WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:02.399 Hi everyone, and welcome back to another podcast episode. My 2 00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:05.000 name is Alicia Gogin, the host of the Globe Secrets podcast. 3 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:07.639 Why help you expand your mind and become more self 4 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:09.599 aware so that you can glow up into the best 5 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:13.519 version of yourself. Hello, another day, another dollar. I feel 6 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:15.240 like I used to always say that during the wintertime, 7 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:18.760 so we're bringing it back. Another day, another slight, another dollar, 8 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:22.719 another day to learn how to be productive. Okay, so 9 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:25.160 this episode is probably gonna be long, and I've been 10 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:27.519 waiting a long time to do this episode, which I 11 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:29.519 think partly that has to do with the fact that 12 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:35.600 I do struggle with ADHD tendencies and neurodivergency, which is 13 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.479 perfect really because we're gonna talk about that today. We're 14 00:00:38.479 --> 00:00:42.719 gonna talk about how to get productive and focused, especially 15 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:47.880 when you do have ADHD, dyslexia, anything under the neuro 16 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:53.320 divergent umbrella. And I want to obviously make a disclaimer here. 17 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:56.640 I'm not a doctor, I am not a therapist, I 18 00:00:56.679 --> 00:01:00.719 am none of those things. So take all of these 19 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:05.560 tips as you will. I also am actually undiagnosed, but 20 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:09.079 I do know one hundred percent that I do have 21 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:13.959 ADHD tendencies, I like to say tendencies because I'm not 22 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.799 really diagnosed, so that's just what I do, Okay. I 23 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:21.760 also know that everything is a spectrum, so the way 24 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:25.840 that I present some of my tendencies might not be 25 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:28.280 the same as yours. Maybe you need to reach out 26 00:01:28.280 --> 00:01:31.319 for help, maybe you need to be on medication. That 27 00:01:31.319 --> 00:01:31.719 that is. 28 00:01:31.719 --> 00:01:33.239 Your own thing. I am not. 29 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:37.280 I don't believe that I have a really really hard 30 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:41.599 time with ADHD, mainly because I have learned how to 31 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:46.000 manage it and learned ways to work around it, same 32 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:51.439 with being dyslexic, which I am dyslexic. Also, I have 33 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:55.319 a lot of mood issues. I would say I struggle 34 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:58.799 with mild forms of PMDD right around my luteal phase, 35 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:02.640 which makes it difficult for me to focused and be 36 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:05.799 motivated and to be productive. All of these things do. 37 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:08.159 So I'm going to talk about a lot of things. 38 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:10.280 I want to kind of discuss a little bit about, 39 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:14.400 like ADHD and how it kind of presents also dyslexia 40 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:16.560 if you don't really know what that is. I want 41 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:19.439 to talk to you about the understanding that I have 42 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:23.439 of these things, at least within myself. And again, I 43 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:25.319 am not a doctor. I am not a therapist. You 44 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:27.319 can do your own research. I've spent a lot of 45 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:31.400 time understanding myself, of course, but also diving into this. 46 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:34.719 I'm also going to leave resources down below, very scientific 47 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.240 podcast episodes if you really want to dive deep and 48 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:43.479 understand from a biological level even but also just ways 49 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:47.960 to educate yourself when it comes to this world of neurodivergence. Really, 50 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.080 and of course I want to talk about all the things, 51 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:54.000 or at least as much as I can, that have 52 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:57.080 helped me be successful, because I'll tell you this. We'll 53 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:01.000 do a little backstory. Okay, in school, I really really struggled. 54 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:05.360 I had d's and f's through the entire school year 55 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:08.680 of elementary and even high school until right at the 56 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:11.560 end of high school. Actually, I was put into classes 57 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:14.759 where you would get extra help, but in turn, a 58 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:17.719 lot of the times being put in different classes where 59 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:22.240 people had like learning disabilities and stuff. It actually, in 60 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:24.960 my personal opinion, made it worse for me to catch 61 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:28.919 up in the normal classes because I'd be pulled out 62 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:31.400 so much, and I just don't feel like I had 63 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:34.439 the support that I probably needed in order to really 64 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:36.759 understand and learn the things that I needed to do. 65 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:39.159 I'm sure people did the best job that they could, 66 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:42.759 but I just really struggled in school. Thankfully, I was 67 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:45.159 able to get extra time when it came to doing 68 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:48.199 tests