adhd focus

  • ADHD and Bridging the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

    ByMarla Cummins Blog

      “I know what I need to do and I want to do it. It is important to me, really. But I’m not doing it, at least not consistently. And I’ve tried…everything I can think of!” Sound familiar? And people in your circle who are neurotypical, which may include your spouse, friends, colleagues and boss may wonder: “How is it really possible for someone to not follow through on something they say is important to them?!” You may also be puzzled by your behavior, even frustrated, and question if maybe: When it comes to doing what you know how to do and is important to you probably none of the above is true! It is your ADHD. And, though there is no easy solution when…

  • ADHD and Initiation: Having Trouble Getting Started?

    ByMarla Cummins Blog

      One of the executive functions necessary to accomplish any goal is task initiation or, in other words, getting started. And since this is one of the common hurdles for many adults with ADHD, I often hear some version of the following when working with clients. “I know what I needed to do. I even had it on my task list. I just didn’t do it, again! Maybe I just don’t care enough. It must not be that important to me, if I keep on not doing it, right?” Sound familiar? Motivation When you can tap into the value a task has for you, getting started can be easier. So, as a first step, when you are struggling with getting started, simply ask yourself, “what…

  • ADHD, Mindfulness and Making Decisions

    ByMarla Cummins Blog

    “How do I respond to this situation?” “How can I feel less overwhelmed?” “Where do I want to focus my mental energy/thoughts?” These are some of the questions that Adults with ADHD ask themselves on a regular basis. Having strategies that will allow you to slow down and center yourself are helpful in answering these and similar questions. ADHD and The Wandering Mind As an adult with ADHD you know that your challenge is not inattention.  If anything you have a surplus of attention. The challenge when you have ADHD is being able to regulate your attention, as well as your  actions, thoughts and emotions. That is, being able to make a decision about what to do in any given moment. Without a system for…

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    You Don’t Have To Be a Firefighter to Stop the Fire Drills!

    ByMarla Cummins ADHD Emotional Regulation, Blog

    Some rights reserved by lhuiz The fire drills… You know. Those are the times when something because so urgent that your focus is entirely on that task, possibly to the exclusion of other more important items in your life. Your brain get hijacked and you get on the truck, put on the siren and careen out of whatever space you had been occupying. You are going so fast that you do not even notice the passing landscape of upset people, undone tasks and missed appointments. You are so focused on that “thing”  that seems so important that everything is a blur. Sometimes, when I am in this mode, which some call hyperfocus, I really enjoy it.  Especially when it involves a creative project that is…