Find a therapist to help with ADHD

Working harder can keep people in a shame-filled rut.

Approaching old problems in new ways may tap into cognitive flexibility.

Many of us have developed habits of working harder whenever we receive critical feedback for our ADHD challenges. We likely got stuck in this loop more easily if cognitive flexibility was a weak executive function skill for us (I am raising my hand here). If you’re like me, you might not even know how to operate if you did not label many things “problems” in your life and set out to work hard to “fix” those problems.

To work differently, an individual can begin asking more questions when knee-jerk thoughts and feelings arise. Then, an individual needs to brainstorm strategies that are not what they typically do in that same situation. Finally, experimenting with implementing new strategies compassionately and patiently is essential. For some of us, this can actually tap into our ADHD motivation via novel and new experiences.

Here is what this shift can look like in real time: Let’s say that........

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