In the summer of 1982, I found myself in a Jacuzzi at a swimming pool in Mission Viejo, California, at World Game Trials. I’ll never forget a comment I heard from Steve Lundquist, who was ranked number one in the world in the 100-meter breaststroke competition. He said, “First is first and second is last.” At that time, I latched onto that mindset because I wanted to be a great swimmer and believed that’s what would get me there. As time went on and my record improved, I began to find myself more frustrated about my performance. I was improving but was never first. At the end of my swim career, I was upset and depressed about never being first. Continue reading “ADHD Holidays: Expectations vs. Joy”
Author: Jan Owens
Are Your Reminders Annoying?
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – December 17, 2018
Do you need visual reminders to remember to complete a task or attend an event? Could your “reminders” be clutter to your mate/roommate? One of my recent clients was very visual. If something was out of sight, it was out of mind, so he left items out to serve as visual reminders.
Dr. Russell Barkley, one of the world’s leading experts on ADHD, tells us that those with ADHD need to focus on the point of performance. Thus, leaving a screwdriver on the kitchen counter is a good structure, as it will remind him that he needs to tighten a few screws on the front porch. Simple enough, right? Continue reading “Are Your Reminders Annoying?”
The Stories We Tell Ourselves Control Our Attention
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – December 10, 2018
As a seasoned coach, I’ve learned to see past clients’ “stories” and to use observation skills to discover “basic truths.”
Motivation “basic truth” examples:
- You would be dead if you weren’t motivated.
- Everything you ever did was because you were motivated to do it.
- Everything you have not done was because you were not motivated to do it at the time you thought you should do it. Continue reading “The Stories We Tell Ourselves Control Our Attention”
Why Decluttering Systems Don’t Always Work
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 27, 2018
One important fact I’ve learned over the years from coaching folks with ADHD is this: ADHD is a self-regulation issue with a working memory challenge. Now, let’s look more closely at the word “memory.”
Many folks with ADHD find clutter distracting. They prefer clean and tidy work spaces to help them think. Interestingly, these same folks wrestle with memory challenges and tend to hold onto things because of the memories they represent; thus creating clutter.
Continue reading “Why Decluttering Systems Don’t Always Work”
Eureka! A Time Management Strategy
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 20, 2018
One of my clients, a mental health professional, wanted coaching on time management, specifically on how to stop being late. Using the inquisitive coaching process, I began to ask questions, and as things unfolded, it was clear this person was about 10 minutes late 95% of the time.
Given her ADHD, time management challenges are almost always assured. She wanted a “plug-and-play” strategy, because she assumed that there was a structure already out there that I could impart to her for quick results. Continue reading “Eureka! A Time Management Strategy”
Failing Forward at the School of Hard Knocks
In Super Bowl XXXVII, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive lineup took the field for the first time. Each player introduced himself on network TV by stating his name and the college that drafted him. When Simeon Rice’s turn came, he stated simply, “Simeon Rice, the School of Hard Knocks.” Get it? Football? Hard knocks? Well, I got the pun and a whole lot more! Here’s what I got. Continue reading “Failing Forward at the School of Hard Knocks”
Distractible vs. Curious
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 6, 2018
Those close to attention deficit disorder (ADD)—psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, therapists, counselors, etc.—frequently reference four distinguishing characteristics or traits that are used to differentiate between those who have ADD and those who do not. The four traits are “distractible” “impulsive,” “hyperactive,” and “lazy.”
Focusing on Strengths above the 50% Rule
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – October 30, 2018
Did you know that 50 percent of all doctors graduated in the bottom of their class? Early in my sales career, I loved sharing this very interesting fact; it proved especially useful when I was selling against HMOs in the days when indemnity plans meant you could choose any provider. That’s when I realized most anything that can be measured by definition is at or below average. This simple concept has fascinated me for years. Continue reading “Focusing on Strengths above the 50% Rule”
Organizing… A New Way
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – October 15, 2018
We can get caught up in paying attention to how we want things to be and lose sight of how things actually are. So let’s look at organizing in a new way!
I’ve coached many teens and college students around organization, and, I, too, thought they were very disorganized. But when I opened my mind, it all changed.
