My role as an ADHD Coach is to partner with you, to create clarity for your short term and long term goals, and then help you make a plan to make them happen. My role is also to help you notice any habits or behaviors, thinking, beliefs and patterns which are not serving you so that you can move beyond the stuck places you find yourself and get to where you want to be.
People with ADHD can get very stuck not just because of the ADHD itself but also because something I call the Secondary Symptoms of ADHD (which if left unaddressed), will scupper any chances you have of reaching your goals. So a large part of any Life Coaching work must include some reparation work for all aspects of your life that have been affected by ADHD, as these aspects are the foundations on which you’ll build your goals. They need to be as solid as they can possibly be.
With my own Coach approach I’ve identified and named Six Aspects of a Whole ADHD Life. One of the Primary Aspects of our Whole ADHD Life is The MIND BODY. After all, ADHD is a Neurological condition affecting specifically the Brain, Mind and Body. It’s also the vehicle (the fuel and the engine if you like) that carries you to your goals, so it needs to be in good enough condition to get you through the ups and downs of change.
If you’re committed to moving away from a life of struggle and limits and making the changes that will open up a new way of being, then taking care of your Mind-Body Systems is one of the fundamental first steps.
Not everyone is aware of the ways ADHD affects the MIND BODY (either directly or indirectly). So, here’s a list of some of them:
Common ADHD MIND BODY issues. Sleep disorders (getting to sleep, staying asleep, waking up, snoring etc.) Low energy, Poor diet, Poor relationship to food, Depleted nutrition, Draining or Addictive habits with Caffeine, Sugar, Carbs, Drugs, Weed or Alcohol. Process addictions such as Screen time, Shopping, Relationships and Work. Physical sensitivities, Allergies or Sensitivities to food, Gut issues, Restless legs, Foggy thinking, Hormonal issues, Hyper-focus burnout, High stress, Depression and Avoidance… Whew!!
Many of these draining and exhausting issues are so entrenched in our lives they’ve become almost normal to us. Being tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, not knowing where to begin, we just kind of accept them as something we have to live with. Imagine what it would be like to also try- (whilst you’re dealing with any if not all of the above issues)-to begin a new career path, take care of your fitness and diet or go back to school or complete your MBA. That would be a bit like filling your bucket with fresh, clean water while it has multiple leaks! No wonder we have so many failures along our journey, with this list alone, which isn’t even touching upon the ADHD traits themselves we were not exactly set up to succeed. My own ADHD journey is sadly a perfect example of the many issues of the MIND BODY that we can be dealing with. Thankfully it’s also now a good example of what changes are possible with intentional action…
My ADHD journey includes: Addiction to alcohol and codependency, a sleep disorder (apnea), gut inflammation, persistent low energy, hormonal issues, (including chronic PMS & Ovarian cysts), carbs/sugar addiction, Candida, chaotic routines around self care, chronic rumination/depression, multi-tasking mania, stress & burnout, food Sensitivities and emotional or binge eating.
With intentional action to address these issues of MIND BODY, I’m grateful to be able to say that today at the age of 57, I feel better than I have at any other time in my entire life! Today I have so much more energy, stamina, emotional stability, better overall health and self care, focus and bandwidth for whatever I put my mind to than when I was in my 20’s, 30’s or early 40’s. I only wish I’d known years sooner that many of these things were related and that many of the challenges were solvable and had simple solutions.
What a tremendous difference it makes to us when we can begin to take back control of our Mind and Body and have the resulting energy, stamina and mental well-being to follow through on what we set out to do. To not be constantly tripped up and dragged down by these daily obstacles of low energy and draining habits is so liberating!
We don’t have to accept and tolerate these issues of MIND and BODY, we can change and improve many if not all of them and the results will give you the fuel you need to get that degree, start that new business, change your career, write that book, start or improve your relationships, or tackle that dream project. This is worth more (in my opinion) than any of the best or newest, latest productivity tools or hacks to commit to healing your MIND BODY systems so that everything else is possible.