About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) – I was 45 at the time. I had starting see new psychiatrist, you know how it is, and after a few sessions, he leaned in and asked, “Have you ever been tested for ADHD?” No mental health professional had ever asked me that and I’ve seen quite a few. I took the test out of curiosity more than anything, and it turned out that I tested quite high on the ADHD spectrum. “What does that mean?”. I asked apprehensively. “Well,” he said, “one way to look at it is that an ADHD is a fast brain; you can process a lot of complex information from multiple sources at pace.” Well, that’s a good party trick, I thought.

He went on to explain, “The flipside is that not everyone processes like you do and you may lose people when you’re talking because you jump around and speak to quickly – it can be very confusing for people listening to you if you’re not clear when you communicate.” I leaned in to clarify, “Are you saying that I sound speedy, manic and a bit hard to follow?” He explained that he wouldn’t have chosen those words exactly but, in a nutshell, yes. That is if and only when I’m not communicating with focus, presence and intent, which are three key anchors for me now that I know what to do to stay connected in conversation with ADHD.  

Being diagnosed with ADHD has been helpful in many ways but I don’t get hung up on the label. “It doesn’t matter what you call, it, Alice,” one of my favourite therapists once said, “it’s about learning to regulate, live with and love Alice in all dimensions at the end of the day.” Which was a lovely way of putting it.

I felt more empowered when I educated myself on the symptoms, triggers and strategies for living with and optimising an ADHD brain. It was also fascinating to learn that it is statistically highly likely that my undiagnosed ADHD exasperated and/or was intrinsically linked to my history with eating disorders, exercise and food and drug addictions. I was self-medicating to manage the anxiety and energy levels that I found difficult to manage or channel.

Now that I know my options, I can tap into my support network, treatments, tools and techniques which allow me to live a healthy, happy and balanced life with ADHD and the party pack of other addictions I’ve learned about on the road in recovery.

Here are my 5 top tips to help if you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD

1. Know your options:

First, remember that you’re not alone. There are coaches, trainers, therapists, professionals and communities of us who appreciate how ADHD can impact your life, relationships and, in my case, finances, so know that there’s help and support available to you.

It’s also important to remember that you have options; lots of options. There are apps, tools, techniques, treatments, practices and strategies, along with professional help, all of which can help you to live a very happy, healthy and balanced life with ADHD.

2. Seek support

It’s important to find the right professional with whom you have high trust. There are medicated and non-medicated options, treatment plans, psychotherapy, coaching or mindfulness meditation and hypnotherapy. Getting the right professional support and treatment is essential. If you’re not sure where to start, you can reach out to your GP or check out the links after this article.

3. Build your toolkit

I treat having an ADHD brain as an experiment now and it’s a lot more fun. Staying open to new ‘experiments’, tools, practices and perspectives if very helpful. If I stay curious, I’m more flexible about shifting to something else if something doesn’t work. It’s OK. It’s all a practice. It’s all a day at a time practice. Moment at a time. As you explore, you’ll find the right people, support networks and tools for you. Play with new techniques. My non-negotiables every morning are integrated meditations, which help activate heart mind coherence and connection for greater focus, flow and frequency throughout the day. TOOLKIT

PLEASE NOTE: Multitasking is one of our modern obsessions and it’s a myth. It’s popular and compulsive way to procrastinate and delude yourself that you’re being productive. When I was diagnosed with ADHD, I had to learn not to multitask. It requires practice, a lot of practice. It’s never perfect and I’m never done, but my practice every day is staying with one thing at a time with focus, presence and intent.

4. Stay connected

Stay connected to whatever energy source restores your energy and spirit. Find those  practices, activities, people, conversations and communities that help you feel loved, connected and fulfilled. Build on those things, people and experiences which help you expand your self-esteem and feelings of gratitude. That may be service, volunteer work or being emotionally available for loved ones. Stay connected to your favourite people, activities and relationships which boost your energy and sense of self.

5. Practice self-compassion
   

One of the most powerful and transformation practices in my experience has been that of self-forgiveness and compassion. It’s not only those of us with ADHD who give ourselves a hard time. Most of us do it. All of us? To consciously and deliberately extend forgiveness to ourselves and all others is one of the most ancient healing practices on the planet. Huna healing was passed down the generations throughout Hawaii and Tahiti, including daily meditations which focus on unconditional love and compassion for self and all others to keep our mind, body and spirit clear. When we are clear, we can focus, and when we can focus on what we want, we bring more of that into our reality. Now, that’s worth focusing on.

“Have I gone mad?
I’m afraid so.
You’re entirely bonkers.
But I will tell you a secret,
All the best people are.”

Lewis Carroll

This book is a series of stories about what happened to me On the way to Wonderland ™. These are true stories, to the best of my memory, with a strong caveat and CONTENT WARNING: There are strong drug references. This is not a self-help book. Consider it more a set of darkly comedic, cautionary tales about how not to completely f*** yourself if you’re a professional addict, like me. I’m inviting a conversation here, with lightness in heart, to share more candidly about the direct correlation between mental health issues and addictions and it’s potentially deadly impacts.

