Here in New Orleans, I often hear the question, "So you're basically a therapist, right?" Well, actually, no, I am not. As a credentialed ADHD coach, I work in collaboration with therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other medical professionals.

There has been a significant amount of recent buzz surrounding executive function skills. You may have come across discussions about them in relation to children facing difficulties in school, resulting in behavioral issues in the classroom and struggles to complete homework.

Every brain develops in its own unique way. Executive function skills develop throughout childhood, usually with metacognition as the last in early adulthood, but so many factors come into play including genetics and environmental factors.

As Turbo Thinkers©️, we have a tendency to overcomplicate things. Our ideas grow larger and larger, and our to-do list becomes longer and longer. Our minds race ahead with countless possibilities, both positive, leading to Fantasyland, and negative, delving into The Dark Side. Furthermore, we often believe that we must execute every step on our own, thinking that anything less would be considered cheating. But how true is that?

What if we shifted from believing we have fixed brain traits to focusing on dynamic processes that lead to growth and development? What if we moved from labeling people with generic terms like ADHD and instead focused on specific conditions unique to each individual? What if we explored the protective factors of resilience to embrace and build upon our strengths?

One of the most exciting pieces of research presented at this year's World Congress on ADHD shifts our focus from deficits and weaknesses to positive traits and strengths.

Woe is me, I have ADHD. I get it. Yes it’s hard... and? You've done hard things before. You can do them again. Yes. You may, at times, have been driven by the fear of consequence. But, if you think back to your most meaningful accomplishments, they were most likely driven by genuine interest and curiosity. Turbo Thinkers thrive on novelty, fun, and intrinsic motivation. They are turned on by just the right amount of challenge combined with a sense of intrigue.

In a world being transformed by automation and artificial intelligence, Turbo Thinkers will be the ones to succeed. We are the ones who ask questions. Driven by curiosity and a lifelong love of learning, Turbo Thinkers explore from a global and even universal perspective. We also dive into details driven by intense passion. Our turbo thinking minds go both wide and deep. We are wonderers and wanderers, and we are the ones who drive innovation to change the world. In comparison, the ones who only know answers are easily replaced by machines. 

Some of my clients thrive in social settings. They love to meet new people, spark conversations, and connect with others. Socializing is a mechanism that satiates their curiosity. However, some of my clients experience social anxiety instead. The idea of a holiday party gives them the heebie-jeebies from head to toe. The negative thoughts related to the event can become so intense that they can literally make themselves physically ill in order to not attend.

As October draws to a close, so does ADHD Awareness month. Yet why limit ourselves to merely one month of celebrating our strengths? More and more studies reveal the benefits of neurodiversity for the entire community, be it at home, at work, in social circles or professional networks. The truth is that our unique Turbo Thinker wiring supports the people around us in a myriad of ways.

As the days get shorter, I wish they felt longer, especially in the month of October. This month, my inbox fills with daily nuggets of research, knowledge and shared stories of ADHD experiences around the world. I feel honored to be a leader in this worldwide community of Turbo Thinkers. We now see the growing appreciation of neurodiversity in the workplace and in homes.

October can be, at times, an emotional month for me. It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. As a survivor, this triggers frustration with “race for the cure”, when I feel that it should be “race for the cause”. Why did I, and hundreds of thousands of other healthy, young women get breast cancer in the first place, in just one year? And why do the numbers continue to grow? But I digress. Lol. There goes my Turbo Thinker brain again.

This month, I allow myself to go down the rabbit hole of this website: https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/As a board member of ACO, I know the monumental effort that has gone into curating the material within. This has been a worldwide task with coalitions in various continents to educate the public about ADHD by disseminating reliable information based on the evidence of science and peer-reviewed research. ADHD is a serious public health issue on a global scale.

We are Turbo Thinkers! This means that our racing brains can produce an incredible variety and quantity of thoughts in quick succession. It also means that we are prone to burn out. What is the equivalent of a smoking engine for us? Like a race car, our brains can feel like they are exploding, we feel overwhelmed and want to scream, cry or hide.

ADHD coaching is not therapy, nor is it me sending reminders to clients and nagging them to get things done. ADHD coaching is a creative and collaborative process that empowers my clients to manage their attention, hyperactivity (physical, mental or emotional), and impulsivity while strengthening their executive function skills. These skills can include sustained attention, task initiation, time management, organization, planning, prioritization, working memory, intrinsic motivation, and metacognition.

We Turbo Thinkers tend to be an impulsive bunch. A moment of passion seizes us and we dive head first into action. Our brains light up with the stimulation of novelty and we feel the rush of excitement. When we recognize that pure fervor drives the action, we can pause to identify which specific emotion ignites the fire.

Self-care is not the same as self soothing. Turbo Thinkers deserve just as much care as anyone else. What happens when you not only give yourself permission to practice self-care, but when you actually PRIORITIZE self-care? What if you could plan and schedule self-care FIRST? How would that impact your mood and energy?