Overcoming Distractions

Are you a high achiever? And are you one of those go-getters that just happens to have adult ADHD? Even professional businesspeople and entrepreneurs can experience a whole host of distractions in their professional lives. And that’s what we are talking about in this podcast episode.

This week we have back Casey Dixon from Dixon Life Coaching. Casey coaches high achievers with ADHD including attorneys, professors, and many more in high-profile and demanding careers.

Casey talks about what she classifies as a high achiever including some specific careers as well as some specific traits when it comes to those that are driven to succeed.

Casey and Dave also discuss whether those of us in high-demand careers suffer the same distractions as other people in different industries and careers. Casey suggests that many of us need to find the tasks and projects we are good at and try hard to delegate the tasks we do not like to do. She says working on things we are not good at reduces our focus.

Casey offers a number of suggestions to help high achievers with ADHD reduce distractions and gain more focus. She says even making small changes can produce high payoffs in productivity.

She highly recommends that those of us who are high achievers with ADHD take a step back and think about how we are working. This is where coaching can come in where you can work with a professional to pull apart the different aspects of your professional life and create solutions.

Casey and Dave also talk about reducing commitments to increase productivity. Some of us call it energy management and others call it obligation management. But analyzing your commitments can have big payoffs as well.

Casey also states that we are all human and we need to pay close attention to self-care. That includes proper sleep habits, exercise, and taking time to be mindful. Paying attention to these will only improve our executive functions.

More about Casey Dixon:

Casey is intensely focused on building top-tier training, coaching, consulting, and advising experiences for high achievers with ADHD. She created Dixon Life Coaching in response to the grievous lack of understanding and quality services for an often-overlooked population… exceptionally smart, highly-educated, wickedly-talented, overstressed, overworked, overwhelmed, successful-on-the-outside adults with ADHD. https://www.dixonlifecoaching.com/

Casey’s online courses:

The Mysterious Paradox of Being a High Achiever with ADHD

https://register.dixonlifecoaching.com/high-achiever

Live Well ADHD

https://register.dixonlifecoaching.com/live-well-adhd

Research has shown that adults with ADHD are more prone to addictions than others. That includes alcohol abuse and other substances. In this podcast, will discuss why those with ADHD are more prone to these behaviors and we will also discuss how to mitigate our reliance on alcohol and other addictive substances.

We have back Lara Honos-Webb, author of Brain Hacks and Six Super Skills for Executive Functioning: Tools to Help Teens Improve Focus, Stay Organized, and Reach Their Goals as well as many other books. Dr. Lara Has been on Overcoming Distractions many times and it’s a wealth of knowledge in the area of ADHD.

Dr. Lara Talks about how addictions such as those with alcohol and other substances not only affect those with ADHD to a greater percentage but how they have increased during the past two years of the pandemic. Lara talks about how prevalent addiction is in the ADHD community as well as why we’ve seen the increases recently.

She also answers the question about why those of us with ADHD have more challenges with addictive behaviors. Hint, it’s our impulsivity. She also discusses that those of us with ADHD are typically addicted to other types of uses such as digital addictions, our phones as well as social media.

Laura discusses how addictions can affect the executive functions of anyone but in particular adults with ADHD. She discusses how our executive functions decrease but overall if we protect our executive functions as a regular habit in our lives, we can help stave off addictions.

She says we must do our best to build self-confidence and self-efficacy as we try to limit our addictive behaviors. And by doing so focus on self-love versus shame to recover.

Lara says that there are all different types of support groups including those that work in moderation as well as those that demand abstinence.

And she describes what she calls urge surfing which is your ability to catch yourself and understand how you may be able to delay your actions. Yes those of us with ADHD are already good at delay but there is a case for making it be used in our favor when it comes to addictions.