While I had some rock ‘n roll times around the world trying to outwit my addictions, run from trauma and find spiritual meaning, it did lead to devastating emotional, mental and financial rock bottom. Twice. In two languages. I figured if I was going to do it, I might as well diversify. While I do share important insights on how to surf live more successfully with anxiety, ADHD and addictions, it is a fun ride, provided you’re not adverse things getting a bit raw, edgy and sweary, I do get a bit sweary at times. Please note: you should not try this at home. Personal results may vary. Some conditions may apply. You get the drift.

Clearly, I did make it back from my multiple tumbles down the rabbit hole and not without some golden nuggets of wisdoms and cosmic truths from both ancient and modern masters who I met on my adventures through the under lands. These mad, yet deeply wise characters led me back to that place, which connects all of us, from where all things are born and possible, that infinite and metaphysical heart, which channels unlimited, love, light and energy. It was that love and their love, wisdom and practices which empowered me to connect at depth and with heart, our collective consciousness heart, to heal, transform and set myself free and create a new reality again and again and again.

You can now order your exclusive, limited edition signed copy to be delivered in Oct 2022.

In the spirit of sharing golden wisdom from the masters, I’m starting a Podcast/Vodcast series called:

Heart to Heart Conversations: Connecting with heart to help surf uncertainty, anxiety & addictions in the 21st century. 

As I’m interested in interview the modern masters I know who have helped me face into the uncertainty, anxiety and addictions of the 21^st century

“Curiosier and curiosier…..” said Alice

Coming Soon ….. my first 1:1 Heart 2 Heart Conversation with the inspirational Luke Cooke (Cookie).

Omedeto Gozaimasu! Happy New Year, in Japanese

I worked in Japan, back in the 90’s, and I had the honour and privilege of studying with many Eastern masters in martial arts, like Aikido, The Spirit of the Samurai and learning from Zen, Buddhist and Taoist monks.

It was in Japan that I first learned about ‘aquarium-therapy’. Check out my video here to meet the newest members of my family, my LED lit jellyfish!

Did you know that watching jellyfish swim creates a similar bio-chemical reaction in our body to doing meditation?

Clinical studies showed that watching jellyfish, or any fish swim, reduces stress, anxiety, muscle tension, it lowers our heart rate and it induces deep feelings of calm.

This form of enforced meditation is so popular in Japan, you can pay money to stay overnight in the aquariums to watch the fish swim.

Watching fish swim or any animal in nature is one of the oldest forms of inducing a natural, therapeutic state of trance.

When we go into a state of trance, or a hypnotic state, we by-pass the critical faculty and are able to access our unconscious mind, where inner stillness and serenity lies.

I’m not suggesting watching jellyfish is the answer to our challenges as we face into another year of uncertainty and complex change.

What I am suggesting, is that this is a fun, simple and easy practice to help you cultivate calm and connection with that quiet and safe space within your being.

Next time you’re feeling frazzled or frustrated, maybe pull up a video of some jellyfish, or any fish, or go to the park and watch the birds, it will alter your emotional, mental and physical state for the better.

If cultivating calm and connection with yourself for greater self-acceptance, stamina and success is important to you, please stay tuned for more Eastern inspired tools at:  

www.alicecrawley.com     

I’m very excited to announce my Quantum Mastery Immersive coming March 2022, bringing you powerful transformative techniques from the Eastern masters and Western experts in meditation, hypnosis and trance to help you align, at depth, to your unlimited potential and possibilities in 2022.

Over a meal, on more than one occasion, I remember my mother saying, “There are three things you never discuss, Darling; politics, religion and money.” This was emphasised further by my father’s empathic and passionate nodding. My parents had this belief instilled in them, and it was then instilled in me. There was no harm intended; their beliefs were a product of their upbringings, as were mine. 

For over 30 years, I had a conscious, but more impactfully a subconscious, money script hard-wired from day one. There were many I took on, but the first was you don’t talk about money. I left my home country, Canada, 20 years ago for a lifestyle change and, in part, to also ‘flee’ my financial chaos. Upon reflection, it was easy to see how I’d developed so many unhealthy and ultimately dysfunctional habits around money. 

It took a hard rock bottom and facing financial hardship to wake up to the fact that my financial confusion was robbing me of my personal freedom and well-being. It was a devastating reality check very late in the game. I can’t begin to explain the shame that came with being in $185,000 in credit card debt across two continents and being a professional who works in finance. It was a secret I was convinced I’d take to the grave. But it got to the point where I couldn’t afford not to talk to someone.

As it turns out, unthinkably good things can happen late in the game.

