Kick Some ADHD: Recent Episodes
Dana Rayburn and David G. Johnson
The podcast for professionals and business owners who struggle to stay focused and get the important stuff done
If you tuned into Episode 210 – Dealing with Difficult Times, then you know I’ve been dealing with some family challenges that resulted in a topsy turvy summer.
So I’m doubling down on who I want to be. And that is someone who cares, delivers and shows up…and I’m showing up this week for the podcast in a different way and sharing a replay of one of my most popular episodes in case you missed it!
This episode asks the question: Is it possible to learn new skills and make changes in the way that you manage your ADHD?
The simply answer is YES. And I’m excited to share with you a story about someone who did!
Tune in to listen to how coaching has helped “Emma” and what she’s done to reinvent herself and live easier with ADHD!
Here are the other 2 podcasts I mention on this one:
Episode 194: Interview with Alan P. Brown
Episode 196: Unpacking ADHD Triggers
One of the hallmarks of ADHD is leaving things unfinished. We struggle to take things to the end step. Small tasks, big projects. We also struggle to get things started and find ourselves easily distracted by other shiny things.
The result? We’ve got lots of half finished tasks and chores that cause clutter, confusion and a general mess of overwhelm.
One of my delightful and brilliant coaching clients came up with a new mantra that helps solve these two challenges. Tie up the loose ends first! I love this and am finding it amazingly helpful in my life.
Tune in and learn how you can apply this to tasks today!
Want to learn new skills to manage your ADHD? Join the ADHD Success Club here!
Life is tough. There’s no way around it. We have to deal with so much in our external world that we can’t control. So much stress and overwhelm. And this summer for me was definitely rough.
So I have been thinking about dealing with difficult times. And what I do.
When I am faced with a challenge, I ask myself: who do I want to be?
How does this work for me? Spend about 10 minutes right now to find out so you’re ready to deal with the next difficult time that hits you.
And keep learning how to manage your ADHD so that isn’t creating a difficult time in your life. Check out:
- Episode 202: ADHD Gets Easier
- Episode 203: Be a Good Friend
- Episode 198: Have a Productive ADHD Day
- Free Your Life From Friction
- 5 Steps to Do the Hard Things with ADHD
Let’s get right to it – what is the REAL reason that you should learn how to manage your ADHD?
Is it to succeed at work? Have a better marriage? Feel good about yourself?
All of those things are important and incredible motivators to learn the skills so you’re on time, remember things, and stay organized.
But breaking the ADHD cycle has a tremendous impact that extends just beyond you – especially if you have kids.
Tune into this episode of Kick Some ADHD for why you want to break the ADHD cycle and how you can!
I mentioned a code in this episode and that is SUCCESS to save $10 on the ADHD Success Club – click here to sign up! I hope you join us this final season!
Want to learn more about how to manage your ADHD? Check out:
- Free Your Life From Friction
- Episode 206: Later Means Never
- Episode 199: ADHD Tip: Jumpstart Your Day
- Episode 192: Before You Say Yes
- ADHD Rule: Work to Your Strengths
Russ Jones, host of the popular podcast “ADHD Big Brother” is hilarious and we instantly connected so we have done something cool! I was recently a guest on an episode of HIS podcast and now he is one on mine!
So meet my new best friend and step onto Russ’s ADHD journey to hear how he:
- learned about ADHD at age 40 while going through a divorce and that ADHD has ‘a lot to do with a lot’
- uses certain strengths to manage his depression and stay at his happiest place
- why he started his podcast ‘ADHD Big Brother’ (and the award he’s nominated for!)
- knows what’s really important so you have a ‘hot sh!t ADHD life’
- can help keep you accountable with reaching your goals and so much more!
Want to watch this interview? You can on my YouTube channel here!
Russ Jones is the host of the podcast “ADHD Big Brother“, currently in the top 2% of podcasts globally, and nominated for a 2024 Podcaster People’s Choice Award. Along with his podcast, he has been helping adults with ADHD for the past 5 years through one-one coaching and his online support and accountability community. He takes gamification and shame-free support to the next level in one of the most engaging ADHD communities online. Recently named a Platinum Community (a community that has the highest engagement, the lowest churn, and are overall thriving) by the software platform Circle.so. Russ believes in the importance and the power of a community of ADHDers all working to get their sh*t together…TOGETHER!
Sign up for the ADHD Success Club.
Learn more about me and check out my blog.
And check out the episode of Kick Some ADHD that Russ mentions during the podcast – Episode 202: ADHD Gets Easier.
Let’s talk about one of the challenges that many people with ADHD have: prioritization.
You know…struggling with what to do when.
And we are going to talk about this a little differently and focus on your intentions!
Spend 10 minutes with me right now to learn this piece of getting things done with ADHD.
Want to learn my whole prioritization system? Join the ADHD Success Club today and get $10 off each month when you use the code SUCCESS at checkout.
Have a few more minutes? Check out:
- Episode 191: Packing Means Peace
- Episode 197: Building ADHD Habits: Where to Start?
- Episode 199: ADHD Tip: Jumpstart Your Day
- Episode 202: ADHD Gets Easier
One of the sneaky little lies we tell ourselves is: “Oh, I’ll do it later.”
You’ve used that one before, right? “I’ll do it later” is our favorite form of procrastination. It sounds like a thoughtful plan. “I don’t have the time…I don’t want to do it now…I’m too tired… I’ll do it later.”
All those may be true, and it might be good to wait, BUT it’s the later that’s the problem.
Later is a lie. It’s a nebulous Never Never Time.
Tune in to learn a new mantra (or ADHD Code) to help you eliminate the ‘later‘ so you get things done.
And do it now…don’t say later!
Love using mantras (aka ADHD Codes) to help with your ADHD? Check these out?
- Episode 190: Easy Gets Done
- Episode 183: ADHD Code for Facing Our Fears
- Episode 171: Our Favorite ADHD Codes Revisited
- Episode 57: Stop Wasting Time with the “Would I?” Code
With ADHD, we live in the Now / Not Now which means we have a hard time planning ahead. I have found this happened dramatically when I traveled.
I looked at a trip as: I live my normal life. Suddenly I’m on a trip. Then I’m home and back to my normal life.
This caused me to leave things to the last minute, arrive at my destination all stressed out, and then not easily readjust to life when I returned home.
One of the habits I’ve been building over the past couple of year is what I now call the Travel Bell Curve.
What is the Travel Bell Curve? It has nothing to do with math, but is a way of looking at the phases on either side of a trip in a way that embraces our ADHD and helps us prepare and finish a trip more calmly and peacefully.
Listen in before your next trip so it’s easier traveling with ADHD!
And then check out:
- Episode 190: Easy Gets Done
- Episode 191: Packing Means Peace
- Blog: ADHD Travel Tips for Your Trips
- Blog: Lists Make Traveling with ADHD Easier
Painting, drawing, investing, gardening, singing, cross stitch…ADHD hobby collecting is a real thing. We have so MANY interests.
Our ADHD brains love to learn and we jump on the new shiny things because we love to do the new.
The thing is – we can’t do all the things. At least not successfully.
So here’s what I realized and how I deal with the urge to ‘do all the stuff.’
After you listen in, check out:
- Blog: The Harsh Truth about Clutter and Your Emotions
- Discover Your Clutter Type
- Episode 192: Before You Say Yes
- Episode 185: Does Marie Kondo Work for ADHD?
- ADHD Success Club
Are you a good friend? Or does your ADHD get in the way of maintaining long-term, quality friendships?
I have a confession: I struggle at being a good friend and I’m tired of being that person.
Listen in for my new plan on how I’m going to keep better touch with my friends.
And learn more about how to improve your relationships here:
- Blog: Surviving ADHD Emotional Meltdowns
- Episode 158: Boundaries and ADHD
- Episode 193: Stop ADHD Rumination
- Episode 192: Before You Say Yes
- Episode 189: Guarding ADHD Empathy
Do you get frustrated with all you have to do to manage your ADHD? All the pieces that go into making sure your ADHD brain has all it needs?
It can get overwhelming and exhausting doing it all. (And witnessing those without ADHD doing none of it!)
I want to reassure you with this short episode of Kick Some ADHD that living with ADHD can get easier.
And here are some additional tips to help make living with ADHD easier:
- Episode 195 Can You Reinvent ADHD?
- Dana’s blog: Build Your ADHD Prioritizing Skills
- Episode 192 Before You Say Yes
- Episode 190 Easy Gets Done
There’s an important piece of planning that many people overlook and something that has completely changed my life: the weekly plan.
Why is this so important? Because when you have ADHD, you live in the NOW. So we often miss things that are just off in the future.
Don’t get overwhelmed by this. Tune in below for the benefits of a weekly plan and how to do it.
Then keep learning about ADHD and the importance of planning:
- Episode #200 Planning Low Bar
- Episode #197 Building ADHD Habits: Where to Start?
- Episode #199 ADHD Tip: Jumpstart Your Day
- Sign up for the ADHD Success Club
- Learn more about coaching with Dana
You’ve heard it over and over… you need to plan. You know it’s true and that it will help you live easier with ADHD, but you likely still don’t plan in a consistent manner in a way that is practical and works for you.
