Experiencing ADDvantages

It's Time to Get Your Career in Gear!

If you found the strategies in my last post helpful, then you may want to consider joining us for the Get Your Career in Gear Webinar this Wednesday, June 17th.

Whether you're searching for a job, or trying to hang on to the one you've got, this webinar will teach you how to:

• Find -- and keep -- the right job for you
• Utilize your unique strengths on the job
• Build a personal brand that will allow you to stand out and shine in the workplace
• Tame the stress and anxiety of managing your career

The webinar is an online learning event that you can attend from the comfort of your own home or office. Sessions include:

Session #1: Finding A Career That Works For You: 10 Steps to Better Career Decisions with AD/HD with Career Counselor Wilma Fellman, MEd, LPC

Session #2: Using Personal Branding for Job Search & Long Term Career Success: Maximizing Your Most Important Asset - YOU! with International Personal Branding Expert Paul Copcutt

Session #3: Managing Career Stress and Anxiety in an Uncertain Economy with Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA

I personally created this webinar for adults with ADD who want to take control of their careers. I don't know of any other webinar or program that teaches you how to manage your career while taking into account your ADD!

Please visit the webinar website at www.ADHDcareeringear.com to read more and determine if this event is a good fit for you!

Top 5 Ways to Manage Your ADD at Work

Welcome to all the new readers who found us as a result of my appearance on NBC's TODAY Show! If you didn't catch the clip yet, you can watch it at ADDmanagement.com
/todayshow.html.

On Wednesday of last week, I did another TV appearance, this time on the public television show "Taming the Cubicle Jungle." It's broadcast in Westchester County, NY, but I'll share the clip with you as soon as I get it!

During the show, host Donna Scimia interviewed me about adult ADD at work. And, of course, the big question was, "What can a person do to best manage their ADD on the job?" Here's what I answered!

1. Manage your stress both in and out of work.

Many of you know what I always say about stress: Stress Management = ADD Management! The more stressed out you are, the harder it is to be on time, stay organized, focus, and get along well with others.

Real Life Example: One client I work with locks herself in the ladies room and meditates when things get stressful at work.

2. Clearly separate your personal and professional time.

When you mix your personal and professional lives, you open yourself up to more stress, and a lack of focus results. Stay in the present moment. Focus on personal matters at home, and leave professional matters at the office.

Real Life Example: A former client instructs his wife, kids, and friends NOT to email him at work. Instead, he directs them to his personal email account, which he only checks at home.

3. Take a lunch (or other break.)

While it's tempting to work through lunch when the pressure is on, this isn't always the best choice for an adult with ADD. Because we have a low tolerance for frustration, we need to relax and recharge periodically during the day in order to function optimally.

Real Life Example: When I worked in a corporate office, I took advantage of my employer-sponsored gym membership and workedout during my lunch hour. This help me burn off stress, and increased my energy for the afternoon.

Now that I work from home, I take my dogs for a long walk during my lunch break. (Yes, I'm talking about little Rascal and Trixie, who are now TV stars in their own right, thanks to The TODAY Show!)

4. Work with your natural energy flow.

Pay attention to how you feel during the day, and you will soon discover that there are certain times in your day when you consistently feel alert, energized, and focused. Take advantage of these times! Use them to work on projects that require more brainpower or sustained focus.

Real Life Example: One client avoids scheduling meetings for 60 minutes after she eats lunch. For about one hour after eating, she feels tired and has a hard time concentrating. Rather than struggling to pay attention during these times, she does her best to avoid placing herself into a difficult situation.

5. Take 15 minutes every day to plan your time and to-dos.

The key to time management (and project management) is planning in advance. To-do lists are essential, because they help you keep track of what's going on. Scheduling your day helps you feel more in control of your time, and helps you set realistic expectations for what you can accomplish.

Real Life Example: I recommend that EVERY adult with ADD take 15 minutes a day--every day-- to review your to-do list and plan your day in advance. I do it, too!

How do YOU manage your ADD on the job? Feel free to share your tips and thoughts in the comments!

