Pets and ADHD

Posted on April 4, 2013 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 3 Comments

Photo by Reanna Evoy.

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Having pets in your life when you have ADHD is very beneficial not only in reducing unwanted ADHD symptoms, but also for your overall physical health and happiness. While you may be thinking, “but I can barely take care of myself, let alone another living creature,” it has been my experience that adults with ADHD make fabulous pet owners. While they may struggle with the stresses of life, their pet’s health is never compromised. Far from it.

Here are five reasons why having a pet is good for you if you have ADHD:

1. Self-esteem

Self-esteem levels are often low in adults with ADHD after years of not measuring up to society’s “norms.” The good news is that your pet does wonders for your self-esteem. They are completely non-judgmental and provide you with unconditional love regardless of if you took the trash out or did a good presentation at work. Plus, knowing that you are able to take care of them so well will further boost your self-esteem.

2. Stress

Living with ADHD can definitely be stressful. Trying to live up to your own expectations and that of other people, missing deadlines and appointments despite making huge efforts, losing items or forgetting information can definitely be stressful. It is a double-edged sword because when you are stressed your ADHD symptoms are exacerbated. The good news is that it only takes 15 to 30 minutes with your cat or dog or even watching your fish is enough time for chemical changes to take place in your body and for you to feel less anxious and stressed.

3. Healthy Habits

Creating and maintaining healthy habits can be really tricky. A benefit of having a pet, particularly a dog, is that they provide you with structure to your day. They need you to wake up at a regular time in the morning so they can go for a walk, and since you know you are going to wake up at roughly the same time ever morning, this forces you to go to bed at a sensible time every night. Also, as dogs need walking, you will never forget to do your daily exercise.

4. Social Contact

Social interaction is vital to our mental and physical health. Various studies have found that dog owners have many more interactions with other people when they are walking their dog than a non-dog owner walking the same route. Adults with ADHD can find social interaction difficult, so have a dog is exceedingly helpful in facilitating this. Not only will you speak to more people when you are out and about with your dog, you will also gain confidence talking to people in all situations.

5. Physical Health

While you might think that dogs seem to be the most beneficial pet, there is good news for cat owners, too. In one longitudinal study it was found that people who didn’t own a cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack than people that did. Another study showed that cat owners had fewer strokes than non-cat owners.

Actions

Consider getting a pet! While it isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, they do provide you with endless joy and laughter and they are good for your ADHD.
If you are uncertain for whatever reason, remember knowledge is power. Do some reading on what taking care of a pet would mean. Also, talk to other pet owners.
Offer to pet sit for friends or family as practice.

Filed Under: ADHD Behavior, ADHD Treatment, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: add, adhd, adults, cats, companion, confidence, dog owners, friends, life, mental health, pets, self esteem, stress, unconditional love

Why Happiness = Success When You Have ADHD

Posted on May 25, 2012 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 3 Comments

ADDers are very hard on themselves. They are always feeling ‘less than’. Rather than acknowledge what they did today and feel good about it, they focus on the long list of what they haven’t done yet. However, if you think like that, not only does it affect your self-esteem and confidence, it also lowers your energy and makes you miserable and sad.

Instead, if you allow yourself to feel pride in what you HAVE done, today, this week, month, year, this lifetime, then you will feel energized happy and can get more ‘done’ (Of course there is lots more to life than what you accomplish, but that’s another article!)

While I knew this to be true, I only had anecdotal evidence, based on myself and clients. That all changed when a client sent me this video, because it reminded her of the work we had been doing together.

http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work.html

Shawn Anchor says we need to reverse the formula for happiness and success. The current formula is that most people live by is ‘the harder I work the more successful I will be and the more successful I am the happier I will be.’

BUT, this model is flawed, because every time we have a success we change the goal post.

You have good grades, but now you have to get better grades. You have a good job, now you have to get a better job. “If happiness is on the opposite side of success your brain will never get there. We have pushed happiness over the cognitive horizon and that is because we have to be successful and then we will be happy’.

In the video, Shawn explains that our brains work in the opposite order of society’s success formula.

For example, if you are feeling happy and positive in the present, then the performance of your brain improves, your intelligence, energy and creativity are all increased.

