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 want to share with you here. ADHD is very much a challenge. If you’ve got ADHD and have been struggling to manage it, I encourage you to find a professional who’s got the insight to accelerate your learning. After all, if you get the diagnosis and you get some help, you can really live a fulfilling life. Continue reading “ADHD, DIY, and Help: Knowledge vs Knowledge with Insight” →

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 can pay attention to things where you don’t get dopamine. Continue reading “ADHD and YouTube” →

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 condition can be very problematic when you’re trying to solve problems. Continue reading “ADHD and Working Memory” →

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. Continue reading “ADHD and the Blues” →

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 treatment of ADHD. Dr. Quinn gave me some eye-opening insight on the subject and agreed to a brief interview on Attention Talk Video. Continue reading “Does ADHD Manifest Differently in Boys and Girls?” →

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 of action, or constrain a meltdown. Continue reading “ADHD Strategies: Using Code Words in ADHD Families” →

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. Continue reading “ADHD Non-MEDS: Mindfulness, Exercise, Diet, and Sleep” →

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 as the most effective strategy to help. Continue reading “ADHD: Brain Dump vs. Task List” →

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 Barkley (www.russellbarkley.org) on Attention Talk Video to get his perspective as a researcher on the subject. In our discussion, he explained that in some circumstances these emotions may actually be beneficial. Continue reading “ADHD, Emotion, and Dr. Russell Barkley” →

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. Continue reading “ADHD and Emotional Self-Regulation: Fight, Flight, or Freeze” →

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 helped me. Continue reading “ADHD Tip: Getting Your Thoughts Out & Organizing Them” →

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 irresponsible, inconsistent, less competent, and more childlike. In our interview on Attention Talk Video, marriage and relationship consultant Melissa Orlov (www.adhdmarriage.com) shares insight on how couples can work together toward a transition where they learn how not to step on each other’s toes. Continue reading “ADHD Couples: The Parent-Child Relationship” →

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 the same results each time, we can use a very simple technique, which is asking “How exactly did I do that?” One example is Grandma using a recipe that enables her to make the same delicious cake again and again. So, it occurred to me that knowing our personal recipe for success is just as valuable. Continue reading “Exactly How Did You Do That: The Value of an ADHD Recipe” →

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. Continue reading “Is It ADD, AGE, or Menopause?” →

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 of the key neurotransmitters that impact those with ADHD. The cartoon faces really help bring a context to each neurotransmitter. Continue reading “Attention Deficit Disorder: Meet the Neurotransmitters” →

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 gives you dopamine.  At that point, the problem is not pushing the lever but, rather, not pushing it. Continue reading “ADHD: Is Dopamine Something You Can Feel?” →

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 as a metaphor to help you begin to witness the real challenges of ADHD in putting thoughts together to solve puzzles and problems. Continue reading “ADHD and Thoughts: The Jigsaw Puzzle in Your Mind” →

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 the words mean with a visual metaphor. Continue reading “ADHD and Emotions: A Visual Metaphor for Context” →

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – January 22, 2019

Every once in a while, you stumble onto a phrase or something that’s worded in a way that puts things into perspective and brings an aha because you can finally articulate it and wrap your mind around the concept. I once heard it stated, “I don’t know who discovered water but I’m sure it wasn’t a fish.” To me, this is a very profound statement, because there are some things in this world that are so obvious that they’re missed because they’re so obvious.

Continue reading “Thinking about Thinking” →

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” →