Hey there. How are you doing? There's a lot of sadness in our world this week, after Sunday's shooting in Las Vegas, and sometimes the heaviness of the world, compounded with struggles in our personal lives, can feel deeply overwhelming!

What's your daily special time with your ADHD kid? For me, it's walking to and from school together, here in New Orleans. We have other special times, too, but this is my son's favorite part of our day, when we sing, walk the dogs, get psyched for the school day, and, after school, review how the day went or what activities are planned in the afternoon or evening. 

The innovator brain is an impulsive one. How do you keep it in check? Try the stoplight technique!

Last week, Adela Baker of Mind Coach NOLA shared how she knows a client is done, and ready to put his or her new skills into use. She discussed her "checklist" that demonstrates a client's happiness, personal successes, and sense of control over life, whether she is coaching that client on their goals, as a Life Coach, or their executive function skills, as an ADHD Coach.

Mind Coach NOLA's social media manager here, with a few more questions for Adela Baker, ADHD coach, executive function coach, and life coach extraordinaire! 

A question I often get asked here at Mind Coach NOLA by people curious about ADHD or executive function coaching is: “How do you know when you’re done?” In my experience, it usually takes at least three months to retrain the brain and develop the skills to experience and feel success. The final goal is achieving happiness, balance and fulfillment. But how do you measure that?

"Good to Go (to College)" by Marissa Kantor at Additude Magazine is a great article for parents on how to better empower their children for college. Being ready for college means being able to manage all aspects of life, not just being ready academically. For example, an assignment pad is not a planner.

Hey college students, high school students, and parents of both! Grab a cup of coffee (or three) and let's have some real talk. So, you're now a few weeks in to high school and college classes. You've suddenly got tests, papers due, fraternity and sorority parties... maybe you're rushing, or meeting friends around town, going to football games, trying to meet the deadline so you can get that important summer internship or apply to study abroad.

How many tabs do you have open right now? Jacqueline Sinfield over at Untapped Brilliance, using a video by James Hamblin of "If Our Bodies Could Talk" and Health Editor of The Atlantic, breaks down the downsides to multi-tasking and the reasons why single-tasking (focusing on one thing at a time) are an important habit to develop.

While people with ADHD/ADD struggle with executive function skills, the reverse is not always true; in other words, even if you aren't diagnosed with ADHD or ADD, you can still find yourself challenged by managing time, prioritizing, planning, or keeping track of your things.

Hi! Mind Coach NOLA's social media manager here! I asked Adela some questions about her life so others can get to know her better. Adela is a mother of two, a wife, a native New Orleanian, former Spanish and French teacher, world traveler, former ex-pat, activist, volunteer, cancer survivor, and entrepreneur! As an ADHD-specific Mind Coach or as a Life Coach for adults, she uses her training and life experiences to help clients live with intention, vision, organization, and success.

In need of helpful resources for the beginning of the school year? The article "Top 5 Homework Frustrations—and Fixes for Each" at Additude Magazine is helpful discussion of how to understand your child's homework challenges and address them. Learn how to empower rather than enable!

The article "Emotional Regulation for Kids with ADHD" at Edutopia has six strategies from Dr. Lori Desautels for dealing with ADHD-diagnosed children, based on her work in fifth- and sixth-grade public classrooms. But these tips are helpful not just in the classroom—they can be used at home, too!

The article "Never Enough? Why Your Brain Craves Stimulation" by Dr. Ellen Littman is a nice explanation in layman's terms of what can go on in the brain. So many tiny neurobiological battles in your head, and each one can be different day to day.

Do you like podcasts or talk radio? Sometimes they can be the best resource for busy parents and young adults, since you can listen while on the go. I often share resources like videos and articles with my mind coaching and life coaching clients. But it doesn't just stop there.

What can you start incorporating into your daily routine in order to change your brain, your focus, or your thinking? Just like negative daily habits, such as spending too much time comparing yourself to others on Instagram or Facebook, can negatively impact your brain, positive daily habits, like affirmations spoken aloud, practicing a new skill, or limiting your time spent on social media, can bring about powerful changes in your brain and your productivity!

We all know meditation and mindfulness is helpful for an overactive brain. But what about smell?

Just yesterday I was talking with a client about the start of the school year. She mentioned the importance of a new routine and the challenges that presents. I shared with her my own family’s experience of getting ready for the school year. I hope sharing our family meeting and family guidelines will help fellow parents think about the best ways to create structure within their own busy households.

With colleges in New Orleans and Baton Rouge starting next week, it's time to think about kicking the year off right. How can college students (or grad students, or young adults) be successful and independent? How will you balance your classes, work, social life, time spent online, and other priorities? How can you achieve all of your goals this academic year? Let's tackle this school year together!

Having a life coach (or, if ADHD-specific, a "mind coach") means you always have someone in your ring! I coach teens and college students who are feeling overwhelmed, young adults who want to achieve their potential, adults who are shifting careers or life paths, and parents of ADHD-diagnosed children, who might want help navigating this new world. You're not alone!