AND it gets better… when your brain is in a positive gear, it is 31% more productive, 37% better in sales and doctors are 19% faster at making an accurate and quick diagnoses.

So, make yourself a cup of tea, and relax because you are in for a treat. As well as being informative and wise, Shawn Anchor is a very funny presenter.

emailWhy Happiness = Success When You Have ADHD

Filed Under: ADHD Treatment, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: add, adhd, adults, energy, focus, Goals, happiness, happy, present, sales, shawn anchor, success, ted

Are Computer Games Bad For ADHD?

Posted on March 16, 2012 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield Leave a Comment

When we tend to think ‘computer games = bad for us”. Usually because they involve sitting still for long periods with zero social interaction and they eat up time when there is something more productive to be done. However, there is a new breed of games that is good for you, your brain and your ADHD.

Here are 3 that I recommend:

www.lumosity.com

Lumosity is a web-based cognitive training program designed by neuroscientists that allows you to improve your mental abilities by playing games. The games are based around 5 cognitive functions: memory, attention, speed, flexibility, and problem solving. Based on the areas you particularly want to focus on, Lumosity creates a personalized training program just for you.

pac manAre Computer Games Bad For ADHD? P.S. it has a 3 day free trial so you can test it out.

www.attengo.com

Like Lumosity, Attengo is a web-based cognitive training program. However, the key difference is that it was specifically designed for people with ADD and learning disabilities. The emphasis of the training is on memory and attention. When you sign up, you are assessed on both of these areas and then a program is created for you.

www.brainage.com

Brain Age is played on The Nintendo DS. The premise behind the game is that the opium brain age is 20 years old. Your brain’s age is assessed when you start (I was horrified to find my brains age was 87. Over twice my biological age!). However, with fun games and problems you can quickly lower your age. Brain age was designed to stimulant your prefrontal cortex the anterior part of the frontal lobes and home to executive functions. It is thought that by using this area of the brain with these games you can sharpen intelligence.

As more is learned about the brain, we realize that just like the body, we need to exercise the brain to keep it in good shape. These programs help to develop and improve the cognitive functions that ADHD adults struggle with…and what better way to do this than by playing games!!

Filed Under: Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: add, adhd, adults, attengo0brainage, attention, brain, cognitive, computer game, excercise, frontal lobes, luminosity, memory, mind, neuroscientists, playing, speed, video game

How To Do The Activities You Don’t Like Doing

Posted on January 13, 2012 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 1 Comment

Recently, I heard that Jillian Michaels, former trainer for the TV show “Biggest Loser”… doesn’t like to exercise. That really surprised me; I thought TV’s toughest trainer would love exercising.

However, she likes the benefits of exercise, rather than actual exercise. This example, beautifully illustrates that sometimes we have to do actions that aren’t enjoyable, but they are essential to our well-being.

carousel horsesHow To Do The Activities You Dont Like Doing Psychologist, Dr. Ari Tuckman, identifies the difference between Product and Process activities. Process activities are actions that are done for pleasure, for example, spending time with people you love, listening to your favorite album or watching a movie. Product activities are the day to day actions that need to get done in order to function and live. Things like paying a bill on time, taking the trash out and cleaning the kitchen after supper.

Neither one is superior, both are essential to live a happy, healthy life. If your life is full of product activities you become emotional drained. If life is full of Process activities, then there are negative consequences, unpaid bills and dirty living environment etc. So balance is key.

Everyone has a different idea of if an action is a product or process activity. For example, someone who loves to cook thinks cooking an evening meal is a process activity. Yet for someone else cooking is definitely a product activity.

When you have ADHD product activities are more problematic carry out than process activities.

This is because ADHD is less issue of attention and more a motivational problem. Adults with ADHD find it hard to change from an activity they are enjoying to a different one. It is also hard for them to stay motivated and to follow through on uninteresting tasks.

What can you do to ensure you have a balance of Product and Process tasks in your life:

1) Acknowledge not all actions are fun, but they still need to be done. It sounds obvious, but it is a freeing idea. When you are next cleaning your bathroom with a sinking heart, remind yourself, this isn’t meant to be fun, but having a clean bathroom is a good thing.

