ADHD Coaching Topics (that actually work)
Ever thought about meeting with your ADHD Coach, or hired an ADHD Coach and then thought “Oh no, I'm not sure what to bring as a topic!”? Us too. There are many topics that are pretty likely to get the magic of coaching sparking between a coach and client.
Colleen and Brittany share some topics that really benefit from ADHD Coaching. Some ADHD Coaching topics are broad (like organization) and will naturally be narrowed down through the coaching process. And some coaching topics are more specific (like making a realistic budget) but will also need to be refined in order to understand the specific clients’ needs around it.
Examples of great ADHD Coaching topics include:
- Good calendar habits📅
- Use of a digital or paper planner/agenda/schedule📒
- How to track tasks/assignments📈
- Task management💻
- Building good task habits🔁
- Prioritization (and making peace with the fact that not everything can get done)📃
- Using tools to augment potentially inconsistent memory📱
- Routines (building and accountability to sustain)🏃♂️
- Tackling tasks that carry a huge block surrounding them🧱
- Strategizing projects/large assignments🤔
- Planning and following through on projects (especially maintaining momentum through longer term projects)✅
- Planning events or other things with a lot of moving parts (social gatherings, weddings, hobbies involving events and other people like theatrical production)💐
- Chunking down (literally anything! also known as breaking things down)✂
- Finding joy🌟
- Engaging in hobbies more regularly (giving self permission, how to work it practically into life)🎸
- Studying/memorization/practicing any skill(s)📚
- Emotional regulation (within limits, sometimes needs theraputic support)😖
- Organization (first step: narrow down to a very specific topic or area of organization)📦
- Dealing with an overloaded/disorganized room😵
- Paper management/clutter📄
- Budget/financial management (impulsive spending is sometimes therapy topic)💸
- Exploration of the most intuitive ways someone engages with information📘
- Managing Emails📧
- Self advocacy (academic, medical or insurance systems, family, friendships)📣
- Setting boundaries🙅♂️
- Seeking accommodations at school/work💼
- Basics such as feeding self, exercise, sleep, laundry, cleaning (things that will never be done and are foundational to life)🥣
- Maintaining motivation and momentum when working without specific structure or expectations from external sources (contract work, working from home, no set hours)🤩
- Taking notes (class, meetings)📝
- Perfectionism🥇
- Procrastination🕑
- Punctuality🚆
- How to balance larger goals with day to day mundane maintenance⚖
Colleen also notes that 95% of topics she is brought are “I know what I need to do and it’s hard, how do I do it anyway?” in different clothes. The best way she has found to dig into that kind of dilemma specifically is to consider what is making it hard, why the client doesn't want to do it, and why it must be done anyway. Consider exploring these details, either beforehand to get a really good jumpstart on the coaching session, or during the ADHD Coaching session.
So go forth and start your next ADHD Coaching session armed, with these suggestions for streamlining and turbo-charging the work!
Also see our previous video on some ADHD Coaching topics that should come with adjusted expectations: https://youtu.be/8i-dsijsEcY