and things like that, but I still wasn't understanding 69 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:50.520 a lot of things that I was being taught because 70 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:52.599 of the way my brain works, especially when it comes 71 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:57.840 to being dyslexic, and some of my ADHD tendencies actually 72 00:03:58.599 --> 00:04:02.479 are a result of not learning and moving through this 73 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:07.000 world through the lens of understanding a dyslexic mind, which 74 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:09.000 I want to kind of talk about that correlation. So 75 00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:11.919 I've had a lot of struggles when it comes to learning, 76 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:16.399 retaining information, also just being productive and having focused and 77 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:19.560 hitting goals and doing the things that I've been dying 78 00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:22.800 to do all my life. But I've also accomplished so 79 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:24.920 many things, and I want to talk about these things. 80 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:28.600 So you know, am I perfect? No? Have I achieved 81 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:32.079 this insane amount of success? Maybe some people would think that, 82 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:33.639 But like, there's so many more things that I need 83 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:36.079 to accomplish or I want to accomplish, I should say, 84 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:39.519 but I have accomplished a lot. I have gotten focused 85 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.079 in my life, I have been productive, I have fixed 86 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.240 my finances. I have changed the way that I view 87 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:46.879 myself and the way that I learn. I feel like 88 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:49.040 I'm a very smart person. I feel like I've learned 89 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:52.279 how to speak, I've learned how to write and read. 90 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:53.800 I am an author now. 91 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:56.959 So there's so many like good things that can come 92 00:04:57.079 --> 00:05:00.720 out of being somebody who has these tendencies, these traits, 93 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:03.560 and I want to share that information with you guys. 94 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:06.000 So let's first talk a little bit about traits of 95 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:09.920 ADHD and dyslexia. And these are really just like infographics. 96 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:12.000 You can do your own research, like I already said, 97 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:15.199 so let's talk about some symptoms of dyslexia. Also, some 98 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.000 of the wording with these just don't get offended if 99 00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:22.319 they like I don't know. Sometimes I see like infographics 100 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:26.160 where it says, uh, warning signs of dyslexia or like 101 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:29.399 warning signs of ADHD, Like it doesn't need to be 102 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.319 scary or like warning of anything. 103 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:32.759 I don't know. 104 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:35.920 Anyways, we're not gonna get offended. But let's read them out. 105 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:40.000 Intelligent but has problems with reading, writing, or spelling, often 106 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:43.319 confuses the right from the left. Intelligent but does not 107 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:47.079 test well or have severe anxiety about testing seems to 108 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:50.199 daydream or zone out when it in the Kay, do 109 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:51.959 you see how I just messed up my words? 110 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:52.439 Like that? 111 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:57.360 That is a symptom of dyslexia. So when I'm reading something, 112 00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:00.279 I will jumble the words and then it I will 113 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:01.839 mess it up, and then I'll have to say it again. 114 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:03.959 Like that's just something that's always been a thing for me. 115 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:08.560 If that happens to you, doesn't mean you have dyslexia. 116 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:11.439 But that has definitely always been a trait of mine. 117 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:15.480 So that's usually what happens, and I just reread it, 118 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.639 so let's reread it. Seems to daydream or zone out 119 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:22.319 when in a classroom or meeting scenario. Learns best by 120 00:06:22.439 --> 00:06:26.160 hands on training rather than verbal or written instruction. Sees 121 00:06:26.199 --> 00:06:31.199 movement of letters on a paper see again, like that's 122 00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:34.959 not what that said. Sees movement of letters on a page, 123 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:40.040 whether reading or writing, reads and rereads without much comprehension. 124 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:44.120 Has difficulty with spelling, has challenges putting thoughts into words. 125 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.639 Difficulty with writing or copying. Tends to hold a pen 126 00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:51.360 or pencil differently and very tightly. Handwriting is hard to read. 127 00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:56.040 Has difficulty with large or fine motor skills. Has difficulty 128 00:06:56.160 --> 00:06:58.759 reading time on a traditional clock, which is so funny 129 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:00.600 actually that I'm reading this now because I always had 130 00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:03.680 an issue with that. I could never read traditional clocks, 131 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:05.199 Like I literally look at that thing and be like, 132 00:07:05.879 --> 00:07:07.480 what does that mean? I don't know what that means? 