2) Make product activities as enjoyable as possible. Use your timer; put music on while you are doing these activities.

3) Create habits around Product Activities so they get done as painlessly as possible.

4) Include Process activities in your life, at least one a day. Adults with ADHD tend to forget or feel they don’t deserve fun things in their life. However, when Process activities are in your life,
they give you energy so that the product activities become less hard.

emailHow To Do The Activities You Dont Like Doing

Filed Under: Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: activity, add, adhd, adults, Ari Tuckman, balance, cooking, drained, exercise, food, get healthy, increase, Jillian Michaels, life, living, lose weight

Embrace Your Achievements

Posted on December 9, 2011 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield Leave a Comment

A friend and I meet regularly at a coffee shop that is a 5 minute walk from where I live. Because it is so close, I always leave it to the last minute to get ready. Then as I am speed walking/running to get there I say to myself ‘I will leave earlier next time’. I always arrive at the coffee shop on time, but a feeling bit hot and my mind is racing.

The interesting thing about this situation is my friend thinks I am very punctual. She often comments on it. Yet, because I have done all that rushing and don’t feel punctual, in this situation, I shrug that compliment away.

This is what adults with ADHD experience all the time. They accomplish wonderful things, degrees, promotion, awards, perform acts of kindness, receive compliments from their nearest and dearest, but because behind the scenes things were a struggle, you shrug those compliments and achievements away.

This results in a huge disconnection between reality and how you see yourself. This disconnect stops you from building up a strong self esteem, from reaching your full potential, allowing yourself to be happy, and even the quality of people you have relationships with.

What can you do to close that gap between your perception of yourself and reality?

1) Being aware of it is always the first step to change. So pay attention to how you feel about yourself and what you do and have done.

2) Write a list of 25 accomplishments
Everyone I give this assignment to always gasps because it sounds a lot, but it encourages you to dig deep and really think about what you have done in your life so far.

3) Create a Hall of Frame
Gather together all your certificates, photos of important events and other items that symbolism your achievements. Get them framed and hang them together on a wall in your home. This is powerful because every time you walk past the wall your achievements, they are there, loud and proud. It might take time for your subconscious to process them, but when it does a new you emerges.

4) Accept all compliments
When someone gives you a compliment, simply say thank you. Don’t explain it away. Afterwards, spend a few minutes processing it. For example, if someone says ‘you have an incredible general knowledge’ your immediate thought might be, well it’s because I sit and watch TV when I have 101 more productive things to do. BUT, rather than do that, begin to own the fact that you are very knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects.

5) Change the way you talk to yourself
You probably have a constant negative voice chatting away to you all day. Telling you mean put downs on how you look, what you said, and what you did.
‘When you catch one of those thoughts, flip it around. ‘I sounded stupid’ to ‘I did a good job’. ‘You look silly in that outfit’ to ‘this is my favorite jacket’. The more you do it, the more your positive voice over rides the negative and the better you will feel about yourself.

Filed Under: ADHD Behavior, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: accomplishment, achievements, add, adhd, adults, aware, change, compliments, promotion, rewards, self esteem, self worth

Spontaneity

Posted on May 11, 2009 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 4 Comments

Listen to this Article:

Adults with ADHD believe that they like to be spontaneous and creative. That is why habits are hard for them. However, I have found that when day-to-day tasks become habits, adults with ADHD thrive and there is more mental space and time to be creative.

I suggest to my clients that they create habits to take the brainwork out of simple tasks such as popping keys on a hook when they come home so they don’t lose them. Going to the gym on set days so there isn’t a lot of “to-ing and fro-ing” and mental bargaining about if and when they should go.

When there are a few tasks that are linked together toward the same goal, this becomes a routine.

clapperSpontaneity For example, your morning routine might be:

Wake up at 7.00am
Bathroom, shower, shave/makeup
Breakfast
Vitamins
Leave for work at 8.00am with wallet, lunch, laptop, agenda, cell phone and keys.