Find Dr. Lara Honos-Webb at:

www.addisagift.com

Improving communication in the workplace is something everyone should strive for but for those of us with adult ADHD, it needs to be an ongoing process of identifying what can be effective. Some of us receive communications differently, some of us put out communications in the workplace that can be misunderstood, and the bottom line is not every communication style is a match.

This week we have back Grant Crowell, Author of Grantasms Creative twisted words for cool people!  and a self-professed social wordsmith. Grant and Dave discuss how to improve strategic communications in the workplace as well as being an entrepreneur with ADHD. As you’ll find Grant’s book also injects a little fun and humor into the process.

• What exactly is strategic communications and why do we need to practice it?
• How do we have fun and reduce stress while improving communication styles?
• How do we find the right patterns of communication as well as capture attention of our coworkers and others.
• How can we connect appropriately as well as implement some humor in meetings and other settings?
• How can we be mindful of the social context of things we say as well as read the room.
• Why do us ADHD’ers need to focus on being strategic in our communications?
• Why is clarity in communication so important for those of us with ADHD?
• Grant and Dave discuss the topic of co-workers or clients not giving clarity on projects or assignments. Vague directions, etc…which leads many with ADHD to procrastinate.
• They also talk about how some co-workers, a boss or clients can abuse our people-pleasing nature. Many of those with adhd are people pleasers and it leads to exhaustion, frustration, overwork and burnout. How do we communicate properly and train others on how to treat us?
• And Grant gives a fast lesson and roadmap to being more strategic in our communications.

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

Planning seems to be another challenge that many with adult ADHD must deal with. While the topic of planning could be a much larger conversation, on this podcast episode, we discuss what it takes to plan out tasks and projects in our professional lives.

If you need to get better at planning your professional or personal life out, this is a great discussion with a ton of valuable tips.

Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright from Taking Control…The ADHD Podcast join Dave to discuss ways those of us with ADHD can get better at planning as well as executing on those plans.

First, Nikki, Pete, and Dave discuss why people with ADHD have challenges with planning at many levels. They discuss how certain executive functions can get in the way of planning projects and tasks as well as more extensive items such as an entire workweek. But they also make it clear that those with ADHD are not the only ones who have challenges with planning. People without ADHD also could use a lesson in planning as well as entire companies

Nikki, Pete, and Dave discuss how just planning your day the night before can be a game-changer. We hear this all the time but many of us do not practice it and end up sitting at our desk the next day with no plan.

The discussion evolves into planning on a much greater scale including how being meticulous with your weekly calendar can help you plan projects, execute much better as well as manage your time and distractions. When you have a system in place for managing your entire week with proper planning, it is much easier to make progress.  Something as simple as color-coding your calendar can make a huge difference in your professional life.

They also discuss how a lack of planning creates a domino effect in an organization, affecting others around you.

Nikki, Dave, and Pete discuss whether planning hinders the creative process or can it help the creative process blossom? Some people feel that too much planning gets in the way of creativity and idea generation.

What are some of the ways we can plan and be organized as an entrepreneur or business professional and have plenty of time for creativity? The gang talks about ways to be a planner and be creative.

And as always, the guests leave us with great tips we can implement in our own lives.

Check out Nikki and Pete’s ADHD podcast here: https://takecontroladhd.com/the-adhd-podcast

So many of us with ADHD have real challenges with motivation. That comes in many forms and we see it in all areas of our lives. Motivation challenges us from simple tasks at work, getting up enough energy to go to the gym or complete large projects. And motivation even challenges us when we need to do basic things such as clean the house.

Jandra Sutton is back on the podcast, founder of the Wildest Company a full-service creative agency. Jandra also offers various coaching services and has been featured in many major publications. She was officially diagnosed with ADHD right before the pandemic and has some perspective on what it takes to create meaningful and effective motivation.

**Please support the podcast at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/overcomingd

One of the top ways that Jandra has looked at motivation is the focus on the process rather than getting excited about an entire project. Sometimes it takes just a little bit to get us off the mark.