133 00:07:07.480 --> 00:07:11.360 Somebody explain, which again, doesn't mean you have dyslexia if 134 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:13.360 you don't. If you can't like read time on a clock, 135 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:15.879 you know what I mean. Another one is has time 136 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:19.720 management problems, tends to be procrastinator, tends to be good 137 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:23.560 at math calculations, but word problems are very difficult, which 138 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:25.759 was really hard for me. Word problems, but math in 139 00:07:25.800 --> 00:07:27.879 general was really hard for me as well. Tends to 140 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:29.920 be disorderly or extremely orderly. 141 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:30.279 Okay. 142 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:33.360 So another thing when it comes to dyslexic thinking is 143 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:38.759 that we don't really tend to think linearly. We think 144 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:41.759 very nonlinearly. I don't even know if linearly is a word. 145 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:46.000 But nonlinear, okay, nonlinear thinking, which makes it sometimes difficult 146 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:49.879 for you to read things in a linear way, or 147 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:52.720 spell things in a linear way, or retain information in 148 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:55.079 a certain way. Because your mind is very creative. Your 149 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:57.439 mind is very much so I can see all aspects 150 00:07:57.480 --> 00:08:01.480 of things. I can see how everything connects with each other. 151 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:04.279 But then sometimes it makes you feel like your mind 152 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:05.399 can be very jumbled. 153 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:06.279 And I want to read. 154 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:08.920 This one last thing where it says does dyslexia affect 155 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:12.920 logical thinking? And it says one of the more advantageous 156 00:08:13.160 --> 00:08:16.319 qualities and many dyslexic people is their ability to think 157 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:20.439 outside the box. They come up with excellent, unorthodox ideas 158 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:22.720 that are not only fresh, but lucrative as well, and 159 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:27.399 also says another trait that dyslexics can possess is the 160 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:32.279 ability to critically think as well. I think that has 161 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:33.919 to do with being able to see kind of like 162 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:37.440 all possibilities at once in a way. But regardless, I'm 163 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:40.080 not going to keep explaining how my brain works, because 164 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:44.639 everyone's brain kind of works differently. But having a brain 165 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:47.480 like this sometimes makes it difficult for you to do 166 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:55.320 a lot of traditional schooling. And also I found, especially 167 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:58.639 even as I got older, though, is some of my 168 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:02.279 ADHD tendon sees the behaviors which I will talk about 169 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:06.440 that I was having was really a result from not 170 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:11.320 having enough support and structure from my nonlinear brain. The 171 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:13.559 way that I learn and think now that's not the 172 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:16.600 case for everyone. When it comes to ADHD, it's a 173 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:23.279 biological thing. I personally also think having developmental issues ADHD 174 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:26.840 or dyslexia, these type of things, I don't personally believe 175 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:31.039 it's always just always biological. I think a huge role 176 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:33.559 in why a lot of people are like this, and 177 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:37.159 this is my personal opinion and my experience honestly, is 178 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:40.480 due to a lot of childhood trauma. You will see 179 00:09:40.519 --> 00:09:43.840 a big correlation with people who have these tendencies. And 180 00:09:43.960 --> 00:09:46.240 what I mean by childhood trauma is it could be 181 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.159 big or small trauma, but any sort of dysregulation in 182 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:53.399 your nervous system will result in you not being able 183 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:56.279 to pay attention, you not being able to regulate yourself, 184 00:09:56.360 --> 00:09:58.919 so you might look like you're hyperactive. There's so many 185 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:03.919 things that go into why you would have these tendencies. 186 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:06.720 And to be honest, everyone comes from some sort of 187 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:09.200 dysregulation when it comes to their nervous systems and the 188 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:12.679 way that they deal with stress in their lives. I 189 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:16.639 don't think most schooling systems are supportive of most people, 190 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:19.440 even people who might not have dyslexio or like a 191 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:23.159 lot of ADHD tendencies. I just think that in general, 192 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:25.480 life is stressful. Even as you grow up as an adult, 193 00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:28.000 things are very stressful, which makes it difficult for you 194 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:31.919 to be with yourself and slow down and be present 195 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:35.320 and be focused. So I found another little list and 196 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:36.919 I will put up on the screen if you're watching 197 00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:39.799 on YouTube of things I thought were my personality but 198 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:44.879 we're actually just ADHD symptoms and again to each of 199 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:46.799 their own. There's so many different ways in which you 200 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:48.879 can explain this, but I think a lot of people 201 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:51.679 will relate to some of these things. One is chronic 202 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:56.600 lateness and time blindness, daydreaming and zoning out, poor impulse control, 203 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:03.080 social butterfly but then burnout, mind wander during conversations, interrupting oversharing, 204 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:09.879 mirroring other people's energy and personality, irritability, hobby hopping, which 205 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:13.799 I feel like everyone can relate to that in some sense. 