Regardless of whether or not you choose to take medication, there are holistic methods you can – and should – use every day to improve your focus and concentration.  We’re not talking about oddball Chinese herbs or mystery supplements; “holistic” simply refers to the “whole person”, mind and body.  Join Beth Main, in partnership with ADD Resources, on May 24 at 3:00 EDT and learn seven essential strategies for maintaining peak focus with or without meds.

Sign up here:  http://addresources.org/?q=node/148

This is an informal event where like minds (in our case, minds that don’t always focus appropriately) gather to exchange information.  Want to know what to do about a spouse who just doesn’t get it?  How to get started on something you keep putting off?  What kind of time management systems work best for ADDers?  These are all great questions.  Yours are even better.

As an added bonus, Beth will be offering all attendees a free 15-minute individual ADHD coaching session to be scheduled after the event.

You can fully participate in the live discussion with your webcam, microphone and speakers, OR you can leave your camera and/or microphone off and simply ask your questions using the “Chat” interface.  Either way, you’ll get answers via live streaming video and audio.  (Please note that you’ll need speakers or earphones in order to hear the audio portion of the discussion; earphones are preferred to cut down on the “echo” effect that sometimes occurs with videoconferencing.)

Register here:  http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=ED57DE84824C

Hope to see you there!

Sally McAfee, M.Ed. has worked with young people and families for over 30 years. Her specialty is helping children, teens, and families leverage their strengths and overcome the challenges presented by Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder.

As a school counselor for over 20 years, Sally worked with students who had many different learning differences, including ADHD. Working with these students increased her sensitivity and responsiveness to the unique way each individual understands and perceives the world. Empowering young people, families and staff to learn to communicate and problem solve was one of the most satisfying elements of her counseling career.

Sally earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bucknell University and a Masters degree in Counseling from Antioch University. She is a graduate of both CoachU and The Six Advisors Coaching Academy. Additionally, she completed training with Jodi Sleeper-Triplett (JST Coaching) on coaching youth with ADHD.

Welcome Sally!

So there I sat at the end of Ricard’s presentation at a recent coaching conference, both moved and immobilized. Sitting next to me, a man named Chuck brought me back when he said something like, “So, are you going to meditate?” That simple question led to some provocative conversation. When we got up to leave we were the only ones seated in a hall that held 1,500 people twenty minutes earlier. How nice it was to be present in dialogue and oblivious to the conference pace.

You know how conferences go. Learn. Explore. Connect. Go. Go. Go. We barely and rarely assimilate the learning. Ironic, isn’t it? It’s just like us non-monks who practice meditation; we’re often “hurrying” to do so, when our intent is to still our body and mind. Ah yes, we have more to learn.

What is meditation? According to Wikipedia, “Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned, “thinking” mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness.”

From dictionary.com, “To train, calm, or empty the mind, often by achieving an altered state, as by focusing on a single object.”

Understandably, there are as many definitions as ways to practice, given meditation has been around for 5,000 years. Speaking from experience, it does not require “Gumby” limbs, hippy clothes or special abilities, just an open mind, a little time, and a lot of patience. I was struck by what Matthieu Ricard had to say about meditation.

Ricard starts by saying that mind training is a more useful term than meditation. Mind training changes the brain. It determines the quality of every instant of our lives by changing our base lines, conditioning the way we experience things. Ricard uses the example of a light that illuminates a beautiful diamond or a pile of garbage. The light is unchanged, regardless of what it illuminates.

Most of the things we believe make us happy are limited, temporary and illusory. They depend on circumstances. As Ricard says, they “give a hint of what life could be like, if we changed the balance of the mind, instead of altering external circumstances.”

It turns out that becoming truly happy is a skill to be learned, the goal being to change our minds versus our circumstances, and become more like the light. So much for beauty, fame and fortune!

Does it mean we lose interest in the things that make us tick? Ricard says, “That’s one of the mistakes people make: that a serene, balanced mind is a dull mind.” Engaging and humorous, I assure you, there is nothing dull about Matthieu Ricard.

Are you afraid of being dull? Caught up in the “Go, Go, Go,” we run on adrenaline, often addicted to it. Yet we might yearn for a slower, calmer lifestyle – an interesting dichotomy.

It is my belief that it is often self-image, or ego, that prevents us from slowing down. We find it difficult to accept ourselves doing or achieving less. Our society often rewards those who do more. This comes at a cost. If we pay attention to our behaviors, listen to our bodies and connect with our values we might get a different message about our need for speed. Living life continually on red alert eventually wreaks havoc on our health.