That’s why today I’m unveiling the Planning Low Bar Method.
The least amount of planning you can do and have at least a basic rudder in the water to keep you on course.
What’s the Planning Low Bar? It has two simple steps and I dive into them in this week’s Kick Some ADHD podcast episode.
After you listen in, keep learning how to live easier with ADHD with:
- Episode #197 Building ADHD Habits: Where to Start?
- Episode #199 ADHD Tip: Jumpstart Your Day
- Sign up for the ADHD Success Club
This week in the Kick Some ADHD podcast, we are going to take a different twist on getting started. Specifically, how to jumpstart your day so it’s productive and you get the important stuff done.
It’s so hard for people with ADHD to get started but THIS is the key. Once you start, you will usually continue. An ADHD adult in motion stays in motion.
So how do you decide where to start?
You have basically two choices – start with the easy things and then move to the hard thing or start with the hard thing and move to the easy things.
Jump right into this episode of Kick Some ADHD and we can get started with jumpstarting your day!
Here are the other episodes I mention so you can easily access them:
- Episode #197: Building ADHD Habits: Where to Start?
- Episode #198: Have a Productive ADHD Day
Want to get on my email list? Click here for my blog to find valuable tips and you’ll see the sign up in the right column!
You know how it’s easy to just float through the day and not get stuff done? We’ve all been guilty of it and we’ve all ended up feeling shame, overwhelm, and frustration. That’s not a recipe for ADHD Success.
What I want for you is the complete opposite of that. I want your days to be productive so you get the important stuff done. And you climb into bed feeling proud and successful!
I’m going to share with you my secret sauce to having a productive ADHD day. It involves intentionally including 3 parts to your day.
Tune in because this is a key piece to living easier with ADHD!
Want to learn more ways to live easier with ADHD? Check out:
- Episode #197: Building ADHD Habits: Where to Start?
- Episode #82: Are You Procrastibating?
- Episode #83: Favorite Focusing Hacks
- Dana’s Blog: My Secret Sauce to Getting Things Done with Adult ADHD
- Dana’s Blog: Gotta Get More Done? Build an ADHD Support Team!
Get ready, because this week we are diving in to help you build your ADHD habits. These are the actions you develop to help you live easier with ADHD. And, if you’re new to managing your ADHD, you’re probably unsure about where to start managing your ADHD.
My coach used to say, “If everything is important then nothing is important.”
I shift that to say: “If you try to do everything, you will end up doing nothing.”
Why? Because you’ll get overwhelmed. Expecting to change everything all at once sets you up for failure. You need to push against your nature and the idea that you’ll do it all at once – the way you’ve always done things and FOCUS on building one skill.
So… how do you decide where to start? When I’m working with private coaching clients I’m scanning for two ways to start. Which one we use depends on which resonates with the client:
- Worst First
- Start Easy
Tune into this week’s episode of Kick Some ADHD to discover which works for you!
Keep building your Live Easier with ADHD Toolbox:
- Episode 196: Unpacking ADHD Triggers
- Episode 185: Does Marie Kondo Work for ADHD?
- Dana’s blog: Why Habits Matter with ADHD
- Dana’s blog: Losing Things and ADHD
Interested in ADHD coaching? Learn more here.
Check out the ADHD Success Club to learn more tips and tools.
A few episodes ago, we talked about Stopping ADHD Rumination.
One of our tricks to stop thoughts spiraling out of control is to become aware of the triggers that cause you to dwell on negative thoughts or feelings. In other words, the events or situations that flip on your rumination switch.
Building awareness of your triggers is a key ADHD kicking skill that goes way beyond helping with rumination. Learning your triggers can help you in many areas of making your ADHD easier.
Tune into this episode of Kick Some ADHD to learn how you can identify the things that make your ADHD symptoms or habits flare and why this information is so important to living easier with ADHD.
Want to keep learning about ADHD? Check out:
- Episode 193: Stop ADHD Rumination
- Episode 192: Before You Say Yes
- Dana’s blog: Thoughts On Out of Control ADHD
You work long hours (and sometimes over the weekend), forget appointments, lose things. You’re stressed out, disorganized, distracted. Often sick, always exhausted, never going to bed feeling successful. And you feel like this will never change.
So here’s my question: Is it possible to reinvent yourself when you have ADHD?
Is it possible to learn new skills and make changes in the way that you manage your ADHD?
Allow me to introduce you to one of my clients who recently graduated from private coaching.
“Emma” started coaching for all of the above reasons. And now?
Tune in to listen to how coaching has helped Emma and what she’s done to reinvent herself and live easier with ADHD!
Here are some tips on how YOU can also outsmart your ADHD and reinvent ADHD:
- Dana’s blog: How to Keep Your ADHD Brain Switch On: A Summary
- Dana’s blog: 5 Easy ADHD Meditation Tricks
- Episode 161: Physical Well-Being and ADHD
- Episode 171: Our Favorite ADHD Codes Revisited
- Episode 194: Interview with Alan P. Brown
Are you ready for the very first guest interview on the Kick Some ADHD podcast? I sit down with the incomparable, Alan P. Brown of ADD Crusher™ to learn how he kicked his ADHD and more!
Tune into this interview with Alan P. Brown to discover:
- What Alan considers are the 3 gifts that come from his ADHD
- The 3 important things that helped him kick his ADHD (including what ‘embrace your pace‘ means)
- Why the ‘Outlaw Brain’ is the ultimate pitfall to look out for
Highlights:
- “ADHD is a myth created by the media and you just need to do more crossword puzzles….what???“
- “I feel my ADHD is 90% gift, 10% curse.“
- “Be okay with imperfect consistency.”
Something new —> Want to view on Youtube? Click here!
About Alan P. Brown:
An ADHD coach and author, Alan P. Brown created of the award-winning ADD Crusher™ video program for ADHD teens/adults. Undiagnosed for decades, his untreated ADHD manifested in underachievement, substance abuse, and worse. Once diagnosed, he found it difficult to learn coping strategies from books, so he researched his own evidence-based “brain hack” strategies to fuel a successful advertising career and two start-ups. A featured conference presenter internationally and a TEDx speaker, he’s the #1 best-selling author of Zen and the Art of Productivity. Get his eBook, “5 Things We’re Doing Every Day that Make Our ADHD Worse” at www.ADDCrusher.com and his special gift: Alan’s Formula for Focus2.
It’s 2am and you’re wide awake thinking…thinking… and thinking. Generally about nothing positive. One embarrassing thought leads to another and soon you’re revisiting that moment in 6th grade when you spilled milk all over your pants.
Yup, you’re ruminating.
People with ADHD often get thoughts stuck in their heads. We worry on steroids and end up losing sleep, getting anxious and afraid to try new things.
I’ve worked with many coaching clients to help them develop a mental First Aid Kit to help them stop ruminating. Let’s develop one for you!
Listen to this episode of Kick Some ADHD to take the first step.
Then check out:
- Dana’s blog: The Cost of Being an ADHD Empath
- Dana’s blog: 5 Steps to Not Feel Broken with ADHD
- Episode 189: Guarding ADHD Empathy
When you have ADHD, you want to do everything. You get excited about new adventures or opportunities and impulsively say, “Yes, I can do that!” without really thinking it through.
Then you have to back out which ends up letting people down.
In this episode, I’m going to share what I do before I make a commitment so your next ‘yes’ is a definite YES!
Tune in below and then check out:
- Keeping Commitments with ADHD
- Episode 34: Capturing Commitments
- Love Myself Even with ADHD
- ADHD Success Club
Is packing for a trip hard for you? I love to travel, but the getting ready part throws me for a loop.
You see I get anxious about packing and what I’m going to wear…so I wait until the last minute which results in stress and impacts my sleep.
This idea of “Packing Means Peace” – came from one of my clients who also had a packing procrastination problem. She implemented a few action steps and a new mindset that gave her room to breathe.
So I recently tried it before my Spring Break vacation and…well, tune in to learn how it went so you can alleviate some stress before your next adventure!
Some other tips before your next vacation:
- Episode 94: Reducing ADHD Travel Woes
- Episode 95: Returning From a Trip
- Dana’s blog: ADHD Travel Tips for Your Trips
- Dana’s blog: Road Tripping with ADHD
In a recent podcast episode about Clutter Karma, I mentioned the idea of setting up your world to make it easier to get things done.
And that made me want to revisit one of my favorite ADHD Mantras – Easy Gets Done!
Adults with ADHD have a natural tendency to make things more complicated than necessary. We love the dopamine rush. But this gets us into trouble!
Tune in and learn why Easy Gets Done is so important if you have ADHD and how you can turn this mindset into action.
Want to keep learning? Check out:
- Episode 135: Easy ADHD Planning Prompts
- Episode 106: Remember You’ll Forget
- Dana’s blog: Why Some Things Are Hard to Do with ADHD
- Dana’s blog: 5 Steps to Do the Hard Things with ADHD
Do you feel like you are super-sensitive? That other people’s emotions, moods, or thoughts impact you? You may be an ADHD Empath!
Tune into this episode to learn what being an ADHD Empath means, and get tips and tricks to guard against other people’s energies so you can live more easily with ADHD!
