This episode is sponsored by the Great Courses Plus.
Stick around to the end of the video to learn why I like it.
[sighs] Okay. Wait. Let me close the door.
Okay. I just closed the door on the cord.
I know I make it look easy. It's not.
For anybody who thinks I've got it together when you watch my lecture-style videos...
...which are scripted and researched.
I don't.
I tipped over a light in the making of this set.
I slammed the door on my laptop cord.
And I realized I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to be doing in a vlog.
So... Hi! I have ADHD.
[laughs]
♪ [intro music] ♪
It's been about five years since I started How To ADHD.
And when I first started I really didn't know anything about ADHD.
I'd been diagnosed with ADD when I was twelve.
And when I went to learn about ADHD...
...I was really overwhelmed with how much information there was.
I thought it was gonna be, like, weeks or months...
...but ti turned out to be
And strategies for learning to work with it.
So that we can function in a neurotypical world.
And the reason I started doing that...
...was because I had put so much effort into so many things...
...and failed at so many things...
...that I just needed to learn how to function in a neurotypical world.
With a brain that was not neurotypical.
But after five years, I'm starting to see the possibilities.
That maybe we don't have to stop just there.
What if we can make the world more ADHD-friendly?
And I'm starting to think that we can.
Maybe that starts with making our own environment more ADHD-friendly.
I look around my house and I realize...
...as much as I know about ADHD...
...I'm not really doing a lot to make my life easier.
I'm using all these strategies, but...
...if your brain isn't super-compatible with the environment...
...you have a few options.
You can adapt your brain.
And that's what we do with things like medication...
...or making sure we're exercising a lot.
Getting those brain chemicals up.
We can adapt our environment.
Which at the time I started this channel wasn't really an option.
I couldn't change the way that the restaurant that I was waiting tables at worked.
So I had to go with the middle option.
Use an adapter.
An adapter is just a strategy...
...so that your ADHD brain fits better in a neurotypical environment.
But I feel like if we've learned anything from COVID...
...is that the world can change.
And the world can change fast.
And we're about to rebuild.
And I want to see that rebuilding happen in a way that's more ADHD-friendly.
And I think at this point, as people go back to work in offices...
...we can start to make those places a little more ADHD-friendly, too.
So I've actually teamed up with Eric Tivers of
...and we're gonna be doing something called
And we're gonna be doing it - theoretically - it's - it's erm...
...I think we've landed on "Eric Tiver and Jessica McCabe...
...attempt to present the ADHD-friendly World Summit".
We're gonna be doing it in October, for ADHD Awareness Month.
It'll be an online summit.
We're gonna try and have a live component to it.
We've never done this before. Wish us luck.
But, the focus is gonna be on that.
Instead of just strategies for us fitting into a neurotypical world...
...how do we bend the world to fit us?
We don't have to wait for the world to be ADHD-friendly.
There are things that we can do.
Some of those things might be things we do in our personal environment.
Some of those things might be: "Hey, which job do we choose?"
Do we work for an employer that is ADHD-friendly...
...or do we work for an employer that we feel uncomfortable...
...even mentioning that we have ADHD?
Because we're pretty sure that that's not okay in that environment.
If we can make the choice that's ADHD-friendly...
...eventually the changes that we make to make
...can make
If I, in college, instead of saying...
..."Well, I'm gifted. I shouldn't need accommodations."
If I had recognized that I was struggling...
...and said "You know what? Even though I can do it without accommodations...
...those accommodations are available to me for a reason."
I have ADHD. And I do struggle, even though I'm smart.
And if I had taken advantage of those accommodations...
...maybe another student would have seen that and been inspired to do the same.
And if more people are doing it, maybe more funding goes to that.
Because people are needing those services.
And taking advantage of those services.
There was a form that I had to fill out the other day.
It was actually several forms. It was really intense.
It was one of those things that...
...my bank sent me this stuff after my mom died.
And I looked at it.
And my first thought was: "Oh God! I can't do this."
"I am really overwhelmed. I don't know what to do."
"What's wrong with me?"
And I thought about it and I was, like...
..."This is a bank. This bank wants my money."
"I'm gonna tell them."
So I actually reached out to them...
...and I said "Hey, I have ADHD."
"I struggle with forms like these. This is really overwhelming and complicated."
"Can somebody help me through it?"
And they did!
Somebody actually filled out as much of the forms as they could...
...and sent them back to me.
And gave me clear instructions...
...how to make calls so they could walk me through it.
I didn't know that that was possible.
But it is!
We don't just have to accept that we live in a world...
...that is not built for our brains anymore.
There's enough of us.
Becoming aware of our ADHD.
And becoming educated about our ADHD.
I think we can start speaking up about this.
We live in a world where mental health is talked about on a daily basis right now.
And it's safe. Maybe not for everybody.
But safe for a lot of people to start talking about this.
And I really want to encourage people...
...who
If you're in a position at work where you can speak up...
