“We are the problem kid who drives his parents crazy by being totally disorganized, unable to follow through on anything, incapable of cleaning up a room, or washing dishes,” starts Hallowell and Ratey’s “ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving With Distraction.”

“We are also imaginative and dynamic teachers, preachers, circus clowns, and stand-up comics, Navy SEALs or Army Rangers, inventors, tinkerers, and trend setters,” the world-renowned ADHD experts continue, explaining that attention deficit hyperactive disorder can be both a curse and a gift. 

Imagine a Ferrari engine but with bicycle-strength brakes. “It’s the mismatch of engine power to braking capability that causes the problems,” Hallowell and Ratey say. “Strengthening one’s breaks is the name of the game.”

In this “ADHD 2.0” summary, we’ll go over the most essential lessons and ADHD coping strategies that we’ve learned from the book. 

Before we proceed, though, a word of advice: if you suspect you or someone you know has ADHD, remember that the best course of action is to get personalized advice from a medical professional.

• First Things First: ADHD vs VAST

• ADHD Strategy #1: Engage the TPN to shut down the DMN

• ADHD Strategy #2: Improve your cerebellar function

• ADHD Strategy #3: Find your right difficult

• ADHD Strategy #4: Get a move on to get your focus back

  
  

First things First: ADHD vs VAST

A whole article could be dedicated to the different types and symptoms of ADHD, and the “ADHD 2.0” book’s authors go into a lot of depth on the matter. For our current purposes, though, let’s do a quick recap.

In Hallowell and Ratey’s words, ADHD is essentially a complex set of contradictory and paradoxical tendencies.

For example, you can suffer from a lack of focus, and also have the ability to superfocus. You might be known as the procrastinator of the group, and also get a week’s worth of work done in one day. You could present as socially clueless, and yet have an uncanny intuition and a strong sense of empathy.

This goes hand in hand with the usual telltale signs of ADHD, such as:

• Unexplained underachievement

• A wandering mind

• Trouble organizing and planning

• Tendency to procrastinate and trouble with time management

• High degree of creativity and imagination

• Restlessness

• Impulsivity and impatience

• Sensitivity to criticism or rejection

• Distorted negative self-image 

What’s interesting is that, according to the book, many of us may have ADHD-like symptoms but not the diagnosable condition itself. That’s because these symptoms are caused by the conditions of our modern world. 

“Modern life has trained our brains to go faster and faster, to do more and more, to receive and transmit 24/7, and to require constant stimulation – be it from movies, TV, conversation, even news… Most of us can go no more than a few seconds without looking for a screen,” the authors write. 

They go on to argue that, as a result, our brains are required to process more data than ever before, and in our efforts to adapt to this “speeding up of life,” we’ve developed new coping mechanisms, many of which are paradoxical in nature as well:

• A strong focus on the present moment, which leads to procrastination (while getting a lot done in a short amount of time)

• Initial surge of excitement over a new plan or idea (but the excitement peters out soon after)

• Wandering mind when not interested in the subject matter (and paying close attention when the topic excites you)

• Full of creative ideas (and having trouble organizing them)

• Forgetfulness when it comes to short-term memory (where you put your keys), but remembering details from years ago

No matter if you have ADHD or VAST (variable attention stimulus trait), the following ADHD coping strategies might help.

ADHD Strategy #1: Engage the TPN to shut down the DMN

When you’re engaged in a task, be it writing an email, playing tennis, or making breakfast, various groups of neurons “light up” in your brain. 

The authors explain that these are called connectomes, and thanks to the science of fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), we now know that the connectome that fires up when you’re engaged in a single task is called the task-positive network, or TPN. In this state, you are so intent on what you’re doing that there is no room for self-assessment.

The moment your mind wanders from the task, though, your brain defaults to a different connectome, one that allows you to daydream, self-analyze, and plan for the future. This is called the default mode network, or DMN.

While getting trapped in the TPN can lead to the hyper-focused state that people with ADHD sometimes fall into, DMN is what often makes it difficult for you to start and continue tasks. 

“In a neurotypical brain,” the authors claim, “when the TPN is turned on and you’re on task, the DMN is turned off. But in the ADHD brain, the fMRI shows that when the TPN is turned on, the DMN is turned on as well, trying to muscle its way in and pull you into its grasp, thereby distracting you.”

In other words, the toggle switch between the DMN and the TPN is impaired in people with ADHD, leading to symptoms like the “pirouette syndrome” (when you circle back to make sure you’ve done something you have, in fact, already done) or the “Chicken Little syndrome” (catastrophic thinking).

Here’s one of Hallowell and Ratey’s ADHD concentration strategies that may help in the moment: 

• When you slip into the DMN and struggle to focus on a single task, you must move the toggle switch. 

• You can do so by immediately redirecting your attention to anything external to yourself. Walk around. Play the piano. Feed your dog. Sing a song. Dance a jig. Try a breathing exercise. Doing something active helps engage the TPN.

• It should now be easier for you to return to the task your thoughts have originally drifted from.

Another (more long-term) way to improve focus and reduce mind-wandering is neurofeedback therapy, which is a form of brain training that uses real-time feedback on your brainwaves to help regulate brain activity.

The brain has five types of brainwaves (delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma), each linked to different states like alertness, relaxation, or sleep. In a well-regulated brain, the right brainwave state appears at the right time.

Neurofeedback helps train the brain to do just that, improving focus, resilience, and cognitive performance.

For example, people with ADHD often have more slow waves (theta) and fewer fast waves (beta), which can lead to inattention. But the brain can adapt and learn. Neurofeedback trains it to self-regulate and bring those brainwaves back into balance to ease symptoms.