After you tune in to this episode, check out:
- Dana’s blog: The Cost of Being an ADHD Empath
- Dana’s blog: Discovering Your ADHD Rhythm
- Episode 183: ADHD Code for Facing Our Fears
- Episode 188: ADHD and Clutter Karma
You likely have heard of karma. Karma is the law of return – the energy one puts out into the world will be returned to them. In essence, karma is the law of cause and effect.
So how does the idea of karma apply to clutter? What causes it and how can you change your Clutter Karma?
Listen in below!
And snag a discount on my Clutter-Free with ADHD audio program! Sign up today and use code CLUTTER20 for a 20% discount.
If you’re a sci-fi fan, you know that getting caught in a tractor beam is NOT a good thing. It always leads to the heroes having to battle their way out and losing time, energy and focus.
Now…take a moment to apply this idea to your phone. How often do you get caught in its magnetic pull? What pulls you in? How long are you getting stuck? (Did you know there’s a way to determine the amount of time you spend on your phone? It just might shock you!)
Tune in below because I’m going to share a few ways that you can break this tractor beam when it hits so you aren’t caught up for long!
And if you want to back up a bit and learn more about technology and ADHD, start with Episode 186 on Beating ADHD Phone Addiction.
Do you struggle to put down your phone? Is there a tractor beam magnetically pulling you toward your tablet (or video game)?
If you feel like you have little to no control over how much time you spend on technology, then this episode is designed for you.
Now, I know, ironically, you need to tune in on your phone or computer, but listen in to learn how to break loose from the technology tractor beam with the new ADHD code – “Rule or Tool.”
Then check out our next episode – Episode 187: Breaking the Tech Tractor Beam – to keep learning!
Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing expert. Her book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, hit the bestseller list about a decade ago and she has since penned two other books (Spark Joy and Joy at Work) and created a Netflix special.
Marie seems so genuine. So well-intentioned. And she has changed countless lives with her recommendations to declutter by keeping only items that ‘spark joy.’
But, this topic just came up in the ADHD Success Club and I think we need to talk about it. Because I’m not convinced these organizing techniques will work for people with ADHD.
Tune into this week’s episode of Kick Some ADHD to discover why.
Want other organizing tips? Check out:
- Ep. 52: Your Clutter Is Costing You
- Ep. 53: Crack Your Clutter Conundrum
- Ep. 63: Fire Up Your Follow-Through
- Dana’s Blog: Organizing ADHD Clutter – Habits Matter
- Clutter Free with ADHD eCourse
- ADHD Success Club
Disclosure: There are some affiliate links above and I may receive commission for purchases made through these links, but these are all products that I highly recommend and have used personally or received word from clients on their benefits for ADHD.
In this week’s episode, we’re talking about what I think of as an ADHD Swiss Army Knife or ADHD multi-tool to help you kick a slew of ADHD challenges.
Tune in to learn how just a couple of questions can help you live easier with ADHD!
Curious about other tools you can add to your ADHD Toolbox? Check out:
-
109 Accountability: the ADHD Power Tool
-
167 Can AI Tools Help ADHD?
-
145 How Your Phone Can Help You Focus
People with ADHD tend to impulsively jump in and do something that would terrify just about anybody else. We appear brave, able to take on challenges and accomplish great things.
But that’s not always the case. Sometimes we pause just long enough to listen to the sneaky little voices in our head. Ones that lead us to play small and cave into our fears.
I have an ADHD Code that helps me in these moments and I used it to record this first solo Kick Some ADHD episode!
Tune in so you are ready and able to face your fears as well!
And then keep learning how to kick your ADHD with:
- Episode 157 Your Emotions on Dehydration
- Episode 141 Stepping Out of the ADHD Shame Shower
- Dana’s blog: Mindfulness for Emotions and ADHD
Sometimes life gets a bit complicated and busy no matter what we do and we have to make tough choices. Such has happened recently to David and the day we never wanted to see has arrived. Join us for this special episode…when David says goodbye.
When did you last update the vitamins & supplements you’re taking?
Many nutrients that are critical for ADHD brains are in short supply in the foods we eat. To help you get your brain what it needs to function best, we condensed down the most important stuff from episode #88! Even if you’ve heard it before, this is a valuable refresher!
Congratulations to our 2 winners!
- Megan from Southampton, England
- Joel from Los Angeles, CA, USA
They each won a FREE 1-hour ADHD coaching session!
And the holidays are here.
It’s the time of year when impulsive spending can more easily spin out of control than ever. And this is especially true for those of us with ADHD, who struggle with impulse control even when we aren‘tbeing bombarded with messages about all the reasons to buy now!
But never fear, there is an ADHD-friendly approach to impulsive spending, and that’s why we’re bringing you an encore presentation of episode 75. Even if you’ve heard it before, you’ll benefit from a refresher!
For those times when you need to focus in a specific direction, but find yourself struggling, we're bringing you this encore presentation of Episode 83. It's worth a refresher even if you've heard it before!
Here's another in our new series of highly-condensed, power-packed edits of popular favorite episodes from the past!What's it really like to have ADHD? Here's something you can share with your neurotypical friends who don't understand what it's like to be in your brain.DISCLAIMER: As Dana says, "If you've met one person with ADHD, you've met one person with ADHD."All of us neurospicy folks are different. But this conversation covers some of the things that other people find unusual about us!Want more? Check out the full episode, #33 A Day in the Life of an ADHD Brain here: https://kicksomeadhd.com/033-a-day-in-the-life-of-an-adhd-brain/
Do you know the difference between "procastibating" and "procrastinating?" We discussed it in episode 82, but it's a classic worth hearing again (if you heard it back in January of 2022)!
Just 10 days left to respond to our listener survey! https://KickSomeADHD.com/surveyWe're digging back into the archives again to provide the follow-up episode to the one we shared last week. Here's an encore presentation of Episode 62!If you have ADHD, you're procrastinating.You know it. We know it. Everyone around you knows it. ADHD procrastination causes clutter and stress and conflict. It ruins your reputation. It trashes your self-respect. Life is hard when you do anything and everything but what you’re supposed to do.And you've probably tried to stop procrastinating. Sometimes it works for a while, but ultimately it doesn't. Sure, there are some areas in your life where procrastinating can be reduced. But you're still going to procrastinate at least some of the time.The key is to procrastinate strategically. In other words: use procrastination to your advantage!Strategic procrastination is built on two things:Harnessing the power of deadlines, andTaking tiny next steps.In this episode, we use the classic example of packing for a trip to discuss how to leverage deadlines and take tiny steps in advance to get the most out of your ADHD procrastination.Share Your ThoughtsRecord a 90-second response here: https://KickSomeADHD.com/helloAnd if you want to go back and listen to last week's episode, you can click here for Episode #174: Become Intimate with Your Procrastination!
Here's a surprise for you! It's a highly condensed, power-packed edit of one of our most valuable episodes from the past: The ADHD Manipulation Matrix. Let us know if you want more like this!
We're bringing back a good one from the archive! Back in 2021, we looked at 5 conversations people with ADHD commonly have about procrastination. Lots of practical stuff here that's connected to SO MANY of our ADHD struggles!
Starting in 2009, squirrels forever came to be associated with ADHD. You know when you have a squirrel affecting you... or DO you? Dana's got a fantastic new technique for you, and YES we have a squirrel of the week! (But it's one worth chasing!)
Do you ever go into waiting mode? Maybe you're expecting someone to respond to a message, or maybe you have something happening at a scheduled time. And you find yourself unable to do anything even though there are other things you could be doing?
The ADHD Codes were born on this podcast, but some of them have taken on lives of their own! Many of us are living by them... but which ones are the most used and loved? We revisit them AND we have a fun Squirrel of the Week!
Do you treat yourself as if ADHD is a character flaw? Do you think of it as a personal failing? Here's a shift that's going to sound subtle, but can have profound effects on your life!
Are you struggling with your to-dos? Do you face a hazy cloud of tasks that haven't been quantified? Do you find yourself overwhelmed by it? What if you could have a realistic, helpful list each day that you can finish more often than not? PLUS we have a surprising Squirrel of the Week!
Last time, we talked about whether it was a good idea to use AI tools like ChatGPT with your ADHD or not. Now it's time to talk specifics: how can you use ChatGPT to improve your productivity? What should you avoid? PLUS a related Squirrel of the Week!
So-called "AI" systems like ChatGPT have been endlessly hyped, and it's been suggested that they're particularly helpful for people with ADHD. But are they? And should you use them? What do you need to know that might help keep you out of trouble with them? PLUS Dana has an adorable Squirrel of the Week!
We move through the world thinking that we are having a unique experience. This sensation that you are the only person dealing with the circumstances in your life can tend to cause you to withdraw from others—especially when things are hard. The reality is that this perception is false! What is pluralistic ignorance? And how is it affecting your life?
This time of year can be especially tricky for those of us with ADHD. Find out why you might find yourself rebuilding some of the valuable things that help you manage your ADHD right now... and don't miss the thought-provoking Squirrel of the Week!
You know the feeling: you put the thing in that one spot, but when you go back and look… it’s just not there!
Many of us with ADHD are prone to misplacing things… kinda frequently! So here are 2 new ADHD codes to help you stop losing stuff:
- Look Before You Leave
- XYZ (Examine Your Zipper!)
