Podcasts about hey team

Hey Team, geht's euch gut? Ach man, ich sag's euch, ich liebe das doch hier. Alle team members sind so besonders und toll und offen und ehrlich. Es macht mir jedes Mal aufs Neue SO Viel Spaß alle kennenzulernen. So auch heute wieder. Unser neues Team Member und ich sind Kolleginnen. Sie ist Sportjournalistin durch und durch. Ich selber habe Sachen erfahren, die ich nicht wusste und die auch nicht selbstverständlich sind mit der Öffentlichkeit zu teilen. Wir sprechen darüber, wie (schwer) es ist, in die Sportbranche reinzukommen, dass Umwege auch Gutes haben können, was Fußball schon seit Kindestagen für sie bedeutet hat und es gibt einen Einwurf, den wir noch nie hatten und der ganz wichtig ist. Also, folgt ihr, folgt uns und erzählt allen euren Freunden von diesem Podcast. Hier ist für euch: Lisa de Ruiter **Schnitt und Postproduktion: Andy Aksen** https://www.aksenmedia.de/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyaksen/

Hey Team! As many of you know, I have a passion for writing, and so I'm excited that today we are diving deep into that world and why it often feels like an uphill battle when you have an ADHD brain. I'm talking with Susanne Schotanus, an expert ADHD coach who holds the unique distinction of being the world's first dedicated ADHD writing coach, as well as the founder of the annual Basecamp to Brilliance writing summit. Susanne brings a wealth of clinical and practical insight from her years spent coaching everyone from burnt-out university professors to memoirists struggling to organize decades of research. In our conversation today, we discuss why standard linear approaches to writing clash so intensely with our multi-dimensional thinking styles. Susanne explains the mechanics of the "messy middle" in long-term projects, how our constant craving for novelty can derail a draft after just two weeks, and why we might want to reconsider our view of consistency. We also explore practical ways to gamify your workflow and create structural frameworks that adapt to your brain rather than forcing your brain to adapt to them. And while this episode's core focus is on writing, I think there is a lot to get out of this when considering any kind of long-term pursuit. Susanne's Website - https://passionatewritercoaching.com/ Free Guide - https://passionatewritercoaching.com/hackingyouradhd/  If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/299 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Waiting until you magically feel motivated to start a task is a losing game because our brains require action to generate momentum. To trick your brain into gear, lower the barrier to entry by making the first step absurdly small. Writing a single sentence or fixing a minor typo requires almost zero initial effort, but that tiny completion can give your brain the dopamine boost it needs to transition into work mode. Your note-taking and organizational systems are here to serve you, not the other way around. Using a brand new productivity tool for two glorious weeks and then completely losing interest isn't a personal failure; it's just the natural lifespan of a novelty-driven dopamine source. With this in mind, keep your architectures simple, make sure your data is easily exportable, and make it easy if you need to switch tools in the future. ADHD brains run on an system driven by interest, novelty, challenge, urgency, and passion. Most of us default to novelty (which leaves us with a mountain of half-finished projects) or panic-induced urgency (which runs us straight into burnout). To break the cycle and handle long-form projects, start intentionally leaning into the underutilized levers of challenge, gamification, and genuine playfulness.  

Hey Team! When I moved into my neighborhood, most of the houses weren't built.  So I got to see over the course of a few years, a lot of the work that went into putting those houses up, all the day-to-day progress that always kept happening, and how every step seemed to set them up for the next step. Now, nobody expects a brick wall to just materialize out of midair on pure willpower or a house to get completely built with no effort. yet when it comes to managing our daily routines, that's exactly what we try to do. We expect our internal motivation to keep us on track despite our own track record, and then we get frustrated when they fall flat. In this episode, we're taking a look at why our attempts to build traditional habits often doesn't work with ADHD, and why it isn't a moral failure or a lack of trying. We're going to explore the critical mechanics of external scaffolding versus internal habits, digging into how we can stop burning through our limited supply of daily executive function and start building physical infrastructure that does the heavy lifting for us If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/298 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Traditional habits rely on an internal dopamine reward to lock them onto autopilot. Because ADHD reward chemistry is wildly inconsistent, that "autopilot" switch rarely flips. Instead, we want to work on designing our environment through systems to help make our intentions inevitable. Passive reminders are entirely too easy for an ADHD brain to ignore. Instead, use design psychology to create physical roadblocks that force conscious awareness. Putting your clean laundry basket directly on the couch cushion where you want to sit forces your brain to actively negotiate with the task before you can proceed. Human brains naturally drift toward the path of least resistance. Take advantage of this by manipulating that friction. Lower the friction for positive intentions by creating one-step solutions, like a dedicated key basket by the front door, or crank up the friction for distractions by doing things putting your phone completely out of reach so you can't just pick it up without thinking about it. Your physical environment is never neutral; it is actively directing your behavior right now, whether you designed it or not, which means relying on willpower is a losing game. Treat environmental design as a handoff between two versions of you: let your "Good Brain Day" self build a physical world that protects and supports your "Bad Brain Day" self.  

