ADHD coaching is not therapy, nor is it me sending reminders to clients and nagging them to get things done. ADHD coaching is a creative and collaborative process that empowers my clients to manage their attention, hyperactivity (physical, mental or emotional), and impulsivity while strengthening their executive function skills. These skills can include sustained attention, task initiation, time management, organization, planning, prioritization, working memory, intrinsic motivation, and metacognition.

We Turbo Thinkers tend to be an impulsive bunch. A moment of passion seizes us and we dive head first into action. Our brains light up with the stimulation of novelty and we feel the rush of excitement. When we recognize that pure fervor drives the action, we can pause to identify which specific emotion ignites the fire.

We, Turbo Thinkers, have a love / hate relationship with change. On the one hand, we love it! It’s something new! It’s bright and shiny! It gives me hits of dopamine! Yay! Give me anything to break the boredom! Let’s shake things up a bit! Woohoo!

Last Sunday afternoon, driving back from a perfect summer day of kayaking in the cool waters of the creek and river, I was asked, “If you could have any job in the world, what would you do?” My friend didn’t even pause to let me answer, but just continued, “You’d do what you do. Right?” Yep. He knows me. Why do I love my job so much? Let me count the ways. There are so many reasons to list, and here are my top 5 pieces of motivation.

In today’s Turbo Think Tank, the topic of a morning routine came up for discussion. Our Turbo Thinker shared that starting her day with a morning walk put her in a fantastic mood and set a positive and energetic tone for the rest of the day. With a consistent morning routine, she could ride the momentum throughout the week. In exploring how to make that happen, she discovered that the key to success was actually sticking to an attainable evening routine!

A friend recently asked me for advice on how to balance social activities while still staying productive. I paused and told her that I did not have a one size fits all solution. Now that we are past the lockdowns of winter, summertime brings a desire to get outside & socialize more with an abundance of novel activities to bedazzle and stimulate Turbo Thinkers.

Self-care is not the same as self soothing. Turbo Thinkers deserve just as much care as anyone else. What happens when you not only give yourself permission to practice self-care, but when you actually PRIORITIZE self-care? What if you could plan and schedule self-care FIRST? How would that impact your mood and energy?

It is not uncommon for my Turbo Thinker clients to discover that often their inability to execute a task is rooted in their lack of self-worth. Feeling that they do not deserve success, love, or recognition creates a limiting belief that stops them in their tracks. Together we explore that. We wonder, “If your best friend told you that she was not worthy, what would you tell her?”

In one group, a client shared that her key to success was the realization that she could choose to put her own needs first. She had been taking care of loved ones and literally making herself sick by skimping on sleep and exercise. By seeing herself as the sole caretaker, she had neglected her true self, made herself miserable in the process and put on a “fake it till you make it” facade.

"If we don’t get enough sleep, it makes us feel lonelier, and it fundamentally messes with the way we perceive other people, and how we interact with them." Shuka Kalantari from The Science of Happiness episode 116.I have read so much research regarding sleep, especially with regards to Turbo Thinkers. We already know so much about how sleep affects our bodies and our brains, how it affects us physically and cognitively.

My family and close friends know that I regularly need to get my nature fix or I will go crazy. Like mindfulness, nutrition, exercise, sleep and human connection, I prioritize my need to spend time outdoors in a natural setting. While many studies have shown that time in nature improves ADHD symptoms, I personally need it, and will create time for it in my schedule.

I just had a client that raised such a great question: How do I know when I am honoring my needs or avoiding something? She had been allowing herself to sleep and rest at home a lot, but was also feeling a bit guilty about it. As the coaching conversation flowed, she decided to write two columns with the headings: Avoidance and Active Rest.

In one of my Turbo Think Tanks today, a client realized that she wanted to keep track of what she HAD accomplished, rather than beating herself up for what she had not done. By shifting to a celebration of positive progress forward, she could focus on her strengths and her secret sauce. She could build a bank of evidence, proving to her inner critic that, “Yes! I can get things done!” We call this a Ta-da list, and I find that it is just as important or even more important than a To-do list.

Someone recently asked me, “What is the #1 piece of advice you’d give to Turbo Thinkers?” I thought about it for a moment, then replied, “Be yourself.” If only it were so easy and I have to recognize that it’s sometimes a difficult task.

This week launched the Spring 2022 Turbo Think Tanks. We now have two “advanced” groups for clients that have already participated in at least one group or 1:1 coaching program with us.I love the first day of Advanced TTT because it feels like the best reunion ever. I am literally bouncing on my stability ball with excitement. One client yesterday said he felt like a puppy wagging his tail. He had been looking forward to starting up again so much.

One of my dearest friends came over for a porch visit last night. We shared freshly picked Japanese plums and a glass of wine as we caught up, she on my swing and me in a rocker, listening to the wind chimes and palms swishing in the breeze. She reminded me that we hadn’t seen each other since Mardi Gras, and so much had happened: overnight canoe camping, beach volleyball, trail biking, blues concerts at the square, and more.

Today someone asked me my opinion of group coaching, and I faltered, not knowing where to begin. I ended up simply gushing, “I love it!” I love the synergy, the transformation, the progress, the A-ha moments, the switch from shame to confidence.

So many of my clients are filled with shame because of the countless negative messages they have received over time. The negative talk gets internalized to the point where their own self talk has become negative too. Our turbo thinking brains excel at rumination and catastrophizing. Our brains can be champion naysayers, flailing us with whips and chains of humiliation and degradation.

Many of my clients have been struggling lately with revenge bedtime procrastination, so I started to write about this act of deliberately putting off sleep in order to enjoy “me time” with stimulating but useless entertainment. I thought about how common it is for Turbo Thinkers, how to implement strategies for a bedtime routine, and how sleep improves our brain function.

When my son began fifth grade, his homeroom teacher had each student write a letter introducing themselves, and later, on Parents’ Night, I got to read it. A few lines in, my son had written, “I have ADHD and that means I’m creative.” I almost cried. My son got it. He understood that his brain is wired uniquely.