Plus… a relevant—but puzzling—Squirrel of the Week!
There’s a pretty good chance that at some point—perhaps even right now—you’ve asked yourself whether having an ADHD diagnosis just means you’re broken.
Sometimes this feeling lurks just below the surface, so what might be some signs that you’re thinking of yourself as broken?
The reality is that ADHD is neither a fault nor a flaw. It’s a neurological trait that affects how your brain works. And it’s part of what makes you uniquely you.
But when we focus only on challenges, it can wear on us. What can you do to stop feeling broken when you have ADHD?
Squirrel of the WeekDana shares an interview with Kristen Neff on the Ten Percent Happier Podcast with Dan Harris that they titled “Kryptonite for Your Inner Critic.” It’s especially timely and Dana took away a number of tips and strategies for building self-compassion and kindness towards yourself. One big one: tone of voice!
ADHD can make a tangled mess out of our lives. Where to start trying to untangle things? Today Dana lays out a roadmap with 4 paths to follow that will help do exactly that. PLUS a sci-fi Squirrel of the Week!
Some of our most cringeworthy moments with ADHD come from saying something we regret. Maybe we said the wrong thing, picked the wrong time, dominated a conversation, or otherwise created difficulties for ourselves and others. Today: all about our weak verbal filters and how to strengthen them!
How do injuries and illnesses affect your ADHD? Can physical pain make ADHD symptoms more severe? Today we're talking about your physical well-being and your ADHD... plus an interesting new Squirrel of the Week!
We've talked recently about why boundaries are important and why those of us with ADHD might be inclined to struggle them. But it's time to get super practical and practice the art of saying yes and saying no. Plus we see the return of one of our ADHD Codes and a brand new Squirrel of the Week!
What does a healthy boundary even look like? It's time to get practical and work on when, why, and how to set and protect boundaries!
Do you set and protect healthy boundaries in your professional and personal relationships? Why is it that ADHD symptoms overlap so much with the struggles people face when they don't have healthy boundaries? We're talking all about boundaries & ADHD... plus Dana's got a fascinating Squirrel of the Week!
With record high temperatures for those of us in the US, it can be tricky to stay hydrated. How does that affect our ADHD-related emotional dysregulation? Dana shares some science with us PLUS a very timely Squirrel of the Week!
Dana shares a new ADHD code she's been testing out to help us take a pause and make a conscious choice in key moments. It's a tool we can all use with a little practice! PLUS a fun Squirrel of the Week!
What do you do with the data you've collected to turn your 72 hours into the life you really want? Dana shares about what she learned and walks us through how to proceed. PLUS our Squirrel of the Week will help you with your summer travels!
We talked last time about our 72-hour time period, but how do we realistically collect data (in a healthy way!) about how we're using that time? PLUS an all-new Squirrel of the Week and some listener mail!
There's a specific 72-hour chunk of time every week that each of us needs to give some real thought to. Although the exact number varies from person to person, what remains true for all of us is that how we use those hours dramatically affects who we are and who we become! Here's how to think about those PLUS an all-new Squirrel of the Week!
We're probably familiar with most of the reasons an employer might want to hire someone else instead. But despite all the attention that gets paid to negative ADHD traits, the fact of the matter is that hiring people with ADHD can be precisely what you need! The key is to know what situations work best and how to ask the right questions. You may want to share this episode with hiring managers, business owners, and others! PLUS we're debuting our all-new feature: the Squirrel of the Week!
We’ve heard terms like “neurodiverse” and “neurodivergent” used to describe people with ADHD and other traits, but are they useful?
In our never-ending quest to help people understand how our brains are different from those of others, we introduce the latest term to come along: “neurospicy.”
What does it mean?
Are YOU neurospicy?
And why would it matter?
Ever get overstimulated? For some of us with ADHD, it can happen because of noise. For others, it's people and social interactions. Maybe for you it's something different like decision fatigue. Here's what causes us to get overstimulated and what works to help relieve it!
Sometimes we find ourselves cranking along through life and feeling like we’re making progress, but are we?
Specifically, are we moving in the direction we want to move where it comes to managing our ADHD?
Periodically, it helps to take a step back and look at the big picture. Is what we’re doing helping us become who we want to be?
When something overwhelms you, it’s time for our newest ADHD code… one that will remind of you of Jurassic Park!
We’ve got horror stories, real-life examples, and a tool you don’t want to be without!
Digital bloat collects EVERYWHERE. It’s in your browser (tabs!), your computer desktop (files!), your phone (apps!), and in lots of other interesting places. (Domain names, anyone?!)
What’s worse: this detritus can can really slow you down and even steal your focus!
Why is it important to address and what can you do?
Remember last week’s show (Ep. 145: How Your Phone Can Help You Focus) when we asked you to look at your phone usage data? What did you discover?
Were you amazed at the amount of time you spend on social media? And, the times of day you’re on it?
We all know that social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter (and many others!) can be black holes of time and attention for anyone—especially those of us with ADHD.
But they can also bring us entertainment, connection to others, and a place to promote our businesses and work.
So is there a way to approach social media that allows us the best of the good stuff while minimizing the potentially harmful stuff?
Here’s a well-thought-out strategy for using social media intentionally with ADHD. Even if you’ve mastered this or don’t use the platforms at all, there’s something for you!
We often talk about the many ways a smartphone can wreak havoc on the ADHD brain. They’re a major source of distractions! Texts, calls, apps, news alerts, badges and banners, games, etc. are all ways to pull you into a rabbit hole.
Often simply picking up our phones is all it takes to fall into the quicksand.
But did you know that there are ways to our phones can actually help us to avoid distractions?
If you have a love/hate relationship with your smartphone because of your ADHD, then you won’t want to miss this!
Getting enough quality sleep can be the difference between having a great day and struggling all day instead. In fact, poor sleep can produce ADHD-like symptoms in neurotypical people!
But for those of us with ADHD, we have the perfect sleep prevention cocktail: caffeine, prescription stimulants, overactive brains, anxiety, and more!
Solving this puzzle starts with knowing about you and your brain and your body!
Here’s exactly how to approach getting better sleep with ADHD!
Plus!! As promised in last week’s, Snooze, News, Lose Code episode…
David’s Upbeat Mornings PlaylistCheck it out on YouTube Music here:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2CEFyN8MCU0ipcHK8HFyUmY4dHoRazOA
Want a Spotify Playlist instead? Shoot us an email to hello [at] kicksomeadhd [dot] com and let us know!
To our growing list of ADHD codes, we’re adding one that addresses two of the worst things you can do first thing in the morning… if you want to kick some ADHD, that is!
You may be doing one or both of them, but never fear… we’ve got the answer to what you can do instead that will help make sure your day starts off as productively as possible!
Introducing the “snooze, lose, news code!”
Also David promises to create something that you might find helpful! Stay tuned to find out more!
We talk frequently about accepting reality and accepting ourselves. But how do we do those things while also doing what it takes to make the contribution we’re here to make?
Do we risk becoming complacent to the point of failure?
How do we navigate being kind toward ourselves and still find the motivation we need in order to do what life requires?
We’re grappling with some deep questions, but they aren’t purely philosophical. How you think about these things has a big impact on your day-to-day life… and on your big-picture outcomes.
Ever have someone point out your mistake? Maybe you suddenly remember a failure or recognize that you’ve ventured into an ADHD-related misstep… again.
Any number of things can trigger feelings of shame. And sometimes they just wash over you and completely overwhelm you.
The good news is: you don’t have to stay stuck. Here’s how to step out of the shame shower.
In Episode 137: Whole Brain Living – ADHD Game Changer?, we announced some exciting new things. Here’s what’s happening with those.
If you haven’t yet done it, we highly recommend getting your hands on (or ears on, if you enjoy audiobooks!) Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.
Click here to buy the book on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3IGDoA9.
Also be sure to subbscribe to the new Kick Some ADHD YouTube channel here!
https://www.youtube.com/@KickSomeADHD?sub_confirmation=1
We look forward to bringing you more news about this as soon as possible. Thanks for listening!
Tax time is here! OMG so stressful, right?!
(Note: if you’re looking for our episode about the ADHD tax and how to pay less of it, check out episode #5. We also covered underearning as another form of ADHD tax in episode 77.)
The annual April 15th tax return deadline (in the US) is upon you! (Actually, in 2023, the date is Tuesday, April 18th).
Why is this subject so triggering for many people with ADHD?
Sure… taxes are stressful for just about everyone. But ADHD tends to make the stress of taxes a chronic condition that builds over time and lasts for a long time, whereas it tends to be an acute condition for neurotypical folks.
In fact, taxes are a perfect storm for people with ADHD. Can you think of anything else that:
- is BORING
- has lots of steps
- lacks clarity (both in what to do and the outcome!)
- requires that you have been carefully tracking information ALL YEAR
- requires that you know the whereabouts of so many documents, forms, and other minutiae
- has a deceptively easy escape route (filing an extension, anyone?)
- induces fear about the result (will I owe money?!)
- requires you to be precise (or else there’s actually a penalty!)
