founder of Mighty and Bright, an organization that creates very useful products to help people with visual structure.
Sara talks about founding Mighty and Bright, her personal story and why she decided to build this business.
Dave and Sara discuss visual cues and why they can be highly effective for those of us with different brains. Remember out of sight, out of mind.
They also discuss why from many busy adults with ADHD, important reminders as well as physical items sometimes need to be in our face.
Sara discusses what makes a great visual aid including those around the house.
And Dave and Sara talk about some of the important ways that visual aids can help busy adults with ADHD including task initiation, completing tasks and projects, aiding in our challenges with short term memory as well as reducing overwhelm.
Sara talks about the more popular charts that her business offers and why they are popular.
You can find out more about Sara’s story and her visual aids here: https://mightyandbright.com/
Moms with ADHD, this podcast is for you. And guys, you can listen too!
This episode is dedicated to all you moms out there with ADHD.
But guys, don’t hit the stop button because we know you’re going to learn something too from this discussion.
Today we have Anna Burns with Anna Burns Wellness and she works with ADHD moms.
Anna discusses with Dave what it’s like to be in ADHD mom, some of the specific challenges of mothers with ADHD and how ADHD moms out there can make life less stressful and a little more organized.
Anna starts out by describing a day in the life of an ADHD mom. You might relate to some of this!
Anna also talks to Dave about some of the more common challenges a mother with ADHD would face that many of you listening can relate to.
She talks about why it could be common from many women after having children to discover they have ADHD.
How do we organize as a mom with ADHD? Anna discusses the core parts and systems women should focus on.
She also discusses with Dave how to implement more emotional intelligence as a mom with ADHD. Because many people, men and women can have challenges with emotions in different situations.
Anna also walks us through how moms with ADHD can build routines with kids running around the house, extracurricular activities and other responsibilities.
What can be a game changer for women with ADHD? Anna talks about this as well.
Find Anna at: https://annaburnswellness.com/
The importance of belonging in the workplace with ADHD
One of the things that makes a career a better journey is when we have purpose, and we feel like we belong. Belonging is human and it’s something we all crave.
On this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we talk about belonging in the workplace and why it is so mission critical for all of us. Especially those with adult ADHD.
Aga Bajer is a culture strategist and works with organizations to help a cultures evolve for the better. She works with leaders and teams across the globe to help improve culture.
Aga is the founder of Culture Brained which is a community dedicated creating cultures that are synonymous with fun, meaning and belonging.
Aga starts telling us about Culture Brained and the organization’s important work.
Dave talks with Aga about some of the bigger factors involved in people not feeling like they belong in any type of working Environment.
Aga also discusses with Dave what happens to both the individual and the organization when the feeling of belonging is lost. That includes stress and in the long term feeling burned out for individuals.
Aga talks with Dave about how an individual knows that they do truly belong in an environment such as a workplace and what those key indicators that give them comfort.
They also discuss what should someone looking to make a job or career change look for and how to go about that if belonging is important.
How do we show up in a workplace that can make a difference? Aga answers this as well.
Learn more about Culture Brained and Aga’s important work here.
How to manage the fear of goal setting with adult ADHD
Many individuals with ADHD here the term goal setting and they want to run the other way. Does this sound like you?
Many times our perception of goal setting can introduce overwhelming thoughts. We think of massive goals such as running a marathon or losing 50 lbs.
But goals are not always big ideas. They can be small achievements we want to make.
Dave’s guest on this episode is Dr. Fiona Peters an expert in ADHD in the workplace, a researcher, speaker and authority on this topic of goal setting and Adult ADHD.
Dave and Fiona talk about why adults with ADHD typically have challenges with goal setting, including short-term and long-term goals.
Fiona discusses with Dave why many adults with ADHD can get stuck when it comes to setting goals and some of those obstacles that continue to get in our way.
Fiona also discusses some of the more particular issues regarding goal setting and ADHD including how our executive functions play a role, our habits and routines, perfectionism, perceived rejection and defeating obstacles.
As always, we have some actionable items at the end of this podcast for everyone to be thinking about if they have been struggling with setting long or short term goals.
If you’re looking to achieve certain things in business and in life and want to learn some smart ways to set goals with your ADHD brain, this is a great episode to listen to.
Find Dr. Fiona Peters here.
Practicing self kindness as an adult with ADHD
Adults with ADHD need to practice more kindness to ourselves and be intentional about self compassion.
But how do we do it?
This podcast episode is dedicated to helping busy adults with ADHD fine ways to be more kind to ourselves and help us understand the science of self compassion.
Tara Cousineau PhD is the author of the book the Kindness Cure, a meditation teacher and perfectionism coach.
Tara first discusses why she wrote the book, the Kindness Cure, what prompted her and what she wanted to accomplish by having people read about kindness.
She discusses with Dave how self compassion can directly affect our executive functions and how stress can deactivate our compassion network.
She discusses the overall lessons of kindness that we need to implement in our lives and why it is so critical, especially for adults with ADHD.
Dave and Tara discussed the physical challenges that can result from a lack of self compassion and stress.
And Tara discusses kindness in practice with some questions we can all ask ourselves at any time of the day to put a more positive aspect on our lives.
You can find Tara Cousineau here at her website. https://www.taracousineau.com/book/