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Nature and ADHD

Posted on July 17, 2010 Written by 1 Comment

1255722 cabot forest trailNature and ADHDDid you know there is a positive link between spending time in nature and ADHD? Researchers at the University of Illinois found that 20 minutes in nature helped reduce unwanted symptoms of Adult ADHD among its participants. While this study was done with children, the researchers state that their findings also extend to ADHD adults and the non-ADHD population.

If you live in the city or a built up area, don’t feel like you are discounted from the advantages. The benefits of being outside in a “green area” were present whether the participants were in a city park or a remote rural setting. This is great news as it means that no matter where you are in the world, you will still be able to implement and enjoy the benefits that being in nature has on your ADHD.

There are all sorts of ways to incorporate green time into your day, from a gentle stroll to something more adventurous. Here is a list of some activities you can do to ensure you are spending time in nature. However, there are many more!

1. A stroll or gentle walk
2. Bike riding
3. In line skating/skateboarding
4. Horseback riding
5. Growing a garden
6. Hiking
7. Canoeing
8. Fishing
9. Running
10. Flying a kite
11. Camping
12. If you have a garden, start doing some of your regular activities there, such as eating meals and reading the newspaper.
13. Yoga or Tai Chi (done outside)
14. Bird watching
15. Walking your dog

Depending on where you live and your lifestyle, some of these activities you will only be able to do at the weekend, while others are more accessible and you can do them every day.

Action Steps to Allow Nature to reduce your symptoms of Adult ADHD

If you aren’t used to being outside in a green setting, slowly integrate it into your life, until it’s part of your daily routine. Remember, it’s important not just that you are outside, but that you are in a green setting.

1. Have at least 20 minutes of green time a day (but there is no maximum.)
2. Try every item on the list once, just for fun.
3. On days that you aren’t able to go outside, notice and compare how you feel and function to those days that you are outside.

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Have Yourself Some Fun

Posted on July 4, 2010 Written by Leave a Comment

1109766 happy clouds.thumbnailHave Yourself Some FunTaking time to have fun is something that often by passes adults with ADHD. They feel guilty because they ‘should’ being doing something else, like tidying up their messy house, or sitting down to pay the bills.
However, it is really important to make having fun a priority since it recharges your batteries and gives you more energy to get the not so fun stuff done.

One thing I have noticed with adults with ADHD is their idea of ‘fun’ might not be considered mainstream fun, and that is OK! When I ask a client what they find fun they will  say, “Oh the usual, going out for dinner, watching a movie” and I can tell they are saying those things because they are the ‘expected’ answers. But their face is lifeless.  I probe a little deeper and they say shyly..”Well, it might not be everyone’s idea of fun but..” and then their face lights up as they list everything they REALLY love to do, from political debating to midnight hikes.

Never be shy about what it is you enjoy doing, and always make time to do your fun stuff. Not only is your life more fun and enjoyable when you take the time to do what you love, but with your energy recharged, everything else in your life seems so much better.

Your homework this week is to think of 3 things that are fun for you and then schedule time to actually do them! Then, notice how happy you feel both during the activity and afterwards.

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Take Your Own 30 Day Challenge!

Posted on May 8, 2010 Written by 1 Comment

30 day challenge.thumbnailTake Your Own 30 Day Challenge!This is the last blog post for the 30 day blog challenge! YAY I did it!  The challenge was set by Connie Green, an online business coach.  The rules were that each article or blog post was to have 150 words and you needed to post 30 articles 30 days, however you can post more than one article on a given day. The last rule was good for me as I didn’t hear of the challenge till day 7.

The goal to write 30 articles was definitely achievable, but it was also a stretch since I would usually only write 4 articles that time period. As with all goals or challenges you embrace, when they are completed, not only do you feel great about the set goal, there are also additional benefits that you might not have known about at the onset. During the 30 day blog challenge my additional benefits included connecting with new people who were also doing the challenge, making writing a daily habit which in turn meant that any mental resistance I felt towards writing disappeared and I really began to enjoy writing articles in a way I never had before.

