ADHD as a Superpower for Entrepreneurs and High Performers

ADHD in business can feel overwhelming, especially for entrepreneurs, leaders, and high-performing professionals trying to manage focus, time blindness, anxiety, emotional

regulation, and daily structure. In this episode of TheKarasWrightShow, Karas Wright sits down with Alexandra Hindson for a thoughtful conversation about ADHD, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and how to begin seeing ADHD not only as a challenge, but also as a potential superpower.

Together, they explore the realities many adults face when navigating ADHD in work, relationships, and everyday life. Alexandra shares her experience supporting students,

entrepreneurs, and professionals through a more holistic, mindfulness-based approach that

includes grounding practices, journaling, yoga, structure, and deeper self-awareness. Karas also brings her perspective as a coach and parent, making this a grounded, human conversation about what actually helps when life feels scattered, overstimulating, or hard to manage.

This episode covers the emotional side of ADHD, the impact of overwhelm and indecision, how structure can reduce anxiety, and why practices like movement, mindfulness, planning, journaling, and supportive routines can make such a difference.

00:00 Introduction

01:10 Alexandra’s background and ADHD work 

05:10 ADHD, anxiety, and emotional regulation 

10:58 Yoga, journaling, and rewiring the brain

22:02 ADHD symptoms, structure, and daily support 

33:57 Exercise, planning, and staying consistent

Important Note:

This conversation is based on personal and professional experience and is not intended to replace medical advice.

References made in this episode:

Donna Gamble Eye See Clearly Optical Instagram: @eyeseeclearly

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

https://drjilltaylor.com/

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the channel, share it with someone who may need it, and leave a comment with your biggest takeaway.

#ADHD #ADHDInBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #Mindfulness #WomenInBusiness #EmotionalRegulation #ProductivityTips #KarasWrightShow #AlbertaBusiness

Host: Karas Wright — Business & Leadership Coach (Wright Step Coaching) Website: https://www.wrightstepcoaching.com/

Instagram: @wrightstepcoaching

The Clarity Path is a practical leadership and business reset for experienced leaders and business owners whose thinking has become crowded, slower, or heavier under pressure even though performance hasn’t stopped

www.wrightstepcoaching.com/clarity-path

Guest: Alexandra Hindson

Website: https://www.alexandrahindson.com/

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I think it's really interesting as I'm working with entrepreneurs. What I'm noticing, especially in that female gender aspect of it, is the element of wanting to connect, but when they go off the meds, all of a sudden they're feeling very scattered and not able to feel in control. And so there's that element of what is the right approach? Do I medicate? Do I not medicate? What are the alternatives? And I think what's really interesting about your business is that you give a more somatic aspect to look at things.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

Yes. My background. So as somebody who is an entrepreneur, I was an entrepreneur and dibble-dabbled in all kinds of different um businesses. So I had Heinz in biotechnology, I suppose my background is in science. And I was a biotech consultant. And because of the uh overwhelm that comes with ADD and the lack of organization that I experienced, the lack of planning, the flying by the seat of my pants approach. Because I was living an exciting life, right? It's like living on the edge. And I that was my addiction, is I mean, that's part of it is how do we get our dopamine hit? And for me, it was living with that excitement of not knowing and taking on projects that were challenging, right? That were a little bit over my head. And from that experience, I um I knew something in me needed some help.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