Routines can also become habits. When you do these actions often enough, you go on auto pilot and your life becomes so much easier. Just like when you were learning to drive, you were really mindful of changing gears and using the clutch. You couldn’t think of anything except the task in hand. Driving. Fast forward a year later, you are able to multi-task, singing cheerfully along to the radio, chatting to the passengers or in your own private thoughts. Before you know it, you are home with no memory of the journey. The same is true for habits.

Create habits to include all your important tasks, like getting to work in the morning, going to bed at a reasonable hour at night, food shopping and cooking healthy meals, going to the gym, taking care of your finances and filling your car with gas. Once the foundations of your life are taken care of with habits, you can try new things and be spontaneous without feeling guilty. You can take a try at a new café at lunchtime, see a local band, try a new dish on the menu, check out the local museum, hang out with friends on a week night, etc. These types of experiences keep life fresh, fun and keep you from feeling bored. They also make you feel younger and have more energy. The old saying is “a change is as good as a rest” which is soooo true.

Here are some action steps to implement habits and spontaneity in your life:

What day-to-day tasks would you like to create habits around?
Concentrate on one at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
When you can do your new habit on autopilot, embrace a new one.
Be open to new things, new experiences big and small.
Enjoy the freedom to be spontaneous and creative in the happy knowledge that your basics are taken care of.

Filed Under: ADHD Treatment, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: add, adhd, adults, belief, brainwork, energy, fresh, fun, habits, mental space, routine, spontaneity, tasks, time

ADHD Behaviours…procrastination

Posted on February 6, 2009 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 2 Comments

Procrastination is one of the key ADHD behaviours and one that most adults with ADHD would love to combat. Life is full of exciting choices. It’s easy to get distracted and do the fun, enjoyable tasks, and leave the boring or difficult ones for tomorrow. The problem is that every day there are new enjoyable things to do and tomorrow never comes.

The upside of procrastination is that when we decide, consciously or subconsciously, to leave the task for another day, we feel relieved because we don’t have to do that task, at least for the moment.

Unfortunately, there are multiple downsides to procrastination. There’s anxiety of feeling overwhelmed with so much to do and no idea of when we will have the time to do everything. Our confidence is reduced as we feel we can’t depend on ourselves. Then there is negative self-talk when we remember all the tasks we keep procrastinating on, like “I am so bad!” or “I never get anything done.” Negative self-talk in the long term is probably the most damaging effect of procrastination, because it will eventually lower our self-esteem.

In contrast, the sense of accomplishment we experience when we finish a task is huge! This energizes us and we want to do the next task on our list.

The tasks we have been putting off are rarely as difficult or time-consuming as we think. The anxiety that we create by not working on the task is far greater than actually doing the task.

Don’t worry it is possible to combat one of the key ADHD behaviours,procrastination. Here is a nine-step Anti-Procrastination ACTION PLAN to gently, but effectively, help you blitz through all your procrastination items.

It may be helpful to group similar tasks together such as phone calls, paper work, odd jobs around the house, etc.
Post your “Ultimate To Do List” on a wall where you will see it often and make sure that it is dated. This will serve as an excellent baseline to measure your progress. Have a red pen close by to put a line through every task that you complete.
Now look at your “Ultimate To Do List” and decide which five tasks you are going to work on first. You might choose the most pressing five tasks, the five tasks that are going to be achieved most quickly, the five tasks that seem the most appealing, or the five least appealing tasks. It does not matter how you select them. The main thing is to just pick five tasks.
Write these five tasks down on a separate list.
Now grab your kitchen timer and set it for five minutes. Use these five minutes to create your ACTION PLAN for your first five tasks. If a task looks overwhelming, then break the task into smaller steps so it won’t seem so daunting. Also, think of what materials you might need – telephone number, a garbage bag, etc. This step is to help you break the resistance you have been feeling towards the task.
You have now created your fully detailed ACTION PLAN. Start working on the tasks.
Talk kindly to yourself. Give yourself encouragement along the way, until the task is complete.
Celebrate a job well done. Pat yourself on the back. Feel the energy that this accomplishment gives you!
If you have time, go back and repeat steps seven to nine, otherwise do this process again tomorrow.

You will find it fun to see your “Ultimate To Do List” shrinking! Good luck and enjoy the process!

