By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – July 26, 2021 I’m very fortunate, because I have a great job — part of what I do is listen to people and understand different perspectives, ways of thinking, points of view, and processes. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to interview subject matter experts, take…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – July 5, 2021 What’s the value in having someone who knows how to use a hammer and hits the right spot? Do-it-yourself sounds good, but there is a cost. I call it tuition at the school of hard knocks, in other words, EXPERIENCE. That’s what I…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – June 7, 2021 Thinking is effortful. It can be incredibly gratifying or intensely painful. Take the euphoria of an aha moment when you’ve solved a problem as opposed to struggling to regulate your attention and focus on a difficult or boring task. What’s more, the pressure…
If you’ve been surfing ADHD videos on and on and on for hours, you have to realize that you’re struggling with something, and that’s the issue of self-regulation. I’ve often spoken about dopamine being the reward neurotransmitter, and that’s what’s driving this behavior. It’s your brain’s perpetual search for dopamine. The issue is whether you…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – May 17, 2021 There are times in our world with new technologies or events that metaphorically tilt the floor of human behavior. When that happens, some things are easier, but others become more challenging. Those who lack self-awareness, effort, emotion, and willpower have no go-to strategy…
If you have attention deficit hyperactive disorder, you probably find yourself struggling with working memory. What is working memory? It’s the system in your brain that allows you to hold multiple thoughts in mind while you organize and sequence them. It is important to understand what working memory is in relation to ADHD, and this…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – May 3, 2021 ADHD Heroes book (www.judyadhdcoaching.com/adhd-heroes-book.html)? While the chapter about me was my story, the real hero was my mom (just like many others with ADHD). Remembering all the hours my mom sat with me to help me through schoolwork and to take me to…
Those who have ADHD usually have trouble managing emotions. That would include episodes of the blues or just generally feeling down or sad, anticipating a negative outcome or even experiencing post-event letdowns. And it’s likely even to become a pattern concerning certain situations. ADHD coach Jeff Copper knows something about it.
Several years ago, the question was asked whether ADHD looks different in boys than it does in girls. I was curious to know more about that subject and began searching for an expert who could answer the question. I found Dr. Patricia Quinn, a developmental pediatrician and medical doctor specializing in child development and the…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – March 8, 2021 In the ADHD community, we often hear about executive function, but why is it so important that experts often talk about it? That question is one many of us have asked, so we want to help you understand it in a clear context….
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – February 15, 2021 If you are like me, you hated doing word problems in school. Word problems are hard because there isn’t a methodical way of doing them. Solving them requires insight, trial-and-error thinking, patience, and practice. The reason word problems were so important in school…
What are code words? Can code words help ADHD families? We asked Elaine Taylor-Klaus, a professional certified coach and family advocate. With both her professional and personal experience as a mother of five, Elaine explained how code words work in her own family and why they are useful to get someone’s attention, change a course…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – January 18, 2021 The fun part of being an ADHD coach is to have those with ADHD articulate what I couldn’t. In the last year I’ve had a few emails, texts, and social media posts that really get to the heart of the realities of ADHD. …
Many with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are looking for solutions that don’t involve medications. Some time ago, I had the opportunity to talk about this subject with ADHD coach Brett Thornhill who also has ADHD and can speak from both personal and professional experience.
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – December 28, 2020 It’s become a joy of mine to produce Attention Talk Videos to address attention issues and provide information to help those in need. One thing I enjoy the most is how articulate many people are in commenting on those videos. I’d like to…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – December 21, 2020 All too often, those with ADHD struggle with working memory challenges. If you are one of those individuals, you may have multiple thoughts or tasks in mind but have trouble organizing and sequencing them. ADHD coach Jeff Copper suggests doing a brain dump…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – December 7, 2020 Are you one of those individuals who think it’s just too complicated to get organized or even to remember things you need to do? Planning is essential for both of these tasks, but it’s important to keep those plans as simple as possible….
When it comes to emotions, the focus seems to dwell on the negative. Sometimes as I’m coaching those with ADHD, I see them as very passionate about things and they’re full of emotion, but this passion often rages out of control. So, is there a positive side? A few years ago, I interviewed Dr. Russell…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 16, 2020 Since 2012, I’ve had the honor of being on the editorial board of Attention Magazine, published by Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). At first, this might not be surprising, but once you realize I have dyslexia and a learning…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 9, 2020 The response in all living things when they are threatened is fight, flight, or freeze. Fight back, run like heck, or play dead. It’s an innate instinct for all species because it’s really all about survival.
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – October 19, 2020 Dr. Thomas E. Brown once said, “The more there is a need for independent work, the lower the grades and productivity of those with ADHD.” In general, I’ve found this to be true in my experience as a coach. Although the peace and…
If you have ADHD, you may find yourself often struggling with getting things organized, especially organizing your thoughts. I like to see the bigger picture to help me understand how it all comes together. With that in mind, my demonstration on Attention Talk Video offers a simple method to organize tasks and thoughts that have…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – September 28, 2020 Our workplaces are formal, professional, and structured to accommodate business systems, interactions, frequency of direct communications, and access to human capital (or people knowledge) by being in the presence of others. A workplace at home is more informal, more comfortable, and lacks the…
In couples’ relationships where ADHD is involved, all too often there is a parent/child dynamic between the partners. What this means is that, usually, it is the non-ADHD partner who takes on the parent role, the one who seems to be the manager or who takes charge, whereas it’s the ADHD partner who is somewhat…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – September 7, 2020 People are unique, individual, and infinitely complex. In the interest of maximizing efficiencies, our world and medical community focuses on commonalities to evaluate, label, and treat patients. This approach raises some key questions: Can something so complex be labeled? Is the diagnosis and…
Some time ago, I talked with Dr. David Nowell (www.drnowell.com) about observing how we do things. What I mean is that, for most of us with ADHD, we are not aware of how we do things, like getting to places on time, making a relationship work, or sticking to a workout schedule. But to get…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – August 17, 2020 Without a doubt, science is an amazing thing and strides in medicine are impressive. Many specialists turn to advanced tools to diagnose and better understand attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By studying cerebral function, structure, and chemistry, specialists can discern biological differences in…
ADHD manifests differently in women and men. It makes sense when you think about it as there are physical differences between the genders. More importantly, there are hormonal differences. Such small differences can result in big differences, especially when it comes to ADHD and menopause.