206 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:16.799 If you have ADHD, of this like starting something and 207 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:19.559 not finishing at one hundred percent because you have this 208 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:22.279 hyper focus, this hyper attention on this thing and then 209 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:23.639 you kind of like give up on that, which I 210 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:25.240 want to talk about that because I think it's actually 211 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:27.440 a positive trait of having ADHD. 212 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:30.919 You struggle with focusing on a lot of things. 213 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:33.759 But when you are interested in something, you can hyper 214 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:36.799 focus on that thing, and I think that you can 215 00:11:36.919 --> 00:11:38.320 use that to your benefit a lot. And that's what 216 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.039 I've done in my life. Executive dysfunction, which I'm pretty 217 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:45.000 sure just means like analysis kind of paralysis, like not 218 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:47.120 being able to make a decision. Things like that, I 219 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:50.679 believe because it also says lazy, slats unmotivated, which obviously 220 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:54.120 you're not really, It's just you are in freeze mode 221 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:56.200 some of the times, which is a nervous system response 222 00:11:56.279 --> 00:11:58.879 of just being so overwhelmed and really in your head 223 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:01.360 and chaotic and not being able to make a decision 224 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:07.080 procrastinating memory problems that tends to be an issue with 225 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:09.960 people who have ADHD, if it's like out of sight, 226 00:12:10.039 --> 00:12:12.399 out of minds, like you just don't even remember things 227 00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:14.720 if you don't have it in front of you. I 228 00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:18.639 believe that's called object permanence, or the opposite of that, 229 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:21.279 where when you are younger, Actually, let me look this 230 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:24.240 up right now so I can just talk about it quickly. Okay, 231 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:28.879 So having ADHD makes it difficult for you to have 232 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:32.679 object permanence. So object permanence, like I said is basically 233 00:12:32.759 --> 00:12:36.440 just remembering something. So there's a stage of development when 234 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:39.879 you are an infant where let's say you put your 235 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:44.080 child down and the child knows that the mother is 236 00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:47.120 outside of the room, versus does not know the mother 237 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:50.279 is outside the room. Like there becomes a stage in 238 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:53.360 which you kind of understand object permanence of I'm in 239 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:55.919 this room and my mom's in the other room. Or 240 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:59.399 you put a toy underneath a blanket, and I know 241 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:01.720 that that toy underneath the blanket. But when you are 242 00:13:01.720 --> 00:13:03.960 really really young, like as an infant, there is a 243 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:05.919 phase of course where you don't actually know that that 244 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:09.360 toys under the blanket. But when you have ADHDS, sometimes 245 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.440 when you put the toy into the blanket, you literally 246 00:13:12.519 --> 00:13:15.120 like forget it's there, Like you literally just like it's 247 00:13:15.159 --> 00:13:17.639 not that you actually don't know it's there. But if 248 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:19.399 it comes to like tasks and things like that, you 249 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:22.600 just aren't remembering things. More things are hyper focused, which 250 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:25.200 I've kind of already talked about sleep issues, overeating or 251 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:28.919 forgetting to eat, Buying planners and journals and never using them. 252 00:13:29.799 --> 00:13:32.600 That's funny. I used to do that all the time. 253 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:35.159 But I'm pretty good at that now, because I know 254 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:37.480 what works for me and what planners work and what don't, 255 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:41.679 which is so key. When you have ADHD, you just 256 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:44.120 have all these tendencies. It's like you got to know 257 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:46.840 what you're going to use and what doesn't work for you, you know, 258 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:50.720 or the ways that you are going to be able 259 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:52.759 to retain information in ways that just don't work for you. Again, 260 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:56.600 we're going to talk about that. Mood swings and emotional dysregulation, 261 00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:59.399 which I want to talk about PMDD in your mental cycle, 262 00:14:00.200 --> 00:14:03.639 practicing or replaying arguments in your head at length, fantasizing 263 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:07.519 while engaged in sexual activity. Interesting, I didn't read that one, 264 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:10.320 but I don't know. I don't think I do that 265 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:14.360 making weird lists like this, I'm dead. The last one 266 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:17.080 says making weird lists like this. So let's also talk 267 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:19.879 about ADHD in the metro cycle as well. It says 268 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:22.519 here many women have reported that there are days during 269 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:25.240 the month that they feel like their ADHD medication just 270 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.840 isn't working as well as it normally does. Now, of 271 00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:32.279 course I'm not on medication, but I can see throughout 272 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:37.279 the periods of the month of when these tendencies are 273 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:41.679 harder to manage or when my mood is just regulated more. 274 00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:48.159 And on top of that, like my actual ADHD habits 275 00:14:48.279 --> 00:14:52.879 of like just not being focused, can't get myself to focus. 