I'm Karis Raid, and I'm thrilled for you to join me today. I'm talking about a subject that is near and dear to my heart, which is ADHD. The reason being is that I actually grew up with a sibling who had ADHD and still has ADHD, as a matter of fact. And I'm also a parent of an Audi ADHD child. And so having this discussed in today's day and age is really important as we have more and more adults coming into the workforce that are challenged by this. But I have an amazing guest, Alexandra Hinson from Clarity Coaching, who actually looks at ADHD, as do I, as a superpower. So I'm very thrilled to have you come and chat with us at the Karas Wright Show about this really important topic. So let's start off with I would love to understand from you how you got into supporting entrepreneurs and um really busy, high-performing professionals with ADHD.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Um yes, I did um a pivot two years ago. I was working with university students with ADHD and learning disabilities. I come from a background of education. I was teaching at Mount Royal College. And then when it went to university, I transitioned into working as an academic strategist with accessibility services at the at the university. And so I was working with hundreds of students with various learning disabilities, but most often the people who would show up in front of me were eight had ADHD. And so what I did was I helped them with time management, organization, reading strategies, study strategies, focus and concentration, exam taking, a gamut of different strategies. But I'll never forget there were there was one student, and I'm just going to use this as an example, as a piece of anecdotal evidence, is the way that I work with clients is I use a yogic tradition, a yogic tradition of using symbolism and unpacking the unconscious using symbolism. And so I had him write out three symbols for his semester at the end. So we did a wrap-up. And the one symbol that showed up was a clock that was blurred out. I think that's a classic image of somebody with ADHD is time blindness. It was perfect. It was so beautiful. Couldn't have done it better. So yeah, that's how I got there. And then when I um left the university, I started my own consulting practice and worked with university students. So I was connected with all of the universities in Alberta, as well as in parts of Canada. So, and then um I decided I wanted to leverage this. I wanted to work with adults who were committed to the practices that I was using, which are um mindfulness-based, holistic approach, and who wanted to make deep, deeper change. And so I made that pivot really, it's been about six to eighteen months. So it's not even been full two years. And so I've started working in and started a program uh called Awaken to so awaken, rewire, and reclaim your ADHD superpower. So for me, it's been exciting, uh switching it from ADHD as being a problem to recognizing the incredible strengths and using that as the foundation for the program.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

What a beautiful arc to being able to help students within the university to be able to expand on that. What you're clearly passionate about this.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

I love teaching and I love, yeah, I love teaching and I love the tools that I use and I love the people I work with because they're very unique. People with ADHD, I find, are highly creative. Most often, so in the research that I've done, they also show and exhibit an openness. So they're open to different strategies, they're open to different philosophies, and even more open to a spiritual approach to, you know, helping them tap their superpower.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Yeah. And I think it's important for us just to kind of level set in the fact that neither one of us are psychologists, psychiatrists, and we're coming at this from our personal experience, working with uh high-performing individuals with uh ADHD. And I have a number of individuals that I've worked with within my own uh coaching firm and uh practice as well as a parent. What are you noticing as people are coming into the program?

SPEAKER_00 7:17

Hmm. I am noticing just there seems to be um a certain epidemic of anxiety and depression that a lot of people are dealing with. Um when I'm working with my clients, um, that's those are two of the main issues that they're struggling with. Uh there's also the issue of medication. I have clients who want, who work with me, who want to get off of medication, but actually like how they feel on it. But recognize that there is um a price to pay, and that can be anywhere from reduced appetite to difficulty sleeping, to what is more subtle is the numbing of emotions. And so they're not they're recognizing in their later years, in their businesses, in their relationships, that they're not fully present. They're not really, they're not fully themselves. And I would say that this is probably from my own experience, being um having navigated this route of what would be classic AD ADD symptoms is a mask of perfection. And I think many women encounter that where they're not themselves. And if they're on meds, that could that accentuates or exacerbates the problem because they're not able to really get in touch with their personal, their emotions.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

The emotional aspect. And of course, as a as a woman, that is a really important aspect of wholeness for us. Uh, I think it's really interesting as I'm working with entrepreneurs. What I'm noticing, especially in that female um gender aspect of it, is the element of wanting to connect, but when they go off the meds, all of a sudden they're feeling very scattered and not able to feel in control. And so there's that element of what is the right approach? Do I medicate? Do I not medicate? What are the alternatives? And I think what's really interesting about your business is that you give a more somatic aspect to look at things.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

