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Exercise and ADHD

Posted on March 14, 2013 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 5 Comments

To the average adult with ADHD exercise takes a back seat to almost all other activities. Work, family and friends, errands, sleep and even housework! These activities are important, however so is exercise. Exercise not only helps the longevity of your body, but it helps reduce some of the negative effects of ADHD too. For example, exercise improves your attention, mental focus, memory, mental stamina and allows you to expend pent up energy. Dr Hallowells says “Exercise stimulates epinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, like meds. So exercising is like taking meds for ADHD in a holistic, natural way”.

So what can you do to make sure exercise is part of your daily life? As well as choosing a form of exercise that is fun for you and one that is convenient, a powerful way is to look to those people who you admire and are inspired by. Perhaps your favourite sports personality or someone who you know personally. There is one particular example of someone we all know who I find very inspiring and that is Barack Obama.

On the 4th of November 2008, the eyes of the world were on America and its election day. Barack Obama made history by becoming the first African American president. His political views, beliefs and sincerity resonated with millions worldwide. It was a huge day for him and his young family. Over two years of hard work on the campaign trail culminated on this day. We can only imagine the intense emotions he must have felt. That evening when the results were official, he stood in front of 125,000 people in Chicago and gave a speech that brought people to tears and gave people goose bumps all around the world. I am guessing he didn’t get much sleep that night.

Do you know what Barack did around 6 am the morning of the 5th of November? After this momentous day? He went to the gym. Then he put on a suit and started his day.

Now if anyone could excuse themselves from a visit to the gym that day, it would have been Barack Obama. Some thoughts that might have popped into his mind: I am too tired, too busy, I have just been voted the next president of the United States! Even if those excuses did come to his mind, he went to the gym anyway.

What can you do to make sure you exercise regularly?

Make exercise part of your daily routine so that it would be just as hard not to exercise as not brush your teeth at night.
Think of who inspires you to exercise and use them as a motivation to get you moving.
Give yourself a healthy reward after you exercise.
Next time an excuse pops into your head about not exercising, think of Barack.
Notice and enjoy the benefits that exercise has on your ADHD.

Filed Under: ADHD Symptoms, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: add, adhd, attention, exercise, focus, inspiration, mental, routine, sports

ADHD and Dopamine

Posted on January 18, 2013 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 2 Comments

Dopamine 300x225ADHD and Dopamine Did you know that the brain of a person with ADHD doesn’t produce as much dopamine as someone without ADHD? This shortage affects the anterior frontal cortex part of the brain and impacts attention and focus and impulsivity, mood, and motivation…core symptoms of ADHD.

The way ADHD medications work is by positively affecting dopamine levels. For example, Ritalin and Adderall work by blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake so the dopamine that is produced stays in the synapse for longer. Adderall causes more neurotransmitters to be produced.

When your brain doesn’t have enough dopamine, it craves it. You might find yourself driven to do activities that aren’t particularly healthy, like overeat on carbs, smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, drive fast, have extramarital affairs, over spend or take street drugs.

However, there are things you can do to increase the levels of dopamine in your brain in a healthy and natural way.

1) Exercise

When you exercise your brain produces more dopamine. Find an exercise you love and do it every day.

2) Take Omega 3

Omega 3 increases your levels of dopamine. Take a supplement as well as including more Omega 3 rich foods in your diet.

3) Meditate

When you meditate you also increase your dopamine levels.

4) Vitamin C

Include lots of Vitamin C in your diet. Vitamin C is very helpful in ensuring the dopamine synapses is working well.

5) Eat foods that raise dopamine levels contain the amino acid phenylalanine, once eaten the body converts it to tyrosine and then tyrosine manufactures dopamine. Include beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds in your diet as these are all good sources of phenylalanine.

6) You body needs iron and vitamin B6 to convert food from phenylalanine to dopamine. So get your iron levels tested by your doctor, if they are low ask about taking a supplement. In one study researchers found that 84% of the children with ADHD had an iron deficiency, so it’s worth finding out.

7) Sleep

When you sleep you don’t use much dopamine, which means your dopamine levels increase overnight ready for the new day.

8) Reduce stress… stress depletes dopamine.

Filed Under: ADHD Behavior, ADHD Symptoms, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: add, adderall, adhd, attention, brain, dopamine, excercise, focus, impulse, iron, meditation, MOOD, motivation, Omega 3, ritalin, vitamin c

Executive Functions And ADHD

Posted on December 27, 2012 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 2 Comments

Lots of research now shows that ADHD adults have problems with executive functions. Executive functions are high level cognitive processes that directly regulate other cognitive processes. All this takes place automatically and unconsciously in the brain’s frontal lobes.

I like to think of Executive functions are like the brains project manager. Just as a project manager instructs and coordinates their team so that each member carries out their assigned role to reach their objective. The executive functions direct a ‘team’ of central control processes in the brain that are responsible for other brain functions.