276 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:55.759 I'm really in analysis proalysis. I'm really in this like 277 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:58.200 freeze mode. I can't seem to like make decisions, I 278 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:00.600 don't feel like I'm productive, all that kind of stuff. 279 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:04.960 It happens during my luteal phase, which will basically tell 280 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:08.279 you this right here. Your hormones impact your ADHD symptoms 281 00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:11.159 as they ebb and flow, and your symptoms will follow 282 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:15.120 as your estrogen climbs. During your follicular phase, your ability 283 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:18.480 to focus and be more productive will also climb. So 284 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:22.559 if you don't know, quick side note, we have four 285 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:24.720 phases of our cycle that we go through as women. 286 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:27.399 If you are not on hormonal birth control and you're 287 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:30.759 not pregnant, or you're not in premenopause or metopause, or. 288 00:15:30.759 --> 00:15:31.519 Don't have your period. 289 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:33.799 The first phase is your mental cycle. That is when 290 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:37.279 you are bleeding. And then after you're done bleeding, you 291 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:39.360 probably know you start to feel little bit better, your 292 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:41.840 energy is coming kind of back online more. You're into 293 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:44.639 your follicular phase, and then you move into your ovulation phase, 294 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:47.159 which is not only where you can get pregnant and 295 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:49.679 where you can actually only get pregnant around that time, 296 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:53.480 but usually you have a lot more energy, stamina, maybe 297 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:55.879 you even have more libido. That's usually kind of like 298 00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:58.559 how it works for me. And then you kind of 299 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:02.879 dip down slowly again into your luteal phase, which lasts. 300 00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:05.919 There's so many different days, so you can't be rearticular, 301 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:07.919 but let's just average it out and say about two 302 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:10.399 weeks or like fourteen days of being in your liteal phase. 303 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:13.200 For me, my first week of my luteal phase doesn't 304 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:17.080 really feel much different than ovulation or even like follicular. 305 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.519 I kind of feel pretty normal, and then the week 306 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.200 before I bleed again is where I'm feeling those PMS 307 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:27.200 symptoms that obviously everyone has different symptoms, but during that 308 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:30.720 time is when I do find it much harder for 309 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:35.759 me to focus and to be motivated because I already 310 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:38.679 struggle with doing that in the first place. And as 311 00:16:38.679 --> 00:16:43.080 it continues to say, may notice your ADHD symptoms worsening 312 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:45.840 the week before your mental phase, or maybe you chalk 313 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:48.840 it up to PMS while the increase in progesterone and 314 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:53.399 decreasing dopamine will throw your executive function through the ringer, 315 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:57.320 which your dopamine receptors are really low, like there's not 316 00:16:57.480 --> 00:16:59.919 that much dopamine that you do have if you do 317 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:05.240 struggle with ADHD. And that's why sometimes when people have ADHD, 318 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:09.559 they will rely on stimulants, whether that is caffeine or 319 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:14.640 obviously scrolling on TikTok or scrolling on social media, or 320 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:17.519 eating sugary foods. Some people will go as far as, 321 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:19.400 of course, like getting into drugs and things like that. 322 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.599 There's so many reasons, but some of those things will 323 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:25.279 be raising or dopamine levels, and that's kind of like 324 00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:27.960 what we're always seeking. And so around the time of 325 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:32.039 our PMS symptoms, of course, like dopamine is low, our 326 00:17:32.119 --> 00:17:34.920 motivation for life is low, and then we really struggle 327 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.519 with also being very very productive. And this also says 328 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:41.680 irritability and forgetfulness. I'm saying that like very weird. But 329 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:46.640 whatever where a little dyslexic care, your emotions become more dysregulated. 330 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:48.960 It's all connected to your cycle, which I do believe. 