Blog

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    ADHD and Three Critical Habits For Better Productivity

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Time Management, Blog

    A reader, who was recently diagnosed with ADHD, shared with me that he is an avid fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done. As you may know so am I. But I also know that, for many adults with ADHD, building the habits necessary to implement GTD or any other workflow system can be a challenge. With support, time and effort  you can create a workflow system that will work with your ADHD, if you decide that is the route you want to take. The key lies in creating three critical habits. Habits You already have habits that you have built up over time. Some you do not even think about, like brushing your teeth. You have been doing this for so long time that…

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    Understanding Your ADHD Brain

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, Blog

      Usually, I write about how ADHD symptoms are expressed and how to manage them. In fact, I bet most of the time this is the information you are looking for as you attempt to answer the question, “How do I deal with my ADHD?!” And I know from talking to a lot of people that having an understanding of the genetics and neurobiology of ADHD is probably not at the top of your list when looking for ways to address the challenges of your ADHD. But I think it should at least be on the list. I hope this brief intro whets your curiosity and prompts you to find out more about the relationship between the brain and ADHD. Causes of ADHD While we…

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    ADHD, Email and Saving Time

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD in the Workplace, Blog

        It may seem that email is an efficient way to communicate. Or is it? How much energy and time do you expend writing, responding to and thinking about your email? Alot, right? For many adults with ADHD, the constant barrage of email can be overwhelming. Having a system for processing your inbox is the first step to reducing this sense of overwhelm. The second step to minimizing the overwhelm you may be feeling is having a set of rules for how you write and respond to your email. Anxious? There may be times when you are simply nervous about responding to an email. When you notice this, ask yourself: Is that you have put off answering for so long that you are embarrassed…

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    ADHD and Change: Having The Right Mindset

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

      When people learn how to fly they do not start by climbing into the cockpit of a plane and taking off with an instructor by their side. Can you imagine learning how to fly this way? No, of course not, because not only is it dangerous, but it is not an effective way to learn. Instead, they start with a ground training course. When you are an adult with ADHD and are ready to move forward how do you learn to make changes in your life? You may want to learn how to: You likely do not have the opportunity to start with a ground training course, though. Making Changes Mid-Air Instead, you need to continue to fulfill your responsibilities while learning new habits,…

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    ADHD and Solving “Insurmountable” Problems

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

    Can you think of a time when you were worrying about an issue, but not doing anything about it? Just worrying… I mean the kind of worrying that seems to take over your brain; it is like a record that is stuck playing over and over again. Some call it ruminating or perseverating. Maybe you are even doing this right now. If you are an adult with ADHD, you can’t afford to rent out this valuable real estate in your head. You have too much on your plate that you want to accomplish to devote your time and energy to just worrying. If you feel stuck and are tired of thoughts flooding your mind, there really are steps you can take to make a molehill…

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    ADHD and Creating a Supportive Environment

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

    Too often I see adults with ADHD who believe that the primary way of reaching their goals is to try harder and exert more willpower. After all, if you are one of the many adults with ADHD who was diagnosed later in life, you may have a history of being told that you just need to try harder. So, over time you may have come to internalize this belief. If this is true for you, what if you could design your environment to support you in reaching your goals while exerting less effort? Sure working hard is an important part of reaching your goals. But eventually you will reach your capacity and redoubling your efforts may not yield the results you want. In fact, it…

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    ADHD and Using A Task Manager

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Tools & Strategies, Blog

    What does your To Do List look like? Is it those scribbled notes that you have lying around that are supposed to remind you to call Bob, email Sue, pick up the milk, etc.? But what happens when you leave: the piece of paper with “milk” written on it still on the counter? the sticky with “call Bob” stuck safely on your monitor at work… and you are working at home? the reminder to “email Sue” on your calendar for last Tuesday… and it is a week later? your To Do’s in your head? I know, leading questions, right? If the above sounds familiar, and you are feeling overwhelmed and disorganized, maybe it is time to give up the system that works… kinda, sorta, some…

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    Do You Know How You Feel About Having ADHD?

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Symptoms & Diagnosis, Blog

    You may be familiar with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ model of the Five Stages of Grief.  If you are, then you know that the intent of her model is to describe the stages  of feelings you may go through in response to the death of another or to your own terminal illness. Subsequently, using her model as a foundation, others created similar models to describe the cycle of feelings that people go through when faced with an event that they perceive as negative. At some point after being diagnosed with ADHD you may have considered having ADHD as a burden, something negative. That is normal, to be sure. If you are trying to accept your ADHD and work with it, one of the keys is understanding and…

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    ADHD and Procrastination: Steps To Move Forward

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Time Management, Blog

      Everyone procrastinates! But, as an adult with ADHD, your ADHD symptoms may exacerbate your tendency to procrastinate. When talking with clients about procrastination I often hear some variation of, “But everyone can do it! I should be able to do this!” Shaming yourself is never a good strategy to motivate yourself into taking action. Has it ever worked for you? In fact, I bet you are more likely to procrastinate when you heap a “big dose of shame and blame” on yourself. What is helpful, though, is being aware of why you are procrastinating in each situation, and being will willing to adopt strategies that will work with your ADHD. Where To Start And How To Proceed A common challenge for those with ADHD…

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    ADHD and Friendships: Are You Tending To Yours?

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Communication, Blog

    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 are important to you. You already know this. And maybe this is what you want. But you may not have the quality or quantity of relationships that you want. In all likelihood your ADHD symptoms may be part of your challenge in cultivating connections. You can change this. ADHD and Connections Dr. Edward Hallowell notes that for adults with ADHD connections with others are critical to our well being. It…