Balance can be defined as, “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” Many Turbo Thinkers already struggle with emotional regulation and executive function skills, and the chaos of today’s world exacerbates these challenges. “I need more balance,” they tell me. It’s all or nothing, though most of the time it’s nothing. It’s avoiding “the wall of awful”. However, does it have to be such black and white thinking? Are there not more than two elements necessary to create balance? Wouldn’t it be more like a spinning top than a see-saw? Moreover, what is the feeling we want? Isn’t that more important than what we need to do?

According to the APA, 62% of people feel a heightened sense of anxiety since the start of the COVID pandemic. Turbo Thinkers can be prone to anxiety because of emotional dysregulation, so it’s no surprise that it often arises as a topic in coaching sessions. When we begin to explore the source of anxiety, we usually discover a lack of clarity.

Even before the pandemic, I coached many Turbo Thinkers and digital nomads. As the meaning of the workplace continues to evolve, more and more people are embracing the digital nomad lifestyle. A digital nomad refers to individuals who earn a living working online in various locations of their choosing. They may work out of cafes, beaches, or hotel rooms, as they are not tied down to any one location. For Turbo Thinkers who no longer work at a fixed business location, many challenges can present themselves.

There are times when I catch myself in a tailspin of insecurity. I sink to a pool of self doubt and shame. I feel so inadequate and incompetent. The spinning seems to never end, engulfing me deeper into a dark hole of misery, like I am being sucked down the garbage disposal of the kitchen sink that is my brain. I need to grab hold of something to get me out of my own head because I know that only I am in control of my own thoughts. I engage in personal inquiry: What is my reality?

As Turbo Thinkers, we often struggle with patience. Our racing minds produce so many ideas and we feel like we must act on them immediately. We feel that our bodies need to move immediately. We anticipate the next move, the next activity, the next best thing, and have trouble simply enjoying the present moment for what it is. Sometimes we have a book, fidget toy, stress ball or other tactile distraction to entertain our brains. Sometimes we find ourselves unexpectedly forced to enjoy our own company with nothing to do but to wait.

After years of shame and self doubt, many Turbo Thinkers have developed a fixed mindset. This can take the form of negative self talk and absolutes such as, “I’m just lazy,” “I never finish what I start,” or “I am an anxious person.” These limiting belief systems prevent us from trying anything new.

A few Mondays ago, my AC gave out. We had typical New Orleans, subtropical weather during those days: highs in the upper 90’s, lows in the upper 80’s. Sunny skies with a daily afternoon thundershower and high humidity 24/7. Great for a dewy complexion but fierce for focused work. My house has a geothermal system, which only a limited few technicians in my area are qualified to service. I was placed on a waiting list and told to standby. Days passed.

As Turbo Thinkers, our minds can easily go down a road of negativity, regret, self shame or catastrophizing. In those moments when our emotions override all rational thought, our memories have trouble accessing what we know to be true about ourselves. Our minds can get stuck in a story told by the severe inner critic, the mean girl whispering in our ear, or the evil judge who deems us unworthy of any future success

As Turbo Thinkers, our minds tend to race like the wind, like Category 5 hurricane winds. How can we put our brains in the eye of the storm, where peace, calm and quiet reside? How can we let the storm pass, taking all of the debris with it and leaving us with our most important thoughts intact?Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention to the present moment with kindness and curiosity. It involves pressing the pause button to thoughts racing into the past or into the future.

Summer is here! At least in New Orleans, we are up to 90 degrees fahrenheit daily with high humidity. It is downright steamy! The change of seasons introduces a new variety of challenges that crop up in my ADHD coaching practice.

Even with the prevalence of vaccines and many people opting to go back to the office, many of us choose to remain working from home. Some of us have always worked from home, as solo-preneurs, digital nomads or remote workers. What elements might you consider when you have ADHD? What does your turbo thinking brain need to ensure your success?

One of the reasons I came up with the term “Turbo Thinker” is that it fits all types of ADHD, including the inattentive type. I personally find the term “inattentive attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” to be both confusing and misleading. While we may appear to be just staring at the wall or daydreaming, we are in fact hyperactive in our minds. Our thoughts can be racing from one idea to another, making all sorts of connections and leaping to various conclusions. It’s the reason we can come across as “scatterbrained” or “flaky”.

Very often, our Turbo thinking brains can go down the road of rumination and regret. We may put off a project because the conditions aren’t perfect, because we fear being judged, or because we simply don’t like it. We may imagine all of the different ways in which it could go totally, absolutely 100% wrong. We may wallow in the misery of the end result when, in fact, we haven’t even taken the first step.

When I first discovered ADHD coaching, I yearned to help high school and college students. I saw that their academic struggles related to their turbo thinking brains. I wanted to help the whole child rather than slap a band aid on a symptom of a bigger problem.

Many of my clients often experience a sense of being overwhelmed, sometimes daily, when they begin the coaching process. They may feel like they are juggling too many objects. They feel like someone is constantly throwing more things at them to keep in the air. And maybe some of those objects are water balloons, raw eggs or newborn babies.

“Why can’t I just do it?” “Why am I so bad at this?” When clients first call, I hear this all the time. There are many coaching strategies to reverse a negative mindset and push through limited beliefs. In the short term, I try to use a two pronged approach.

Turbo Thinkers all have their own unique strengths and challenges. They also have some challenges that are common to all brains with ADHD, mostly related to executive function skills and self regulation. In my years working with Turbo Thinkers, I have also discovered some common strengths. I get to work with people who are…

This article makes me so happy. Major corporations, even those in the world of finance, now see that hiring non-traditional thinkers will help them solve complex problems, while spotting market opportunities, competition and risk. A variety of brain types on the same team is crucial to innovation and creative problem solving.

So in our universe of expanding galaxies, spinning stars and swirling planets, experiences of time vary: everything’s past, present and future is relative.

I read this article and thought of how it applies to Turbo Thinking brains. Read it with an ADHD lens, and it becomes even more fascinating and sometimes funny. Are we just tapped into the universe more? I think so.

Last week, I had to meet my family in the local hospital. They wanted to know why I parked across a four lane avenue in a parking lot far away rather than in the giant, dank hospital garage. The answer was simple: so I could more easily find my car. And, bonus! I got the benefit of extra steps, fresh air and sunshine too.