From my MBA and process class, I learned that one starts by mapping out the current system before making adjustments. The exercise can be very insightful and applies both to late teens and young adults. Let me illustrate.
Catch Jeff Copper on TADD Talks
October is ADHD Awareness Month! You’ll see a ton of information about ADHD everywhere. But who knows what’s accurate and what’s not? ADDA knows! That’s why ADDA created the TADD Talk program.
If you have ADHD, you need reliable, science-based information. That’s why, along with 30 other experts, I have teamed up with the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) to bring you proven programming, and I’m thrilled to give one of their now-famous TADD Talks this October! Catch my TADD Talk on Sunday, October 7, on “My Experience Coaching Those with ADHD around Sleep Issues.”
Don’t worry; these TADD talks are brief but each one touches on a different topic, and a new nugget of valuable information will be delivered right to your inbox every day all month long!
Sign up right now to receive your daily dose of TADD Talk goodness. Or you can listen just to me! Click here to check out the schedule.
Ugly Organizing Systems Are Not All Bad
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – September 17, 2018
Organization isn’t always pretty; in fact, it can be downright ugly, and many ugly organizational systems are more effective than pretty ones. If you look up the word “organized” in the dictionary, you see words like structured, controlled, and systematic. Now, while these are great descriptors, it makes me think of warehouses in rows and columns. I’m not saying that type of system isn’t effective, but it just doesn’t work for me. What it really comes down to is whether I know exactly where something is when I need it.
Continue reading “Ugly Organizing Systems Are Not All Bad”
ADHD: Is It Hyperlink Thinking?
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – August 28, 2018
There is no question that those with ADHD have different brain wiring. “Non-linear thinking” is a label that many with ADHD use to describe their thinking experience. Using such labels to distinguish the thinking process from the implied and more mainstream linear thinking sounds good, but what does non-linear thinking really look like?
Continue reading “ADHD: Is It Hyperlink Thinking?”
Student: “Can you help me be better organized?”
ADHD, Organization, Disorganization and Effort
I respond to a comment on my YouTube page by a student who wrestles daily with distraction:
You Tube Comment: I really want to be organized in studies… I always find something more interesting than the books.. I am tired of fighting.. Can you advise me with this problem? I am sure every student is facing this.
Continue reading “Student: “Can you help me be better organized?””
Is Packing for a Trip an Ordeal?
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – August 9, 2018
Adults with ADHD often struggle with going on vacation, as well as school and business trips, primarily because of the challenge involved in packing. They’re hard on themselves because they think it should be easy.
What I’ve learned over the years is that packing requires a little bit of memory and a lot of working memory (executive functioning) because of the misconception that one must retrieve from memory all the items necessary for this particular trip.
Here are my suggestions to make packing and thinking of it easier:
Continue reading “Is Packing for a Trip an Ordeal?”
“S” is for Self-Regulation: Lessons in ADHD Emotional Control from “Sesame Street”
ADDitude Magazine talks about self-regulation and ADHD and refers to this Attention Talk Radio podcast in which Jeff Copper interviews Autumn Zitani, M.A., Senior Director of Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop. The article talks about emotional self-regulation as a complex neurological function that helps us pay attention to shifting stimuli, evaluate them, and respond in appropriate ways. When it is lacking (as it is for many children with ADHD), parents often struggle to explain and teach self-control. This is where the long-running television show Sesame Street steps in to help.
Jeff is an Expert on the Parenting ADHD Summit (Free Access)
Parenting ADHD Summit with Penny Williams – 38 of the world’s ADHD and parenting experts share top Insights and Strategies for Effectively Raising a Child with ADHD.
More than 28 hours of expertise on how to let go of traditional expectations, boost your child’s self-esteem, manage child and family stress, navigate school struggles, handle emotional intensity, empower your child for success and confidence, take care of yourself, parent with purpose and intention, and so much more.
You can watch all the videos FREE, the week of June 18-24, 2018.
Working Memory for Adults with ADHD
Finishing Projects, Transitions and Working Memory with Adult ADD/ADHD – ADHD coach Jeff Copper appears on ADHD Support Talk Radio with Lynne Edris as they delve further into the issues around working memory and everyday life.