Yes. Um, my background. So as somebody who is an entrepreneur, I was an entrepreneur and dibble-dabbled in all kinds of different um businesses. So I had Heinz in biotechnology, I suppose. My background is in science. And I was a biotech consultant. And because of the uh overwhelm that comes with ADD and the lack of organization that I experienced, the lack of planning, the flying by the seat of my pants approach. Because I was living an exciting life, right? It's like living on the edge. And I that was my addiction, is I mean, that's part of it is how do we get our dopamine hit? And for me, it was living with that excitement of not knowing and taking on projects that were challenging, right? That were a little bit over my head. And from that experience, I um I knew something in in me needed some help. Because after many failures, uh, maybe one that came with one of my clients who was threatening to sue me, I realized, whoa, there's something going on here. Because I was also experiencing depression and anxiety. And so I found, so I was always interested, so I'm very body-oriented. I was raised as uh an athlete, so I participate in athletics throughout my youth. That's what kept me grounded and sane in some respects in my family life. And so I always loved yoga because it had, it helped calm my nervous system. So I found uh an ashram, or it found me. It actually found me. I was working with a teacher in Kelowna when I was working at the Summerland Research Station, found a wonderful uh yoga teacher. And the beauty of the this type of yoga is it's very what I would call feminine. And I would say that this is where I go off on tangents, is that ADHD is it can be a hyperfolk, it's um an imbalance in the left and right prefrontal cortex. Can be. I'm not saying it is. But that's some of the work that I do with the technology that I'm using, is that it balances the right and front prefrontal cortex and also um rewires the brain. So um the brain is neuroplastic, so we can heal it. And so the rewiring back into the limbic system, which is in the back of the brain where the emotions exist, with that rewiring, there can be a reconnection with our emotional beings, with our nervous systems in a healthy way. And I did that through yoga.

SPEAKER_01 12:45

Okay. So you used yoga, and it's interesting because I really do believe in the reconnecting uh through bilateral stimulation, which we have talked about a couple of times through EMDR and bilateral beats and whatnot. Walk me through what you you found helped you with your ADHD.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Yeah, profound. Um, as I said, it was, I just go back to the notion of a feminine approach, is um this goes a feminine approach uses a deeply reflected, reflective personal approach. So it's not just about isolating parts, which is more of the Cartesian approach to the world that we live in. Cartesian being we break it down into parts, it's mechanical, it's very what I would call left brain. So it's analytical. I'm very analytical. And so that was part of the challenge that I had was I was strongly analytical. The yogic practices that I learned and was introduced to help balance me into the right brain because the approach was more creative. Because there's another side of me, I consider myself a renaissance woman, but I was stuck in the analytical because that's how I was trained. What it did was it opened me up to the right brain of the reflective, the creative, using drawing dance. So in my yogic practice, I I learned um devotional dance. I was drawing symbols from my dreams. I was listening to my dreams, I was writing down my dreams. And then in the physical practice, it wasn't just a physical yoga practice, it was a writing physical practice.

SPEAKER_01 14:37

Okay, you're gonna need to expand on that because there's gonna be a lot of people that are thinking the traditional yoga that you're going to yoga class or you're watching, and this is completely different.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

It's completely different. Yeah. What it does is it incorporates spiritual practice, so therefore the breath, visualization. Um, in my experience, it was mantra, so mantra chanting, um, which helped immediately calm my nervous system. So it's kind of like humming. I would compare it to a cat. You know, when you hear a cat purring, they're actually self-soothing. So it's a form mantra chanting can be a form of self-soothing. So those were the practices in a so it could, that's what a whole practice could look like, is incorporating and weaving that through while taking the symbolic, and that's what I loved as an artist was using the symbolism of the pose so for example, let's use the mountain pose, a very simple pose, a standing pose. And you would start the practice, you'd have your journal out, which is always like my favorite part. I'd have my journal I could write. What are the symbols? What does the mountain mean to you? And therefore it's personal. So it's a deep exploration. And so it could be for some people, for everybody it was different. So for some, it could be isolation, fear. For others, it could be adventure, beauty, you know, expansiveness, strength. But it depended on where each so I can get a read on the room simply by listening to the symbols. So we would share the symbols. So what's one symbol? And then I could read the room of how people were doing based on the symbol that they shared. And that's essentially how, because I mean, all of this practice that I've done for 20 years of deep teacher training, exploration, using the body, using the kundalini system. So I haven't talked about that, the kundalini yoga system is based on it's a it's a map of the mind. So I understand, I feel I can say this. That's why makes me an expert at this, is because I have I understand the map of the mind, the maps of the mind, where it goes from, you know, how I can hear somebody in their speech, because I've also learned how to listen to the words of the individual and how this is a reflection of their mind. And I can see where they're at, whether they're at survival, whether they're at fear and imagination. So usually fear is imagination that is uncultivated, it's just gone, it's run wild, it's run amok. Or they're highly emotional. So there's a lot of anger, frustration, can see it in their face and their body, a lot of tension, right? So I can um, so then I can start unpacking where all of that is. Those are the lower three um levels of consciousness in the body that express itself through the body. And the hathoposes reflect those three. So, for example, the mountain I use in the first, that's survival. Um, in the second level of consciousness, imagination, we might use the fish and go into the water because the element is water. And then in that third level of consciousness, which is where the emotions are, all of that you can see is operating our world right now. You can see it, survival and fear. The fear is being programmed. Two, it's all by imagination. There, everybody, you if you're listening to the television, you're seeing all kinds of narratives, stories, images that are feeding your imagination, which are feeding the fears. And then thirdly, you've got the emotions that are feeding it, which are either anger, frustration, sadness, grief, depression, anxiety. Anxiety is off the roof. Is there any wonder if somebody's watching the television, the evening television news? Is there any wonder anxiety is off the roof?

