There are times that our emotions are so strong that we struggle to identify exactly what we're feeling.  There's a surprisingly simple technique that can help us understand our more complicated emotions, and in doing so, develop the skills we need to regulate these emotions!  Today we'll look at how to use the feelings wheel that was developed by Dr. Gloria Wilcox. This simple tool can help us label our more complicated emotions, regulate emotionally, and better communicate about our...

Imposter syndrome can make us feel like our wins are more luck than due to our skills or abilities. Even if we've spent a good deal of effort to get our outcomes, our achievements makes us feel more like a fraud than a success.   With Imposter Syndrome, our wins don't feel like wins at all; our brain tells us that they're just luck, outliers, or flukes. On today's episode of ADHD Crash Course, we'll discuss Imposter Syndrome and learn: 3 reasons why people with ADHD are more likely to...

Today I'm chatting with Jackie Silver, a Registered Dietitian/ Nutritionist who works with neurodivergent and physically disabled communities through a weight-inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming lens. We're discussing some of the common barriers that those with ADHD face when it comes to nutrition and Jackie offers her insights on strategies that help! You can reach Jackie here: Website: jackiesilvernutrition.com 

Habits can be tough! Today's episode focuses on 4 ways habits "go wrong" and what we can do about it. ***New starting Spring 2024! Clarity Coaching's ADHD Coaching Membership! For more information about the membership and updates for the launch, join the waitlist/interest list here: membership.

Planning and prioritizing can be a challenge for most of us, especially at work. Professional productivity often demands a lot from our executive functioning skills! Things like breaking down big projects, coordinating with clients or coworkers, monitoring progress, or managing our schedule/ time are components of greater responsibilities that we have at work. Struggling with these can impact our performance in big ways! Today I'm interviewing Antonia Bowring, a top ranked executive coach,...

Today we chat with Erin Vandermore, a licensed therapist, wellness coach, and the founder of Age of Uncertainty Coaching about the complicated connection between trauma and ADHD. Since ADHD and trauma can show up very similarly, it can be challenging (even for clinicians) to differentiate between the two. The fact that many of those with an ADHD diagnosis have experienced trauma around their diagnosis and/or the impact ADHD has had on their lives adds to the complexity of this topic.   Erin...

Sometimes we're just stuck. It might look like scrolling on our phones, hitting the "next episode" button on Netflix, or even just staring out the window.  What makes us "stuck" is not the activity itself; it's the fact that we want or need to move on but it feels impossible to do so. What can we do to move out of that place of stuckness to one where we can choose what we do next?  How can we get going when we feel like we're moving through quicksand? Today we'll talk about using...

Many people with ADHD  have the experience of being perceived as selfish in conversations (or even in their relationships). It can be frustrating for both the person with ADHD and their friends!  ADHD traits can negatively impact our communication and relationships; impulsivity, memory challenges, and divergent thought preference can make it harder for us to connect/ be in sync with others. In todays episode we'll discuss common ways ADHD traits impact our communication/relationship and...

We are always on the hunt for the perfect planner/ time system/ organization system for ADHD! The search can be frustrating AND expensive! The most important part of any system that we choose is something that doesn't come with the planner we buy...our habits around using it! In today's episode, we'll talk about several questions you can ask yourself to find the right planner/ time system for YOU and steps you can take to ensure whatever you choose actually works to keep track of your time...

Although grades serve as one measure of our progress, they should NOT be the only measure! Students with executive functioning deficits (and even those without) benefit when we shift our focus from the outcome to the effort they are making. Not only does this decrease anxiety, it helps develop key EF skills like planning, prioritizing, self-monitoring, and flexible thinking. Building these skills matter more than achieving a perfect score on any one test or class.  When we overemphasize ...

Working memory can be thought of as our shortest term memory; it's the information we hold in our mind in order to get things done.  These are some common ways working memory deficits show up in our day to day lives: Having to dig a box mix out of the trash several times to re-read steps when bakingWalking into a room but forgetting why you're thereForgetting a new acquaintance's name seconds after you've heard itIf any of these sounds familiar, you can join us today for a discussion on...

Many of us have had the experience of sharing how ADHD impacts us only to be met with the response "You're using ADHD as an excuse".  How can we respond to this? Today we'll take a look at this common misconception when it comes to understanding ADHD. Our own perceptions of our "locus of control"  can make a big difference in how we respond to comments like these! 

