By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – January 30, 2023
Do you control what you pay attention to? Think about it! On the one hand, we have politicians, marketers, and corporate America all fighting to gain control of what we pay attention to for their own self-serving benefit. On the other hand, we have our pets, friends, parents, kids, and significant others all desperately vying for us to pay attention to them. Let’s face it, paying attention is hard work! It takes effort… and lots of it. Continue reading “Coaching: An Industry Born of Need”
Athletes who have ADHD often suffer from psychological issues such as depression or anxiety and other emotional challenges that stem from ADHD. These athletes may experience less than ideal performance on the playing field. As an ADHD and attention coach, this topic is significant as I coach sports players who suffer from symptoms of ADHD in their performance, both on the field and off.
Evidence suggests that, with a proper diagnosis and treatment, those with ADHD can live a very fulfilling life. But many people reject or delay seeking a diagnosis out of fear or even disinterest. Also, the love/hate label of ADHD may prevent some from getting a comprehensive evaluation. However, that attitude makes it difficult to treat something if you don’t know what to treat. 
During the COVID pandemic, many people had no recourse but to work from home. Unfortunately, they struggled with getting things done and their productivity declined, perhaps for one simple reason. There’s no one around to take off some of the stress on your working memory. The home environment is much different from the workplace where others are around and are readily available for interaction. So, working at home means you often don’t have an accountability partner. 
We are living in a DIY world. It’s convenient for society if we all conform and do it “their way.” More and more, systems are being created to supposedly make things easier through automation and other technologies, but the user experience is usually not considered. Makers of these systems don’t give enough consideration to what the customer experience is like, and as a result, we end up feeling like we must case manage our day-to-day lives. 
Knowing what works for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is just as important as knowing what does not work. Some of the tactics you use might not be helping. In fact, they might even exacerbate your symptoms. For example, pressure to perform based on other people’s ideas of how you should perform almost always leads to failure because it doesn’t work and it’s detrimental. For those with ADHD, doing things that do not fit their natural way of doing things can often paralyze them at most and at least inhibit their performance. 
It’s a high-wire act without a net when you talk to children, because you never know what will come out of their mouths, and particularly so with ADHD kids. Or is it that ADHD kids have such great insight? That’s the case with Lucy, a seven-year-old, who is very interesting and articulate about sharing her ADHD insights, experiences, and strategies. 
Organizing things is a real challenge, especially for those with ADHD. They think they’ll just jump in and start organizing until they get into a mess and then things seem to explode.