How to Build a Better Email Routine with ADHD (Part 2 of 3)
Discover how to build a better email routine with ADHD to stay organized, follow through more easily, and keep your inbox under control.
Discover how to build a better email routine with ADHD to stay organized, follow through more easily, and keep your inbox under control.
Episode Summary If you’ve ever opened your calendar and felt overwhelmed, guilty, or just plain confused, you’re not alone. A lot of adults with ADHD struggle to make traditional calendar systems work, even though they know they need one. In this episode, I explore why that happens. I’ll walk you through some of the hidden reasons calendars often fail ADHD brains and explain how decision fatigue, time blindness, and unrealistic expectations can quietly erode your trust in your calendar. Before you can build a system that truly supports you, it helps to understand why it hasn’t worked in the past. What You’ll Learn About ADHD Challenges With Calendars: Transcript: ADHD Adults and Calendars (00:01):Do you have a love-hate relationship with your calendar? You know you need…
Episode Summary Getting support for ADHD at work can feel risky, especially if you’re unsure whether to disclose. In this episode, Marla talks with neurodivergent HR expert and former Amazon leader Kate Broeking about how professionals with ADHD can advocate for what they need, protect their performance, and navigate the process with clarity and confidence. What You’ll Learn About Getting ADHD Workplace Support: Meet Kate Broeking Kate has over 10 years of experience building neurodiversity and mental health programs that help companies attract, retain, and advance neurodivergent employees. With a background in social work, vocational rehabilitation, and corporate accommodations, she spent six years leading supported employment programs and disability hiring initiatives at both the state and national levels. In 2019, Kate created Amazon’s Work Wellness…
Episode Summary You’re capable, competent — maybe even the go-to person at work. But behind the scenes? Emails pile up, tasks slip through the cracks, and it’s hard to keep up. In this episode, I’ll share why this disconnect happens with ADHD — and how you can start building real support systems that match your strengths. What You’ll Learn About ADHD and Disorganization Transcript: ADHD and Disorganization The Hidden Chaos Behind High-Functioning ADHD [00:06]Ever feel like you’ve got it all together well on paper, but secretly your inbox is overflowing, your desk is a mess, and you’re behind on a dozen small but important things? You’re not alone. You’ve tuned into Scattered, Focused, Done – Reimagining Productivity with ADHD, a podcast for ADHD adults, like…
Making decisions is one of the executive challenges for ADHD Adults. Do you have a hard time with decision-making? Let’s look at the example of a former client, who emailed me a description of his difficulties making decisions (posted below with permission). I’m really struggling to make any decisions in almost any scenario. Like, choosing between 2 things, choosing to get rid of something. I get a sense of panic/anxiety, as well as a sense of frustration. Logic makes no difference. The magnitude of the decision makes no difference. Trust in someone else to “make” the decision makes little difference (I still have to pull the trigger). When I do make the decision, I hold my nose, squelch the butterflies and just do it on…
(originally published January 4, 2018, updated August 28, 2024)It can be overwhelming for Adults with ADHD to make decisions among many options. At the same time it may seem that having a lot of options is a good thing. At least according to our consumer culture. But this is not always the case when you take into account the energy and stress involved in choosing between so many options The quote below from a current client (reprinted with permission) shows what a struggle it can be. I’m really struggling to make any decisions in almost any scenario. Like, choosing between 2 things, choosing to get rid of something. I get a sense of panic/anxiety, as well as, a sense of frustration. Logic makes no difference….
Adults with ADHD are often overwhelmed by decision-making. But having lots of options is a good thing, right? After all, it allows you to get exactly what you want. At least that is what our modern consumer culture leads us to believe. More is better, right? But what about when you account for the time, energy and stress involved in choosing between so many options? Is more still better? Many adults with ADHD struggle when attempting to choose among an overwhelming number of options. And you can clearly see this in the quote below of a current client (reprinted with permission). I’m really struggling to make any decisions in almost any scenario. Like, choosing between 2 things, choosing to get rid of something. I…
Problem-solving is hard for ADHD adults. Not exactly rainbows and unicorns. I know. And you may be tempted to stop reading this article right now. But, if you want to become better at handling adversity, I hope you’ll hang in there with me a bit longer. I thought of writing this article while reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. Ordinarily, I would bypass a book with this title. Because, well, it’s probably not serious enough and worthy of my time. But, as is often true when I judge a book by its cover and jump to conclusions, I was wrong. And, as I was reading Manson’s book, I thought of the myriad of ways problem-solving is hard for…
One of the challenges for Adults with ADHD is deciding what to do at any given moment. And, if this is one of your challenges, you may make these decisions based on what feels important. But, when everything feels important right now, it can feel impossible to decide. Of course, while you want to pay attention to your instinct, as it may point you in the right direction, relying just on your feelings to drive your decisions in the moment is risky business for Adults with ADHD. To make it easier to make decisions in the moment: decide what is essential to you — your priorities — in advance. decide in advance what activities / tasks will help you succeed in doing what is important…
When you are having a hard time starting and following through on a task it is possible you have not clearly defined the task and/or the outcome you are seeking. So, because of your uncertainty you may: Below are 4 mistakes you can avoid so it is easier to start and follow through on your tasks Mistake #1 – You Don’t Know What You Want To Accomplish As an Adult with ADHD you know making decisions about how to do a particular task can be challenging. One way to minimize the difficulty is to begin by visualizing your desired outcome. As David Allen of Getting Things Done notes, when you have clarity on your outcomes you can: For example, when I visualize an outcome for…