Why not set yourself an ADHD 30 day challenge? Whether it’s exercising, taking Omega 3 or decluttering for 15 minutes every day. Whatever it is I guarantee when you have finished you will feel really awesome.

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Making Changes Effortlessly

Posted on May 6, 2010 Written by 1 Comment

I live in Montreal, Canada which is a bi-lingual city of French and English.  When I first moved here from England I really battled to learn French. I had many intense French classes, did hours of French homework which caused me lots of mental anguish.  However the other evening I have a lovely surprise. I had rented the Movie ‘Coco before Channel’ a film set in France. I sat down, started to watch it and then 30 minutes into the film I realized that I had been watching the movie in French and not my usual movie watching language English.  I was stunned and delighted. My French listening skills had improved enough for me to effortlessly watch a movie without even being aware of the language it was in. This was aided I am sure by the fact that the movie is set in France rather than the US or England

Me learning French, is a little like when you start to put into place new habits recommended in ‘Untapped Brilliance’ to help minimize your negative aspects of ADHD. At first it seems like a lot of effort to implement new habits into your life. Then, all of a sudden you realize you are doing it effortlessly and without being conscious of doing them! Ahh… what an amazing feeling.

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Radio Show 5/3 with Guest Bonnie Hutchinson

Posted on May 5, 2010 Written by 1 Comment

I was delighted to welcome a special guest Bonnie Hutchinson to the 2nd Untapped Brilliance Radio show to talk about how to meditate. Meditation is so beneficial when you have ADHD yet it is also very challenging so my mission was for listeners to learn how to meditate and to disperse any of their mental resistance around practicing it. Bonnie was the perfect person to do that since she is not only a meditation expert, and runs a highly successful company, but she also has ADHD. Bonnie has practiced meditation daily after purely by chance she discovered how it quieted her busy mind so that she could let her brilliant ADHD gifts shine through.

Here are 5 top tips from the show:

1) There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Personalize the meditation experience so that it works for you.

2) You haven’t ‘failed’ if your chattery mind keeps on chattering when you meditate

3) If you are resistant to meditating because you think it takes a long time, you can do a ‘power meditation’ for 5 minutes and get great benefits.

4) You can practice meditation no matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs

5) It’s OK to call “meditating” another name!

After the radio show Bonnie said she wished there had been more time to say that the key outcome to meditating is to calm your busy ADHD mind. However, if the word ‘meditating’ is off putting, or daunting to you, you can use another word(s) to describe it. For example: my ‘brain calming exercise’.

To listen to the show, and to practice a guided meditation with Bonnie click here!

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My First Radio Show!

Posted on April 27, 2010 Written by 1 Comment

my first radio show.thumbnailMy First Radio Show!Today I hosted my first radio show!!! The song that kept playing in my head when I woke up this morning was, “Video Killed the Radiostar’ by Buggles: a song that my sister and I played millions of times when we were very young as it was one of the first vinyls we owned. 
 
I declared the show a personal success after receiving 3 phone calls and many emails saying ‘Congrats’ and ‘thanks for the great information’ within minutes of its end. I also received this wonderful tweet.
 
@jojojo09 “You have a new fan and you have hardly started speaking. I am fighting tears. Hearing u speak validates me”
 
I couldn’t ask for better feedback.
 
The show, which I named “Untapped Brilliance”, after my book ‘Untapped Brilliance how to reach your full potential as an Adult with ADHD is an extension of my coaching philosophy. As an adult with  ADHD you have many wonderful traits. However, you tend to forget those great traits as you spend most of your time focusing on the things that aren’t working in your life.  If, however, you can shift your focus to what is working in your life and  learn a few tricks and techniques to minimize the negative effects of your ADHD, you will just shine! And have a more joyful life.
 