P.S. The Get Your Career in Gear Webinar is a one-time event that takes place this Wednesday!

If you'd like to join me, 3 top career and adult ADD experts, plus your adult ADD peers, then register today at www.ADHDcareeringear.com!

5 Strategies for ADDed Effectiveness on the Job

For many people with ADD, life at work can be difficult. If your working environment is not ADD-friendly, then you may find yourself feeling chronically disorganized and stressed out at work! Whether or not you choose to share your diagnosis with your employer, the following strategies can help you become more effective at work.

1. Find a Career that You're Passionate About

People with ADD have the most success when doing something that they are passionately interested in. If you are in a career or a job that you're not passionate about, chances are your ADD challenges will manifest themselves. The best way to avoid this is to find and engage in work that you truly enjoy and believe in.

2. Develop Structure

It's no secret that ADDers work well with structure. If your job lacks structure, create some! Make sure you have specific deadlines on projects. Request frequent meetings with your manager or team members. Be sure to take a lunch break every day to recharge!

3. Delegate the Details

Think about how much more effective, efficient, and profitable you could be if you didn't have to worry about paperwork! Delegate paperwork and other "boring" tasks wherever possible. Never volunteer to take on a task or an element of a project that doesn't engage your strengths.

4. Plan the Time to Plan

It's not enough to plan your day, you must also plan the time to plan! Take 15 minutes a day to look at your to do list. See what you accomplished and what still needs to be done, and update the list. Also use this time to update your calendars, and break up outstanding projects into steps. You'll feel more in control and less stressed.

5. Get Over Perfectionism

Perfectionism prevents progress. If you find something that could be improved every time you look at a paper or a report, it will never get off your desk. A "good job" is work well done; a "perfect job" doesn't exist! Nothing in this world is perfect, so do yourself a big favor and get over it.

How do you stay effective at work?

P.S. Monday is the last day to save $50 on the Get Your Career in Gear Webinar! Space is limited so don't hesitate if you plan to join us! Register or get more information here.

Work With Your ADD

One of the core principles of managing your ADD is learning how to work WITH your ADD, instead of against it. And nowhere is this more important than at work, where the quality of your work often affects your time, your self-esteem, and your finances.

(By the way, "work" isn't limited to your job. Housework, yardwork, studying, etc. all count as work!)

As adults with ADD, our working styles often differ from those of our peers and colleagues. Our energy levels fluctuate pretty drastically. We get bored easily. We can be a bit less organized. We can get easily overwhelmed, and we can procrastinate like champs.

These, and other personal traits, have to be taken into account when you're working. Otherwise, you end up spinning your wheels and working against your ADD.

Whenever possible, try following these guidelines to help you become more efficient and productive at work:

1. Determine the times of day that your energy levels are highest and lowest.

Plan to do more complicated work when your energy levels are highest, and save the easier work for when your energy levels dip.

2. Use organizational and time management systems that work for YOU.

Don't compare yourself to everyone else, and don't try to conform to someone else's methods. The way you organize your files might not make sense to anyone else, and neither might your ability to hyperfocus! As long as your work gets done, who cares if you went about it a little differently?

3. Eliminate the distractions that you can control.

Shut down email and the web when it's time to buckle down and focus. Don't give yourself the opportunity to be distracted with the Internet. It will be there waiting for you when the job is done.

Remember, the most successful ADDers work with their ADD, not against it!

Adults with ADD: Do You Waste Time at Work?

My clients often tell me that they waste too much time at work.

There seems to be a common belief among ADDers that they spend too much time screwing around, while everyone else focuses intently and works productively all day long. I've always asserted that this simply isn't true! Everyone slacks off at work sometimes--ADD or not. And now I have proof to back up my claims!

My good friend Paul Copcutt sent me a link to a survey conducted by Salary.com and AOL that reports "Americans waste more than 2 hours a day" at work.