ADHD Strategy #2: Improve your cerebellar function

Located at the back of the head, the cerebellum is sometimes referred to as the “little brain,” and it plays a major role in balance, coordination, and fine motor movements. 

Beyond that, “ADHD 2.0” highlights the cerebellum’s importance when it comes to emotional equilibrium, especially in terms of emotional regulation and sustained focus. 

In fact, Hallowell and Ratey point out that the central strip down the midline of the cerebellum, known as the vermis, is slightly smaller in people who have ADHD than in those who don’t.

Fortunately, stimulating the cerebellum strengthens it in a similar way that lifting weights strengthens a muscle. In our case, the weight-lifting takes on a form of balance exercises. This could alleviate ADHD symptoms, Hallowell and Ratey say.

You can regularly practice with these examples:

• Stand on one leg for one minute or until you fall over.

• Stand on one leg with eyes closed for one minute or until you fall over.

• Take off your socks and then put on your socks without sitting down.

• Stand on a wobble board for as long as you can, up to five minutes, then do it with your eyes closed.

• Learn to juggle balls. Spend three to five minutes per day juggling.

ADHD Strategy #3: Find your right difficult

Throughout your life, you might have developed plenty of coping mechanisms for ADHD that have helped you get by, but one of the major takeaways from “ADHD 2.0” is that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder isn’t just something to battle. It can also help pave the path to victory.

“Being syndromes of matched opposite characteristics – with an upside to every perceived downside – ADHD and VAST are unique among conditions in the behavioral sciences,” the authors say. “It’s true that most people who have ADHD or VAST are really bad at quite a few things, but usually they are, or could be, truly exceptional at one or two other activities.”

“People with ADHD and VAST need a challenge,” they continue. “Boredom is our kryptonite. The trick, though, is not just to find a challenge, but to find the right challenge. We call that the right difficult.”

To assess your strengths, respond to the following ten questions:

1. What three or four things are you best at doing?

2. What three or four things do you like doing the most?

3. What three or four activities or achievements have brought you the most praise in your life?

4. What are your three or four most cherished goals?

5. What three or four things would you most like to get better at?

6. What do others praise you for but you take for granted?

7. What, if anything, is easy for you but hard for others?

8. What do you spend a lot of time doing that you are really bad at?

9. What could your teacher or supervisor do so that your time could be spent more productively?

10. If you weren’t afraid of getting in trouble, what would you tell your teacher or supervisor that he or she doesn’t understand about you?

Once you’re armed with your answers, you can approach your life with more clarity and self-knowledge. This exercise comes in handy not only for people who cope with adult ADHD but also for children with ADHD and their parents.

ADHD Strategy #4: Get a move on to get your focus back

Among all the culprits that cause ADHD in the brain, faulty dopamine and norepinephrine machinery is a well-known one. Since these neurotransmitters play a vital role in reward processing and attention, people with ADHD might suffer from poor focus and low motivation.

Fortunately, there’s also an easy way to boost your ability to stay on task: exercise.

When you exercise, the book explains, you release a protein called the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. “We think of this as Miracle-Gro for the brain, as it creates a fertile environment to grow new neurons, connectors, and positive pathways.”

“Additionally, when we exercise, we are using more nerve cells than in any other human activity. The more we move, the more those cells are clicking away and firing. When they fire, they release more neurotransmitters to carry information from one nerve cell to the next, creating a boost in dopamine and norepinephrine.”

You don’t need to run a marathon to make use of this ADHD coping strategy, either. In fact, the authors mention studies that show twenty to thirty minutes of moderately paced exercise is enough to strengthen focus, reaction speed, and planning skills. 

If you’re struggling to focus, try to:

• Take a run around the block

• Go up and down the stairs in your house

• Do some jumping jacks

ADHD Strategy #5: Don’t underestimate the power of connection

“Creating comfortable, positively connected environments is the most important step in helping people of all ages get the most out of life in general; the lack of connection particularly hurts people who have ADHD,” Hallowell and Ratey write. 

Those who cope with ADHD often feel misunderstood and alienated from others, and, as trivial as it may sound, love and human connection could make a huge difference. Indeed, the longest study on happiness has found that the key to high life satisfaction is not career achievement, or even exercise and a healthy diet. 

It’s a strong and healthy relationship network.

If you can, Hallowell and Ratey suggest that you:

• Make a point of having meals with your family or friends

• Get a pet

• Make a daily stop at a favorite coffee shop, and give hellos and nods to people you don’t know

• Keep up with at least two good friends regularly

• Share your worries with a close friend instead of keeping your struggles all to yourself

• Join a group that holds meetings, like a book club or a knitting circle

“ADHD 2.0” Summary: Conclusion

There are many brilliant ADHD books on the market, each valuable in its own way. What makes “ADHD 2.0” stand out is that it combines expertise with a style of writing that makes you feel like you’re speaking to a friend. 

The book is deeply motivational, and if you’re finding it difficult to embrace your brain, picking this one up is a no-brainer (we had to).

From learning to engage the TPN when you’re stuck in the DMN to assessing your strengths, trying out some balance exercises, getting a move on, and nurturing your relationships, you’re now equipped with ADHD coping strategies that hopefully make it easier for you not only to get by but to thrive.

And before you go, last word from Hallowell and Ratey: “Try to remember that life’s great reward, its greatest joy, lies in the game itself – the trying to figure it out, the trying new ways to do so.”

“Each of us finds a different way; there is no one right way. But what a liberating message it is for us all to know that no brain is the best, and each of us has the magnificent, lifelong chance to find our own brain’s special way.”

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