The show is going  to be a wonderful combination of information from me about non-pharmaceutical ways to manage your ADHD and special guests talking about their expertise on topics that are known to help ADHD. For example, meditation is really beneficial in reducing  the negative effects of ADHD. It’s also a difficult technique to learn. So next week I will be interviewing Bonnie Hutchinson, meditation expert, and she will be teaching everyone how to meditate.
Also being interviewed will be successful ADHDers, who have created a life that works to their strengths, to act as inspiration. Finally, every week  myself and any guests will be able to answer questions from listeners either directly on the phone, or via email. Today Anne from Iowa asked the great question “Should I get tested if I think I have ADHD?” If you missed the answer or any part of my first show, you can listen to the recording at http://tobtr.com/s/1020033.
And if you have a question for the next show, please email it to me at Jacqueline@untappedbrilliance.com.
 
P.S. If you want a blast from the past,  listen to “Video Killed the Radiostar’ by Buggles on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ

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Should I get my ADHD Diagnosed?

Posted on April 27, 2010 Written by 1 Comment

 

755993 pills.thumbnailShould I get my ADHD Diagnosed?One of the most common reasons I hear of why someone doesn’t want to get an their ADHD diagnosed is because they don’t want to take prescription medications. Good news! You don’t have too! There is not an rule that states when you have ADHD diagnosed you automatically have to take medication.. You get to choose. You are in control. There is lots of media coverage about Ritalin and other pharmaceutical drugs, so it is easy to see why people make that connection. However, getting a diagnosis is incredibly empowering whatever your age. It explains why you are the way you are and why certain aspects of life are more challenging for you than other people. Armed with this knowledge about yourself you can start to make changes in your life and your confidence and self-esteem will flourish. It would be such a shame not to have this self-awareness.

Taking medication is just one option in the treatment of ADHD. It works exceptionally well for some people. However, for some people the benefits are outweighed by side effects so they choose not to take it. Other people have tried a prescribed drug at a time in their life when it was helpful, perhaps when they were at university but now they are at a different phase in their life and they have decided to no longer take it. For others they are very opposed to taking medication. However, if you are opposed to taking medication, for whatever reason, there are many alternative options to managing your ADHD. There are many ideas here on this blog. In my book, ‘Untapped Brilliance I outline 11 alternative steps to managing your ADHD.

Bottom line, getting ADHD diagnosed is very helpful and doesn’t not mean you have to take medication unless you choose to.

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ADHD Supplements

Posted on April 24, 2010 Written by Leave a Comment

There are lots of research and data on the subject of ADHD supplements. It can get confusing as to what supplements are ‘must have’ to help your ADHD symptoms and which ones aren’t really necessary. As an ADHD Coach I like to keep things really simple, because I know it is often to hard to remember to take ADHD supplements and replenish them when you run low. So the only  dietary ADHD supplements I suggest is Omega 3.

Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that our brain needs to function properly. Research shows that if your brain has the appropriate level of fatty acids it helps to reduce the symptoms of ADHD. This means you will notice an increase in concentration, calmness, and memory function, reduction in feel ‘blue’ and much more.

Official research has found that the benefits of taking Omega 3 can be seen in about a month. However on an anecdotal level, my ADHD coaching clients very often experience positive benefits in as little as a week.  When deciding which brand purchase, look for one that is mercury free. A common question is ‘How much should I take?’  Simply follow the instructions on the label of the product you buy, as there are different strength capsules out there.  When choosing your Omega 3 supplement you might notice that as well as Omega-3 there is also Omega-6. Omega-6 is much easier to consume in your diet so as long as you are eating a typical western diet you will be getting you enough of this essential fatty acid.

If you find that you have forgotten to take your Omega-3 for a day or 2 or longer, don’t feel bad, simply start again once you realize.

ACTION!

1. Go to your local pharmacy or health food store and buy an Omega-3 supplement.

2. Follow the instructions on the package about how much to take and how often.

3. Notice and enjoy the benefits!

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ADHD Characteristics

Posted on April 22, 2010 Written by Leave a Comment

dont take things personally.thumbnailADHD CharacteristicsWant to listen to this article?  Click here.