SPEAKER_01 18:38

Anxiety is up. And that completely makes sense. It's interesting, Alexandra, as you're talking, what's coming up for me right now. I'm in, I'm just finishing up a existential therapy uh course as part of my master's. And there's a really deep connection to the concept of existentialism, the concept of making meaning through the symbolism that you're and the connection to the mind-body that you're discussing. What I'm and I'm really hearing the connection to the right side of the brain, the creative side of the brain. And so I'm wondering for those that you are supporting that are really analytical left side, how is that connection for them? Because I can, I would imagine there would be some tension there.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Yes. And um, I typically find that with my male clients. So, you know, um it's really exciting um seeing when that it does. And I I work with very open men clients who are very open to receiving. And they show up to the morning meditations because part of the program is a morning group meditation, which isn't really meditation, which you've just heard, it's not a regular Hatha class. It's not a regular meditation class. It's reflection. My teacher, uh Swami Radha, said before you can have meditation, you have to quiet the mind. The only way to quiet the mind is to write, journal it out, or speak it out, or somehow to get it clear on paper. And so that's why the journaling is so important, because it helps bring in clarity. But yeah, the the challenge is um uh I would say it's about it really depends on the client who's willing to go there. And if not, then I find another way in. So if it's not a somatic approach, then it's a creative approach. So it could be through journaling. And so I have male clients who love writing, and so that's a natural fit for them. And so therefore they're operating and start utilizing that right brain, because you bet I just see how trapped, especially men can be, in that left brain thinking. Can't deal with, you know, not can't deal, but have disassociated in some ways, I wouldn't say dis because disassociated has a psychological component, but have numbed or created a distance, a safe distance from the emotional realm. And um that's because it can be a it's a vulnerable place for men and women.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

Well, in individuals who've had uh any sort of damage in their left brain that start to use their right brain, there's neuropathways that can re-evolve to be able to leverage and start thinking very differently. I'm thinking of a a study that uh or a particular case of a neuroscientist who had a stroke in her left brain.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Oh, yeah, that's uh Jill Bolton-Taler.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

Jill Bolton Taylor, exactly. And so that was really fascinating how she still was able to rebuild neuropathways in a different way. Um and you would know this a little better than I am, because I could see you chomping at the bit. So why don't you why don't you take it?

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Well, I I love her stories, right? Because I mean, this is the nature of our world. In school, we're definitely there's an emphasis on left brain training through the um uh, you know, through mm math, science, engineering, technology. And, you know, I many, many people choose that pathway. Less of an emphasis on the arts. She was trained as a neuroscientist, as a scientist, as was I. I did a second degree in art. So that is why I feel that I have a strong, I have a very, well, relatively balanced left right. But so she was really stuck in that left-brained thinking. And since her stroke, her story is remarkable because she's now, she quit her job. Yes. She's living on a boat. She's living her best life. And I think she's writing and she's just expressing herself on podcasts, talking and sharing what she knows about the balance between the left and right hands.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

I think where one of the greatest illustrations of her podcasting was a two-hour podcast she had done on the diary of a CEO. And how she actually brought in a brain that she had uh was donated to her as part of her uh her neuroscience work to illustrate that difference between left brain and right brain. And so I think it's really fascinating that we have both for a reason and a purpose. And if we cut off one, we almost cut off a part of our wholeness as humans. And so in our leadership and our entrepreneurial ship, we need that. No, I want to shift gears. Absolutely. I want to shift gears a little bit because part of the purpose of this is that support to be able to help entrepreneurs and leaders and high-performing professionals that are challenged with ADHD to recognize it as a superpower. And so anyone who's listening here go, oh, that's me. If you were to give them three tips that would help them connect with themselves a little differently, if they didn't have a chance to take your program, what would those three tips be?