...and you don't have to worry about your job.
You speaking up about accommodations...
...can make it safer for somebody else.
And I think there's just something really powerful and cool about that.
To know that if we make our world ADHD-friendly...
...if we push for changes in the world.
So that
That's not only good for us.
That's good for other people with ADHD.
Who maybe don't find this YouTube channel.
Who maybe don't even know they have ADHD.
And now, the world works a little bit better for them too.
And here's the super-cool thing...
...it's this concept of universal design.
And
'Cause really what we're talking about when we say ADHD-friendly...
...is making things easier on our Executive Function.
And everybody - EVERYBODY - could use that.
An ADHD-friendly world is a more automated world...
...and that's the direction we're headed anyway.
I really want to see a world...
...where people can work in the way that their brain works.
And not feel like there's something wrong with them for doing that.
Part of that is using strategies. Part of that is using medication.
Or mindfulness. Or any of these tools...
...that we can use to kind of get our brains to a good space.
To be able to function in this world.
But part of that is making the world more ADHD-friendly.
Making it more Executive Function-friendly.
I can't do it by myself. But I've got a lot of people listening.
And I reached out.
I asked a lot of people on Twitter...
..."What would make the world more ADHD-friendly?"
And I got a lot of answers.
Written instructions / training when starting a job...
...that takes you step by step through the process would be amazing.
One person said
...how incredibly powerful compliments are for someone with ADHD.
This is so true!
We really do well with positive feedback.
More flexible and adaptive standards of productivity.
Eliminating stereotypes about the "proper adult"...
..."proper woman", "proper worker" etc. as they only lead to shaming.
Maybe adjusting the social expectations...
...that are hard for us to conform to.
So right now it might be considered inappropriate...
...to play with a fidget toy during a company meeting.
But why? If we focus better and we produce better...
...who does it hurt?
Employers not assuming that the fact...
...that our energy levels are unpredictable and vary day-by-day...
...makes us unreliable, inconsistent and untrustworthy.
Yeah, it's really natural for ADHDers' productivity to fluctuate.
Some days we may be able to hyperfocus and get a
Some days we may be low-energy and have a bad brain day.
And we don't get as much done.
That's not us being unreliable. That's just how our brains work.
Putting an end to "Tell me of a time you ..."
...during job interviews.
Difficulties with memory recall make these kind of questions IMPOSSIBLE for me.
Yeah, I get stuck on these so much.
And it's not like I don't have times when I've done that...
...I just have trouble remembering them.
Especially when I'm put on the spot like that.
This concept is so important to me...
...that I'm actually committing to only partnering with brands...
...that are ADHD-friendly in some way.
The Great Courses Plus is one of them.
My goal this year is to learn how to do things I want to be able to do.
Just things that make me happy.
That I kind of gave up on as a kid, but wish I hadn't.
Like play the piano.
And to do this, I've been using The Great Courses Plus.
Which is a subscription service...
..that offers courses from actual professors and experts in their field.
It's great for my ADHD brain...
...because there are a lot of courses to choose from.
On all kinds of different topics.
And a lot of them, like my piano course, come with supplemental materials.
Basically an entire textbook. For free.
And there's an app for it, which is perfect.
Because I can just put my phone on the piano...
...and watch the course while I play.
I love this course because I'm learning a lot...
...that I was never taught when I took lessons as a kid.
Like: how to practice effectively.
And the professor does a really good job...
...normalizing the stuff that used to frustrate me and make me give up.
Like messing up a lot.
Or not playing as well as when I practiced at home.
She's really good. And really encouraging.
And the lessons are only half an hour at a time.
Which is long enough to feel like I'm making progress.
But not too long that I get bored.
And if I have less time than that...
...because I'm running late that day...
...I can change up the speed.
If you want to try The Great Courses Plus, you can start a free trial.
They're going to be supporting this channel all year.
So if you want to support them and the really great content they provide...
...go to: thegreatcoursesplus.com/howtoadhd.
Or click on the description below to start your free trial today!
And like any free trial...
...make sure to set a reminder to decide if you'd like to keep it.
Before they bill your card.
ADHD PSA.
I'm realizing a lot of what makes the world ADHD-friendly...
...is things like education and awareness and acceptance.
And just embracing that diversity is a good thing.
All diversity is a good thing.
I think it's one in which our environment's more ADHD-friendly.
I think it's one in which products are more ADHD-friendly.
So that's probably going to be my focus on the channel.
I'm gonna start reviewing products...
...and talking about what makes them ADHD-friendly.
And start highlighting things that are built the way that we are.
And I'm gonna start talking about how to create environments that are ADHD-friendly.
Whether that is a classroom, or our bedroom.
Because as Eric Tivers says...
...as he got from somebody named Mel, I found out...
...we can do hard things.
But we don't need to do them in the hardest way possible.
Let's figure out how to not have to do them in the hardest way possible.
♪♪