- is associated with sending your hard-earned money into a nebulous, mirky swamp
- reality has shown that it ALWAYS takes longer than you think (even if you’re a pessimist!)
How to Make Taxes Easy with ADHDFrom how to get started, exactly what to do, and ways to beat the boredom, here’s how to push past your ADHD tax trauma and prevent adding to it this year!
But listen NOW! Don’t put it off! (You don’t have time to wait!)
When David let slip last week that he’d delayed filing a claim to get his car repaired for more than a year, Dana determined to help him get it done.
But what happens when Dana’s not quite in ADHD coach mode?
Will she still be able to be helpful? Or will it go completely sideways?
If you’ve ever put off doing something that you feel ashamed about, you just might feel better after listening. Either way, you’ll at least have a chuckle at David’s expense!
Here’s an insidious pattern of thinking & behavior that will consistently draw you right into a trap. You may not even realize you have this tendency, but it’s incredibly common among people with ADHD.
When you get sucked into it, you find yourself struggling with:
- unfinished projects
- unshakable procrastination
- loads of stress and frustration—for you and your coworkers, friends, and loved ones!
Learn all about “all or nothing” thinking, where it comes from, and most importantly: how to untangle yourself from it!
What if science had given us a discovery that could change the way you deal with your ADHD brain? And what if that discovery could help you balance out your emotions and behavior, and even improve your performance and productivity?
We all know there are no magic pills or formulas, but we’ve been working our way through a recent book that has radically changed our thinking.
Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. updates the scientific literature on the left-brain right-brain paradigm and gives us a new lens through which to view what’s happening in our brains.
Click here to buy the book on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3IGDoA9
More importantly for those of us with ADHD: we’ve given this book a read through the ADHD lens and our results from techniques we’re learning have been remarkable!
Today’s just a brief introduction and overview of some of the key ideas of the book. But starting next week, you’ll be able to work through it with us in more detail on our new YouTube channel!
Subscribe to the new Kick Some ADHD YouTube channel here!
https://www.youtube.com/@KickSomeADHD?sub_confirmation=1
WARNING: As we publish this episode, there are no videos on the channel yet, but here’s some of what’s coming:
- Behind-the-scenes footage from our recent in-person meetup in Las Vegas
- An entire playlist of short videos related to Whole Brain Living
- Previous episodes of the Kick Some ADHD podcast
- and much more!
Knowing when you’ll need your “brain hat” can be surprisingly helpful. After all, with ADHD we don’t always have access to it!
What is a brain hat, you ask? Dana calls David to explain exactly that… and how it can be a really useful idea. Don’t miss the story she shares about one client who needed his brain hat at a time that you might not expect!
This bonus kick is only 6 minutes long… BUT if you listen carefully you’ll catch a sneak peek into a big announcement we’re making next week!!
Since planning is such an essential skill—especially at work, doing it and doing it well can pay back in big ways. But with ADHD we tend to fall into some predictable planning traps:
- We make plans that are utterly unrealistic
- We struggle to with our own internal resistance to it
- And even when we intend to do it, we forget to follow through and actually plan!
Here are 3 steps you can use to navigate the perils of planning with ADHD… and you can put them to work for you today!
Spending a few quick moments making a plan can make your workday go much more smoothly. Sometimes, it can even avert disasters! We’ve all been there—realizing there’s an important appointment or critical deadline all too late!
Whether you’re doing a daily plan for work or thinking about tackling a project at home, ADHD and planning aren’t always good friends. We avoid it because it’s boring, tedious, no fun, or because we find it problematic for any number of reasons.
But since having even a simple plan can be of such huge value, there are 4 words to make planning easy for your ADHD brain!
Find out what they are and why they work… and then add them to your set of ADHD codes!
After you listen, check out the following to keep your plans moving along;
- Dana’s blog: What’s the Best ADHD Planner?
- Ep. 58: Is ADHD an Excuse or Explanation?
- Ep. 129: Resolutions ADHD Style
- Ep. 131: 5 Steps for Starting
- Dana’s blog: 5 Steps to Blast Through Your ADHD To Do List
You know that bruise you can’t remember getting? What about the wall they JUST put there?! Ever have trouble walking in a straight line? Your clumsiness might be related to ADHD—and not just because you don’t pay attention!
The scientific research related to ADHD and clumsiness might just surprise you! There’s even an eye condition that most eye doctors can’t test you for, but is shockingly correlated with ADHD!
Vertical Heterophoria, Postural Sway, & ADHD… Oh My!Does ADHD make you clumsy? We discuss the fascinating answer to this question and tell some hilarious stories on ourselves as we go!
Do you ever find yourself nursing old wounds and regrets? Do you wish that people had given you better support? Or perhaps supported you at all, instead of telling you to just try harder?
Do you still have hurts over the way people treated you because of your ADHD? Maybe you were teased or bullied, or singled out as an example. Many of us—especially those of us diagnosed with ADHD as adults—carry a lifetime of baggage with us from hurtful interactions with parents, teachers, bosses, coworkers, romantic partners, and friends.
What about pain you’ve caused yourself and others?
We’re digging into this today with a quote that Dana shares: “Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be different.”
It’s been almost 3 months since we talked about the Adderall shortage in the US. In our newest “Bonus Kick” episode, Dana calls David to talk about what she’s hearing from coaching clients about their issues getting ADHD medications.
Hint: it’s affecting more than just generic Adderall! But… is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
Do you have a story to share about difficulties getting your ADHD meds? Shoot us an email at: hello [at] kicksomeadhd [dot] com!
Are you like many people with ADHD and have a strong urge to do something that actually makes your life harder? Yep… we can be like moths drawn to a flame. It’s a trap!
What is this tendency, you ask?
It’s the sometimes insatiable need to create overly complex system. Our need to over-complicate things is driven by a number of factors, and it can seriously just make life downright hard.
Learn all about the factors that affect this, and—more importantly—how to get out of this trap!
You know that feeling when you’re brain just won’t let you get started on something? Maybe it’s boring. Or maybe it’s overwhelming to you for one reason or another. Either way, the ADHD brain has at least 1 biological reason… among other very real reasons why. It’s not just you!
Whether you’re procrastinating or just staring down a challenging task, you’re going to want this simple 5-step process to help you get your brain in motion!
And you’ll want to pay special attention to step 4: it’s a fun one!
Tune in and then keep learning about how to get stuff done with ADHD:
- Dana’s blog: How to Get Back On Track When Your Day Goes Off the Rails
- Dana’s blog: My Secret Sauce to Getting Things Done with Adult ADHD
- Dana’s blog: What’s the Best ADHD Planner?
- Episode 1 of Kick Some ADHD: How to Get the Right Stuff Done
- Episode 81 of Kick Some ADHD: ‘Can’t’ vs ‘Can’ in ADHD Land
- Episode 125 of Kick Some ADHD: How to Finish Things with ADHD
What if there were one thing that could be a huge drain on your mental and emotional energy?
And what if making a simple change could have a dramatic positive impact on not just both of those, but could also significantly improve your chances of making this new year the one you’re hoping for?
Today we’re asking a powerful question: are you focusing on what you want or on what you don’t want?!
Making a mindset adjustment—in an ADHD-friendly way—is not only doable, but it’s something you’ll thank us for!
After you tune in, keep learning:
- Dana’s blog: Getting a Grip on Mind Clutter and ADHD
- Kick Some ADHD podcast: Episode #129 Resolutions… ADHD Style
- Kick Some ADHD podcast: Episode #124 Foundations of Fabulous Focus
Do New Year’s Resolutions work for anyone?! Certainly not for those of us with ADHD!
But is there something you can do instead of making resolutions that will help put you on a better course in the new year?
Absolutely! And it revolves around asking yourself 3 important questions. Find out what they are and how Dana and David each answer them as we get started with 2023… and kick off Season 4 of Kick Some ADHD!
It’s almost universal that this time of year a whole bunch of people want to get started exercising. But before you go crazy with it, we are bringing you an encore presentation of Ep. 93: Motivating Yourself to Exercise from earlier this season.
Why? Because to actually have a sustainable lifestyle change, you need more than the temporary motivation that magically arises after all the holiday overeating and just as the New Year looms. You need ways to actually find motivation and keep it. But you also need to remove the barriers to exercise from your life, and most importantly you want to figure out how to get the least exercise possible and still get the brain and body benefits from it so that you’ll actually keep doing it!
And that’s why this replay of Episode 93 is so relevant right now. Enjoy!
And we’ll be back next week to kick off Season 4 of Kick Some ADHD with an episode all about New Year’s Resolutions!
Getting your brain activated and engaged at the right level is hugely important to having sustainable productive focus in our lives. But that’s also a huge challenge! Overstimulating your ADHD brain can put you straight into overwhelm. Hyperfocus is tempting (and can be fun!) because it’s so powerful, but it depletes our energies. Being understimulated is a recipe for distraction (and possibly disaster!)
That struggle is the reason we wanted to present an encore presentation of episode 35.
NOTE: David’s audio is rough in this episode, but Dana, as usual, sounds fantastic.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Did you know that motivation is essentially a matter of dopamine in the brain?
That fact, which has been established by science, is one of the many items we nerd out over In this encore presentation of Episode 10.
