Overcoming Distractions

In this podcast, we are going to laugh at, and about our ADHD. And we’re going to learn how to find the humor with our adult ADHD.

On Overcoming Distractions this week is Pasha Marlowe, a therapeutic comedy coach. Pasha is going to walk us through how to find humor in our day-to-day activities in the ADHD world and how to use laughter as a tool to manage and thrive with adult ADHD.

Pasha and Dave talk about not only humorous things that have happened during the pandemic but what they have learned through this era of COVID-19. And Pasha discusses her own challenges.

Pasha discusses why many people find it difficult to laugh about their challenges and struggles including ADHD and she also discusses why it is important for the mind and body to be able to find humor in everyday situations.

Dave and Pasha have a discussion about how we can begin to find more humor and other things to laugh at in our daily lives and why it is so critical for our mental health to be able to lighten up throughout the day.

And Pasha talks about her therapeutic comedy coaching sessions and programs. Make sure you check out her comedy coaching.

Learn more about Pasha Marlowe and her coaching programs on her website. https://pashamarlowe.com/

How can I manage my emotions better when I have ADHD? This is a common question as well as a struggle in individuals with ADHD. Our emotions can get the best of us in both challenging times and times of excitement.

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave has a conversation with Marcy Caldwell. She is the supervising psychologist at Rittenhouse Psychological Assessments, and she has an upcoming program called Meltdown to Mastery.

Marcy first discusses why those with ADHD have challenges in managing emotions of all kinds. She talked about how the ADHD brain can have a flood of emotions and get overstimulated and in many cases irritable.

Marcy spent some time discussing her green, yellow, orange, and red indicators for recognizing and managing your emotions. It is a great method to identify when your emotions could be getting the best of you.

Dave and Marcy also discussed how to control emotions through breathing and how that can help you process feelings and reduce anxiety. And something as simple as taking a walk to process your emotions can help soothe your anxiety.

Marcy gives us a road map and walks us through the basics of getting a handle on our emotions both good and bad.

And Marcy also walks us through her Meltdown to Mastery program which provides a framework to develop the necessary skills to manage the emotions that come with ADHD.

Connect with Marcy and her practice here: https://rittenhousepsychologicalassessments.com/

The ADHD brain always gets cluttered when we have too much to do and too much information to process. That’s why it is so important for us to take time out whenever needed to do what we call a brain dump.

That’s the focus of this episode. We will talk to Jenna Knight an ADHD coach based in Massachusetts. She has come up with an organized process for conducting this must-have tool in your arsenal.

But first, Jenna and Dave discuss why the ADHD brain often gets cluttered and bogged down. They discuss why oftentimes, adults with ADHD have information, notes, and to-do lists all over the house and even all over our workplace.

Jenna talks about how at first, we just need to get comfortable writing everything down. And she emphasizes not having a filter when doing this. It doesn’t matter whether it’s home, school, work-related or anything else. She encourages us to dig deep and just get everything on paper to start.

Jenna walks us through how to categorize our brain dump after that, including a seven-step process that includes prioritizing what is due, prioritizing appointments we have, and other important tasks.

She recommends creating categories, eliminating, and even delegating tasks, and possibly postpone certain tasks that are not urgent.

She also recommends planning out daily tasks that reoccur.

Jenna recommends doing this anytime you have too many lists and posted notes lying around the house or in your workplace.

Take the time and listen to this podcast and learn Jenna’s seven-step process to get more organized with a brain dump.

Find Jenna Knight here: https://www.neverdefeatedcoaching.net/

If you have ADHD and you feel you are suffering from overwhelm or even burnout, you want to take the time to listen to this new podcast episode. We discuss one of the silent conditions of mental health and that is burnout.

Back on Overcoming Distractions is Dr. Sharon Saline. She has over 30 years of experience working with individuals with ADHD, she is a bestselling author and a leading expert in many areas of ADHD and neurodiversity.

Sharon and Dave talk about burnout and how people with ADHD may experience this more than others. And not only more common but many with ADHD can also get to burnout much quicker.

Sharon points out that many of us with ADHD are also people-pleasers which over time can result and burnout because we do not want to disappoint others. She also points out that burnout can collide with other ADHD characteristics, and we need to be careful not to let it go too far before addressing overwhelm and burnout.

Sharon shares her tips to help manage overwhelmed and burnout such as identifying the stressors in your life, target what to deal with first and prioritize, pause before agreeing to commitments in your life and in your business, and understanding what flow is. Flow is when we truly enjoy what we’re doing for longer periods of time and that is an indicator of what we enjoy doing.