Filed Under: ADHD Behavior, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: accomplishment, action plan, add, adhd, adults, anxiety, enouragement, negative, overwhelm, plans, procrastination, self-talk, tasks, to do

5 Lessons We Can Learn from Michael Phelps

Posted on November 25, 2008 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 2 Comments

23-year-old Michael Phelps is the record-breaking Olympic Swimming Champion. He is the first person to win eight gold medals in a single Olympics; the Beijing 2008 Olympics to be precise. Overall, he currently holds 16 Olympic medals; the other eight remaining are six gold and two bronze medals at Athens in 2004. What an inspiring and incredible achievement!

What many people don’t realize is that Michael has ADHD. The success of this American hero seems so effortless to the outsider, but in fact follows a challenging childhood; one that many people with ADHD can relate to. His peers bullied Michael as a child and he struggled in the classroom.

So what can we learn from Michael? You might not be an aspiring Olympic Champion, but whatever you are striving towards, Michael Phelps has key elements in his life that provide him with a strong foundation to excel in his chosen field.

Lesson # 1:

Michael has great people in his life.

He has an actively supportive mom and two elder sisters, all of who were on the stands cheering for him in Beijing. He also has a great swimming coach whom Michael respects and admires.

While the Western culture places great emphasis on being independent, humans are social beings and need human connection to thrive and be as healthy and successful as we can possibly be.

Living with ADHD isn’t easy, yet life can be much more joyful and the knocks easier to recover from when you have people who care about you, who share in your successes, as well as in the harder times.

Who are the most important people in your life? Do you connect with a loved one, either a family member or a friend every day? If not, take a moment to think about how you can incorporate this into your daily life.

Lesson # 2:

Exercise.

Michael exercises every day. As a schoolboy, his mom took him to the swimming pool every day, including Christmas day.

Michael’s passion and work IS exercise. However, it is still important that you incorporate exercise into your life on a daily basis. Exercise aids adults with ADHD because it improves attention, burns off pent up energy, reduces anxiety, and improves your mood.

Is exercise part of your daily life? If not, think of what exercise you like to do most and then, how to make it a part of your daily life. If possible, exercise at the beginning of the day. However, the main thing is to get moving and any time of day would be great.

Lesson # 3:

Michael does what he is good at.

Michael has a body built for swimming: he is 6 feet and 4 inches tall, a slim 195lbs, has size 14 feet, and hands that act like paddles – they are the size of dinner plates!

Usually, the things we are naturally good at are the very things that we enjoy the most. There is no point in fighting and struggling to do what you aren’t good at. It’s no fun. It’s hard work and really wears you down emotionally. When you work with your strengths, your life becomes more joyful and easier.

What are you naturally good at? Think about this question in relation to both your work and home life.

Lesson # 4:

Michael turned what he didn’t like to do into something that was fun.

Like many people with ADHD, Michael found school very challenging. He struggled to concentrate and focus in the classroom and didn’t enjoy reading or math. Michael’s mom was resourceful and gave Michael the sports section of the newspaper to make reading more enjoyable for him, and ensured his math tutor customized math problems to make them more interesting, e.g. ‘If you swim one meter per second, how long would it take to swim 800 meters?’

No matter how much or how often you use your strengths, there are some things that you have to do, even though they aren’t fun for you. You may not have Michael’s resourceful mom at your side, but you can be creative and think of ways to turn your painful tasks, that only you can do, into something fun.

First of all, think about what you really dislike doing. Do you think it can be delegated? If not, ask yourself how you can turn it into something that is fun.

Lesson # 5:

Michael has a dog that he named Herman!

Michael’s English bulldog Herman provides unconditional love, and doesn’t care how many medals Michael has.

Consider getting a dog for a pet.

Now, while you may think this a funny suggestion, having a pet dog can be incredibly helpful to adults with ADHD. No matter how wonderful the people are in your life, a loyal pet dog loves you regardless of whether you took the trash out or not, or did a good presentation at work. Because of this, they boost your self-esteem; they force you to go for walks, so you don’t forget your exercise. Also, dog owners talk to more people more often than non-dog owners do. Dog owners are less inclined to suffer from depression than non-dog owners are. Having a pet dog can also help you to have structure in your day.