Picture this. You started the business with an idea nobody else could see, and you were right. Now there are three new ideas on the whiteboard, a tax return you have been avoiding for six weeks, and a team member waiting patiently for an answer you promised last Monday. You are working harder than anyone you know, and it still feels as if everything is held together with sticky tape.
Many business owners live like this. For some of them, the reason has a name.
ADHD does not always look like a restless child
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and the name is a little misleading. Many adults with ADHD do not so much lack attention as have trouble steering it. When something is new, urgent or fascinating, their focus can be extraordinary. When something is routine, slow or dull, the brain simply refuses to engage, however much they want it to.
Many adults were never picked up at school. They often only start to wonder when their own child is assessed, or when a growing business demands more organisation than they can supply.
What it can look like when you run a business
- Starting many projects with great enthusiasm and finishing few
- An inbox and a desk that have long since got away from you
- Working best at the last minute, in a rush of adrenaline
- Changing direction suddenly, which leaves your team confused
- Forgetting appointments, invoices or what you agreed to in a meeting
- Feeling things intensely, especially criticism
Underneath it there is often a lot of shame. Years of being told you are careless, or not living up to your potential, leave a mark, even on people who look very successful from the outside.
What is happening in the brain
ADHD is understood as a difference in how the brain develops and regulates itself. It is not a lack of effort or intelligence. The front part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, acts rather like a manager. It plans, puts things in order, keeps track of time and holds back impulses. In ADHD, this management system is thought to work less reliably unless the task itself is stimulating.
On an EEG, which is a recording of the brain's electrical activity, some people with ADHD show more slow activity, called theta, and less of the faster activity, called beta, that is linked to alert, focused thinking. Not everyone with ADHD shows this pattern, and it cannot be used to diagnose ADHD.
The ADHD brain is not short of attention. It is short of a steering wheel for it.
Diagnosis and medication belong with your doctor
This needs saying plainly. Only a qualified professional, usually a psychiatrist or a psychologist, can diagnose ADHD. A brain map can show patterns, but it does not diagnose. If you suspect you have ADHD, start with your GP, who can refer you for a proper assessment. Anxiety, depression, poor sleep, thyroid problems and plain burnout can all look similar, and they need to be considered too.
Medication helps many adults with ADHD a great deal. Some people worry that it will flatten their creativity. That is a fair concern to raise with your prescribing doctor, who can adjust the type or dose. Please never stop or change medication on your own. Neurofeedback is a complementary approach. It works alongside medical care, not instead of it.
How neurofeedback may help
Neurofeedback is brain training based on feedback. Sensors on the scalp read your brain's activity, and a computer rewards the brain, through sound and picture, when it produces the patterns being trained. The sensors only read. Nothing is sent into the brain, and it is not a medication.
At our practice in Krugersdorp, every client begins with a 19-channel brain map, which takes about an hour and a half. The map is used to plan training.
For attention, training often encourages SMR, short for sensorimotor rhythm, a calm and steady pattern linked to a still body and an alert mind. ADHD is one of the most studied uses of neurofeedback, with mixed-to-encouraging results. The findings are not uniform, and people respond differently. Nobody can promise a result.
Our what to expect page explains how sessions run.
Practical supports that make a difference
- Get things out of your head. One calendar, one task list, and alarms for everything. Your memory is not the right place to store deadlines.
- Hire for your gaps. A good bookkeeper or operations person is not a luxury. It may be the best investment the business ever makes.
- Use a waiting period for new ideas. Write them down and look again in a week before you change the plan.
- Protect sleep, movement and meals. Regular exercise in particular is often recommended for people with ADHD.
If criticism hits you unusually hard, our article on rejection sensitivity and ADHD may ring true. And if you are reading this because of your child, see our piece on ADHD and focus at school.
Common questions
Can neurofeedback replace ADHD medication?
No. Neurofeedback is a complementary approach that may support attention and self-regulation. Some people use it alongside medication and some without, but that choice belongs to you and your prescribing doctor. Please do not stop or reduce any medication without medical guidance.
Can a brain map tell me whether I have ADHD?
A brain map shows patterns of brain activity, and some of those patterns are seen in some people with ADHD. It is not a diagnosis. Only a psychiatrist, psychologist or suitably qualified doctor can diagnose ADHD after a full assessment. The map is used to plan training. If you suspect ADHD, ask your GP about a formal assessment.
Will brain training take away my creativity?
That is not the aim. Training aims to encourage steadier attention and a calmer nervous system, not to suppress ideas or change your personality. Experiences do vary, so it is a fair question to ask before you start.
You do not have to choose between your ideas and a calmer working life. If you would like to talk about whether neurofeedback might help, you are welcome to contact Irine to ask questions or book.
- adult adhd
- entrepreneurs
- founders
- hyperfocus
- business strategy
