Try Something New For 30.......Oh Look DropBear

Australia's Famous DropBear

Recently, at a seminar, we were shown an inspiring post on TED talks. Don't look now, but the link can be found at the end of this post. Matt Cutts challenged me, and others, to try something new for 30 days. Along with everyone else in the audience, I was immediately moved to accept his bold challenge. I resolved to give up sugar for 30 days - and to write a blog about this amazing concept (yes TED talks have that effect on me). 

Matt's challenge got me thinking. Wouldn't it be a wonderful way for people with ADHD to change behaviours? Forget that 14 days maketh a habit stuff - never worked for anyone with ADHD that I know. 30 days seems a lot more ADHD-friendly. I immediately stepped into ADHD-Coach mode, and the following barriers to an ADHD 30 day challenge emerged:

• In the heat of the moment, the Impulsivity of ADHD could accept ANY challenge ("Yes sure I can fly to Africa tomorrow and volunteer for 30 days. My wife is very understanding").
• The Inattention of ADHD could miss some finer details of the challenge. ("Cycling coast to coast in 30 days is HOW many kilometres?")
• The Working Memory challenges of ADHD could actually result in someone committing to a 30 day challenge - and then forgetting about it for 2 days - or 30 days for that matter.
• The Distractibility of ADHD could make it hard to focus on a 30 day challenge ("Look DropBear")
• Boredom could set in and the challenge could fail to maintain its sparkle for 30 days.

So, here is my ADHD-tailored 30 day challenge. (I'm sure Matt Cutts would approve):

• Choose something small and achievable - and write it down. Draw up a calendar / find an app that you can mark off each day
• Find your motivation (choose something that will make you feel good) - and make your motivation visible. Stick a picture somewhere - and add to it if you need to.
• Set up a daily reminder. There is no guarantee that you will remember your 30 day challenge without a prompt.
• Plan mini-celebrations - 30 days is a long time to stay motivated on a single challenge, so remember to celebrate at regular intervals, e.g. every 5 days. 
• Work with a buddy - find someone to do the challenge with you.
• Ask for support - its always so much easier.
• 'Sparkelise' your challenge when it becomes boring - people with ADHD are masters of invention. If your challenge is becoming boring, you will know how to spice it up.
• Celebrate BIG TIME when its over - let the world know.

You can join me on my 30 day challenge on Facebook or Twitter, and we can swop notes. The accountability will make your own 30 day challenge a lot easier.

Matt's inspiring video is here

The Brain Dump

Among the biggest challenges for people of all ages with ADHD is the process of starting a challenging or boring task. For example, you might start your day with the best intentions, having allowed plenty of time to complete your assignment / report / grant application, etc. However, when the time comes to sit down and actually start the task, nothing happens. So you check Facebook or Twitter, and before you know it, an hour has passed. Eventually, you become focused on the assigned task, and then that wonderful hyper-focus kicks in. Suddenly, all the neurotransmitters are firing and you are smokin!!! You wonder why it took you so long to get started because it seems so easy when you're in that headspace. And you become very productive.

But there's a problem: Slap bang in the middle of that precious hyper-focus, you actually have to stop. That's not an easy thing to do, for several reasons. First, your brain actually has difficulty switching attention from one activity to another, particularly when it is highly engaged. (Ever tried to get your child to switch off the computer game they're playing?).  Secondly, you could be running out of time to complete the task, since it took you so long to get started. Thirdly, anxiety starts to kick in as you fear you my never regain the focus required to complete the assigned task if you stop then and there. After all, it was so hard to get focused in the first place. It seems such a waste to lose the feeling of knowing exactly what you would do next, knowing that when you return to the task it could take you an hours to get back to this point.

What if you could take a shortcut - pick up where you left off? I have a strategy that makes it possible. One of my clients, a computer programmer, calls this strategy The Brain Dump. It's a really simple, but very effective tool, and this is how it works:

1. When you are in that blissful state of hyperfocus and you need to stop what you're doing, PAUSE
2. Ask yourself: "If I continued working now, what would I do next?"
3. Make a list of dot points, outlining how you would continue if you could.
4. Use that list when you return to the task in order to get you started again.

Many of my clients use the Brain Dump, and they often find their own particular version. For example, Michael, the Science student writes down a question that he will need to solve when he return to his lab reports. He knows that his curiosity will draw him back into the data analysis. It works every time for him. Karen, the French Honours student writes the topic sentence for the next paragraph of her thesis, with some key words to get her going again.Lorraine leaves a note for herself when she closes her accounting package down, reminding herself which data entry she should do next. I love to hear their versions of the Brain Dump at subsequent coaching sessions.