Hey Team! Today I'm sitting down with Ron Capalbo, known to many as @adhd_ron on the socials. I've gotten to know Ron at a number of ADHD conferences and had a great time at Neurodiversion talking with him about Dungeon Crawler Carl and figured it was time to have him on the pod. Ron is an AACC-certified coach through the ADD Coach Academy who specializes in strengths-based development and helping adults navigate the messy "shame cycle" that so often accompanies an ADHD diagnosis. He's spent years building a community focused on honoring unique brain chemistry rather than fighting a losing battle against it. In today's episode, we explore the "why" behind our perfectionism and how the fear of complacency often keeps us from being proud of our progress. Ron breaks down how to identify your brain's unique operating system, the value of the elevator pitch for self-confidence, and why hitting a seven when you started at a two is actually a massive win, even if your brain is trying to convince you it's a failure. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/297 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Try out the 2-versus-9 scale for Expectation Management. We often fail to start because we set the entry-level bar at a 9 (like, cooking 7 nights a week), which can often feel impossible. If instead we intentionally lower our aim to something that's more like a 2, we bypass the brain's "frozen" state and create a low-friction path to initiation. All right, this is a long one, but it's worth it. Many of us with ADHD actively avoid giving ourselves credit because we've been conditioned to fear that if we're satisfied, it will lead to complacency. Mechanically, however, withholding credit creates a narrative vacuum in our operating system - our brain assumes it just didn't happen. It looks at everything left to do, decides we're failing, and triggers a total system freeze, what Ron calls a "cement wall". The fix here isn't forcing toxic positive affirmations your brain knows are fake. It just takes factual data entry. Take a second to acknowledge that you moved from a level one to a level two. You're not throwing yourself a parade; you're just hitting "Save" so your brain has the baseline level to keep moving forward without crashing. Setbacks are inevitable, but the duration of the setback is determined by your level of self-shame. Implementing a grace period or a mental hug isn't about being soft; it's a strategic tool to reduce the time spent in a frozen state and get back to baseline faster.  

Hey Team! This week, I'm talking with Christine Lane, an accredited financial counselor (AFC) with a master's degree in psychology. Christine has ADHD herself and, luckily for the rest of us, her hyper-fixation happens to be on personal finance. She's the founder of Mind Over Money, where she focuses on the psychological hurdles that make traditional budgeting feel like a personal failure rather than just a glitch in your executive function. In our conversation today, we get into her "Four-Bucket Banking System" and why we need to stop making our money multitask. We also explore the concept of using "friction" as a tool for impulse control and why simulating the physical loss of cash can be a great way to get your limbic system to play ball. We also talk about the specific tools she uses to gamify spending, why detailed categorization is often just a form of productive procrastination, and how to set up "set it and forget it" systems that protect your bills from your worst impulses. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/296 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Modern digital spending, such as our cards and phones, provides a "gain" without the physical feeling of money leaving. To help bridge this gap, tools like a calculator, where you can subtract the cost at the moment of purchase, can help the limbic system register the loss, balancing the emotional input so you feel protective of your remaining funds. When we let our savings accounts multitask, we can end up imagining that the same $5,000 can cover both an emergency and a vacation. By using something like the Four-Bucket Banking System (Bills, Variable, Periodic, Emergency), you create "object permanence" for your money, ensuring that essential funds are physically separated from your spending urges. Willpower is a finite resource that often fails when we are stressed. Instead of "trying harder," we want to focus on bending external structures (like deleting the Amazon app or removing saved credit card info) to create enough friction to let our executive function outpace some of our more impulsive spending choices.  

Hey Team! Today I'm talking with Jenna Free, a Master's-level Canadian Certified Counselor and ADHD coach, who focuses on polyvagal theory, which is to say, she helps people understand their nervous system. She works specifically with neurodivergent adults to move them out of the "fight, flight, or freeze" responses that make ADHD symptoms feel ten times heavier than they need to be. In our conversation, we're moving past the usual "tips and tricks" to look at the biological hardware of the ADHD brain and, more specifically, on nervous system regulation. We discuss the mechanics of dysregulation, why we often use anxiety as a secondary motor, and how to identify when our bodies have been stuck in survival mode for so long that we've forgotten what "calm" actually feels like. Be sure to check out Jenna's book The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation: The Secret to Finding Balance, Getting Things Done, and Enjoying Your Life If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/292 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips It's important to recognize that dysregulation is a physical state where blood flow moves from the brain to the limbs to prepare for danger. When we are in fight, flight, or freeze, our ADHD symptoms are amplified because our brain's higher-level processing is offline in favor of survival. While it is easy to rely on anxiety and panic to provide the "urgency" needed to start tasks, this can create a "frantic-crash cycle" where we use future resources to survive the present. When we focus on regulation, it can allow us to find a "sweet spot" of motivation that is sustainable rather than explosive. People-pleasing is often a survival strategy intended to keep others regulated so that we feel safe. By recognizing that our safety doesn't actually depend on everyone else liking us, it allows us to stop over-committing and resenting our schedules.  

