ADHD and Finding Solutions to Problems
| |

ADHD and Finding Solutions to Problems

ByMarla Cummins ADHD in the Workplace, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

When faced with a problem, it is all too easy to focus on what is wrong. After all it is a problem! And for many adults with ADHD focusing on the problem may lead to endless non-productive ruminating. Can you think of an example in your own life when a problem seemingly hijacked your brain? You may even have tried distracting yourself with a productive activity, like a project, or a non-productive activity, like watching TV.  But that was only a temporary fix. The thoughts, like the air from a window that has not been properly sealed, kept seeping back into your brain. And the problem remained! So you thought hard about how to solve the problem. Makes sense. You have a problem. You need…

A woman with headphones holding a coffee and working calmly on a laptop in a coffee shop, illustrating how adults with ADHD can improve focus and productivity through monotasking instead of multitasking.
|

Can ADHD Adults Be Productive While Multitasking?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

(originally published September 12, 2023, updated April 15, 2025) I often hear from clients when we begin our work together that they think they’re good at multitasking. Do you think this is also true for you, too? If you do, it’s likely because that is just the way you have operated for so long and, perhaps, one of the ways you know how to get your work done. Multitasking may have become a habit for you. So now you think it’s just the way you operate. Assuming that this is the way you operate best is a false equivalency. That is, just because you may often multitask does not mean that it is a productive way to operate. In fact, when you are multitasking, you are…

Diagram of Dr. Brown’s six clusters of executive function challenges in ADHD adults
|

How ADHD Adults Can Improve Their Executive Function Skills

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

Do you sometimes wonder if it is just me or do I do this because of my ADHD? Similarly, are you dumbfounded that you keep repeating the same behaviors and do so despite knowing what you need to do to change? As the classic ADHD self–help book suggests. You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy.  You have executive function challenges because of your ADHD. Remember, you also have executive function strengths. Being aware of these challenges and strengths is crucial. As this understanding can help you manage your challenges and capitalize on your strengths. One way to manage your executive function challenges is by taking medication, exercising, eating well, getting enough sleep, and other forms of self-care. You can also improve your executive function…

ADHD and Making Mistakes – Now What?!
| |

ADHD and Making Mistakes – Now What?!

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

  You messed up… If you are playing a big game professionally, you will not get it right 100% of the time. When you push your limits you will inevitably hit some speed bumps along the way. This is true for everyone. And, as an Adult with ADHD, you may have particular challenges. But what do you do when you make a mistake? How do you move forward Interpreting Your Mistakes Do you view each mistake as a sign that you are a screw–up? Perhaps, you see each mistake as an affirmation of your inability to perform well in any realm. And, after each misstep, you proclaim some variation of, “I can’t do anything right.” Unfortunately, this is too common a perspective for many adults…

ADHD and Getting Things Done: Is It a Match?
| |

ADHD and Getting Things Done: Is It a Match?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Time Management, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

“Marla, what do you think of David Allen’s Getting Things Done?” I’ve been getting this question enough lately from my clients that I thought I would answer it here, as you might also be curious about GTD. I like GTD, and think the concepts could be very useful. But would they be useful for adults with ADHD? Maybe. As I was rereading the introduction to GTD, I came across the following that gave me reason to pause. …everything I propose is easy to do. It involves no new skills at all. You already know how to focus, how write things down, how to decide on outcomes and actions, and how to review options and make choices. Hmm… What if this is not true for you?…

Marla Cummins Social Graphic
|

Are You Getting The Feedback You Need?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

I have had prospects and new clients say to me that they wish they had known about ADD Coaching sooner. When I heard this again, recently, I began thinking about the usefulness of mirrors. Of course, in the most literal sense, most of us are glad that we have them to save us from the embarrassment of going out in public with spinach still in our teeth or toothpaste on the corner of our mouth. But for many with ADHD, having different types of “mirrors” also provides us with the tools we need to manage our challenges   Getting the Feedback You Need For example, it is not always easy to figure out what is going on when you procrastinate. Are you resisting doing an…

Marla Cummins Social Graphic
| | |

ADD – ADHD: Do You Know This Strategy to Prevent Overwhelm?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, ADHD Time Management, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

What Do You Want To Say “Yes” To? Being self employed and a single parent of a middle school age daughter, my life is full and can be overwhelming, sometimes. While I am certainly blessed to be a parent and to have my own business, I still find myself occasionally wanting to do more, and feeling like I “can’t.” There are times, lately, when I struggle with the “need” to say no to other opportunities. Then I remind myself that I could say “yes,” instead, if I made different choices. I remind myself that every choice has a cost. Recently, I’ve been feeling isolated in my business. So, I have been thinking of ways to connect with other people professionally. Like many with ADD –…

ADD and Anger: Is It Getting In Your Way?
| | |

ADD and Anger: Is It Getting In Your Way?

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Communication, ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

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 second and wonder how you got there so fast? Do you become frustrated with others easily, and then regret it later? You are not alone What Is The Problem? Dr. Russell Barkley, a foremost authority on ADD and author of the book Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, notes the following: “It is not that the emotions they experience are inappropriate, but that those with ADHD are more likely to publicly…

Managing Your ADHD Takes Time and Planning
| |

Managing Your ADHD Takes Time and Planning

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, ADHD Treatment Options, Blog

I introduced the Six Stages of Change in the previous article, Understanding and Managing Your ADD: Change Can Happen…. If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you read it before continuing. Then read on to continue learning about the Stages of Change. Can You See Choices. Everyday, we make choices. Depending on the circumstances, we are more or less conscious of the implications of our daily decisions. Sometimes, we have no idea of what may follow from a seemingly inconsequential decision, like Gwyneth Paltrow’s decision to take one train over another in the movie Sliding Doors. It is true. Sometimes, we make choices in the moment, and we have no idea what could follow from that decision. We decide to go to a restaurant…

ADD and The Disappearing Mojo: What Do You Do?!
| | |

ADD and The Disappearing Mojo: What Do You Do?!

ByMarla Cummins ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, ADHD Time Management, ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

I’ve been pondering, lately, how creating structures to help you follow through and complete important tasks can sometimes seem futile. When you have ADD, creating lists, setting deadlines, making schedules, and breaking down tasks into smaller steps is critical to your success. So, when you have these in place, it can seem absolutely maddening when it feels like you are still spinning your wheels on those days you just don’t have the energy. If this is the case for you, you may be missing a piece of the puzzle. Knowing Yourself I like my work. But sometimes, when I wake up, I have no motivation. Zip. Zero. Nada. Even though mornings are my supposed  good time, I have acknowledged that I will have these days…