SPEAKER_00 24:43

Well, maybe what I'll do is I'll just kind of outline the main symptoms of ADHD that people might be encountering and recognize. And that'll be um, you know, it's the squirrel phenomena phenomena that I hear so many people, you know, you know, where it's very difficult to stay focused. And I I watch this amongst my colleagues. They'll suddenly get distract uh ADHD is a phenomena. And there are many reasons for that. Many people my age who are moving into menopause are starting to display symptoms of ADHD because of the estrogen, the the the lowering of the estrogen. So I'm seeing the classic symptoms everywhere. So that distractibility, that um, as I said, the risk taking, there are certain um addiction that can come up, uh, anxiety, depression. But you know, the one is time management, time blindness, the difficulty of organizing one's life, getting a clear picture of what needs to be done, especially as an entrepreneur. Man, when you wake up in the morning and you don't have a structure or a plan for your day, it's like, where do I start? Because immediately overwhelm sets in and it goes, well, I'll just go back to bed.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

Yes. Now, when I think about my sibling and my child with ADHD, that overwhelm and indecision.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

And yeah, oh, indecision.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

The indecision um without having structure is really it's debilitating or can be debilitating. Yeah. And so what I've found, and I crave structure, but it's because I am a like that's where I thrive is in structures. So um I need to preface with I went when I went decided to go back to school, I decided to update. I have a couple of learning disabilities that were diagnosed when I was a child and went back to uh be retested because as a 40-something year old going back to school, I wanted to make sure what do I need to brush up? And so I went in. I was curious, right? I've got a child with autism and a child with uh ADHD. And where do I fit on that spectrum? And I'm not like I have ADHD tendencies. So, yes, my husband will say I squirrel. And yes, I lose my phone or my keys multiple times a day, but I'm not um, by classical definition of the DMA or the DMS five, I am not ADHD. So I think it's really important when you bring up that element of is it ADHD? Is it menopause? Is it just hypothyroid? Is it thyroid? Is it just gosh darn forgetfulness? So we need to figure out what it is. But I think it's also about how do you adapt to the fact that you're time blind. You uh need structure and organization. So how do we help them?

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Yeah. So um I work uh differently with everyone who comes in front of me. And what I'm able to do is just intuitively sense what a strength of theirs is and see what they're not seeing. And so, for example, if somebody is dealing with time blindness, I had one client, and uh I always start my you know, I and again, each one is so different. One person needed structure, so she needed a desk of her own. So I we started, okay, where are you gonna put your I don't have a place to put my desk, right? There's always some some kind of reason. And I I'm frustrated because I don't have a desk. It's in the kitchen. Well, that's not a very good place to have a desk where you need to work alone and focus and concentrate. And so I challenged her to find a place where she could set up a personal space for herself because many of these are moms as well, moms who are entrepreneurs and who want to start businesses. And so she found a space in her closet. Like she had this big walk-in closet and she set up a little desk space. She was so happy. It just that by itself. So and I've seen that in many of my clients is having a clear working space separate from the chaos of the family or um the home where they can isolate and focus and concentrate.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

Something as simple as recognizing the the noise and how that is stimulating or potentially overstimulating. Absolutely. Right. Absolutely. I I'm constantly amazed at individuals who can have multiple different, you know, the TV on while they're listening to music while they're trying to do something else. And I'm like and then they're wondering why they're distracted constantly. It's like, okay, let's take an opportunity to clear out all the noise, focus in on the signal, and get get yourself in a state of calm.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