Learn all about the most important neurotransmitter in the ADHD brain, how it affects us, and why it’s so helpful to understand more about it. Yes, we’re talking brain chemistry… but don’t worry—we don’t get TOO crazy about it!
With ADHD, we tend to really enjoy starting things but then struggle to finish them—especially things that don’t have deadlines attached. This we know!
But have you ever noticed that it tends to happen more frequently with things that are especially important to you personally? This can be super frustrating—particularly when it’s the kind of thing that no one is going to check in with you about or follow up on.
No matter what type of stuff you need to get done, you need an approach you can reliably use to make sure that you’re finishing important things, and that approach must absolutely be an ADHD-friendly one!
And that’s precisely what we’re talking about today: how to finish things you’ve started when you have ADHD!
With ADHD, is there a way for you to engage with something—even if it's boring—and then see it through to the end? Not because there's an impending deadline or you've tricked yourself into hyperfocusing on it, but just because it's worthwhile to do?
Thanks in part to our ADHD time distortion, it's often very difficult for us to estimate how long something will take. This can become a significant problem at work when we're called upon to predict project schedules or craft proposals based upon labor hours, but it can also create difficulties at home and in our personal relationships.
In this shorter holiday-week episode (Happy Thanksgiving if you're listening in the US!), David walks us through a simple technique you can easily adapt to help you estimate time.
Using T-Shirt Sizes to Estimate the Inestimable
Step 1: Break the item into chunks, write them down (Pro tip: use sticky notes!)
Step 2: Sort the items into categories, then label them with this useful acronym: MoSCoW
Must have this (also Minimal Usable SubseT)Should haveCould be nice to haveWon’t have this – maybe later
Step 3: Assign a t-shirt size to each chunk
Listen in (we estimate it will take about 15 minutes of your time) and then let us know: How can you adapt this to your work? What tricks do you have to help you estimate time? Email us at: hello [at] kicksomeadhd [dot] com!
Want to spend some time learning more? Check out:
Episode 120: ADHD’s Warped Vision of TimeEpisode 121: Cultivating a Clearer Vision of TimeDana’s blog: Your ADHD Relationship with TimeDana’s blog: Watch Out For the ADHD Time Warp!
In part 3 of our ADHD time series, Dana shows us a simple and incredibly useful way to game the system so that we take action earlier and reduce the stress and propensity for failure that comes with waiting until the last minute!
Following last episode's discussion of how ADHD warps our view of time, we're now looking practical ways to "unwarp" our perceptions of time to get more done, be more reliable, accomplish our goals, and live our values!
In our first-ever "BONUS Kick" episode, David calls Dana to talk about the Adderall shortage in the US. Even if you're aren't one of the many people with ADHD who is having a hard time getting your prescription filled right now, knowing what to do when you can't get your ADHD medication could be a big help!
Many of the struggles we face with ADHD are related in some way to how we experience time. But what's behind our warped view of time? And why does it affect everything from friendships and marriages to job performance and finances?
ADHD brain fog: what it is it? What causes it? Is there anything we can do to fix it? All that and more in this episode!
Some things absolutely destroy our productivity. For you, it could be an activity, an object, or a task—your list is probably unique. But chances are there's something that you have to protect yourself from. And that's why Dana is introducing ADHD Kryptonite defense systems!
Overwhelm. It's a state we find ourselves in that can be paralyzing. And for those of us with one particular type of ADHD, Dana theorizes that it's actually our standard MO. How can we break the paralysis? And maybe even prevent it?
True confession time: both of us have some stories to tell. In fact, we considered just never releasing this because we're admitting to things we probably shouldn't. How does ADHD affect your driving?
Live any length of time with unmanaged ADHD and you might just develop a track record of missing expectations—either your own or others'. The weight of all that can, in turn, translate into a paralyzing fear of failure. How can you be sure you won't disappoint again?
There are many popular misconceptions about ADHD, but some of them are so widely held that they rise to the level of mythology. And frankly, some of them just piss us right off! What are they and why are they false?
With ADHD we struggle with the financial and administrative stuff of running our businesses and working lives. Dana calls this "the yuck." When you find yourself dealing with a pile of it, you've gotta dig out. Here are strategies and tools you can use right now!
Having ADHD means you have stories to tell. They might not have seemed that unusual to us at the time, but in retrospect, some of these things just wouldn't be likely to happen in the lives of more neurotypical people. Today, we're telling on ourselves. Get ready for some laughs!
So many facets of improving your life with ADHD come down to how you answer this question: "Who do you want to be?" It's not about what you want to be when you grow up, it's about what sort of person do you reall want to be? Here's a strategic framework and a vulnerable discussion to help you think through this important question.
If you've ever attempted a series of quick fixes and temporary solutions to ADHD-related problems, you know that eventually you realize they don't work. Working toward lasting change that addresses the root issues requires going inward. Today Dana takes us on that journey, and shows us how the internal work translates into outward actions that produce authentic results in our lives.
Not all "accountability" techniques work for those of us with ADHD. But when you set it up optimally, it's an amazing power tool that you can't afford to be without! Here's how to do it.
How do stimulants actually work to sharpen attention in our brains? Has science discovered the connection between exercise & dopamine? Why do ADHD brains sometimes run out of energy sooner than others? We're looking at these questions and more with a roundup of some recent developments in neuroscience to help us better understand our ADHD and how to work with it.
Building and nurturing relationships are essential professional skills—whether or not you participate in networking activities. But are there ADHD-friendly ways to be great at them? Absolutely! We talk about those and a lot more!
Many of us with ADHD have amazing memories. It's just that we don't always remember the things we NEED to remember... WHEN and WHERE we need to remember them. And that means we need a system! (But an easy one that's ADHD friendly and that we'll actually remember to use!)
When stress becomes constant in our lives, it can seriously wreak havoc with our ADHD symptoms. Today we look at how to recognize when you're dealing with chronic stress and practical, ADHD-friendly ways to reduce your stress for good!
Waiting around for motivation to strike is BS. Today, we're giving you permission to use distraction—on purpose! So often, we think about distraction as a negative thing with ADHD., but distracting yourself can be just the thing to help kick yourself into action. You won't want to miss this episode!
This is one of those episodes you'll want to absorb fully. In fact, even though the concept sounds simple—and indeed it really is—it's the kind of thing you'll probably want to come back to again. Maybe more than once. It's about cultivating a mindset that will subtly improve a number of aspects of your life with ADHD. And over time, adopting this mindset WILL make your life easier!
You know that feeling when your day spins out of control? How do you recover? Today we're tackling some questions from a listener who wanted to know how to respond to one of those days when you've worked so hard to prevent them. If you've ever had a day go off the rails, then this episode is for you!
This week we're talking about a simple idea that can have an outsized effect on many of the ways we tend to struggle with ADHD. It's so simple and so profound, in fact, that we can forget it easily. And that's why we work though it in detail in this episode!
Having ADHD presents us with lots of opportunities to refine things and improve ourselves. But we can't work on everything at once! And that's why we have a "front burner" focus. This week: how to improve consistency in your life by managing your front burner focus effectively, including when to move something to a back burner and much, much more!
ADHD meltdowns are awful. Losing control of our emotions can leave us AND those around us wondering what in the world just happened. And the worst part is: they don't stop happening just because we aren't kids anymore. In this episode: how to spot, prevent, cope through, and recover from an ADHD meltdown.
We've all heard about the importance of drinking water, but are you aware of how dehydration affects ADHD symptoms? This week, we talk about how to spot the signs of dehydration discuss ADHD-friendly ways to fix it and avoid it entirely!
All of us with ADHD are prone to distraction, but have you ever noticed that there are patterns to this? There may be certain times of day, for example, when you're more likely to fall down a rabbit hole. This week, we talk about how to discover your patterns and prevent them from perturbing your progress!
We talk frequently about the kind of person we want to be—both now and in the future. But what if there were relatively low-effort things we could do now that would make it much easier to be who we want to be in the future? That's our main focus for this week's episode: giving gifts to your future self!
Last week we talked about getting ready to travel with ADHD. This week is all about what to do when you're coming back from traveling. How can you make sure your re-entry to life and work is as smooth and trouble-free as possible? All that and more in this episode!
Travel can be very exciting & interesting to the ADHD brain... but it can also be a NIGHTMARE—especially when it comes to preparing, packing, and handling all the details. But it doesn't have to be awful. We talk about ways to lessen the trouble with traveling!
This week, we're bringing back an episode from Season 1 because it's so timeless, so important, and you'll likely pick up something new and useful even if you've heard it before. If you're even curious about whether your phone might be negatively impacting your life, then you won't want to miss this episode!
Last week we talked about WHY exercise is so important for your ADHD brain. This week, we're talking about HOW to get the exercise you need—including knocking out the things that block you from exercise and the easiest ways to get the least amount of exercise possible and still light up your brain and your life!
Study after study shows that the brain works better with exercise. But how much exercise and what kinds of exercise will help your brain the most? We talk about the science and share ways to find out what works best for you!
Should you disclose your ADHD diagnosis to colleagues, clients, or your employer? This could have major implications, and isn't something you want to do impulsively. We discuss pros & cons with real-life examples of how it went well... and badly wrong.
