Adults with ADHD may have difficulties when communicating and interacting with other individuals. Individuals with ADHD may have trouble staying focused on what is being discussed. They can become so eager to talk that they pay no attention to what is being said; as a result they can miss important pieces of what the conversation. The strategies presented below are offered to improve your communication skills
Focus on the Positives – When communicating with a friend/colleague focus on positive topics which means rather than talking about the coffee that spilled this morning, talk about the movie that you are looking forward to watch later that evening. During your conversations, try to adopt a forward thinking mentality, less complaining, less judging & more empathy. Doing more of the latter will make you a pleasant person to talk with.
Respect; Don’t Impose, Criticize or Judge – When conversating try to respect the other persons point of view. It is ok to express your opinion, but don’t force it on them. Respect other people’s personal choices, don’t judge or criticize. Remember everyone has a right to be him/herself, just as you have the right to be yourself.
Embrace Differences While Building on Similarities- Everyone is different. At the same time there can be similarities between people. When having a conversation, embrace the differences. It makes us unique. Try to agree to disagree if there are clashes in ideas. As you conversate, look for similarities between you and him/her. Once you find a common link, try to build on that; use that as a platform to spin off more conversations which can reveal more about the both of you.
Be True To Yourself – Your best asset is your personality. Embrace it and let it shine thru. It would be pretty boring if all you do is repeat the other person’s words during a conversation, then there would not be anything to talk about at all. Be ready to share your thoughts and opinions (not in a combative way), be proud of what you stand for and let others know the real you.
Ask Purposeful Questions – Questions can bring out answers. The type of questions that you ask can guide the directions of a conversation. To have a meaningful conversation, you may want to ask meaningful questions. For example, “what did you do yesterday”? “What drives you in life”? Some people may not be ready to take on mindful questions, and that is fine. Then just start off with, simple everyday questions to build rapport, when you get to know a person better you can ask deeper involving questions.
Give & Take– Sometimes people say some awkward things during conversations. For instance, a person may say a distasteful remark or a real bad joke. Don’t judge them for those comments; treat these as a Freudian slip. Try to give them the benefit of the doubt, just shrug it off; it makes it a funny conversation banter.