And that's a big part of my work, is so I give them practices, is right at the very beginning, we start with mindfulness practices. And so that involves a multiple um uh ways of really grounding. And I would say grounding is one of the biggest factors because we're living in a very electrified atmosphere that we don't see. And it is affecting all of us, but particularly people with ADHD. And so any kind of grounding practice, so that's why yoga is a very good one, is because it's an excellent grounding, but also it calms the nervous system and helps to focus the mind. You just do an eagle pose, right? So I'll teach an eagle pose in my session. Sometimes we're doing yoga in my session, you know, just for uh, you know, maybe 15 minutes. Um because it's an it's a needed practice in that moment really depends on what's happening. So yeah, grounding is so essential. And so the diet. And so the that's the other um place where I start with people is I need to understand what are they putting in their body and what have they historically put in their body. So I do have a program. It's a it's a short program called um Root Cause. And it helps people kind of understand what is contributing or exacerbating because you could have an ADHD diagnosis, but doing fine, right? You've got, you've got, you've, you're doing your meditations, you're doing your yoga, you're doing, you've got, you know, various practices, but there's something triggered. And so what I do is I help, let's go, let's dive in and find out what's happening. And often with diet, um, that's a key role. So for example, I think I, one of my presentations that you heard, I had a student who came and she was all, you know, anxiety-depressed, couldn't concentrate, was scattered all over, couldn't get her assignments done. I found out she wasn't drinking water, she was drinking Pepsi every day. So that small shift. One week later she came back, she was a different person. So that's that's how easy it can be. But then there's also if we want to go deep, then it's like, well, oh yeah, I'm always asking how much sugar do you consume in your diet, for example, or carbs. Um, is there any food allergies? There's all of that that plays a role in inflammation because ultimately I think what we want to do is trace back because there's a lot of theories around inflammation in the brain that contributes to ADHD. And so it's, well, how do we lower that inflammation? And there's been a lot of research in this field, and some of the key culprits are carbs and seed oils. And so increasing omega fats. So we need to get more fat for our brain to support us and ground us. So it helps to ground us. And it's a key factor in the dopamine production, as is tyrosine, which is associated with supporting the thyroid. So it's such, it's so uh that's why I love it, because I love mysteries and unpacking, unlocking the mystery of each individual. It's a bit like being a Sherlock Holmes.

SPEAKER_01 33:16

Yeah. Well, when you first came in, you mentioned that you're uh restricting sugar for yourself right now. So what is what does your diet consist of right now?

SPEAKER_00 33:25

So right now I'm on a carnivore diet.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

So that is keto. And so there's a there's uh a lot of research coming out of the U.S. psycholog, there's a psychologist out of the U.S. who has been working with children with really serious ADHD symptoms. And so what they've done is this um study where they've um, and I don't know how they did this. This is a this is a feed in itself, is to actually get these kids on a keto diet. So you can get them using keto by um replacing, say, for example, bread with uh flaxseed bread. So flax is a good alternative and it's so yummy, but it's filled with healthy omega-3s and it doesn't have the wheat component. I mean, I I could just dive. There's just this is rabbit hole territory for me, but but um what they've done is got them on a keto diet, and all of their ADHD symptoms are gone. None. Zip zero ADHD symptoms. So that's the study. I think it's important to look at it. Don't believe me. Um, but that is the potential of getting off carbs, eating, you know, a different kind of diet, and not to say that you can't enjoy life and have sugar once in a while. That's not what this is about. But it just is about what are we, what's 90% of our diet? If 90% is sugar and carbs, then you're gonna have a problem.

unknown 35:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:03

I mean, even if you can get rid of one of those Pepsi a day and replace it with water, shift, you know, those small micro moves. You don't have to go 100%. I mean, it'd be ideal.

SPEAKER_00 35:16

I'm gonna be like, I'm gonna be no, I'm you got a idea? Okay. No, in that case, with the sugar and the caffeine, in that is, yeah, you you do what you can. Yeah. But I'm just saying to really see a change, it's like you, it's getting it down to one zero water. And I was saying water because water is very cure key key for flushing out the body. The toxins and the body. The toxins in the body.

SPEAKER_01 35:42

Before we go to our segment, um, because we do a segment of uh questions from the audience, yeah. I want you to touch a little bit on the importance of exercise in ADHD, because I think there's a huge correlation. And I know this is a bit of rabbit hole, but I think if there's a few things, like if I like get back to the few things that somebody can do to help, it's that mindfulness training. And I'm a um an MBSR um mindful stress-based MSBR trained uh instructor as well. So mindfulness is a huge aspect. Clean eating is something I'm absolutely passionate about. Uh, and then exercise. And those are all really key things that I've noticed in my clients and my family that has shifted focus and helped to make things a little bit easier to navigate. So talk to me about exercise. And obviously, we've been talking about yoga um, because that's an important aspect. But what type, how often?