So, here's your challenge. What will your Brain Dump be? And how will it differ from task to task? Will you leave your gardening gloves on the rose fertiliser to remind you what the first step of tomorrow's gardening task is? Will you highlight the last paragraph you read of a research paper, with a summary of that paragraph in the margin so that you don't need to re-read it? Will you dot-point the next module of the training programme you're writing in order to prevent a 30-minute catch-up to see where you got to?

I would like to encourage you to experiment with your Brain Dumps. Then, let me know how they work, so that I can share them with others. Tell your stories in comments here, or share them on my Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michele-Toner-ADHD-Consultant-and-Life-Coach/235944565397

Or, contact me on email: micheletoner@hotmail.com
 or mobile +61 411 067 541


Looking forward to hearing from you.

Make your ADHD Work for you at University

"I'm getting so much better at uni Michele. I'm working WITH, my ADHD now instead of against it. Actually, sometimes I can even make my ADHD work FOR me!"

Words of wisdom spoken by Stuart, a student in my PhD study. In fact, Stuart was a key participant. He was extremely self-observant, constantly taking note of  what study strategies helped and hindered him, and always sharing his insights so generously. This enabled me to learn more about ADHD alongside him, and to formulate very valuable interview questions for other participants in my study, as they, too, negotiated their journey through academia:

•  Margo learned that she needed to attend every lecture, then go directly to the library to consolidate her copious notes. 
• Trevor learned that it was impossible for him to concentrate in large lecture theatres, and deemed it a frustrating waste of time to be at lectures in the mornings when his medication was working at its peak, He chose, therefore, to visit the library during his lecture periods and make notes about the relevant materials from assigned texts. He would then listen to the recorded i-lecture at a later stage to consolidate his knowledge. 
• Mary learned to study her anatomy by reciting it aloud and moving the corresponding parts of her body - clearly not in the library. 
• Helen associated colours with each subject, and kept the same colours each year, in order to remain organised. 
• Michael told me that colours had no significance for him, and chose a symbol to help him quickly identify each subject.
• Simon discovered that mindmaps (which were far  too elaborate and complicated for me to understand) were his best tool. He was able to picture them in his head during exams and recall all of the information he had studied.  

So how can you make your ADHD work FOR you at university? 

The good news is that its much easier than it was at school. Why? Because there is much more flexibility. This means that there are more opportunities to modify the way you interact with the information on offer, and opportunites to be assessed in ways that make it easier to prove that you "know your stuff". Here are some examples:

• If, like Stuart, you learn better by reading than by listening, you have the option to do so. 
• If you are a "morning person" or an "afternoon person", you can structure your timetable, to take advantage of your best time of day.
• If you find yourself in that magical "hyperfocus" zone, between lectures, you can take advantage of that by attending an alternative lecture instead of interrupting your flow.
• Lecturers normally publish notes on the student portal before lectures. This means you can prepare before the lecture - get your head around the material before it comes at you in the lecture. 
• You can often request special considerations for assessments. For example, if  handwriting is problematic, due to ADHD or a co-existing Learning Disorder, you can apply for permission to use a computer during assessments. Some students are also given permission to use voice-to-text software, such as Dragon, in assessments. Extra time is normally granted for students with ADHD.

 But it's not all good news. As my PhD study participants discovered, (along with many of my clients), you have to be awfully organised to take advantage of all the flexibility university has to offer. While schools can be very rigid, they are also very structured. For example:

• Late assignments at school are reported to parents in "notes of concern", and frequent reminders keep students on track in the weeks and days preceeding due dates. Late assignments at university incur heavy penalties, and eventually zero marks.
• Timetables can only be modified if you remember to log onto your portal in a timely fashion. If you fail to get yourself organised early, you could be stuck with lectures in your least favourite time slot.
• And how do you identify your favourite time slot / processing style / organisational method etc, when you have had no opportunity to experiment? 

That's where coaching comes in. A coach can help you to:

• Recognise how ADHD affects YOU - which is not necessarily how it affects others.
• Examine your study and living habits and identify strategies that will work for YOU.
• Work with you to devise a system to get you organised.
• Provide accountability to KEEP you organised.
• Ultimately manage all of this without his or her input. 