She discusses active self-care, reducing isolation in how you can bring pleasure to your life daily such as walking or other forms of exercise.

She suggests looking at work differently and make sure you are taking frequent breaks with an emphasis on going into nature.

And one important factor in managing overwhelmed or burnout is to pay attention to what is going on in your life and do not let burnout get out of control.

She has many more expert tips from managing overwhelmed and burnout so take the time to listen to her expert advice on this subject.

You can connect with Sharon Saline here; https://drsharonsaline.com/

Overcoming Distractions is back with another episode and this one, once again it’s dedicated to why exercise is so important for people with ADHD.

Our guest this week is Gabriel Villarreal, owner of ADHD Counseling in the Roanoke Valley. Gabriel has a unique concept in helping his clients manage their ADHD that more and more people should get on board with.

Gabriel meets many of his clients in the gym. He will explain why he does this and why it has been so effective in helping individuals with ADHD.

First, Gabriel discusses why it is so important for people with ADHD to embrace some type of exercise in their lives. And he gives us an education as to what exercise actually does to and for the ADHD brain.

He talks about how exercise can help in so many areas of our life including experiencing better sleep and even controlling our appetite in some cases. Gabriel talks about how can help manage our hyperactivity and help us to cope with distractions.

He discusses his program of meeting his clients in the gym and how effective it has been.

And Gabriel gives us his tips for getting started and staying on track with some type of exercise program. Those tips include finding a coach that can help you write an exercise program, stick to regular habits to see results and cautions us about relying on motivation alone. Habits are critical to sticking with an exercise program and getting the results you need as a person with ADHD.

Learn more about Gabriel as well as the programs he offers here. https://roanokeadhd.com/

Now go to the gym!

In this episode, we bring back Nancy Colier, who has been on Overcoming Distractions before. Nancy is a psychotherapist and author of many bestselling books.

We discuss Nancy’s new book “Can’t Stop Thinking. How to Let Go of Anxiety and Free Yourself from Obsessive Rumination.”

Many with ADHD have a racing mind, but you do not have to have ADHD to get a ton of value out of this discussion with Nancy. Her book is for anyone who struggles with obsessive thinking.

Nancy discusses why for many of us, negative thoughts can control us. She talks about how fear, lack of confidence, and other outside influences affect our thoughts, sometimes in a negative way.

She discusses how it’s not so much the situation but the thoughts around the situation that we obsess with. She talks about how we are addicted to our thoughts, but we do not have to pay attention to our thoughts 24 hours a day.

She also mentions that it’s not always the case where more thoughts such as positive thinking can solve your problems. And she makes it a point to tell listeners that you are not your thoughts.

Many obsess with thinking at all hours of the day and even into the night because we have what she calls a rehearsal of situations, where we feel something negative may happen and we go through all the possible outcomes.

We also discussed the topic of burnout and how relentless thinking about our situation can be a major factor in true burnout. When we get to this point, Nancy points out that our mind is never really off duty.

And as we always do on Overcoming Distractions, Nancy goes through some of the tools in her book to help reduce anxiety and rid ourselves of constant negative and obsessive thinking.

Connect with Nancy Colier here and find all her wonderful books; https://nancycolier.com/

Conflict is just part of life and part of the business world. How we choose to enter conflict and resolve differences and disagreements with others can make all the difference in the world.

For those with ADHD, many find resolving conflict challenging to say the least. Because many of us can have difficulty regulating emotions, it gets in the way of resolving conflict properly and amicably.

Back on Overcoming Distractions is Brendan Mahan, from ADHD Essentials.

We discuss whether avoiding conflict is something common in people with ADHD and why. Dave and Brendan discuss how emotions can get the best of us with ADHD when it comes to conflict resolution and how certain emotions limit progress.

We discuss why many people with ADHD might create conflict where it is not necessary.

Brendan discusses how resolving conflict involves us listening through the noise and getting better at active listening. We need to set and understand the rules for conflict and assume that the other person has good intentions.

Productive conflict involves asking the right questions as well as getting ahead of the conflict, so it does not get out of control. Brendan suggests owning your mistakes but owning your strengths as well.

He also suggests that it’s very important to understand how self-reflection plays into conflict.

And Dave and Brendan do discuss that there are times when it is not a good idea to get involved in conflict and to revisit the matter later.

Brendan lays out other steps on how those with ADHD can get better at resolving conflicts before they get out of hand.

Brendan operates ADHD essentials which offers coaching, parenting groups and the very popular podcast by the same name. Find Brendan here. https://www.adhdessentials.com/

In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we discuss a topic that has become very popular in the world of ADHD. This week we discuss rejection sensitive dysphoria with ADHD.