Jandra talks about what prompted her to write an article for the Metro UK about motivation. She has learned about what it takes to get motivated as a person with ADHD running a business and she shared some of her advice in that article.

Dave and Jandra also talk about whether many with ADHD take a look at motivation incorrectly and whether we look at the mountain we cannot climb or whether we are better at picking away at small parts of a larger project.

Dave and Jandra also talked about how the ADHD brain responds to motivation differently as we may require different types of prompts to get started.

Jandra talks about what works for her and she has her tips for motivating herself as an entrepreneur with ADHD running a business. As you’ll find out, some may surprise you but they work for her.

And the bottom line of this conversation is that you need to find what works for you because every person is different when it comes to motivating factors.

Connect with Jandra on her website: https://jandralee.com/

Find Jandra’s article for Metro UK here: https://metro.co.uk/2021/12/05/why-waiting-for-motivation-to-strike-doesnt-work-15675469/

Don’t be afraid of this goal-setting discussion because we are going to discuss setting goals in a way that supports both our professional and personal desires.

Ask yourself this question when setting goals. Who do I want to be?

If you’re like many people, you set some New Year’s resolutions, and then by February, you fell off track pretty quickly with meeting your goals or even getting started on them. On this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we are going to discuss how to stay consistent on the progress needed to achieve our goals.

We have back on the podcast, Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D. of True Focus Coaching.

First, we discuss whether setting New Year’s resolutions is a bad idea or if there might be a better time of the year to set them as well as implementing goal setting on a more frequent schedule.

Sarah says that we have to understand who we want to be in order to set and achieve goals. This means finding a way to align both professional and personal goals so they are harmonious. Your professional goals should help support your personal and family goals and the way you want to live.

Sarah also says that setting and achieving goals helps us with our self-esteem and gives us purpose as well as meaning in life. It also facilitates engaging with others which can help with the process.

Dave and Sarah also discuss why good habits and routines are some of the keys to making progress with our goals. With behavior change, small moments can help you in the long term.

And as always Sarah gives us some quick tips to get back on track. She says always keep restarting and a good rule of thumb is to revisit your goals every three months. She also says if you’re struggling, just focus on today. You can work up to revisiting your goals weekly, make sure you’re taking your whole life into consideration, and renew your goals when needed.

If you want to connect with Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D at True Focus Coaching, you can reach out to her here: https://www.truefocuscoaching.com/apply/

This week we tackle a common question that many adults with ADHD have.

Should I use a therapist or an ADHD coach?

Back on the podcast is Diann Wingert, former therapist and now mindset coach working with adults that have ADHD. Diann is uniquely qualified to answer this question and talk about when you would want to work with a therapist and when an ADHD coach might be able to provide you with the tools you need.

Diann first discusses the differences between a therapist and an ADHD coach. She talks about what each can provide and the skills that each discipline might possess. She says sometimes it comes down to a therapist looking at past experiences you have. An ADHD coach would work with you to build a thriving future with tools, skills, and accountability. However, she cautions you that that is not always the case when working with both.

Diann also cautions listeners to recognize that most of these working relationships, especially with a therapist should not be long-term. For example, if you’re seeing a therapist for 10 years, you have to ask yourself why. And do you really need it at this point?

When choosing a therapist or an ADHD coach, the first and most important factor is to make sure it is a good fit. Does this professional get you and do they respect you? And of course, very important, do you feel they can help you and are they confident they can help you as well?

Diann also cautions listeners to understand that there are many therapists that have not been formally trained in ADHD. You don’t want to be in a position where you’re teaching your therapist about ADHD so ask them for some examples of how they have assisted other clients with ADHD.

And Diann wraps up her conversation with Dave about choosing an ADHD coach and some of the things to look out for.

You can learn more about Diann Wingert and the Driven Woman Podcast on her website. https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/

To kick off the year 2022, we have ADHD coach Jeff Copper back. Jeff is with DIG Coaching and always has a wealth of information and tools for adults with ADHD.