Here are some of the survey highlights:

• Personal Internet use was cited by 44.7% of respondents as their primary time-wasting activity at work.
• Socializing with co-workers was the second most popular form of wasting time at work (23.4% of respondents).
• Conducting personal business, "spacing out," [<-- SPACING OUT! See, non-ADDers do it, too!] running errands, and making personal phone calls were other popular time-wasting activities in the workplace.
• Employers actually expect the average employee to waste about an hour per day, in addition to the worker's lunch hour. [They EXPECT it!]
• Men and women waste about the same amount of time per day (approximately 2.1 hours). This, despite the fact that most HR managers surveyed suspected that women waste more time at work than men. [<-- Sexist bastards.]
• The older you are, the less time you waste at work.

So if you ever thought it was just you, you'll be happy to find out that you're wrong!

Now, if you're an adult with ADD and you still think that you waste too much time at work, here are a few tips for managing your time and attention during the workday:

1. Allow yourself a half hour or so to ease into your day. Have a cup of coffee, chat with a coworker, read your email or RSS feeds. Your day will be much less stressful and harried if you allow yourself a transition period. 
2. Take a REAL lunch break! Step away from your desk and recharge your battery.
3. Work with your natural energy flow. Don't try to work on heavy projects when you're not at your best. DO try to clear your schedule so that you can be productive during those times of day when you are most alert, energized, and focused.

Now get back to work, slacker! [Kidding.]

 

Adults with AD/HD: Seasonal Blahs Got You Down?

Every year around this time, I notice a pattern with my coaching clients. Once November hits, everyone seems to be dealing with a similar challenge. And that challenge can best be described as "The Blahs."

It's not that things are falling apart, but stress and overwhelm are kicking in for what seems like no particular reason. More than anything, people are feeling tired, bored, and just kinda "blah."

Over the years I've come to observe - both professionally and personally - that this inexplicable blah feeling is a result of the seasons changing.

While it's not quite the same in all parts of the country (or the world), many of us find that the game of life changes in November. The days are much, much shorter. Here in New York, November is always a gray month. Sunny days are in short supply. And the air is colder for most of us, too. (In fact, my "mother-in-law" in Texas commented that it would be cool there when we visit her for Thanksgiving...at 75 degrees Fahrenheit!)

These changes in our environments can have big effects on our moods. And while not all of us suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (depression often brought on by winter), adults with ADD are more neurologically sensitive than most. Don't be surprised if you find that less daylight and colder temperatures take a greater toll on you than on those around you.

The loss of daylight hours alone is enough to make an ADDer feel sluggish, tired, and moody. In other words: blah.

Don't worry too much, though, because slowing down in fall and winter is actually quite normal and natural, just as it's natural to feel more energy in the spring and summer. Rather than beating yourself up over feeling "blah," why not give yourself permission to slow down a bit?

Don't push yourself. If you don't feel up to going out as much, or taking on too many projects, that's okay. Honor your natural energy levels.

Get some extra sleep. If you find yourself getting tired earlier in the evening, take advantage of it! Humans, like all animals, are programmed to take our cues from nature. So when the sun goes down early, it's natural to want to sleep a bit more.

Find a cozy hobby. You don't have to succumb to boredom in winter. Compile a winter reading list, take up a new art or craft, or learn a new skill. (Now is a great time to learn how to cook, or improve your cooking skills!) Find ways to indulge a more subtle need for stimulation.

Of course, there are a few adults with ADD who may also suffer from Season Affective Disorder, or from depression. If at any point you find yourself wanting to sleep all the time, if you feel extreme sadness, or if you have a general feeling of hopelessness, then please talk to your doctor. These are signs that you may actually be depressed, and not just feeling the seasonal "blahs."

For most of us, however, the seasonal blahs will visit us every year around this time. Instead of pushing yourself to be "productive" and beating yourself up because you're not getting as much done as you were a month ago, try taking the pressure off. These seasonal blahs won't last forever!

How do you manage the seasonal blahs? Tell us in the comments field!

10 Steps to a Betteer Brain Part 6: Take Time to De-Stress Your Brain

Posted by Sharon Howell, ADD Management Group Coach

I know you have all heard that you need to take time to take care of yourself.  Jennifer and I talk all the time about self care.  But do you take the time to do it? 

