I didn’t go to the gym today. Honestly, it has been a while since I’ve scanned my membership card. When I went to bed last night, I set the intention of going to the gym in the morning, but like many days before, it just didn’t happen. Even though I know how important exercise is for my body and mind, making it happen seems extremely difficult. For those of us with ADHD, it is not a problem of knowing what to do, The core issue of ADHD is doing what you know. When seemingly simple things seem impossible to execute, ADHD coaching can help.
Doing What You Know
Why can’t people with ADHD get anything done, if they know what they should do? This is the million-dollar question and one that has plagued parents who have children with ADHD for years. The reason why people with ADHD struggle to do what they know is because executive function challenges get in the way. Executive functioning is our brain’s ability to understand what needs to get done and take action to accomplish that goal. The ADHD brain struggles more than a neurotypical brain to access the executive function system of the brain. This is why it is not a problem of knowing what to do but doing what you know. Kids know they should study, hand in their homework and brush their teeth, but something is getting in the way of doing what they know they should do. Similarly, executive function challenges create daily challenges for adults with ADHD who struggle to execute daily tasks like paying bills and running errands.
How Can ADHD Coaching Help?
ADHD coaching helps people find the barriers that are getting in the way of doing what they know they need to do. Coaching helps people uncover challenges with compassion and understanding and learn where specific tools and targeted strategies will help.
Take my inability to go to the gym. Before coaching, I would berate myself for not going yet again and ruminate about the money I am wasting on my gym membership. Now, I get curious about what is getting in the way of my going to the gym. When I think about it, a few things come to mind. Even though I set the intention to go to the gym the night before, I didn’t set myself up for success in the morning. Setting out my gym clothes would have helped me remember and probably motivated me to go. I also started working in the morning and became hyper-focused on a new project. Setting an alarm 30 minutes before I needed to leave for my class would have helped me disengage from work. I have also learned that the initial task of going to the gym never sounds fun, and I have to push past that discomfort. Now that I understand what is getting in the way, I can create a plan to help me be more successful in the future.
Beyond Tips and Tricks
ADHD coaching goes beyond tips, tricks and hacks. Coaches help clients develop self-awareness around why they don’t do what they know, and then work with them to create a plan to help when things get hard. It is important to note that ADHD coaching is not about fixing who you are. The heart of coaching is about uncovering obstacles and creating a path for you to successfully navigate life in a way that works for you.
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