Review Corner: The ADHD Focus Friend: A Planning & Productivity Workbook by Grace Koelma
The first step on the ADHD diagnosis journey after the initial lightbulb moment of ‘hey, that’s me!’ is usually a deep dive down a rabbit hole of ADHD in whatever medium floats your boat: books, YouTube videos, documentaries, podcasts. If you are self-diagnosed or recently diagnosed with ADHD and on your way down the rabbit hole, I’m sharing my recommendations for books designed to help you understand your brain and welcome you into the neurodiverse community.
The ADHD Focus Friend: A Planning & Productivity Workbook by Grace Koelma
The ADHD Focus Friend is designed with ADHD brains in mind: colourful and eye-catching with diagrams and blank boxes for you to fill in. Yes, Grace Koelma invites you to write in this book and encourages you to use it for “what you need” instead of “what you think you ‘should’ be doing.” You don’t have to read this book cover to cover. You can dip in and out using the contents or a ‘choose your own adventure’ style page with suggestions of what to read depending on how you’re feeling.
I had so many lightbulb moments as I read about emotional regulation and the nervous system. The anecdotes felt like reading extracts from my own diary. It’s one of the few to mention AuDHD and offers practical exercises to combat rumination & RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria). On days I feel stuck with executive functioning or making a decision, I can flick through this for ideas. I already wish I could have it on me at all times as the explanations are so clear that I want to flick to certain pages to show people: this is why!
The second part of the book features pages from the planner the author specifically designed for ADHD brains; undated, no pressure and customisable with handy templates to keep track of all the things that tend to fall out of our brains! For good measure and because Grace Koelma clearly knows how ADHD brains work, she has included a page of stickers at the very back!
ADHD Books By ADHD Authors
Whether you are just starting your self-discovery or diagnosis journey of ADHD, have been looking for a book that actually gets it or are looking for a gift to help someone understand ADHD, I highly recommend the ADHD Focus Friend. Written by a neurodivergent author with lived experience, it offers expert-backed guidance and science-backed tools but most of all, is neuro-affirming, positive, compassionate and a knowledgeable guide to ADHD.
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