What difference does mind training make? Ricard is heavily involved in research on the effect of mind training on the brain. MRI and fMRI (video) results show Ricard and other highly experienced meditators were well beyond the normal curve, showing heightened activity in the left cortex of the brain associated with pleasant emotion. For this reason Matthieu Ricard has been dubbed “the happiest man in the world.”

There is also plenty of evidence that meditation is also good for our physical well being, reducing stress, blood pressure, and more.

What is achievement, anyway? How do we define ourselves if not by what we do? How do we slow down, become fully present and change the patterns in our brains, short of walking away and taking an extended vacation east? Like everything else we do, by making a commitment, then taking one small step and one deep breath at a time.

“It was very nice to meet you, Chuck. I’m just wondering, are you still meditating?”

Claudette brings a passion for health and wellness to her work as an ADHD coach.  Adequate sleep, healthy eating, and regular exercise are critical components of any ADHD management plan.  Claudette’s extensive experience in wellness coaching and training make her the perfect addition to the ADHD Solutions team.  Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Claudette works with people all over North America via phone and Skype.

Claudette received her life coach training from Coach U, a leading, global, coach training organization accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF).   She graduated in 2001, and continues to participate in training from both Coach U and the ICF.  She’s currently wrapping up some additional training with Susan Sussman of the American Coaching Academy, a leading pioneer in the ADHD Coaching field.   Claudette is a member of the International Coach Federation, the Edmonton Association of Professional Coaches and Alberta Health Services Weight Wise Community Network.

You’ll be reading more from Claudette as she continues to share her wisdom, wit, and insight.

Welcome Claudette!

“You’ve given me strategies that I can apply immediately in my day to day life – right now, as soon as I hang up.  Others I’ve worked with have been more high level and theoretical, and I don’t really know what to do with that.”

Right on!  That’s part of what sets ADHD Solutions apart.  We don’t just explain, we actually help you implement the strategies you need to overcome your ADHD challenges.

Thanks Dave!  I wish you the very best that life has to offer.  And I know you’ll achieve it.

After what seemed like a very long time (of not parking in the garage) Ken completed his first big project. He designed and built a beautiful cabinet to create some additional storage for our kitchen (and of course to cut some wood).

Fait accompli? Not quite.

The white wall that was to be the backdrop for the new furniture was just not worthy. We had to paint it a vibrant color to highlight the masterpiece. That meant also painting the rest of the kitchen, the front entrance, the back closet and half bath. New light fixtures were in order. And of course the transfer of dishes to the new buffet caused a total kitchen re-org. The quest for complementary objets d’ art has just begun.

Now I know why it’s called woodworking. This buffet has been a lot of work!

Homeowners know that there is always something more to do. And so it is with life.

Just when running 5 K becomes easy, you must increase the frequency, distance, pace or intensity, or the benefits plateau.

You can do your job with your eyes closed. Oh-oh. They are closed. Is it time for a new challenge?

You think you know everything about your partner and then he takes up woodworking.

A client said recently, “I thought it was about losing 40 pounds. It’s not. It’s about how I treat myself.” When you change one attitude or belief, everything changes, like a domino effect. So for everything we learn or do, there is more to learn or do. And that’s a good thing.

Life is a journey, hopefully complete with twists and turns ripe with adventure and experience. We can learn and grow from them, especially when life sucks.

How to keep it together when the dominoes tumble.

• Accept change. It’s the only thing that is certain.

• Enjoy the present. It’s easy to say – tougher to do. So don’t get ahead of yourself. The present moment is where change occurs. All that worry doesn’t change a darned thing. My splendiferous Mary Todd daylilies remind me, well . . . daily. You see, their gigantic, beautiful blooms last but a day. Each day brings another bouquet.

• Have no expectations. This is very different from having low expectations. I don’t encourage that. When you have no expectations of certain outcomes you can ride the waves of change and live in the present.

• Stick with it. You could be ready for a breakthrough.

Life, or personal growth, is like a woodworking project.

You start with a plan.

Sometimes it works.

It’s harder than you thought.

You need to do a lot of sanding to get a beautiful finish.

And it’s SO worth it!

Finally, as my husband always says, “You can’t have too many clamps.” . . . (a.k.a. support systems that hold you together.)

Ken is building new hand railings. What’s next for you?

The webinar will be recorded and available up to one week after the event.

Catch you there!