Strategies for clearer, calmer communication with coworkers, friends, family, and yourself — when you have ADHD.
In Conversations & ADHD Part 1: Do They Feel Like Battlefields?, I wrote about conversations that, while they may feel like they are full of conflict, may in fact just be exchanges of different ideas. But how about when there is genuine conflict between you and others? How do you maximize the chances of…
Can you think of a recent time when you were uncomfortable initiating a conversation or bringing up a subject because you thought there might be some sort disagreement? How did you feel and what did you do? For most people the answer is, “Well, sure, they are not my favorite kind of conversations, and sometimes…
Of course, feeling like you are the only one that _________ (fill in the blank) can also leave you feeling misunderstood and alone. As an adult with ADHD you may sometimes feel this way about having ADHD. If you feel this way, you know when you are connected to others (friends, family, colleagues and…
We all know that you need to tend to your garden, if you want your plants to thrive. You need to water, weed, remove some if they are crowded, etc. And it is no different with relationships. If you want to have thriving, healthy relationships, you need to be mindful and tend to those that…
For adults with ADHD communicating can be a veritable landmine at times. Sound familiar? You are not alone. These are common communication challenges when you have ADHD. Of course, some of the challenges may be due to differences in communication styles or the difficulties the other person has in communicating. And some challenges may…
One of the hallmark symptoms of ADD is the struggle with managing emotions, such as anger. If you answer yes to the questions below, your anger may be getting in your way. Do you tend to wear your emotions on your sleeve, but would rather not? Do you go from 0-100 mph in a split…
This past week, I was given some unsolicited parenting advice from someone that I do not know well. Now you may think that this post is going to be about my response to this person. And in years past that may have been the case. Not this time… What surprised and delighted me was that…
Usually I reserve book recommendations for the recommendation section. But William Ury’s book, The Power of a Positive No : How to Say No and Still Get to Yes, is potentially so transformative that I wanted to share with you a bit of what I distilled after reading it and using the suggested strategies….
(If you have not already, I suggest you read my previous post, ADD – ADHD: Have You Forgotten How Much You Need This?, where I covered the importance of maintaining connections, before reading this one) One of the challenges in nurturing relationships is making the time and space to connect with others. Unless we…
This past week I was faced with a complex situation involving my daughter where I needed to think clearly, dispassionately and swiftly. I wanted to share a bit of this with you because I know how challenging it can be for someone with ADD to process this way in the best of circumstances. Lessons…