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 structure of the work environment, making it difficult for those with ADHD to self-regulate their attention. Gone are the face-to-face human interactions, the “buzz” of other busy bees getting work done with their work energy. Continue reading “ADHD, Productivity, Working from Home, and You”
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 treatment of ADHD a science or is it an art? Let’s explore this system a bit deeper to understand how we get a diagnosis before answering these questions.
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 the ADHD brain. But seeing something different does not mean they understand it.
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 the key neurotransmitters that impacts the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder plight is dopamine, the reward neurotransmitter. It’s the reason we procreate, why we forage for food or seek anything pleasurable. 
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 with it. 
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 weakness, and we feed into it by focusing on it; and for some, this focus invades every aspect of life. The result for many is staying “stuck” and not moving forward. To bring about real change, we must be willing to have a more open mindset.
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 wanted to work on her lists. We learned during her discovery session that she is very visual. Knowing this, I asked what it would be like if she just drew a picture instead of writing words. After we got off the call, she gave it a shot. 
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 don’t work like that. You’ll know that your ADHD meds are working when you can sustain focus on things longer than you normally would. For example, say, before you started taking meds, you could read only four pages of a book before your mind started to wander. Then after taking meds, you could read four chapters.
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. I’m grateful to EV for agreeing to let me share her unique logic. It matters little if it makes sense to you. What matters is it works for her. Like most with ADHD, her process might not be mainstream, but it works for her.
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 done, but you might feel the pressure and stress about how to tackle a deadline.