Tips and Strategies about ADHD
ADHD and Language Learning: Why Classes Don't Always Work
I've spent roughly 25 years living abroad, and languages have been a central part of my life for as long as I can remember. I've studied them, spoken them, struggled with them, and taught them as a university professor. These days, I also work with expats in Germany who are trying to learn German while navigating everything else that comes with building a life in another country. And one thing has always fascinated me: Being good at studying a language and being good at speaking it are not necessarily the same thing.
I Was Fine in School. So Why Am I Struggling in College?
Everything seemed fine in school. You got good grades. You graduated, even though those last couple of years were sometimes pretty exhausting. Maybe you were a little chaotic, you routinely prepared presentations the night before or finished your homework during lunch break. But somehow, it worked. And then you started college - and suddenly, surprisingly little seemed to work anymore. You missed registration deadlines. You put off papers for weeks, spent five hours in the library writing just two paragraphs, and every evening, you promised yourself that tomorrow you’d finally start earlier.
Everything Is New, and I'm Exhausted: ADHD and Culture Shock
When I moved to Japan, I was thrilled. I was going to spend an entire year in a country I had never lived in before, improve my language skills, experience a different culture, and discover a completely new way of life. And I did love it. But there was something I hadn't expected: I was absolutely exhausted. For the first three or four months, I would come home at the end of the day feeling as though my brain had been working overtime. Even on days when I hadn't done anything particularly demanding. At first, I couldn't quite understand why.
Professional on the Outside, Exhausted on the Inside: ADHD Masking at Work
You’re sitting in a meeting that has been going on for an hour and a half. For the past thirty minutes, you’ve barely been able to follow what anyone is saying. Your eyes keep drifting toward the clock. Your leg is bouncing underneath the table. You would love to get up, move around, or at least check your phone for a minute. But you don’t. Instead, you sit there looking interested. You nod at the appropriate moments. You try desperately not to let anyone notice that your brain checked out a long time ago.
Why Coming Home Can Be Harder Than Moving Abroad: ADHD and Reverse Culture Shock
When my family and I moved from the United States to Germany, I thought I knew what I was coming back to. After all, I was (and still am) German. Germany was still home. I had spent around 25 years living in the United States, but I knew the language, understood the culture, had family here, and had returned countless times over the years. This wasn't like moving to Japan or arriving in the US for the first time. I was going home. Or so I thought.
The ADHD Exercise Paradox: We Know Movement Helps - So Why Is It So Hard to Do?
We already know that exercise is good for us. We know that we often feel better after a walk, that physical activity can clear our heads and reduce stress. And many people with ADHD notice something else: after exercising, they may find it easier to concentrate, feel more balanced, or settle down in the evening. And yet, there we are on the couch. Our running shoes are waiting by the door. The gym membership has been paid for. We may even have promised ourselves that today we're definitely going to exercise.
Why Living Abroad Can Feel Surprisingly Good for an ADHD Brain
"Moving abroad changed my life." Over the years, I've heard this sentence from many people with ADHD. Interestingly, they rarely meant that life suddenly became easier. Learning a new language, navigating unfamiliar systems, and adapting to a different culture can be incredibly demanding. Yet, many also described something unexpected. For the first time in years, they felt curious again. Energized. Motivated. More connected to themselves. Some even said they felt calmer than they did back home.
Why University Lectures Can Feel so Exhausting with ADHD (Especially When You’re Studying Abroad)
If you've ever walked out of a university lecture wondering what on earth you just spent the last 90 minutes doing, you're not alone. You showed up. You tried to pay attention. You even filled several pages with notes. Yet by the time you leave the lecture hall, you can barely remember what was said. For many university students with ADHD, lectures are one of the most frustrating parts of higher education because the traditional lecture format demands exactly the skills that ADHD makes most difficult. But if you are an international student, lectures can be even more challenging.
Why Is It So Hard for My Child with ADHD to Get Started?
For years, I thought my son just needed a little more motivation. I couldn't have been more wrong. There are moments when I still catch myself thinking, "Come on, we're leaving in ten minutes!" My eight-year-old son knows exactly where we're going. Maybe it's horseback riding. Maybe we're going to the pool. Sometimes it's an activity he's been looking forward to all week like an amusement park.