Two lovely ADHD characteristics are that you are ‘emotionally intelligent’ and ‘sensitive’ people  While being sensitive is not considered ‘cool’ in a culture that values ‘strong and independent’, being sensitive is an incredible gift. It allows you to relate to other people’s emotions and empathize with how they are feeling. This, in turn, allows you to connect within a deeper level that is rewarding and fulfilling.

Whether you wear your heart on your sleeve or have developed a thick outer skin, your sensitivity is a gift and can help you in your personal and professional life.

However, as with all gifts, there is a downside.

Life events that seem quite small to a non-ADHD’er can leave you mulling over that event for days, and the lovely ADHD characteristics seem more than a burden than a gift. People’s reactions to something you said, did or didn’t do stay with you for a long time. It’s hard for you not  to take things personally. Perhaps a  first date that doesn’t want a second, ‘ A friend’ who deletes you from facebook, or the car behind you honks their horn because they don’t agree with how you’re driving.

When things happen like this it’s easy to think “what did I do wrong, was I too…” A brief reflection on a situation is healthy. However, usually it’s nothing to do with you and everything to do with the other person.

Don Miguel Ruiz wrote powerful small book called ‘The Four Agreements’ .Each agreement is a combination of old Tolec wisdom and modern day knowledge. The second agreements is ‘Don’t take Anything personally’ and it’s powerful advice for everyone with ADHD

If someone doesn’t want a second date with you, it’s not because you aren’t a beautiful human being inside and out; perhaps you reminded them of their ex.  If someone deletes you as their Facebook ‘friend’, it could be because they don’t want to see what a fun life you are having, or a zillion other reasons that you couldn’t even begin to imagine.  The man behind you is honking his horn not because you violated a road safety rule but because he is in a rush, or had a fight with his wife and is feeling grumpy. Rather than spending hours thinking of different reason for someone’s behaviour and feel bad about yourself, simply remember Don Miguel Ruiz words: ‘Don’t take Anything personally’ and move on to the next fun item in your day.

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More on First Impressions

Posted on October 31, 2009 Written by Leave a Comment

If you would like to listen to this week’s article, click here.

Last week’s article was about first impressions and how basic personal grooming and the taking care of the clothes you wear has a positive effect on the people you meet.
This week’s article is also focused on creating a great first impression, however the emphasis is on your behavior. Here are the five top tips to creating a fabulous first impression:

1. Stand Up Straight!

How you hold yourself tells a person a lot about you. A straight posture tells people that you are confident. A hunched one says that you are shy and nervous. Even if you are a little nervous, keep your head held high, pull your shoulders back and have your arms in a relaxed manner by your side.

2. Be Confident!

Try to appear confident and relaxed, as this puts others at ease and makes a good impression. After all, it’s no fun hanging out with a tense shrinking violet or worry wart. Of course there will be some situations that you feel much more at home than others. However, even in uncomfortable situations, try to put on an “at ease” aura.

3. Smile!

What could be more approachable than a nice, warm smile? Answer… nothing! Giving a genuine smile to someone, both when you first meet them and throughout your interaction will result in a positive experience for both of you. A smile shows non-verbally that you are open, approachable, easy to be with, interested in what they are saying, and so much more. A smile is a positive action and will create a positive reaction.

4. Pay Attention!

Show the person you are talking to that they are important to you. Don’t let them think that you are filling time with them until you meet someone more interesting. You can demonstrate that they matter to you by letting them do more of the talking than you. Pay attention to them (I know this can be tricky) by looking at them and not have your eyes darting around. Also, use their name a little in the conversation.

5. Use Humor! (With caution.)

Now there is nothing more attractive than a person with an easy sense of humor. It’s funny, it can be an ice breaker and relieve tension. However, when you have just met someone, be careful. The funniest thing in the world to one person could be the most offensive thing to another. You have no way of knowing which way it could go until you know the person in question a little better. Once someone has been offended, it’s very hard to undo the damage, so err on the cautious side with humor.

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