SPEAKER_00 36:45

Yeah, I think it really depends on the individual. I was the sort who wanted a sooth, slow, meditative approach to exercise. So yoga was really important, but eventually I needed something more intense. And that is something for people with ADHD, is some kind of um error, like uh an intense aerobic exercise where you're getting the heart going. And I think games are really important. So that's one of the tips that I would give to entrepreneurs with ADHD, is that they have play and fun in their lives because, you know, it can just get too serious. And so intense, you know, volleyball, basketball, tennis, anything to get them out, having fun with people. Because I would also say that the thing that contributes, particularly for entrepreneurs with ADHD, is isolation. Oh, we got to get out. We absolutely gotta have, and we gotta laugh and have fun. And so, yeah, I just go have, yeah. Go and and and, you know, and a lot of people too that I, you know, they love the outdoors. So hiking, swimming, whatever it, you know, and for my male clients who may not be able to really get in touch with that right brain, it's through the body and it's through their exercise. So um, yeah, I had one client who's just using it, um, you know, just recently got out of a relationship and he's just taken his life back through exercise. He just ran and ran and ran. And he took control of everything. It was just remarkable and connected more to himself. Yeah. And it was through his body, one of the ways.

SPEAKER_01 38:31

It is really interesting. I've got a couple of clients who the major shift that they did um after coaching with me was move their exercise, which they used to do at night, to the morning.

SPEAKER_03 38:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:46

And what it did in itself was allow them to be more focused during the day. And they were having a hard time sleeping at night.

SPEAKER_00 38:54

If they were exercising at night.

SPEAKER_01 38:55

If they were exercising at night, because it was wiring them right up.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:59

And so that shift in itself to exercising in the morning and then getting themselves organized, um, doing some journaling and structuring and planning your day.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

I sorry, I would just come back to that is is like, you know, on Sunday nights, plan out your week, you know, do a rough sketch. Um, and then each night, uh, but you know, even on Sundays is just to really plug in everything. So you have a nine to five schedule and there's no questions when you wake up. Because when we wake up in the morning and don't know what's going on, that creates, that adds to the overwhelming.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

It absolutely does. And so m one of my biggest tips is very similar. You plan your month, plan your week, plan your day. Yeah. Do it and get it in the calendar, whether your week you're planning on Friday for Monday or first thing Monday morning, or that month you've got to plan either the last day of the month or the first day of the month.

unknown 39:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:56

Get it in there so that you understand what's happening and take advantage of time blocking.

SPEAKER_00 40:00

Yeah. And stick to it. That's one of the things with ADHD is we need to see things. Yes. So if something's hidden away, like if the calendar, the the daytime is closed, that's not going to support us. So we need things out. So for example, supplementation, which I recommend. It's got to be on the counter.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

It has to be on the counter. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:19

So, and it's got to be labeled. And sometimes we need like reminders in our phones. So that our phones can be a great blessing of reminding us what we need to do. But coming back to the exercise, I would just add that a evening practice of gentle yoga can be a very helpful or journaling. I would say ending the day with a journal practice of where you're actually processing your day and releasing it before bed. Because yeah, many people with ADHD have trouble sleeping. So you want to let go so you don't have the monkey mind busy throughout the night. So it could be just, yeah, what was the, and I always stay focused on the positive. What were my victories? Um yeah, well, what do I, what's arising right now? What action do I need to take? So you're not stewing at midnight.

SPEAKER_03 41:10

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 41:11

I'm getting what was just coming up for me as you were talking is the importance of either if you're going to journal using technology, making sure you've got the blue light on, or switching it over to writing by hand, because there is something very, very important and cathartic about being able to let go and have the energy leave through your fingertips.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

That's right. And and just a a little uh it's you want to turn the blue light off. Thank you. Yeah. So you want you want those blue blocking glasses on. And um yes, because so many people are so tech um addicted. And so um, yeah, I agree. I I handwrite. Yes. I have a box of germs. I have two boxes, I had boxes of germs.

