Overcoming Distractions

Many adults with ADHD can also experience imposter syndrome.

Some even say it is much more common in adults with ADHD than others.

That is the focus of this podcast with Matthew Zakreski a licensed clinical psychologist.

Dr. Matt as many address him, gives an overview of imposter syndrome and what it might feel like. He says one thing that sticks out is when somebody gives us praise, we either feel relief or celebrate the success.

He discusses why it may affect people with ADHD more.

Dr. Matt Give several examples of imposter syndrome and discusses how we can become more self-aware, including reflecting on situations when we feel our best and our worst and how to find context in every situation that doubts us.

He discusses how we can move forward with intention.

And he gives listeners advice on how to begin limiting imposter syndrome in our lives and possibly overcoming imposter syndrome. He talks about how to build confidence, better habits around doubtful situations and even some quick tips if you’re considering a career change that may doubt you.

You can find Matthew Zakreski PsyD here: https://www.theneurodiversitycollective.com/

In this first podcast episode of 2023, we are discussing complex ADHD.

Dave’s guest on this important episode is Jess Levy MD, a board-certified psychiatrist. Dr. Levy Also diagnosed with ADHD personally understands the challenges that come as an adult with ADHD. His practice is A+ Psychiatry, a one-of-a-kind Direct Specialty Care Practice and represents a fundamentally different approach to psychiatric care.

Dr. Levy First gives us an overview of complex ADHD which is when an individual has ADHD in one or more other mental health concerns. Often, we call this Co-occurring and it comes in the form of anxiety, depression, learning disorders and other forms.

He also discusses why it matters and why it is important to seek adequate treatment for complex ADHD. In short, if not addressed the symptoms and challenges of an adult with ADHD can only worsen and make life more challenging.

Dr. Levy Runs through many of the symptoms and signs of complex ADHD and gives examples.

And he discusses treatment options for complex ADHD including how to proceed with medication, psychotherapy and other forms of support. He discusses your treatment expectations, the trial and error of certain medications, and other support systems.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: For the listeners of this podcast, when discussing diagnostic and treatment considerations, it is CRITICAL to note that this is for information purposes only. It is not meant to replace medical advice from your medical professional.  If you have any questions about this topic as it pertains to your physical or mental health, you should discuss these concerns directly with your providers.

You can find Dr. Jess Levy at his Website: www.apluspsychiatry.com

This new episode explores emotional and cognitive processing and how to communicate effectively at home and in the workplace.

Brendan Mahan of ADHD Essentials comes back on the podcast to discuss processing and communicating during challenging situations. Situations that could involve conflict present themselves not only at home but in the workplace, and it’s important for us to build the skills to manage Interactions with others effectively.

• Brendan starts the podcast by giving three quick tips for thriving with adult ADHD in 2023.
• Brendan takes time to break down emotional and cognitive processing, runs through many examples, and discusses when these intersect.
• He gives great advice on processing emotions in difficult situations.
• Brendan also talks about how we need to validate our emotions.
• Other discussion points include being honest with ourselves.
• Asking for criticism to allow for personal growth.
• Noticing our emotions
• Allowing those emotions to take place.

Find Brendan at: https://www.adhdessentials.com/

Many adults with ADHD either want a passion project or need to do something that allows them to feel a sense of purpose. When we embark on these types of projects, we feel energized, excited and fulfilled in life.

This episode features Morgan Hancock, founder of Bourbon with Heart based in Kentucky. Bourbon with Heart is a nonprofit that helps fund the arts and other nonprofit organizations.

Morgan is a commercial real estate professional with ADHD, a U.S. Army veteran, and a successful entrepreneur, and she shares her tips for navigating a busy life and creating a passion project.

• Morgan discusses how many with ADHD need to embrace some type of chaos in life.
• She talks about how a basic To Do List saved her life.
• She discusses time blocking, including how she handles her commercial real estate duties and nonprofit responsibilities.
• Morgan also discusses how in some cases, impulsivity is a good thing when it comes to passion projects. Allowing many to take on risks that others would not.
• She also discusses how she learned the value of teamwork in the military and how to work with others.
• Morgan discusses how we cannot be scared to fail if we’re going to be successful in business and life.

Find Bourbon with Heart here and explore all the great things they’re doing. https://bourbonwithheart.org/

Many adults with ADHD decide to open their own business or become entrepreneurs. There are many reasons for this. But before we take on such an important journey, those with ADHD must be aware of what’s ahead to succeed.

Whether you are looking at entrepreneurship or just looking to find your next career move, you’ll find great value in this discussion with Aron Croft of Hidden ADHD.

Aron discusses some of the pros and cons of people with ADHD entering self-employment or entrepreneurship. He talks about why many with ADHD want and need freedom, the desire for scalability in their business, and being in charge because many with ADHD do not like being told what to do.

Aron also talks about why he decided to become an entrepreneur but is honest about his journey along the way which was not always smooth. While Aron had a great job he found himself looking for a higher calling and began the process of building his own entrepreneurial journey on the side.

Aron also talks about the different types of fit you need to be aware of if you are venturing out on your own including the market, whether the product fits you and your values, pricing, and the process. Do these fit into the way you can operate?

He also discusses several productivity tips, activation psychology, and building the right habits to take your next steps.

Find Aron Croft here:

Website: https://hiddenadhd.com/

Free resource: https://link.hiddenadhd.com/overcomingdistractions

Adults with ADHD can make more career decisions than others. There are many reasons for this including boredom, not being challenged and other reasons such as overwork and burnout.