Below is more information about the importance of these practices from Dr. Daniel Amen (Virtual AD/HD Conference speaker, neuropsychiatrist and founder of the Amen Clinics).
Please read and heed!

"De-stress the brain.  Stress kills cells in the hippocampus of the brain, affecting memory and mood.  Take a moment each day to breathe and settle down.  I think we all should meditate, do biofeedback, self hypnosis or spend time each day in prayer.  I did a study in 2003 on meditation sponsored by the Alzheimer's Prevention Foundation and Dr. Dharma Singh Kalsa.  We found that meditation had measurable, positive, physical effects on the brain helping with stress, focus and spirituality."

I love yoga.  It keeps me limber, centered and calm.  I also have craniosacral therapy (gentle working of spine and skull that claims to help with ADD, fibromyalgia, migraines and more) on occasion.  It is great if you can afford it.  When I can't afford it, I remember to breath deeply and talk to myself about the negative thoughts that cause stress.

What do you do to take care of yourself?

Posted by Sharon Howell, ADD Management Group Coach

10 Steps to a Better Brain Part 5: The Importance of Exercise

Posted by Sharon Howell, ADD Management Group Coach

I have been in and out of many exercise programs over the years.  I have done aerobics, various forms of yoga, walking, etc.  One thing that I have learned from doing this is that when I am not exercising regularly, I can really feel the difference.  It is also difficult to get back into the habit, once you have let it go.

Dr. Daniel Amen (Virtual AD/HD Conference speaker, neuropsychiatrist and founder of the Amen Clinics) states:

Physical exercise at least 3-4 times a week is essential to brain health.  Physical exercise enhances blood flow to the brain, protects brain cells against stress, helps to preserve mental abilities, decreases the risks of heart disease, vascular disease and diabetes and improves your mood.  You need to make exercise a habit if you want your brain to look and feel young.

Like any other new venture, start small.  Go walking 2-3 times a week, then increase to more walking and/or try something new until you find what works best for you.  You will be able to develop an exercise program that you enjoy doing and that makes you feel good.  I have found that yoga is great for me.  It also uses many of the same principles of self-care that we teach as ADD coaches, like going slow and not comparing yourself to others in the class.  Have fun experimenting!

Dr. Amen is speaking on "Healing the 6 Types of ADD" at the Virtual AD/HD Conference that begins 2 weeks from today! Register now to save before the fee goes up in a week!

Posted by Sharon Howell, ADD Management Group Coach

"She's Not Sick, She's a Dancer"

My friend Sital Ruparelia tipped me off to this great video on TED of Sir Ken Robinson speaking on "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"

It's an incredibly entertaining and thought-provoking talk, and he even touches on ADD. (Although one might argue that his conception of medication is slightly off.)

If 19 minutes is too long for you, skip to the 15-minute mark and watch it to the end. Let me know what you think!

10 Steps to a Better Brain - Part 4

Posted by Sharon Howell, ADD Management Group Coach

I like to watch TV as much as anyone.  I really like movies, old and new and some comedy too.  But I have learned that watching too much in one day can make my brain feel like mush.

Here are Dr. Amen's (Virtual AD/HD Conference speaker, neuropsychiatrist and founder of the Amen Clinics) words of wisdom regarding TV watching:

Be selective about what you watch on TV. New learning causes new connections in the brain, while no learning causes disconnections. In this age of cable and satellite TV, there are wonderful programs that can stimulate thought and learning, and there are many programs that have little redeeming value. Too many hours spent watching mindless programming can have a negative effect on brain function. 

Work to learn something new everyday. Einstein said if you study anything for 15 minutes a day in a year you will be an expert. Time to get back to the books!

My son, who is ADD, watches lots of discovery TV and "how to" programs.  This works well for him because he does not really like to read all that much.  He is a walking encyclopedia, which goes to show that there are good things to be learned by watching TV.  You just need to be selective and, as Dr. Amen says, take time for reading books too!

Do you have a favorite educational TV show?  Share the information with us so we can all benefit!