What happens when people with ADHD work together? What could possibly go wrong?! In this episode: navigating the workplace populated with one or more other people like us.
People who have ADHD tend to congregate—even at home. Overall there's a fairly good chance that you will live with—either a spouse/partner or child—who has ADHD. And since your home life has a huge impact on your working life, it's relevant (even important!) for this show. Today we talk about managing home life with more than one of us around
Vitamins and minerals are critical to healthy brain function, which means they're extra important for ADHD. Which ones make the most difference? How can we easily incorporate them into our lives? All that and more on this episode!
We've been talking about how much difference foods can make with ADHD brains, but planning, purchasing, and preparing can be problematic for us! In this episode, we load up your "arsenal of easy" with lots of ways to take the fuss out of feeding!
Did you know that eating certain foods can make it much harder to function with ADHD? Which foods affect you? What can you do if you LOVE those foods? We cover all that and more in this week's episode!
If you have ADHD, what, when, and how you eat has a big influence on how your brain works. Not eating (or eating the wrong kinds of foods) will make it harder to focus and function. In the first of a series of episodes on food and ADHD, we begin laying the foundation for ADHD-friendly eating. You can't afford to miss this episode!
How our days unfold can either strangle or boost our ability to get the right stuff done. Putting even a small effort into intentionally designing our lives can make a huge difference!
The "Holy Grail" of ADHD is the ability to focus at will. Is it possible? What does it even look like? This week, we explore some of our favorite ways to achieve better focus on demand.
What is "procrastibating" and how is it different from procrastinating? Find out in this episode! (It's MOSTLY family friendly!)
For people with ADHD, the word "can't" is a big indicator. We can save ourselves a lot of trouble if we learn to respect the "can't." We talk about why, but also ask the question—when is it best to push back against the "can't?"
Learning to ask "why" is an incredibly powerful tool to help you live an easier life with ADHD. Today Dana talks about 3 specific times to ask "why," and provides an important warning about "how" to ask "why."
We kick off Season 3 with a frank discussion about why we've given up on new year's resolutions. Instead, Dana introduces a framework for reflecting on the year gone by and thinking strategically & intentionally about the new year in front of us. You can do the same thing by answering 3 simple questions!
The holidays can be really hard on people with ADHD. There are loads of "shoulds" and "gottas" and pressures that pile up on top of lives that might already be running on the edge. How can we make the holidays more enjoyable and less stressful? We discuss that and much more in this episode!
People with ADHD tend to earn less that neurotypical peers for a variety of reasons. This creates yet another "tax" we can end up paying. This week, we take a shame-free look at the causes of underearning so we can evaluate what to do about it.
Money challenges with ADHD are incredibly common. Handling money is intertwined with so many prevalent ADHD symptoms that it's presumed you'll struggle at some point. This week, we continue an important conversation to help you make peace with money.
The holidays are here, which means for many of us with ADHD its time to hang on to our wallets! Impulsive spending can be a big problem. Today we talk about ways to approach it all year long!
As people with ADHD, we need to have fun in our lives in order to thrive. But hobbies are an interesting subject because we tend to collect them and some of us never engage with them. Today: all about hobbies and ADHD!
Self-medicating is usually considered negative—using substances or behaviors to increase focus and mask ADHD symptoms. But is it always bad? We ask this question in this episode!
Note: this episode is about how to work with your ADHD Manipulation Matrix, the tool for tracking your brain care to manage (manipulate) your ADHD that we described in Episode 71.
The key to manipulating your ADHD to your advantage is to be able to figure out which of the pieces of brain care help you reduce your ADHD symptoms the most.
How do we do that? With what Dana calls "One-Rat Studies."
What's a One-Rat Study? It's an experiment you run on yourself to see how various factors affect your performance with ADHD.
We need to perform experiments on ourselves—and track the results (FOR SCIENCE!)—because each of us is unique. Our ADHD symptoms affect us in different ways, and the various brain care techniques have different results for each of us.
In this episode, we work through some examples to show how to fill in your ADHD Manipulation Matrix and determine what works best for you in different circumstances so that you'll have a guide for addressing ADHD symptoms that's tailored just for you!
WARNING: Keep this simple. Go for the obvious, big wins.
And remember: if your brain isn't working, you're not working.
What questions do you have about the ADHD Manipulation Matrix? Let us know in the comments for this episode!
Tired of being manipulated by your ADHD? It's time to turn the tables and start manipulating IT instead! In this episode, we set up the "matrix" you can use to do exactly that!
Today, Dana checks in on how David's doing with his habit of taking on other people's crises and coaches him (and us) through several key elements. She also asks a very interesting question—how you answer it might surprise you!
There's so much focus on the bad parts of living with ADHD that we thought we'd talk about some of our unique personal strengths. Do some of these sound familiar?
Have you noticed that those so-called "neurotypical" people can just DO things? Today, we unload on all those people who DON'T have ADHD. Join us as we rant!
Which kind of day would you prefer to have: One where you never really finish working, but you stop because you're frazzled, exhausted, and have loads of stuff lingering on your to-do list? Or one whree
With ADHD, it can be hard to know what to work on first. In this episode, we tackle priorities—everything from why they matter to a step-by-step approach that will have you more productive in no time
This week: what do we mean when we talk about "ADHD success?" Why do we care? Is it truly possible? And if so, how do we achieve it?
Being a desirable partner can look very different early on in a relationship than how it looks in a committed, long-term one. Some of the very things that make those of us with ADHD attractive at the beginning can work against us later on. So how can we be the "sexy" partner we want to be for our significant others? Here are 5 ways!
Do you start things with great enthusiasm only to lose steam and stop following through? Today we talk about understanding the reasons why those of us with ADHD struggle and how to fire up your follow-through!
If you have ADHD, you're going to procrastinate. We all know it. The key is to procrastinate strategically—and here's how.
Ultimately, procrastination is at the root of many ADHD challenges. Today we talk about procrastination conversations: how to listen to them, what they mean, and how to move forward.
With ADHD, it can be a struggle to know whether to attack the big important things 1st or to get some quick wins & build momentum by tackling small stuff. Dana is changing her approach to this. What works for you?
You don't have to try to fix everything at once with ADHD. In fact, trying to do so will wear you out and leave you worse off. Here's how to tackle specific issues AND decide what to focus on first!
When is ADHD being used as an excuse and when is it a valid explanation for someone's behavior? How can anyone tell? This is one of the most common questions Dana gets asked by people who have someone in their live who has ADHD. Her answers might surprise you!
We're digging into the archives this week to bring back Ep. #5 for a rebroadcast. Learn all about the ADHD Tax and how to pay less of it!
When you work from home, do you ever find yourself doing something completely unrelated from work? In this episode, we introduce the "Would I?" code as a way to help keep you focused and productive!
Do you ever make a perfectly good plan and then find yourself renegotiating the plan (with yourself) for no good reason? In this episode, we talk about the ups & downs of deviating from your decisions. We also introduce a new concept. You won't want to miss it!
Have you ever noticed that sometimes your ADHD is worse than others? We all have situations that trigger ADHD symptoms... and the good news is that you can learn what they are and be prepared!
As life changes AGAIN, what opportunities do you have to pivot? Personally & professionally, this could be a chance to shift your life in a positive direction. Some changes may be involuntary... but either way, how can you prepare? All this & more in this episode!
There are many reasons why attempts to get organized tend to go astray for those of us with ADHD. In this episode, we talk about how to take an ADHD-friendly approach to clearing clutter and staying on track!
ADHD & disorganization go together, but many of us think clutter isn't really a big deal. It's time to rethink this, because it DOES cost you more than you know!
Last time we talked taking a pause "in the moment." In this episode, we're talking about intentional pauses. We must do this for our brains, or ELSE. To find out what else... and what to do about it, listen now!
This week we talk about the ONE tool that can help you stop losing things, reduce regret from acting impulsively, increase awareness, and take better care of your brain! Pause for just a few minutes and listen to this right away!
Have you ever noticed the tone and content of your self-talk? It can be incredibly revealing... but more importantly, it can be a powerful tool we use to shape our self-image and our performance as people with ADHD. We talk to ourselves—and you, the listener—all about this and more in this episode!
Dana has many words of wisdom for those of us with ADHD, but here are 5 easy-to-remember sayings that will have a big impact on your life!
ADHD brings anxiety along with it... at least for most of us. But when we talk about the two subjects together, we need to distinguish between the anxiety that nearly all of us experience and a so-called "anxiety disorder" that has a very specific medical definition.
According to Dr. Roberto Olivardia, a clinical psychologist and clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, about 30 to 40 percent of people with ADHD have an anxiety disorder, which includes "obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, social anxiety and panic disorder."
In this episode, we talk about identifying and recognizing anxiety independently of ADHD—which can be difficult because many of the symptoms overlap. We also talk about ways that ADHD can itself inspire anxiety when we worry about our ADHD-related challenges.
We also discuss words that can trigger anxiety for those of us with ADHD, and specific ADHD symptoms that can fuel anxiety.
This is an episode that we can perhaps all relate to... but of course we don't just discuss the problems. Dana shares some proven long-term techniques to help with ADHD-related anxiety as well as some "spot treatments" that you can use any time you're feeling anxious.
