If you have ADHD, the structured, collaborative, and ongoing support of a coach can be a powerful tool.
ADHD coaching is not fundamentally different from other coaching, except that the coach
• is knowledgeable about the field of ADHD, and
• is aware of the biological nature of this syndrome and its potential impact on behavior and quality of life.
Living with ADHD
If you have ADHD, you may live your life
• in a chaos of projects begun and abandoned
• under the constant overcast of procrastination
• in a haze of missed deadlines, forgotten appointments, and broken promises
• surrounded by desktops, closets, floors, and dining room tables filled with rubble
• bewildered by knowing what to do and just not doing it
• weighed down by discouragement and a suspicion that life isn’t this hard for everyone.
ADHD coaching addresses the chronic impairment of the brain’s executive functions that can be the most frustrating aspect of this syndrome for adults and is largely responsible for the above conditions. Executive functions include the ability to organize for work tasks, actually get started, maintain focus, sustain energy, manage frustration, and follow through to completion.
An ADHD coach partners with you to create external structures for managing time, space, behavior, and things. The coach:
• works with your strengths to support your ability to make change
• helps you use your own rhythms and preferences to establish new habits
• holds you accountable for what you commit to
• helps you develop problem-solving skills
• focuses on keeping you in action and moving forward
• creates a safe space for new learning
• reminds you of your successes when all you can see are your failures
• stays with you.
Adults with ADHD who benefit most from coaching are those who bring a desire for change to the coaching partnership, a belief that they are able to make this change, and a willingness to work to accomplish it. Under these circumstances, the possibilities are all but limitless.