Back on the podcast is Diann Wingert, a mindset and productivity coach. She is a former psychotherapist who now focuses her attention on working with success-driven women who may have ADHD. She is also the host of The Driven Woman Podcast.

There has been a lot of attention around rejection sensitive dysphoria in the world of ADHD. But this episode is dedicated RSD in the ADHD entrepreneur world.

Diann discusses what rejection sensitive dysphoria is and dispels a couple of myths. First, it is not an official diagnosis as many may think. Diann points out that it is part of emotional dysregulation which many with ADHD struggle with.

Dave and Diann discuss why adults with ADHD may be more prone two rejection sensitivity. Because in the end, everyone can experience these types of feelings whether you have ADHD or not.

She discusses where and when this can show up when you are an entrepreneur or self-employed and why it can be a challenge for many in the business world.

She points out that many may pull back from critical parts of our business because we fear criticism and judgment which can hold our businesses and career back.

Diann also makes it clear that rejection sensitive dysphoria should not be your identity.

She discusses ways we can look for long-term solutions to rejection sensitive dysphoria such as radical self-acceptance and self-awareness. She advises you to understand what the triggers are and not to dwell on this when you feel rejection.

She also says that one of the best ways to feel better when your experience rejection is to get up and move, exercise and reconnect the brain to positive thoughts and feelings.

Diann also recommends the think up app which helps you create positive affirmations. http://thinkup.me/

You can find Diann Wingert and learn more about working with her on her website. And find her podcast episodes.

https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/

Back on Overcoming Distractions is ADHD Coach Jeff Copper of DIG Coaching. The topic is a favorite one.

ADHD and Non med, meds.

We are talking about meditation, exercise, diet, and sleep and the power of incorporating these in your life to thrive with your ADHD. We not only talk about how effective these can be in managing ADHD but we discuss the challenges involved in incorporating these habits into our daily lives.

First Jeff discusses is how mind and machine can work together. What he means by this is that there is a thoughtful brain and a mindful brain, and the brain responds well when it is taken care of properly and fed the right fuel.

He discusses the importance of having a good night’s sleep and proper sleep hygiene but also realizes that for many with ADHD, sleep can be boring, especially the first 15 to 30 minutes that we go to bed.

Jeff discusses is how critical exercise can be for people with ADHD and offers a few tips to make it more enjoyable. He says that exercise can be social in that finding an exercise buddy can be one of the ways to stick with it.

Dave and Jeff discuss how there are many forms of meditation from ways many traditionally think of meditation all the way to listening to music, walking, and other ways of mindfulness.

Jeff discusses his ways to not only get the right nutrition but plan meals as well. He says reducing the steps in food preparation is a great way, more planning, less garbage food. Dave and Jeff even discuss how using a crockpot can help you plan meals for several days.

If you’re looking for ways to manage your ADHD without medication, Jeff and Dave have a great and engaging discussion.

However, keep in mind both Dave and Jeff are not anti-medication and understand the benefits when ADHD medication is needed in someone’s life.

Find Jeff Copper at, www.digcoaching.com

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Were you ever officially diagnosed with ADHD? Are you thinking you might want to see a professional for an ADHD diagnosis?

This week, we discuss what an ADHD diagnosis might look like in the coming years as well as what some professionals feel should be included in diagnosing people with ADHD.

Back on the podcast again is Sarah Cheyette M.D., author of many books on ADHD including, ADHD & Me, ADHD and the Focused Mind, and Winning with ADHD. Dr. Cheyette recently published an article in Psychology Today with her Husband, Ben Cheyette about the future of ADHD diagnoses.

Dave and Dr. Cheyette discuss what the criterion for a diagnosis is today as well as historically and whether she feels that has been an adequate method of arriving at a conclusion. They also briefly walk through what a professional may be looking for.

They discuss why separating adults and children makes perfect sense in a diagnosis and why that is more important today with technology and innovation. They discuss why taking the working environment into consideration is important as well as a child’s environment with school and other recreation.

They discuss why screen time and the number of hours spent on social media and other platforms can help a professional understand someone’s ADHD.

Dr. Cheyette expresses what she would like to see in the future of diagnosing ADHD. Much of that is also included in her recent article.

Find the article in Psychology Today here.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/1-2-3-adhd/202105/diagnosing-adhd-in-the-future-sweeping-away-old-concepts

Connect with Doctor Sarah Cheyette here at her website. https://sarahcheyette.com/