Here is a list of executive functions that affect how we function in daily life:

Working memory and recall
Keeping facts in mind, manipulating information and retrieving stored data from long term memory
Motivation, activation, arousal and effort
Starting, giving attention to and finishing a task
Emotional control
Enduring frustration, thinking prior to speaking or taking action
Language internalization
Controlling self talk to manage actions and behavior
Complex problem solving
Breaking down a problem, examining its components and synthesizing ideas towards a solution

When you have ADHD these things might not happen automatically, however there are things you can do externally to help support your executive functioning.

Below are some suggestions. I have written articles on many of the tips, so if something peaks your interest, just click on the link.

For time management:

Use a timer

Use a paper agenda with a week at a glance layout so you know what you day and week look like

Set alarms, alarm clock, watch, phone

Have ‘transitional time’ between activities

Getting things done

Use checklists

Write to do lists

Break big tasks into smaller bite size pieces

Use a white board to keep track of all your projects

Use ‘Don’t break the chain’ technique so you don’t leave things to the last minute

Memory

Write things down so you don’t forget anything

Use one note book to write everything in. When it’s full get another one Create habits around things you do or need to do a lot

Physical space

Keep it clutter free (I know this is hard)

Colour code items

Have a place for everything

Is there anything you do to help support your executive functions? I would love to hear what you find works for you.

P.S We will be addressing many of these strategies to support your executive functions and more in the Untapped Brilliance Coaching program too

Filed Under: Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: actions, add, adhd, attention, career, coworker, executuve, frustration, ideas, memory, motivation, office, problem solving, self-talk, solutions

Should you tell people you have ADHD?

Posted on December 14, 2012 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield 2 Comments

file 300x199Should you tell people you have ADHD? When you first discover you have ADHD, you might be tempted to shout the news from the rooftops because you are thrilled to know this new piece of information about yourself. It explains why you are the way you are and why ‘simple’ things that other people find easy are difficult for you. You might feel relief, excitement and want other people to hear the good news.

But before you tell anyone, please proceed with caution.

Even though we know more about ADHD than ever before, there are still a lot of misconceptions, negativity, and prejudice again ADHD. People have been denied insurance, promotion and faced prejudice at Colleges or University because they shared their diagnosis. None of these things are politically correct and can be fought, but that takes a lot of time and strength to do.

Even well meaning people in your life, might just see the label ‘ADHD’ rather than the whole of you including your unique qualities and strengths.

Of course, tell your nearest and dearest, but beyond them, carefully consider who else you share your news with.

However, what you can do with everyone in your life is to address your symptoms. Develop a really good understanding of how ADHD affects you and then think of ways that will support you to perform at your best.

For example, if you know your memory for details is poor and a work colleague asks you something as you are rushing out, you could say, “Would you mind emailing me that request, my mind is so full right now and I really don’t want to forget it?”

If it’s difficult for you to pay attention in meetings, take notes, and explain to the people there you are doing that because it’s an important topic and you want to have it in writing.

If early morning appointments are tough for you because it takes a few hours to ‘come round’ explain to people that you are at your mental peak after 11am and would prefer to schedule things then.

No one will argue with any of these requests because they are things we can all identify with. They make the person feel respected, while all the time honoring your ADHD so that you can perform your best.

This week:

1) Think of 5 challenges you face because of your ADHD

2) Brainstorm solutions

3) Practice saying the solutions out loud, so when you are in a real life situation, it will roll off your tongue.

emailShould you tell people you have ADHD?

Filed Under: ADHD Behavior, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: add, adhd, attention, diagnosis, doctor, family, friends, news, performance, sharing, solutions, work

ADHD Relationships: A Powerful Tip To Improve Yours

Posted on November 23, 2012 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield Leave a Comment

romantic coupleADHD Relationships: A Powerful Tip To Improve Yours Maintaining a happy, healthy, long-term relationship when one member of the couple has ADHD is challenging. If you have ADHD then you might feel that you are disappointing your partner that you aren’t ‘measuring up’ to the standards they have for you. You might feel sad and frustrated that your partner no longer sees the good characteristics you have. Instead, they only see your less endearing dualities or what you forgot to do.

If you are married to someone with ADHD might feel you need to act like a parent or super coach, rather than an equal to keep everything on track. Perhaps you feel resentful that you have to do so much otherwise it would never get done. You might not feel loved or valued because small actions, such as, arriving on time or remembering birthdays rarely happen.

However, when you shift your perspective and focus on what you do like rather than what you don’t like a powerful shift takes place. You will remember why you fell in love and feel the joy and love of the life you have created since. Darren Hardy, author of ‘The compound effect’ decided to write down something he appreciated about his wife every single day for a year. He was grateful for the clean sheets she put on the bed, for a beautiful meal she prepared, how pretty she looked that day, her kindness towards other people etc.

