Part 1: Understanding ADHD — What’s Really Going On

In a previous blog, I shared my personal journey with ADHD — my experiences, challenges, and insights living with this neurodiverse brain. These two-part blogs focus more specifically on strategies and tools that clients can try to support ADHD symptoms. The goal is to provide practical, evidence-informed ideas, while recognizing that ADHD is an incredibly individual experience.

ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is often misunderstood as a problem of attention. In truth, ADHD is primarily a disorder of motivation and executive functioning — the brain’s management system that helps us plan, prioritize, and follow through.

When executive functions are underactive, even small daily tasks can feel overwhelming. ADHD is not about laziness or lack of willpower — it’s about how the brain is wired.

The ADHD Brain

The ADHD brain has lower levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin — and difficulty with reuptake, meaning these chemicals don’t stay active long enough to maintain focus, motivation, or emotional balance.

Many people with ADHD describe feeling “flat” or under-stimulated until something urgent, novel, or exciting captures their attention. This under-arousal is part of why substance use is more common among those with ADHD—stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, or other substances can temporarily boost neurotransmitters, creating a sense of balance, focus, or calm.

“ADHD is not a disorder of knowing what to do. It’s a disorder of doing what you know.”— Dr. Russell Barkley

For many, addictive behaviours can temporarily compensate for ADHD-related challenges. Lower dopamine activity, impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, and difficulties with planning make stimulants, alcohol, sugar, or compulsive behaviours feel rewarding or calming. In this way, addictions often serve a biological and psychological purpose—boosting mood, reducing stress, increasing stimulation, or supporting focus and sleep—acting as a form of self-medication for ADHD symptoms.

Executive Functioning and ADHD

ADHD affects several key areas of executive functioning, including:

• Response Inhibition (The Pause)

• Working Memory

• Time Management

• Regulation of Emotions

• Planning and Forethought

• Learning from Consequences

• Organization

• Reconstitution of Information

Let’s explore how these functions are impacted — and what helps.

Response Inhibition: The Pause

Before we can act intentionally, we must stop. The ability to pause before reacting — called response inhibition — is often where ADHD brains struggle most. Without that pause, impulsive actions or emotional outbursts can take over.

What helps:

• Practice mindful stopping throughout the day.

• Try the STOP Technique (Zylowska, 2012):

  • S = Stop – Pause for a moment.

  • T = Take a deep breath.

  • O = Observe – What’s happening in your body or environment?

  • P = Proceed – Move forward with awareness and calm.

This small pause creates space for choice — the foundation of self-regulation.

Mindfulness Practice for Adults with ADHD

Mindfulness can be a powerful way to strengthen attention and emotional regulation. According to Dr. Lidia Zylowska, psychiatrist, researcher, and author of The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD, mindfulness helps ADHD brains slow down, notice more, and respond with intention rather than reaction.

Here are three things an adult with ADHD can do today to start practicing mindfulness:

1. Become more curious about where your attention goes. In other words, pay attention to attention. When you notice your mind has wandered, gently bring it back to what you intended to do — without judgment.

2. Periodically ask yourself, “How am I right now?” Practice mini check-ins with your breath or body throughout the day. This helps you anchor in the present moment and reconnect with yourself.

3. Practice patience and self-compassion when struggling. ADHD can make everyday tasks harder. Meeting yourself with kindness forms the foundation for growth, change, and thriving with ADHD.

   
   

Both the STOP technique and these mindfulness strategies are from the work of Dr. Lidia Zylowska. You can learn more about her research, books and programs at lidiazylowska.com.

Working Memory (WM)

Working memory allows us to hold and use information in real time — like remembering what we were about to do or following multi-step directions. When it falters, things easily fall through the cracks. Here are some tips from Ari Tuckman:

WM Solutions: Stand Out More

• Do it right away (action strengthens memory).

• Use physical reminders — place the item where you’ll see it.

• Ask for a reminder or text yourself.

• Post visible sticky notes or lists.

WM Solutions: Reduce Distractions

• Declutter your workspace.

• Reduce visual and auditory noise.

• Limit extra commitments that crowd your bandwidth.

WM Solutions: Write It Out

• Write down reminders immediately.

• “Snooze” alarms until the task is actually finished.

• Break down complex tasks or highlight key steps.

ADHD brains are external brains — if it’s not written down or visible, it often doesn’t exist.

Time Management and Sense of Time

ADHD brains experience time blindness — difficulty sensing how long things take or how close deadlines truly are. The present feels strong and vivid; the future feels distant or abstract.

Time Solutions:

• Add clocks everywhere.

• Wear a watch that beeps or vibrates periodically.

• Use alarms to start and end tasks.

• Visually block your schedule by activity.

• Avoid “engrossing” distractions before transitions.

Self-Activation: Getting Started

Starting can feel like the hardest part. It’s not laziness — it’s a neurological delay between intention and action.

Small-Step Strategies:

• Clarify what needs to happen first.

• Break tasks into tiny, doable pieces.

• Set a short timer (e.g., 10 minutes) and commit to that window.

Visualize Success:

• Picture vividly how it will feel to have the task done.

• Focus on rewards, not punishments.

• Add small, immediate rewards for progress.

• Create accountability by telling someone your goal.

Movement Matters

Movement is one of the most effective natural strategies for ADHD management. Exercise increases dopamine and norepinephrine, improving focus and emotion regulation.

Helpful Movement Practices:

• Exercise or regular physical activity

• Green therapy (movement outdoors)

• Yoga, Martial Arts, or Tai Chi — combining mindfulness and body awareness

Movement helps regulate energy, calm the nervous system, and boost executive functioning — especially when it’s built into daily life.

Stay Tuned for Part 2: Managing Motivation, Sleep, Nutrition, and Workplace Strategies

Part 2 explores nutrition and brain health, time and motivation concepts, traditional treatments, and workplace accommodations — all tailored to help the ADHD brain thrive.

Concepts adapted from Ari Tuckman, PsyD, CST; Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, PhD; Russell Barkley, PhD.; and Lidia Zylowska, M.D.