How to Make Writing Emails Easier with ADHD (Part 3 of 3)
Learn how to stop avoiding emails and make writing and sending them easier when you have ADHD — without all the second-guessing.
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ADHD Burnout Recovery: How to Do It Successfully
When in the middle of ADHD burnout, you may think to yourself, “I’ve been holding it together for so long that I’m running on fumes. But I’m not sure how to turn this around? And I’ve tried…” In Part 1, What ADHD Burnout Really Feels Like—and Looks Like, I offered the first step in recovering from burnout. Now in Part 2 are time-tested ADHD burnout recovery strategies that have worked for others and can work for you, too. First, a heads-up. When you’re burnt out, it’s hard to think creatively about how to get on an even keel again. So don’t expect yourself to do it all at once. See if there’s one small step you can take to begin turning this around. And then,…
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What ADHD Burnout Really Feels Like and Looks Like
If you’re dealing with ADHD burnout, and lately everything feels harder, it might be more than your usual run-of-the-mill tiredness. I was on Zoom with a client the other day, and she looked tired, for sure. But it was more than that. She seemed worn out and discouraged. So when I asked about a project she’d hoped to move forward with, she closed her eyes, put her hand to her forehead, and said, “No… I didn’t do that.” I could tell she felt like she was letting herself down. Now, no doubt, she was still doing a lot, still functioning on the outside. But inside, she was running on empty. What Exactly Is Burnout? Before we go further, let’s just make sure we’re talking about…
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Here Are the 4 Steps ADHD Adults Use to Deal with Boredom
I’m sure as an adult with ADHD you’re all too familiar with the feeling of boredom. That restless feeling, sometimes intense, when you’re just not really engaged in something interesting. And, sure, everyone experiences boredom at times. But, as an adult with ADHD, your boredom can feel incredibly excruciating, maybe even intolerable. Of course, sometimes you feel bored because the activity is, well, boring. Make sense. But the feeling of boredom for adults with ADHD can be magnified. One of the reasons is the understimulation in the prefrontal cortex of your brain because of lack of sufficient neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine. It is common to think of lack of follow-through as a consequence of boredom. And, no doubt, the fallout from not closing the loop…
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Adult ADHD and Handling Rejection
As I was reading “Rejection Proof- How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection” by Jia Jiang I knew I wanted to write an article about rejection and ADHD. But I also knew this would not be an easy topic to write about. I wondered, “How would I write an article that really speaks to the range of Adults with ADHD who deal with rejection?” Like many other self-help books, Jiang’s advice seems sensible, straightforward and somewhat simple to implement. Yet, like many other ideas you’ve tried to put into practice after reading a self-help book, you would likely not have an easy time putting his ideas into operation in your own life and getting the results you want. While it…
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Conversations & ADHD Part 2: Is Your Anger In The Driver’s Seat?
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 constructively engaging with them while: It is not easy for most people to stay engaged in a conversation while also trying to meet the above objectives when there is conflict. And for adults with ADHD, in part because of the reasons I outlined in Part 1, it can be especially hard. Do you want to “build your muscle” so you can better handle interactions where there is conflict? Anger Ahead…
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Change Your Brain and Manage Your Anger
A couple of weeks ago I was driving through the Boston area during rush hour. I normally try to avoid driving in rush hour. But my parents were visiting, and we were going to my sister’s for dinner. We experienced what you would imagine happens during rush hour in any large urban area. Traffic moving at a snail’s pace… So, arriving at my sister’s 1½ hours after leaving home was not a surprise. And, when stuck in traffic I try to hold the perspective that it is what it is. And it is also a good time to listen to NPR. If my daughter is up for it, we might even have a conversation sparked by one of the shows. I’d say that is a…
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Increasing Follow-Through With ADHD – Dealing With Boredom
I bet you’ve said to yourself plenty of times, “Why can’t I just finish this?!” I know it is particularly frustrating when it is something that is important to you, not just something you think you should do. Maybe you’ve created a plan with deadlines, no less. And there isn’t even a gremlin (inner critic) lurking about, getting in your way. But you still can’t make it to the finish line… You start. You stop. You start again. Maybe you just have a little bit more to go to finish – the last 10%. And then you might move on to something else. You may even forget about the task. When this happens you might be at a loss when trying to answer the…