I met my match at Ryan’s Bar in Sydney through a friend. He was a very tall man, an actuary and as I learned after a few more wines, addicted to theme parks and musical theatre. I was intrigued. Despite my slurred messiness that night, having been drinking since noon, this man, now my husband, saw something in me. There was a risk-averse actuary, and I had ‘high risk’ written all over me, yet he knew there was something more. After six months of dating, we agreed that we wanted to take things to the next stage.

The anxiety of my crippling debt and overspending, along with a suite of other destructive habits was no longer going to be easy to hide. Given his healthy habits around money and finances, he insisted that we talk upfront about where we were financially, and I was terrified. I thought for sure he’d leave. On some level, I hoped he’d bail me out. He did neither. 

He stood in his integrity and truth and insisted that if we were going to make it as a couple, I would need to get my act together, with the deepest of love and sincerity. He made it crystal clear that he wasn’t prepared to rescue me financially; I had to save myself. 

I was forced to start looking down the barrel of the money I owed, talk to him openly and honestly about what was happening with me financially. It woke me up out of my fiscal haze and inspired me to turn my money ship around. I could finally see that looking after myself financially, was one of the most critical ways I could look after myself – and that no-one was going to bail me out but me. His reflection back to me of the power of honesty, self-worth and integrity inspired me to start a new chapter. The Madhatter’s Tea Party was over, and it was time to clean up – on all fronts.

Once I made that clear and conscious decision to turn my life around it was incredible what started to happen. I discovered the power of connecting with my ‘Quantum Self’ by committing to seeing and believing what was possible for me without limitations. I started to see me as Marty saw me, beyond the debt, the shame, the addictions and a troubled past. 

I learned everything I could about personal transformation and embarked on a remarkable journey of healing myself at depth and accepting my true worth. As my self-worth increased, so did my net worth. 

I doubled my income in two months and tripled in a year. I paid down my debt in under 4½ years. I launched a business and a career supporting others in what I call ‘Quantum Transformation’ to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, hardship and devastation. I re-built my life, career and relationships to create a life which I fell in love with, along with the actuary.   

If you are facing financial hardship or if you’re crippled by the debt you’ve accumulated and the shame that comes with it, know you’re not alone. Also, know that there is a way out.

In my upcoming webinar, the ‘7 Quantum Keys from financial hardship to financial freedom’  https://www.alicecrawley.com/financial-hardship-to-financial-freedom/, I share more about the steps I took to create the quantum shifts I so desperately needed to clear myself of life-long patterns and behaviours and step into the full expression of who I knew I was born to be; 

To help you, here are three of those Quantum Keys.

1. Be sure of your success

Certainty is the electromagnetic key which translates your thoughts and desires into physical reality – I’ve seen this proven again and again in myself and my clients. We have the power to change our physical realm in unprecedented time through the power of our focused intention. 

In 2020, this notion of focusing on what you want to manifest your reality can no longer be dismissed as ‘woo-woo’. Leading-edge neuroscientists and medical researchers at top universities are measuring how powerful the focus of our thoughts and emotions are when it comes to healing and transforming our physical state. 

This quantum truth is leveraged by top athletes, high-income earners and the most successful people across the globe to achieve their goals. When you tap into what you want with absolute certainty that you will succeed, with no conscious or unconscious resistance, the reality you desire is yours. That is a scientific data point which can no longer be ignored. Learn more about this in my introductory Podcast series, “Through the Looking Glass“. 

2. Forgive yourself for whatever you have or haven’t done with your finances until now

You’ve done the best you can with what you knew at every point in your journey. If you’ve had issues managing your money – it’s not a moral issue – it’s about learned behaviours, beliefs and patterns – we’ve all had scripts hard-wired in us. It comes with our design. 

We can learn to re-write our scripts and re-wire our brain when it comes to money or anything else in our life. There was a lot of negative and limiting conscious and subconscious stories that I needed to clear and reset before I started earning more and spending less. No matter how far down the rabbit hole you have fallen, there is a way out. 

Once I was able to release the shame about my past and patterns, I let go of the blocks that were preventing me from aligning to and allowing greater abundance in my life. By forgiving yourself for whatever has happened up until now you will set yourself  free. If you need support to clear your blocks at depth, refer to my Quantum Connection guided meditations. 

3. Make a clear and conscious decision about what you want your financial reality to be

I love this quote from the mystical poet, Rumi, ‘What you want, wants you’. I call it The Power of Quantum Connection – this is how you leverage the universal, consistent and predictable laws of quantum mechanics and metaphysics to change your life and finances in any way you desire.

When you commit and make a clear and conscious decision to focus on what you want,with clarity and conviction, it is one of the most powerful activators in the universe. If you want to learn more about the power of quantum focus and how it will change your fiscal reality – again, check out my Podcast and also my Quantum Connection guided meditations. 

You choose who you want to be, what you want to have and what you do with the power of your focused and loving intent. I hope this helps you travel through the portal of your infinite possibilities through The Power of Quantum Connection™.

With quantum love and light,

Alice