At the end of the year on Thanksgiving Day Darren gave his wife a journal with all the things he had written. She cried and declared it the best present she ever had.

A wonderful thing happened during the year of gratitude. Darren fell in love with his wife all over again. Because he was focusing on the good things she was doing, he paid less attention to the things that frustrated him. He also noticed and appreciated the subtleties of her character. This new appreciation for his wife caused him to behavior differently towards his wife and so she responded differently to him. They had the best year of their marriage and it has kept getting better every since.

Darren started his journal on Thanksgiving Day and wrote it for a whole year. It took him 5 minutes a day. Would you like to start a Thanksgiving Journal for your partner? If a year sounds like a long time, why not commit to 30 days? Let me know how you get on!

emailADHD Relationships: A Powerful Tip To Improve Yours

Filed Under: ADHD Behavior, ADHD Treatment, Adult ADHD, Untapped Brilliance Blog Tagged: add, adhd, attention, children, commitment, family, frustration, happy, healthy, husband, journal, long-term, love, marriage, parent, partners, relationship, romance, thanksgiving, wife

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

Attention and ADHD

Posted on September 20, 2010 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield Leave a Comment

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. However, the name “Attention Deficit” is slightly deceptive as ADHD is more about how attention is controlled rather than an actual shortage of attention. It is tricky for someone with ADHD to focus on the most important thing at any given moment since it’s hard to filter out the less important things that are occurring in the environment.

For example, if you are having a conversation with a friend, in an ideal world you would focus on them so they know you are listening and that listening to them is important to you. Yet it’s hard to do that when you can hear a siren going off in the distance, people are moving around in your peripheral vision and your phone is vibrating in your pocket.

The perfect way to illustrate that ADHD is not about a “deficit” of attention is hyper-focusing. Hyper-focus is the ability to focus intently on one activity for hours at a time. When an activity interests you, your focus is exceptionally strong and the rest of the world disappears into the background. Hyper-focusing, like distractibility, is thought to be due to low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Hyper-focus can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s a gift in the sense that it allows you to make enormous headway into projects in a way that a non-ADHDer can only dream of. The downside is that if you have other tasks you are supposed to be doing, they can get left by the wayside.

Here are some ways to make hyper-focusing work for you:

1. Fill your life with activities you enjoy as much as possible.
2. With tasks that you have to do, make them as interesting as possible for yourself. For example, the famous swimmer Michael Phelps hated reading and math when he was in school. To make these activities interesting and compelling, Michael’s resourceful mom gave him the Sports section of the newspaper to read and customized math problems to cater to his interest, such as “If you swim one meter per second, how long would it take to swim 800 meters?”
3. After you have done a boring task or two, do one of your hyper-focus tasks as a reward.
4. If you are doing a task that you know you are going to hyper-focus on, yet have other commitments, set an external reminder, such as a timer, cell phone alarm or person, to physically remind you that it’s time to move on.
5. Enjoy the gift of hyper-focus. When channeled in the right direction, it can allow you to excel in life.

Filed Under: Adult ADHD Tagged: adhd, Adult ADHD, attention, challenges, decision making, hyperactivity

ADHD and Bipolar Disorder

Posted on May 2, 2010 Written by Jacqueline Sinfield Leave a Comment

Approximately 20 percent of ADHD adults also have Bipolar Disorder. It’s difficult to differentiate between the 2 conditions as some symptoms are the same. For example: ADD is diagnosed by elevated levels inability to concentrate, impulsivity, distractibility and hyper-activeness. During a manic episode someone with Bipolar Disorder experiences high levels of impulsivity and hyper- activeness.

People with ADD can be inattentive and during a depressed mood someone with Bipolar Disorder may also experience this inattentiveness.

However, there are lots of differences too.

ADD usually appears in childhood (although not always diagnosed in childhood) and is consistently present lifetime.

Bipolar Disorder (with some exceptions) usually appears in the very late teens or early 20′s. There are long periods of ‘normal’ mood levels. As well as experiencing the intense highs and lows that are characteristic of Bipolar.

In both ADHD and Bipolar Disorder there are swings from one mood to another. But while someone with ADHD experiences more intense moods than a peer with ADHD, there moods are still deemed ‘normal’. By contrast someone with Bipolar experience intense moods, swinging from an incredible high and happy mood or mania to a deep low depression.

People with ADHD’s emotions and moods are connected to life events. So if something happy happens they feel joyful, if a sad event happens they feel sad. This differs from someone with Bipolar Disorder as their moods are not connected to events in their life.

There is no reason to feel scared or fearful if you think you have one or both ADHD and Bipolar disorder. Both can be managed, and you can enjoy a happy and fulfilling life. However like all conditions it’s important to first understand what you are dealing with and then it can be treated according, so visit your doctor to begin the diagnosis process.