483 | Invisible Disabilities in the Workplace with Jessica Hicksted, PhD

In this episode, I share my personal insight on how I broke through a recurring overwhelm that takes over when actually things are going smooth in my life and out of nowhere I feel stuck and not able to move forward.   
I share how my mentor/coach David Giwerc, Founder of ADD Coach Acadamy helped me figure out my pattern and how to break it.   This has been by far the most profound lesson on how my ADHD brain can high jack me. 
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @proudlyadhd_coachcathy for tools, tips on how to manage your brain to work for you instead of you working for it. 
 

One thing I’ve learned about working with my ADHD clients, especially business owners and professionals is that they have the need/urge to do everything themselves and are very reluctant to ask for support.

Even though they are truly gifted in so many ways and highly capable of taking on a lot, it does eventually catch up to them and that’s one of the reasons they end up in my coaching practice. Deligation or Asking for support is not an automatic default mode since most of their lives they have been working so hard to prove to others that they are capable.

In this episode, my guest and colleague Coach Brooke Schnittman and I will talk about the strategic ways of seeking collaboration and asking for support so that you can continue to focus on your strengths while building a solid network to avoid burnout.

Stay to the end of this episode, we have a special announcement to share with you.

About Brooke Schnittman

Coaching with Brooke has partnered with thousands of individuals since 2006 who are struggling with the daily chaos of their ADHD in their personal, professional, and or academic lives. Coaching With Brooke provides individuals with ADHD and executive functioning challenges the tools and accountability to lead an empowered life. It’s the goal of Coaching with Brooke to empower the lives of 10,000 individuals with ADHD over the next 5 years through coaching services, public speaking engagements, and yearly ADHDEdCamp events.

***3C Activation Group Coaching***

Earlier this year I sat down with Michael Liss to hear his inspiring story of late in life diagnosis of ADHD at 50.   There is so much compassion and raw honestly in his story.  I encourage you to listen to the entire episode as I am sure many of you will relate to what he shares and will be inspired by how he has moved beyond his ADHD diagnosis. 

Join my Quantum Thinkers’s Mastermind, managing ADHD does not have to be done all on your own. Lean into the support of our group. 

Today, Eric is joined by Nate!  Nate is a program manager for the Department of Defense and a graduate student at Columbia University.  He received an ADHD diagnosis in 2016 at age 24 and a bi-polar diagnosis in 2022.  After better understanding his mental abilities and inabilities, he realized how incompatible he was with the person the world expected him to be.  This experience has led Nate down a path to highlight the tremendous potential and value that neurodivergent individuals can bring to an organization despite the story someone’s resume may or may not tell.   You’ll hear about how Nate found success despite being ‘punted’ from 5 schools, how education and opportunities are geared towards the ‘majority’, having a responsibility to our community to enable the changes we’d like to see, and how Nate received his ADHD diagnosis during active duty.  Then, you’ll also hear how being neurodivergent can bring different perspectives to the table, why age or rank doesn’t increase or decrease the worth of someone’s perspective, being curious and resilient, and that you don’t have to have a degree to offer a valuable insight.  Get in touch with Nate at nsr2143@columbia.edu  Other Questions/Topics Answered in this Episode: [00:02:16] How did Nate, a late-diagnosed ADHDer, become a program manager for the Department of Defense?  [00:03:09]  “Quantification does not equal the qualification”  [00:5:55] Why was Leadership as Nate’s undergrad important? What about college?  [00:18:34] What does it take for someone who’s been fired multiple times, tried higher-education multiple times, to have that resilient spirit to keep on going? [00:26:52] “I never looked at your rank or your position and thought that made you smarter or have a better opinion than me.”  [00:27:12] Speaking up and presenting a different view of the world in a diplomatic way [00:29:14] Experiencing pushback, managing those encounters, and reflecting on those who are pushing back [00:31:09] How does one navigate a scenario where they’ve pushed too hard or misread a situation? [00:35:53] Nate shares his experiences with bi-polar and how it shows up for him  [00:42:28] How does Nate manage the cyclical nature of bi-polar?  [00:48:14] Closing thoughts, the importance of curiosity and resilience, and how you can reach Nate  Resources & Honorable Mentions: “Your Potential can only rise to the occasions its presented” – Nate “Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.” – Alan Turing  Book – – An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison () Check out the Other Podcasts on the ADHD reWired Podcast Network:  ADHD Essentials with Brendan Mahan  Hacking Your ADHD with Will Curb  ADHD Diversified with MJ Siemens Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! Interested in group coaching? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired’s award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!  