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – July 13, 2020 Our ancestors foraged for food because it was necessary. Today, food is in abundance, freeing up time for us to forage for information. Why are we… especially those with ADHD… prone to forage for information? Because it is pleasurable! You see, one of…
Sometimes you just need to put a face with a name in order to remember something. It is also helpful if that face has characters that represent what the face is all about or helps you remember more about the face. Linda Roggli, the ADDiva, is very creative. She put a face on the names…
Often, those with ADHD feel chaotic and disorganized. In a sense a feeling is a knee-jerk or reflexive emotional response in that emotions or judgments are made without awareness, analysis, or acknowledgement of what “is.” Just because you feel something doesn’t make it a reality. This reminds me of a story. You may be familiar…
Booyah! Is that what dopamine feels like? Dopamine is the reward neurotransmitter and, in a way, ground zero in the context of ADHD. Think of your brain like Pavlov’s dog. If you push a lever and don’t get dopamine, you find another lever, and so on and so on till you find a lever that…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – May 25, 2020 We live in a society that fosters negativity and self-limiting beliefs. Just look at the daily news, the endless array of advertisements for things to “fix” us, or the fascination with the mishaps of celebrities as just a few examples. The ego loves…
Those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have lots of thoughts. Some thoughts go to the puzzle they’re working on in their mind; some thoughts might go to a puzzle they might be working on in the future; and other thoughts they don’t know what to do with. ADHD coach Jeff Copper uses a jigsaw puzzle…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – May 4, 2020 Did you ever run into somebody who’s able to articulate something in such a way that all of a sudden it makes some sense? Years ago, I was coaching a woman who said, at the end of our first coaching session, that she…
ADHD is a self-regulation and working memory challenge. Two things that those with ADHD need to regulate are attention and emotion, according to Dr. Russell Barkley. Yes, according to Dr. Barkley, emotions are as much a part of ADHD as attention. The words “emotional self-regulation” are just words. Often it is easier to “get” what…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – April 13, 2020 You might be wondering how you know if your ADHD stimulant medications are working? Do you get a buzz? Will you immediately be able to pay attention or automatically gain the skills you need to advance in your job and life? Unfortunately, meds…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – Published April 6, 2020 Many of those with ADHD don’t learn in a linear fashion. They tend to ping pong all over the place, bouncing from topic to topic based on what they’re interested in. In the long term, do they actually learn? Or is it…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – March 26, 2020 What happens in the ADHD brain? It’s a mystery of the universe, right? Maybe, but once in a while, I coach someone and get a glimpse of the unique logic that is ADHD or at least what works for one person with ADHD….
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – March 16, 2020 Many of those with ADHD don’t learn in a linear fashion. They tend to ping pong all over the place, bouncing from topic to topic based on what they’re interested in. In the long term, do they actually learn? Or is it a…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – March 2, 2020 Have you ever wondered how you get things done with ADHD? It’s not that you are lazy or lack the ability to focus. Misinformation like that has given those with ADHD a bad rap. You just do things differently. Somehow you get them…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – February 17, 2020 As an adult with ADHD, you’re probably aware that one of the side effects of this fun little disorder is having a lot of things going at the same time. The ADHD brain thrives on stimulation. It generates ideas upon ideas and gets…
It’s that time of the year where one year ends and a new one begins. It’s tradition to stop and reflect on the prior year and set some goals for the new year. In my coaching practice, I’ve come to realize setting goals is really not that difficult.
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – December 2, 2019 I’ve got dyslexia. What does that mean? In simple terms, when I look at a “b,” my mind retrieves a “d.” When I look at a word like “through,” my mind retrieves “threw.” Do you have any idea how hard it is to…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 23, 2022 Years ago, I interviewed a gentleman who was explaining to me the theories behind Japanese psychology. One of the things he said was that the Japanese practice gratitude. He explained that problems abound. The thing about a problem is it must be dealt…
By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – November 21, 2019 Attention and ADHD coach Jeff Copper has found that there are certain basic truths that those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often don’t acknowledge that result in them paying attention to the wrong thing and anchoring them in “stud.” In this video…
Those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder know what to do. Their challenge is doing what they know to do. In this episode of Attention Talk Video, ADHD coach Jeff Copper illustrates the difference between knowledge and activation, knowing what to do and executing it, and pinpoints a few of the issues associated with activating, as…
Got attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? What is your mindset around motivation? In this video ADHD coach Jeff Copper builds on his earlier video, “ADHD Mindset: Setting up Your Mind to Think“ (https://youtu.be/nVu4fZnwbuE), sharing the power of using a different mindset to witness the obvious. In this video Jeff uses specific examples explaining motivation and illuminates…
The word “zombie” seems to be used as an adjective around how some feel when they talk about ADHD stimulant medications. In this episode we interview Dr. Charles Parker (http://www.corebrain.org/reality) to understand what the phenomena is all about and to see if something can be done about it.
As humans, we are very much appearance-based. We latch onto what we see, and often, this reliance on what we can see and what we can prove becomes an obstacle and a source of anxiety. One of my favorite quotes recently is, “The sun doesn’t rotate around the earth, but without the right technology it…