What fuels your ADHD-related anxiety? Are there words that regularly trigger your anxiety? We want to hear from you! Share them with us on Twitter: @KickSomeADHD or in the comments on this episode!
Keep learning about your ADHD:
Let’s Get Real, Are You Okay?The ADHD Perfectionism TrapCoping with ADHD – Don’t Should On Me!
Ever get super excited about something & agree to do it... then regret your decision later when reality sets in? Today, we have a success story from Dana. Here's a short & sweet episode that you're not gonna wanna miss!
In part 2 on ADHD & sleep, we talk about the 3 major categories of sleep disruptors. Awareness is once again a significant part of the battle, but we also talk about practical ways to improve them.
Consider this: even non-ADHD brains will exhibit ADHD symptoms if they don't get enough sleep. Imagine how much worse it is for those of us who DO have ADHD. The problem? Most of us struggle with sleep! In the first of 2 episodes on sleep, we talk about the major challenges we face, and how to build a sleep map!
It's a proven fact: gut health directly influences brain health. Everything from depression & anxiety to dopamine levels involve the gut and the vagus nerve. In this episode, we talk about how to take care of both.
Often, those of us with ADHD have a hard time saying, "no." This means we end up committed to a bunch of stuff that only adds to our overloaded to-do lists and leaves us suffering and missing important commitments. In this episode, we talk about why and how this happens, and what we can do to "guard our no."
Poorly run meetings are a boring waste of time. And they can be absolute torture for those of us with ADHD. In this episode, we talk about everything from how to get out of more unnecessary meetings to how to make your meetings work for you and others!
Just like any well-run business uses systems, our lives get so much easier when we start to think about all the things we need to do to keep our lives running as systems. All this and more in this episode!
People with ADHD are more prone to attempt multi-tasking for a number of reasons. We even think we're good at it! The truth, however, is quite different. We talk about why—and so much more—in this week's episode!
How many task lists do you have right now? Be sure to include the apps, web tools, paper lists, sticky notes, and all the other things not called "task list" but which you've got "to do" items on them. This is a common ADHD struggle and if you don't overhaul it, we both know what will happen. Here's how to fix your task list nightmare.
In ep. 34 we talked about capturing the commitments we make so we don't drop the ball on them. In this episode, we talk about making realistic commitments to begin with. Why is it that ADHD brains struggle with being realistic? And what can we do?
Do you bill for time? Does your employer need accurate reporting about how much time you spent on which tasks throughout your day? If so, you know what a nightmare this can be for those of us with ADHD. In this episode: all about tracking time for people with ADHD.
ADHD is all about brain stimulation. Usually we're overstimulated or understimulated, either of which can lead to problems. Today we talk about how to find that sweet spot!
What happens to those commitments you make? Do you reliably remember & follow up on them? Today we talk about a HUGELY important need for those of us with ADHD: how to capture your commitments so they don't get missed!
We're excited to announce the launch of our second season! Kick Some ADHD Season 2 premieres on Monday, February 1, 2021.
We've got some great episodes already lined up for you that cover a range of topics including:
how to capture commitments so they don't catch you unpreparedthe stimulation sweet spotwhat to do when you have to track time for workand much more!
Have you ever wondered what it was really like to live with ADHD? Do you have ADHD and wish you could help other people see what it's like? In this episode, we set out to do exactly that — give people who don't have ADHD themselves a little better understanding of what it's really like.
What are the signs that your ADHD medication is working? Are you on the optimal dose? How would you know? We talk about these and tons of other questions about ADHD medication in this episode!
Smartphone addiction is rampant in today's world. For people with ADHD, however, the dopamine hits that are so readily available from our devices and apps are even more irresistible. In this episode we have an honest conversation about what this might be costing us... and what we can do about it.
Predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, or combined? Do these 'types' of ADHD serve a useful purpose? We discuss that & more in this episode!
From how (and when!) diagnosis occurs, to differences & changes in hormones, to cultural norms... ADHD impacts people of different genders in different ways. Some of them might surprise you! We cover all this & more in this episode.
In the year of COVID-19, much has been made about risk factors. Where are we at risk of problems with ADHD? Can we reduce those risks? We think so... and we talk about how to do it in this episode!
When David finds himself overcommitted at work, Dana launches into an impromptu ADHD coaching session. Listen in and see how you can benefit from her expert advice!
As people with ADHD, we're going to make blunders—sometimes big ones. But they don't have to be devastating. In this episode, we talk about turning mistakes into our friends.
Let's face it. There are times when our ADHD symptoms can be really painful for those around us. In this episode, we discuss some of the business social skills we can cultivate to help us be less annoying to others.
Rejection sensitivity is something almost all adults with ADHD deal with. This week, we talk about how to tell the difference between imagined and real rejection.
In Ep. 21 we talked about camouflaging ADHD, but what about when you decide NOT to mask it? Disclosing can come with risks, but it can be important to do so. We talk all about how the decision.
2020 is, as Dana puts it, "a dumpster fire of a year."
We decided to take a break from our regular episodes to insert this conversation about the unprecedented difficulties we're all facing in 2020.
In fact, even people who don't have ADHD are experiencing symptoms—some of them for the first time in their lives.
A recent Twitter thread from Dr. Esther Choo served as a catalyst for this conversation:
https://twitter.com/choo_ek/status/1306408938091343874
Dr. Choo is Associate Professor in the Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, and while we don't have any evidence one way or the other about whether she has ever been diagnosed with ADHD, she describes life as a "normal human being" who is struggling with executive function issues.
Between the pandemic, lockdown, changes in work (working from home, unemployment, etc.), changes in schooling, natural disasters like fires and hurricanes, and an endless barrage of unusual circumstances, even people who don't have ADHD are struggling.
If 2020 is affecting them this way, how much more is it affecting those of us with ADHD?
Tune in for this raw, vulnerable discussion about the ways we're coping and trying to move forward. Perhaps you'll pick up some insights that will be useful. But more than anything, you'll find out that you are not alone, and struggling right now is absolutely to be expected.
What do you have to share about 2020? How has it impacted you? How are you functioning? Have you discovered any lifelines? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment on this episode or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter!
Are there times when hiding the fact that you have ADHD is appropriate? Are the methods for camouflaging your symptoms helpful or harmful? We discuss all this and more in this week's episode!
ADHD symptoms can wax & wane, and everyone's situation is different. But how can you tell when you need to get help? We talk all about it in this episode!
You got an ADHD diagnosis... where do you start? What can you do to get the help you need to be as effective as possible? We cover the 3 types of help in this episode.
Are you drawn to elaborate systems & complex processes? People with ADHD often overcomplicate things because complex = shiny! Here are practical ways to make your life more manageable.
In this episode, you'll learn how to automate important tasks so they get done every time! Plus: David shares tech tips for people with ADHD that you can't afford to miss!
Delegating can be difficult for anyone, but with ADHD it comes with some extra trickiness. Here are 5 tips to make you a more effective delegator!
The flip side of last week's discussion on building an ADHD-friendly working life is knowing how to avoid the predictable landmines that your ADHD introduces. We talk about this and more in ep. 15!
Ever wake up & find yourself in a business or job that just isn't a good fit anymore? You're not alone. This week we talk about the process of shifting into work that takes ADHD into account.
Ever finish a meeting and completely lose track of your follow-up tasks? This week, we look at the simple way to set yourself up for success with follow-through!
Ever shown up for a meeting unprepared? Had to make things up on the spot? It's an ADHD trait that can backfire. In this episode, we discuss great ways to get ahead of this dangerous habit!
Meditation offers tremendous benefits for the ADHD brain, but it comes with huge challenges! In this episode, we take a look at ways to make meditation more ADHD-friendly so you can take advantage of all it has to offer.
This week, we nerd out over brain chemistry — specifically the neurotransmitter dopamine. How does dopamine affect you & what can you do about it? Find out in this episode!
In part 2, we discuss specific things you need to be aware of in order to more consistently focus, as well as tips & tricks for focusing with ADHD.
The ability to focus on what needs our attention is one of the biggest struggles people with ADHD face. But are you actually trying to achieve the wrong type of focus?
Armed with last episode's tools, this week we talk about specific ways to handle each type of procrastination — including when to distract yourself!
Procrastination isn't unique to people with ADHD, but we're especially prone to it. In this two-part series, we seek to understand the different types of ADHD-related procrastination.
Did you know that people with ADHD pay a separate tax? It can be quite costly, too! In this episode, Dana & David talk about the many, varied, and unusual ways that ADHD costs extra money and what you can to to reduce your ADHD tax. Also: don't miss Dana's fantastic self-talk method!
For business professionals with ADHD, working from home can present some unique challenges, to say the least! Here's what you need to know to be productive!
After surviving more than 25 years as an entrepreneur with unmanaged & undiagnosed ADHD, co-host David Johnson made a shocking discovery. He shares his story on this episode of Kick Some ADHD.
From the surprising profession she held prior to becoming an ADHD coach to the story of her own diagnosis as an adult, Dana Rayburn shares her fascinating backstory.
For the inaugural episode, hosts Dana Rayburn & David G. Johnson talk about proven techniques for adults with ADHD to get the right stuff done.