Join the ADHD reWired Team every second Tuesday of the month for our monthly Live Q&A!  Hear all the questions in the full ad-free version of this episode when you become a Patron at $5.00 a month or more by going to adhdrewired.com/Patreon   Questions & Topics in this Episode: [00:03:41] “I was wondering if someone knows about an already existing group for business owners who have ADHD.” [00:05:02] A listener asks about setting and following through with their intentions as they are in the new phase of life: Retirement.  [00:06:57] Our listener and panelists talk about getting more physical activity.  [00:11:08] “You’re allowed to take some time to transition.” – Brendan Mahan [00:13:11] “I am a helper and I sometimes jump into helping-situations without even thinking about it.”  [00:20:20] Emily, who started their own business, asks about outcome-goals vs. process-goals for their business.  [00:25:06] “I’ve been trying to get into live-streaming, but it still feels like something’s missing.   [00:27:16] Panelists give tips on energy management and routines.   [00:30:22] “Do you have any advice for when we find ourselves frozen in total overwhelm?” [00:38:00] “…I heard you and a podcast guest lament the challenges you both have in grocery stores. Could you explain why this is such a thing for those with ADHD?” [00:43:33] “You mentioned dealing with emotional dysregulation before doing ADHD reWired’s Coaching & Accountability Groups.  I’ve only recently started coming to grips with this.  Can you say something about this and offer some suggestions in managing emotional dysregulation?  [00:49:45] A moment of Dad… Check out the Other Podcasts on the ADHD reWired Podcast Network: with Brendan Mahan with Will Curb with MJ Siemens  

In today’s show, Eric is joined by Dana Crews!  Dana has been a coach, educator, facilitator, and trainer in the behavioral health and mental health field for over 15 years.  She is currently combining her own personal practice, unique life experience, and education in the ancient wisdom traditions together with modern psychology and behavioral and neuroscience research in her newly-created mindfulness ADHD life-coaching business: Second Arrow Life Coaching!  Dana is an advocate for invisible disabilities and neurodivergence.  She believes that knowing and connecting to your core values and practicing basic mindfulness and yogic techniques allows us to transform self-judgment and fear into constructive reflection, insight, compassion, health, and creative solutions. Find Dana on LinkedIn Learn more about Dana at her website secondarrowlifecoaching.com Find Dana on Instagram @secondarrowlifecoaching Questions/Topics:  [00:01:11] Introducing Dana  [00:03:08] What is the difference between satisfaction and contentment?  [00:05:03] Exploring contentedness and its different avenues  [00:06:32] Where is the overlap and what is separate between contentment and gratitude?  [00:11:51] A discussion about the discomfort in familiarity  [00:14:24] Is the struggle of holding onto contentment an issue of emotional self-regulation?   [00:20:00] How much of the struggle around contentment comes from societal ideas of feeling content and ADHD brains needing novelty?  [00:21:40] A discussion on Buddhist psychology and philosophy  [00:23:52] How does one strive through the lens of Buddhist philosophy?  [00:27:27] Not thinking about the future vs. over-planning for the future  [00:29:40] Overidentification, rumination, and separation of self  [00:31:32] How much of being able to experience being content has to do with resilience?   [00:39:40] Dana shares more about growing up, undiagnosed ADHD, travel, and meeting the Dalai Lama  [00:41:58] What is Ayurveda  [00:44:33] How can self-awareness inform our understanding of our experiences?  [00:46:30] A moment of an idea of contentment  [00:48:26] Closing thoughts  🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired’s award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!