There's a word swap you can use to strengthen executive function skills AND approach yourself (and others) with less judgment. Try replacing "why" with "how" in some of your questions. Example: "Why did I wait until the last minute to start this project?" "How do I decide when to start my project?" "Why is it so hard for me to make decisions?" "How  do I make decisions?" When we're frustrated, why questions can make us feel defensive. They ask us to justify our motives or reasoning. ...

What is DBT ( (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)?  How is it different from CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and how is it used to support people with ADHD? Today we'll explore the DBT approach and its components, including mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance skills. 

Why do divergent thinkers frequently deal with overwhelm? One possible reason is our tendency to see all of the things... all at once! Our brains like to make connections and that can serve us in some settings but lead to overwhelm in others. When it comes to overwhelm, this pattern of thinking can make prioritizing and decision making tough. It's harder for us to "back off" of the connections our brain has made and see/ do one thing at a time. (This focus on one thing at a time is an...

Today we're talking about Mental Load, otherwise known as "invisible labor" and why understanding this concept is so important for those of us with ADHD. What is mental load? It's the cognitive labor that goes into taking care of life. It’s the “worry work”; anticipating what is needed, researching options, planning, organizing, remembering, monitoring—- all of the thought work that goes into managing homes, work, family, and social lives.  If you are not in a partnership, you carry the...

Today we speak with Dawn Barclay, author of "Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse".  Dawn shares helpful tips for how we can support our children with invisible needs like ADHD, Autism, and anxiety and enjoy creating family memories with less stress! You can connect with Dawn in the following ways: Website Twitter Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

Today we chat with Dr. Tamara Rosier, author of Your Brain's Not Broken. Dr. Rosier discusses the difference between convergent and divergent thinking and why understanding this difference can have a huge impact for those of us with ADHD! Many with ADHD prefer divergent thinking since this allows for creativity, expansion, and connection. While necessary for everyday life, tasks that fall under the convergent thinking category are often found to be boring or frustrating to those with a...

Today we’re chatting with ADHD Career Coach and Mentor Shell Mendelson who specializes in helping those with ADHD find fulfilling and sustainable careers. She'll discuss the 7 steps she uses with her clients to help them find their perfect fit professionally! Link to Information on Shell's Masterclass

When I refer to "time travel" I'm talking about our ability to think about our future selves and determine what we will need at that future point. This can also refer to our habit of thinking about the past and applying what we've learned to our current circumstances. For those with ADHD, traveling through time may not be automatic, and time might be seen as "now" or "not now", but that doesn't mean we can't strengthen this skill. Use today's tips to plan for what's next and set your future...

How we respond to our circumstances is driven by a cycle that we may not be aware of.  This cycle is often called different things: the cognitive triangle, the self coaching model, CBT model of emotions, and more, but analyzing each of these parts of the cycle can help us understand why we choose certain actions.  If we want to make changes in our lives, interrupting this cycle at different places can give us different results. Listen today to learn more about the thoughts-emotion- action-...

Public speaking is one of the top fears for many of us! Although we may picture  grade school book reports or motivational speakers when we think of this topic, the reality is that most of us have to speak "publicly" in some capacity in our professional ( and personal) lives! Sammie Walker Herrera is a confidence and public speaking coach (and a fellow ADHD brain) and in this interview she shares some of her top tips for helping those of us with fast (or frozen) brains become better public...

One label I often hear unfairly applied to those with ADHD is "lazy".  The reality is that what is often perceived/ interpreted as "laziness" is the shut down that comes from overwhelm. We see too much at once and that makes it hard to get started. Today we'll talk about the tendency for those of us with ADHD to see too much.  This is a common contributor to overwhelm and can result in the inability to get started on what we want to do. We'll find tools and strategies that help break the...

There are some "adulting" tasks that are Achilles heels for us and many people with ADHD report that laundry is one of them! Struggling with everyday tasks like this can trigger shame and self judgment, which makes it even harder to find the solutions we need to make things easier for us. Today we're going to look at why jobs like this are challenging and what we can do to make them more manageable. We'll discuss how factors like executive functioning skills, habit formation, visual...