Reevaluating your career, which will affect your overall life, is a process that should not be done with impulsiveness. Thought and care needs to be put into your next career move and life change.

Alex Gilbert from Cape-Able Consulting joined Dave on Overcoming Distractions to talk about how to be methodical about new life choices and the signs that you may need to make changes in your life.

Alex brings up several great discussion points about reevaluating your career and life choices.

She says to ask yourself, “what do I want and what do I need in a career?

She said it might be time to evaluate your career and your job if you experience the following.

• Having trouble getting up in the morning.
• Being constantly reprimanded at work may indicate the wrong job or career.
• Working in a toxic environment.
• You feel bored or not challenged.
• You continue to feel stressed out and experience anxiety.

Alex takes us through a number of important tips to get you thinking about your next move.

Find Alex at: https://www.capeableconsulting.com/

Have you ever wondered if you should disclose your ADHD to your employer, your boss or your coworkers? Maybe even your clients?

First, this is your choice but hopefully this discussion will help you make the right choice for your situation.

This week we have back Grant Crowell, Author of Grantasms Creative twisted words for cool people!  and a self-professed social wordsmith.

Grant has been an employee, a contractor he’s talked about his ADHD and some cases he hasn’t talked about his ADHD.

In this discussion about disclosing your ADHD in the workplace, we cover:

• What are the negatives of disclosing your ADHD.
• The positive examples of disclosing ADHD.
• Resources available to understand your options for reasonable accommodations.
• What reasonable accommodations are in the workplace.

Grant provides several tips to help you make the decision about disclosing your ADHD to your employer.

• Find an ally if possible.
• Obtain an official diagnosis of ADHD.
• Understand your strengths in the workplace.
• Don’t wait too long if you need accommodations.

Grant is hosting a webinar about how to get workplace accommodations for ADHD. The link is below as well as other links to connect with Grant.

https://www.meetup.com/north-carolina-adults-with-adhd-education-group/events/289378244/

Find Grant’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/GRANTASMS-Creative-twisted-words-people-ebook/dp/B07ZY9JDPP

Connect with him on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrantCrowell

If you’re looking for a little bit of motivation to kick your brain into gear, this episode of Overcoming Distractions will help you give you a bit of a kick start.

Dr. Lara Honos-Webb, author of Brain Hacks and several other books on ADHD, is back on the podcast, and she is joined by Pen King. Both are co-founders of Bonding Health.

Pen is also a partner in a venture capital firm which requires him to be on his game.

Both Lara and Pen offer their advice for giving your brain a little hacking.

Lara says some of the more important things to consider when we are not feeling 100% is to recognize our feelings, create some type of action steps and create a list of our needs.

She also outlines several questions you can ask yourself to get you thinking clearly again. Those include:

—If I were more confident in myself, what would I do?
—If I were more driven, what would I do?
—If I were still age 10, what would I do?

And more to get you thinking.

Pen King discusses several things that he feels are important as a busy entrepreneur, including understanding the courage to move forward, being resourceful when you need it in understanding how to use your energy when you have it.

Learn more about bonding health here, which provides research-backed tools to help ADHD parenting.

https://www.bondinghealth.com/

Konrad Sanders is the CEO and founder of the Creative Copywriter based in London. The agency focuses on copywriting and brand building for a whole host of brands, large and small.

Konrad comes on Overcoming Distractions to discuss how he built his copywriting agency to be a 7-figure company, and he also discusses some of the challenges getting there as an adult with ADHD.

He talks about many of the challenges he needed to overcome as an entrepreneur with ADHD, including:

• Gaining more focus
• The shiny object syndrome
• Wanting to do everything at once
• The challenge with completing tasks and projects
• Time management
• Burnout

Konrad talks with Dave about the “must haves” an entrepreneur with ADHD needs to have in place to grow and thrive. Those include:

• Self-awareness about you and your ADHD.
• Understanding your weaknesses.
• You must have optimism.
• Drive and passion as an adult with ADHD.
• Understand there need to be processes in place.
• Identify and find people that complement your skills.

Find Konrad here: https://www.creative-copywriter.net/

Those of us with ADHD need to find the activities that provide us energy, good dopamine and allow us to maintain a good mood in outlook on life. When we constantly engage in activities that deplete our energy and even sucked the life out of us, we begin to face many challenges.

Laura MacNiven of the Springboard Clinic based in Canada is back on the podcast.

Laura talks about why it is important for people with ADHD to find the activities in our life that provide us with energy. Those going to be professional such as a career or a job or personal activities such as hobbies that you enjoy.

Laura however says that it is a challenge for many with ADHD to understand their own wants and needs and it is important to check in with yourself regularly to gain more self-awareness around activities that either provide us energy or ZAP our energy.

Dave and Laura also discuss the concept of being more productive in our lives by removing the activities that challenge our energy.

Laura and Dave also talk about how many with ADHD can experience burnout faster than others because we may be focusing on activities and other areas of our life that are depleting our energy and causing us to feel exhausted.

And Laura gives her tips to help us identify what energizes us such as a career or a job or other areas of our life.

And she discusses how we cut out the areas of our life that may be dragging us down and zapping our energy.

Laura and the Springboard Clinic are offering several upcoming courses and they are listed below. They have also provided listeners of Overcoming Distractions with the coupon code which is also below.

Springboard ADHD ONLINE COURSE 

Springboard ADHD PARENTING ONLINE COURSE

COUPON CODE: DAVE15 (15% off either the adult or parenting course)