A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the 2023 Applied Improvisation Network Conference. I arrived at the Improv Centre in Vancouver for registration, got my badge, got the lay of the land, and then walked outside. There, sitting on a bench, was one of the keynote speakers, Colin Mochrie of Whose Line Is It Anyway? fame. I was able to sit next to him and tell him how much he meant to me as an improv performer and practitioner of applied improvisation. Reflecting on my encounter with Mochrie and learning more about his life and career has led me to wonder how he can help those of us with ADHD.

The ADHD brain likes to wing it. This can be a strength, but there are also times where this can bite us in the butt. Therefore, it is important to know when something can be improvised or when something should be planned out in advance. I have complied a list of when it is appropriate to wing it and when it is better to go in with a plan.

Players have reported. Training camps have begun. And, a new NFL season is dawning. Many of us will be taking part in the annual tradition of fantasy football. If you are like me, you want a unique name for your team. Why not use this year’s team name as an opportunity to raise ADHD awareness? There are some great possibilities out there. Below, I have compiled a few.

The forgetfulness that comes along with ADHD can make traveling difficult. I used to resign myself to the fact that I would forget at least one thing on every trip. One day, though, I got frustrated with always forgetting something. I knew I needed a better system. I tried lists, but that only took me so far. Something was missing. Then I stumbled upon a game-changing system. I have been using it ever since.

Once you get diagnosed with ADHD and/or learn about it, you become more able to spot it in others. Some people you just suspect they have it. With other people, you would be shocked if they did not have it. The question then becomes what to do. Do you tell them your suspicions, or do you ignore it and hope they figure it out? The answer to that question is…

As longtime readers of this blog may have surmised, I am a giant nerd. I have previously written blogs about what ADHDers can learn from some of my favorite fictional stories and characters. One glaring omission from this series of blog posts is my second-favorite fictional character, Sherlock Holmes. While Holmes probably does not have ADHD, he nevertheless can be a neurodiverse icon, with it being incredibly likely that he is on the spectrum. I believe the character illustrates many ideas that the ADHDer might do well to consider.

For the past few weeks, I have been in a funk. I do not like being in a funk, yet here I am. While discussing this with my mentor, he came up with an acronym. G.O.O.F. Get Out Of Funk. The key to getting out of a funk is to G.O.O.F. around. Be a G.O.O.F.! I love this idea and am going to run with it. I pledge to be a G.O.O.F. while I am in this funk.

I think this idea can be helpful for others with ADHD. Sometimes, the ADHD can get to us, and we get down about our struggles. To all those in a funk, I say, “Be a G.O.O.F.”

I was recently interviewed by someone, and I was asked about what message I would like to give my younger self. I was not ready for that question, but my response was: “You are where you are meant to be.” As I think about that statement, it occurs to me that it, not only makes sense for myself at younger ages, but it also applies to all of us at any age. Where we are in life is preparing us for where we are going. If there are struggles in our lives, they are making us stronger and ready for what is to come in our lives. In short, we are where we are meant to be.

Many people with ADHD just take their medication and move on with their lives. However, this approach is met with mediocre results. The prevailing wisdom amongst ADHD experts is to enlist a multimodal approach to ADHD management. This means managing your ADHD on multiple fronts. One could look at this as taking care of your mind, body, and spirit. It seems to this ADHD blogger that the most neglected aspect of a mind/body/spirit approach is the spirit.

Reset ADHD has published several books, all of which are available on Amazon. However, I am no so naive as to expect you to buy and read them all. I mean I would love it if you did, but knowing my audience, I know that reading just one book can be quite the task for an ADHDer. So, that brings up the question: If you only read one, which one should you read?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This is what we are doing when we let politicians make public health policy. Granted, some government oversight is necessary to prevent unsafe health practices. However, my main point for bringing this up is the ADHD medication shortage. The head of the Food and Drug Administration Robert M. Califf, M.D. recently said the ADHD medication shortage is due to telehealth prescriptions and practices.

Recently, I had a conversation with Alan P. Brown, Jay Perry, and Ryan Mayer. It was an awesome conversation, and I encourage you to go check out the video replay. One nugget of wisdom that came up was the three ways of motivating someone with ADHD. My mentor Jay Perry dropped this nugget of wisdom, and it blew our minds. The three ways are: Scare, dare, and care. Let’s look at these three rhyming ways of motivation…

It can be hard to trust oneself when one has ADHD. There are many mistakes that get made made when living with ADHD. Most are not a big deal, but the frequency of mistakes can erode one’s self-confidence. Building up trust in one’s abilities and self-efficacy can be challenging. So, what can be done? Here are a few tips.

This blog post is scheduled to come out on May 22, 2023, the day after I turn 30. It’s been a crazy 30 years, but I am so grateful for the joys and sorrows of the past 30 years. I wish I could name everyone who needs a thank you, but I know if I attempted that I would leave someone out. So, if you feel like you have had a profound impact on my life at any time during the past 30 years, thank you. I not only feel gratitude for the people and events that have shaped me in positive way, but I also would like to extend forgiveness to anyone who has shaped me in a negative way.

I write this the day after one of my “Improv for ADHD” play sessions. I had grand plans for the improv session. I had a list of games I wanted to play. I dreamed of making a big difference in the lives of those that attended. However, I was too grand in my planning. I wanted it to be magical. What I failed to take into consideration is that simplicity is almost always better. In future play sessions, I will keep things simple (or as simple as my high-powered brain can handle).

Recently, I saw a touring production of the musical Dear Evan Hansen. I enjoyed it, despite not liking the movie version. I thought it would be unique/fun to reflect a bit on what can be learned from this show. I will be basing this off of the stage production, not the movie version of this story, because the stage production is more fresh in my mind. But, I suspect these lessons/reflections could apply to both.

Those of us with ADHD can struggle with sleep. ADHDers struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, getting out of bed in the morning, and daytime sleepiness. ADHD can make sleep worse, and sleep can make ADHD worse. It’s a vicious cycle. However, it is possible to get a good night’s sleep.

You have freedom. You have the freedom to live the life you want to live. It is up to you to decide how you live your life, but it will not be easy. The world is not wired for ADHD brains. You have to work for your right to have the life that will support you. It is up to you to achieve your ideal life. Here are some tips for living and creating the life you desire.

First of all, the internet can be a great place to get support for ADHD. In many cases, it is the only way some people can get support. This blog post is not tearing down online methods of getting support for ADHD. What this post is about is the internet behavior of some of the most popular influencers, coaches, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other ADHD professionals. In my opinion, there is a lot of behavior on the internet by popular ADHD accounts that isolate people. By reducing this behavior, we can reach more people.

In May of 2018, I was trying to decide what to do with my life. I knew I needed a career and that substitute teaching was not it. I hated being a substitute teacher, so I decided it was time to move on. However, I could not decide on what I wanted for a career. I had thought a couple of times about being an ADHD coach, but I was too afraid to take the plunge. Then, I did something that made my path clear. I applied to be a proofreader at a label-making company. Soon after applying, they scheduled an interview with me.