This week we are talking about goals but, activating the necessary steps to achieve your goals and even specific tasks. Most of us have goals we want to achieve or projects we want to embark on but for those of us with adult ADHD, we need an activation plan. Sometimes it’s as simple as getting the house clean or more involved such as embarking on a project for work. But for most of us who tend to be distracted, a plan is necessary.

How do we activate a plan when we have ADHD?

First as Coach Jeff Copper explains we need to understand how our executive functions work as well as possibly get in the way when it comes to getting things done. That involves some substantial self-awareness in understanding the way our brain works. Also as Jeff explains, we need to own our ADHD.

We need to understand what distractions do when it comes to being challenged with activating plans of all types and we need to get a firm grip on how uncertainty and lack of clarity delay tasks and projects.

Jeff talks about some simple steps to get better at activating plans, projects and other tasks.

He suggests asking yourself what is hard about getting started on a particular project or simple task and to bring that further, acknowledge what is difficult about getting started.

He also recommends understanding what is easy about getting started and analyze both.

Learn more about working with ADHD coach Jeff Copper here: www.digcoaching.com

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ADHD and entrepreneurship do go together quite well, most of the time. Many people with adult ADHD end up working for themselves for a whole host of reasons. And while this might be a great option, there comes an immense amount of time management strategy involved in any entrepreneurial journey.

In this episode, we talk with Roxanne Jarrett from Swellhead Coaching and Support Services about entrepreneurship, ADHD, and managing your time effectively. Roxanne loves to work side by side with entrepreneurs that just happen to have ADHD and she offers a number of great tips for maximizing your time and staying focused.

You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to get a ton of value from Roxanne’s tips.

Roxanne talks about some of the advantages that an entrepreneur with ADHD has. And she also discusses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether entrepreneurship is still a great path for people with ADHD.

She talks about many of the common time management challenges that adults with ADHD encounter when it comes to entrepreneurship, and she offers her advice for tackling those issues.

Roxanne says that as entrepreneurs with ADHD, we need to cut ourselves some slack sometimes, give ourselves the validation that we deserve as well as the credit needed to stay focused on our entrepreneurial journey. Some days we will accomplish much and others not so much.

And Roxanne talks about the must-haves for managing time and staying focused as an entrepreneur with ADHD. Those include having a passion for the work you do, having a road map to grow and continue to thrive, and put the systems in place that work for your brain.

Freebie Link Roxane talked about:

https://www.swellhead.com/freeroadmap

Find Roxanne Jarrett, MA, CPC from Swellhead Coaching & Support Services on her websites.

www.swellhead.com

www.roxannejarrett.com

There are a number of important ways to manage your adult ADHD. One critical factor and thriving with adult ADHD is to ensure you have proper sleep habits. Not only getting enough sleep but getting quality sleep is just as important.

In this episode we speak with Kelly Myerson is an author and a sleep expert as well as an occupational therapist. Kelly walks us through strategies for proper sleep, tackling mindset the environments as well as healthy habits for sleep.

Kelly first discusses is what happens during sleep that can help us perform better the next day. She talks about how sleep restores certain cells in the brain and how getting enough sleep helps us with both our physical and mental health.

She also talks about what happens when we don’t get the adequate sleep that the ADHD brain needs. That includes a decrease in executive functions at the overall lack of focus. She also discusses why the ADHD brain actually requires healthy sleep habits.

Kelly gives us strategies for creating the best sleep environment how to create better sleep habits. She gives us tips for how to slow our brain down before sleep time and she also provides advice for people with ADHD who historically do not sleep well.

She says you need to develop good habits as well as a devotion to getting a good night’s sleep.

And if all else fails, it’s time to call a sleep specialist or your doctor.

Find Sleep Expert and Occupational Therapist Kelly Myerson here at her website.

https://www.beingwellwithkelly.com