SPEAKER_01 42:04

So I think it's really interesting in these glasses. And I'm just gonna plug uh a girlfriend that we both know who runs a uh a mobile optician, Adonna Gamble of I See Clearly. These actually are 100% blocking. Yeah. And I was working with a business management uh company, and the founder would kind of brought in a tester to kind of test, you know, everybody's glasses. It was just something he he was really learning about blue light. And he tested his, which he had bought a$600 pair of um high-tech glasses, but only filtered 75%. Somebody else tested theirs and it was 50, and these things 100%. And he was shocked.

SPEAKER_00 42:54

So I find I'm I'm using um blue blocking glasses, and they my sleep quality is improved 100%.

SPEAKER_01 43:03

Yeah, it's it's quite amazing. So I'm we're I'm getting the we gotta wrap up here, but I wanna do and honor the questions we do have from the audience. And so I'm gonna read out, let me just scan here for one. This is from Lisa. How do I stay consistent when my life is chaotic and unpredictable? Which I know happens to the best of us. But when you're f when you have ADHD, that chaos and unpredictability can feel a little a little extra overwhelming. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:38

Uh yeah. Um number one is you have to make time for yourself. Um where you go into your room and you sit quietly, and this is where like just five minutes of sitting. Quietly. So if it means getting up earlier in the night in the morning, getting up earlier, sitting with a cup of tea, taking some time to write, and ground. The grounding is so important in staying consistent when there's a lot of chaos. And then it's like, how do you manage the chaos? Right. And so I've worked with clients on how to do that. And um it's most often, if if you have ADHD, remember 60 to 80% of ADHD diagnoses are considered genetic. So you're going to have it running in the family. In my family, my brother, his son, ADHD. And so you may be dealing with children with ADHD. And so how do you manage that? And so I have a lot of different strategies. But I think it's like the whole family needs to get on board on either setting, sitting down and creating a plan, like a schedule, a structure for everybody. Goes up on the refrigerator. Everybody knows what they're doing. You engage the kids in the chores of the day. They're helping you out. Most often, women are trying to do it all. That's the mask of perfection. And so we have to invite our families in to support us. And they're waiting to do that. It's just how do we do that? How do we get them? How do we invite them in? And so that it's just really about doing that. And then having like it, it's about boundaries for women. And people with ADHD really struggle with their boundaries. And it's about learning how to set clear boundaries with ourselves.

SPEAKER_01 45:48

Yeah. I'm going to add one or two things because that list is absolutely beautiful. Especially boundaries. I would say creating consistency starts with the is discipline of being able to do so. And so knowing what's truly important and what you can let go of. So taking back, taking stock and recognizing you don't have to do absolutely everything.

SPEAKER_00 46:15

Oh my God. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:16

And it is okay to say no. And learning how to do so gracefully by saying thank you so much for the opportunity. I'm going to pass this off to somebody else. I'm going to introduce you to somebody who can help and not have that guilt. And then I would say the other thing is leveraging the tools that you do have at hand to navigate that. So taking the time to coordinate. And I'm thinking about, you know, the busy family schedules, and as women were juggling home, life, work, everything, and really taking that time on a Sunday, that half an hour before everybody gets up in the morning, and coordinate the day and the week and understanding what's really truly important and what can slide off.

SPEAKER_00 47:08

I would just add that all of us need to learn how to communicate with our partners and our children. Oh, yeah. And this is one of the areas that I support my clients with is how to ask for our needs. I think the biggest question I would ask to the audience right now is what are your needs in the relationship, in the family, in your work, in your business? List your needs because we're we're going around with all of these unmet needs. We have no idea. And so we get triggered. And this can set off the ADHD symptoms of anxiety, for example, frustration, anger. That's also one of the challenges is losing our tempers. And it's because of a long time, a long ago building up of unmet needs. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:02

Beautifully said. Alexander, I want to thank you so much for joining me today. This is obviously a conversation that we could continue on for hours on end. Uh if people want to find you, what's the best way?

SPEAKER_00 48:16

Alexanderheinsen.com. That easy. And um, I have a YouTube site. Um, you can find me there on the website, but you also uh YouTube station and um LinkedIn and um Facebook. So um, but yeah, go to alexanderheinsen.com and you'll get most of the links there.

SPEAKER_01 48:38

Amazing, Alexandra. Thank you so much for joining me today on the Curace Trade Show. I want to remind you to continue to lead with heart and do the things that you are doing so exceptionally well because it is much needed. Thank you. Yeah, yes, and you as well. Thank you.