331 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:53.000 I do believe that ADHD is definitely connected and gets 332 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:55.720 affected depending on which phase you are in your cycle, 333 00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:58.119 So it's just good to understand that. So with a 334 00:17:58.119 --> 00:18:01.640 few of those definitions or excuss I want to talk 335 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:05.119 about some of the things that I have learned on 336 00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:08.200 my journey to help me stay focused and just like 337 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:10.599 truths about my life in the way that I am 338 00:18:10.680 --> 00:18:14.640 currently right now that has helped me become successful and 339 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:16.759 actually get the things that I want. 340 00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:19.200 In my life. And to understand that. 341 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:25.759 I am not somebody who can't do successful, amazing things 342 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:27.680 just because I have a brain that works a little 343 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:31.599 bit differently, and I have changed a lot of my 344 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:36.359 tendencies as well as I've gotten older, Like I struggled 345 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:38.799 a lot more with reading and writing when I was 346 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:40.960 younger than I do now because of some of the 347 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:44.000 things that I have trained myself to do. So I 348 00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:46.519 do think that, and this has been said on some 349 00:18:46.599 --> 00:18:49.559 of those scientific podcasts as well, like you can age 350 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:51.960 out of ADHD. You can age out of some of 351 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:57.160 these things. And some people might disagree, I am speaking 352 00:18:57.160 --> 00:19:00.720 on personal experience. I still have viously have a few 353 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:03.440 of these tendencies and things like that, but not only 354 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:05.640 just like learning how to manage these things, but also 355 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:07.920 you can actually age out of some of these things. 356 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:11.240 It depends on your environment. It depends, of course, like 357 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:13.480 coming back to nervous system regulation, like if you're a 358 00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:16.200 highly stressed individual. When I was a child, I was 359 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:18.480 highly stressed. I didn't understand that there was a lot 360 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.160 of things happening in my home life that made it 361 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.680 really difficult for me to even sit down and process information. 362 00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:26.960 But now in my life, I live a completely different 363 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:29.960 life and I'm a lot more regulated, and I can 364 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:34.599 sit down and be way more focused. I can speak 365 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:36.920 and read out loud a lot better. Do I still 366 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:39.359 sometimes mess up my words, yeah, but I am not 367 00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:42.599 afraid to speak and use my voice and ask questions, 368 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:45.799 which means I end up learning more and I actually 369 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:48.960 progress as an adult. But also I'm not afraid to 370 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:50.920 mess up my words the way that I was when 371 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:54.279 I was younger in the classroom, So I have more 372 00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:56.960 practice with being able to speak, and of course, in 373 00:19:57.000 --> 00:19:59.519 turn doing that, I am a better speaker. So with 374 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:03.400 discover a lot about myself when it comes to dyslexia 375 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:07.480 and ADHD, I have had to learn how to reframe 376 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:09.920 the way that I look at myself and the way 377 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:13.839 that I move in this life. And there's a chart 378 00:20:13.880 --> 00:20:16.799 that I want to read, and it says ADHD reframes 379 00:20:16.839 --> 00:20:19.359 and I think this is very helpful, and then we 380 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:21.680 can get into some of the tips. So it says, 381 00:20:21.799 --> 00:20:26.480 instead of thinking success comes from my consistency, start thinking 382 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:30.559 about how success comes from experimentation and commitment to what 383 00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:32.880 works for you. And I think that that has been 384 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:36.200 something that I have learned without even reading this on 385 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:39.920 an infographic. Is understanding that I operate and move differently, 386 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:41.880 and so I need to figure out what works for me, 387 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:44.960 not trying to do what works for everyone else. That's 388 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.240 why sometimes also like linear living, like doing the same 389 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:50.759 thing every single day doesn't work, and I'm not going 390 00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:52.680 to get mad at myself because I can't do it 391 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:54.279 the way that everyone else does it. I need to 392 00:20:54.359 --> 00:20:57.079 understand what works for me, and I'm going to commit 393 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:00.839 to that process. Another thing, instead of saying anything worth 394 00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:04.799 doing is worth doing well, start saying anything worth doing 395 00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:08.359 is worth taking messy action on and learning as you go, 396 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:11.799 which is so important. Sometimes you just have to take action. 397 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:15.880 Another thing, Instead of saying I have a deficit of attention, 398 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:20.400 you can say I regulate attention differently and actually have 399 00:21:20.440 --> 00:21:24.200 a surplus that can be channeled for amazing things. The 400 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:27.200 surf plus being when you are hyper focused on something 401 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:30.759