Is Your Working Memory Working with Adult ADHD/ADD?– Jeff Copper, guest expert on ADHD Support Talk Radio, discusses working memory challenges in adults with ADHD. If you want to understand how your working memory may be an obstacle to performing at your best, listen in to hear Jeff’s working memory Aha!
Dive Deeper into ADHD and Working Memory
Test your working memory with a fun quiz!
ADHD Group Coaching Program – New dates soon. Check back or wait for our email.
5 Attention Exercises for ADHD, Weight Management, and Self-Regulation
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – April 27, 2018
ADHD isn’t so much a deficit of attention but rather an issue of self-regulation—the ability to vigorously engage the executive functioning brain to override the automatic brain.
This ability to pause, ponder, and choose a different path to proceed is what helps us reach our goals.
Continue reading “5 Attention Exercises for ADHD, Weight Management, and Self-Regulation”
A Resource to Save the Future of ADHD Students
ADHD stimulant medications are classified as Schedule II medications, which means they have a high potential for abuse and as a result are controlled substances. Medications like Adderal are in high demand on college campuses as a study aid. Many with ADHD are lured by friends to share medications and sometimes sell them, which constitutes a felony act. In a rising trend, many ADHD students are unaware of the punitive consequences of ADHD drug diversion, and it has become a hot topic. Many resources talk at students on the topic which mutes the message.
Continue reading “A Resource to Save the Future of ADHD Students”
Attention Exercises for a Healthy ADHD Mind
Having dyslexia, I see the world a bit differently. It is exceptionally difficult to articulate, but I am driven to understand things, to get to their essence, to put things in a context that makes logical sense. Mindfulness, meditation, success, or gratitude journals have always been something a bit nebulous to me. Over the years interviewing experts, I now see each item as an attention exercise with emphasis on exercise. An athlete does repetitive exercise to build muscle, stamina, or skills. When exercise or practice stops, those things atrophy.
Continue reading “Attention Exercises for a Healthy ADHD Mind”
Worried about Long-Term Effects of ADHD Meds?
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – August 12, 2017
Are you worried about the long-term effects of taking ADHD stimulant medications? You should be. You should also be worried about the long-term effects of NOT taking ADHD meds. All too often, I find people demonize medications prematurely or don’t put them in context. Mind you, I’m not pro medication, but I am anti suffering, especially in the face of ignorance.
The decision to take meds is one of quality of life. Like with any drug, there are side effects and consequences of taking ADHD meds, and ADHD stimulants have both side effects and consequences. Continue reading “Worried about Long-Term Effects of ADHD Meds?”
Are My ADHD Meds Working?
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – June 6, 2017
Frequently, I’m asked, “How do I know if my ADHD medications are working?” This is a fascinating question. I often find that people start taking meds with an expectation that they will magically become organized. Other times, it isn’t like a person is expecting to feel a buzz, but they do seem to expect to feel something cognitively. In excess, the meds can be noticeable. Some describe the experience as a calmness. In any event, you shouldn’t be feeling a buzz. Continue reading “Are My ADHD Meds Working?”
Are ADHD Meds Addictive or Not?
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – May 2, 2017
Are ADHD meds addictive? Well, are they? Yes or no? Can’t somebody answer my question? Apparently not. Oh, sure, the “ADHD doesn’t exist” crowd might be quick to suggest the meds are addictive, but I’ve found it virtually impossible to find a definitive answer to the question from a credible source.
For almost two years, I searched high and low to find a subject matter expert who will answer the question on record and then do so in an interview on Attention Talk Radio. But I couldn’t come up with anyone. Why? I suspected that no one wanted to go on record, for fear of what they say being taken out of context, which is almost a liability risk for mental health professionals. They are subject to being attacked or being bogged down in controversy.
Is Attention Blindness an Obstacle to Managing ADHD?
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – February 14, 2017
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. What is Obvious Depends On What We Attend To (what I call a WODOWWAT). It is hard for most people to “get,” but hundreds of times a day, our own attention obstructs what is obvious. Examples of it are everywhere. The reason you don’t realize it is because you are not looking for evidence that you are attending to the wrong thing; rather, you miss it because you are more focused on looking for evidence, proof that you are attending to the right thing. Continue reading “Is Attention Blindness an Obstacle to Managing ADHD?”