I will be presenting a workshop at Edith Cowan University on Tuesday 27th March, between 10am and 1pm. Please come along if you're a student at ECU, or pass the information along to other students you might know. Contact me if you need more information:

Email: micheletoner@hotmail.com
Mob: 0411 067 541
 

Time Management

People with ADHD often experience great difficulty understanding and managing the passing of time. There is some evidence to suggest that they are unable to process time in the linear-sequential manner of those without ADHD. This make is difficult to estimate the amount of time necessary for tasks, causing them to rush things, or spend too much time on some activities.
One consequence of poor time management is the risk of annoying family & friends by constant tardiness. So how do you get your friends to understand that you do care about them, and you're not purposely showing up late for every appointment? Well, try explaining that you have a problem in the area and letting them know what you're doing to address the problem. Get them to help you if possible with prompts and reminders. Choose one thing to change, e.g. being on time for training at the gym, and work on that habit until it's well established. Then focus on the next one. It should become easier with each change.
Time with friends is precious. Learn to use it well.
Cracking the Social Code - 2 part Perth workshop, November 11th & 25th. Phone 0411 067 541

CRACK THE SOCIAL CODE

Problems with inattention and distractibility can make it difficult to decode the subtle points of socialising, and people with ADHD often find themselves out of step as a result. I am running a two-part workshop (with counsellor Thelma Simpson) at LADS, aimed at helping people to "crack the social code". It is in response to FAQ which include:

"How can I tell if someone's being sarcastic or just joking?"
"How can I learn to make small talk?"
"Why do my friends keep getting annoyed?"

The workshop will be held on Wednesday 11th and 25th November, 7pm to 9:30pm at The Niche in Nedlands (Perth). Contact me for more info: 0411 067 541, or (08)6460-4690
http://www.micheletoner.com

Remembering to Remember

People with ADHD are often maligned for being forgetful. It's a problem that frequently gets them into trouble. Wedding anniversaries, birthdays, shopping and household chores are some of the casualties of the ADHD-brain. Hurt friends incorrectly assume that "if it was important enough to you, then you'd remember!" Well, that's not necessarily the case. One client told me how he fronted up for his TEE maths exam without any writing materials - his mum had to zip down to Officeworks to get the necessary supplies. Of course his TEE was important to him, but he was focusing on the content of the exam rather than the practicality of writing it.

There are many strategies for Remembering to Remember. It's a matter of finding what works for you. Perhaps your mobile phone or Blackberry can be programmed with reminders; computer software programmes are great - when you're at your computer; post-it notes work wonders for some. Find your strategy and make it work for you.

"Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself" - Andre Gide

Make ADHD Work For You

One of the participants in my PhD study told me one day: "I think I'm learning to make my ADHD symptoms work for me". Although that may sound like a strange concept, it soon became obvious what he meant. He studied his behaviours, and became very aware of his ADHD-related weaknesses. For example, his friends told him that he could be very 'unsociable' at times when he was engrossed in his work, and that he should try not to be quite so irritable when they interrupted him. Their comments got him thinking, and he realised that his hyper-focus, enabled him to get through a great deal of work. "When I'm in the zone", he said, "the room could collapse around me and I wouldn't notice. I've come to value to zone, and work hard to get there." He also realised that once lost, his hyper-focus was difficult to regain. Once he understood that, he was able to explain it to his friends, who agreed to help by leaving him 'in the zone' when they went off for a coffee break.

The core symptoms which cause so much impairment in ADHD include Inattention, Impulsivity and Hyperactivity. There's no denying that they make life very difficult for people who struggle to fit society's mould. However, as authors Kelly & Ramundo point out in their book "You mean I'm not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?" aspects of those core symptoms can be 'turned around' to become an advantage:

Symptoms of Inattention, which include distractibility, can play an important part in the process of creativity, enabling the assortment of disjointed thoughts and ideas that come together in imaginative thinking. Hyperactivity, when purposefully channelled can result in highly productive individuals. Impulsivity symptoms can be translated into a need for action and 'getting things done'.

I'm running a workshop at LADS on Sunday 18th October, called "Making ADHD Work For You". The aim is not to trivialise ADHD. Instead, participants will be taught to recognise the symptoms of ADHD at work in their everyday lives. Such awareness can then be used to anticipate problems and develop strategies to prevent them. Finally, I'll be teaching participants to identify and optimise the 'positive' attributes of ADHD. Contact me on 0411 067 541 for more information.

ADHD Coaching

Coaching helps people with ADHD - first to set goals, then to design and work at the steps required to achieve them.