Hey Team! I've been thinking a lot about the idea that thinking about planning isn't the same thing as planning. When we're just thinking about planning, sure, we're imagining the steps, the obstacles, the finished results, but we often get stuck in the execution gap, where we think we know exactly what we need to do, but can't actually find a way of getting ourselves to do it. We often view planning as this rigid, formal structure, a grand design that has to be perfect or it's not worth doing. But really, planning is just a gift for our future selves. It's about making decisions now so that the "future us," who is more than likely tired and overwhelmed, doesn't have to.  So today, we're going to look at the mechanics of how we build those plans. We'll talk about the hierarchy of goals, strategies, and tactics, and how we can stop letting the "shoulds" dictate how we spend our limited cognitive energy. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/284 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips That the "feel-good" sensation of visualizing a plan can actually be a trap. When we think about a successful outcome, our brain releases dopamine as if the task is already done, which in turn kills the motivation needed for the actual execution. Instead of seeing a plan as a set of rules that box you in, try viewing it as a way to protect your long-term desires from your short-term impulses. We want to think of planning as a form of self-advocacy rather than as a punishment. If a goal feels like an obligation rather than a genuine interest, it will likely fail. Digging into the "Why" behind a goal can help you find a hook that activates your interest, providing the "stick-to-it-iveness" required to see it through.  

Hey Team! So we've got a bit of a different kind of episode today. I am talking with Derek Hales, the founder and editor-in-chief of NapLab, a mattress review website. While that might not scream ADHD, I was interested in having this conversation because so many of us with ADHD have issues around sleep. And what really impressed me with Naplab is how they've really focused on turning mattress testing into actual science, moving away from just "it-feels-soft vibes" and towards using thermal cameras, accelerometers, and other gadgets to really see what's going on with each of these mattresses.  And I know how that sounds, but it is actually kind of cool.  Anyway, in our conversation today, we talked about a lot of what goes into choosing a mattress, what makes something good for one person and not the right fit for someone else. We spend time talking about this systems-first approach to sleep, how your bed frame, sheets, and even the light from things like your alarm clock can either support or sabotage your REM cycles. Of course, we also touch on some of the unique challenges of ADHD and sleep, from circadian rhythm delays to just trying to get our brains to quiet down at night. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/290 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips ADHD brains can have even more trouble filtering out background stimuli, such as lights and sounds, in the bedroom, which can make it even harder for us to fall asleep. Things like blackout shades and earplugs can create an environment that's more conducive to getting more restful and restorative sleep. Your body's ability to shed heat is a biological requirement for deep sleep. To help with this cooling, look for materials that actually facilitate moisture-wicking and air flow, rather than relying on stuff that just has a surface-level cool-to-the-touch feel. A lot of marketing from the mattress industry often uses a "more expensive equals better sleep" model, pressuring us to spend more and more on mattresses. Derek suggests a $1,500-$2,000 price range as the performance peak, where the highest-quality materials are used, and you get the most bang for your buck.  

Hey Team! Today I'm talking with Meredith Carder, author of It All Makes Sense Now. Meredith is an ADHD coach and the creator behind the popular Instagram account @hummingbird_adhd, where she focuses on neuro-affirming strategies for adults. With a background in psychology and an MBA, she brings a unique perspective on how we can bridge the gap between our high-level professional goals and the executive dysfunction that often gets in the way. I got to meet Meredith at the 2025 ADHD Conference in Kansas City and then got to hang out with her again recently at NeuroDiversion in Austin. She's a ton of fun to talk with and while this episode had a few hurdles to get over in terms of actually recording it, was a ton of fun. In our conversation today, we get into the concept of "Ambition vs. Capacity," that frustrating space where our big ideas don't quite match what we are actually capable of doing in the moment. We talk about why we feel so much shame over "adulting" tasks like laundry and dishes, and how changing our mental models of what an "adult" looks like can free up bandwidth for things that actually matter. We also get into Meredith's specific systems for planning her week and how she uses a "Monday Planning Meeting" to set realistic expectations before the week even starts. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/287 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Often, we conflate the ideas of "simple" with "easy," and because simple tasks can lack the stimulation of more complex problems, they sometimes require more deliberate strategy and support, not less. High-level ideation can be a strength, but it is separate from executive function. We must learn to reconcile our big dreams with our actual current bandwidth to avoid the cycle of "losing self-trust" when we fail to reach unrealistic goals. Being "good" at something doesn't mean you have to or even necessarily need to do it, especially if it isn't something you are particularly interested in. Selecting goals based on personal values rather than just skills helps ensure that the "20% of boring stuff" required to reach a goal doesn't outweigh the "80% of interest" that keeps us going.  

Hey Team! We've all had those moments where we walk away from a conversation and immediately spiral into a "self-regulation hangover," wondering if we said too much or if we were just being "tolerated" rather than included. Feeling like maybe this whole friendship thing maybe just isn't for us. This week, I'm talking with Caroline Maguire, a veteran social skills coach and the founder of the Social Excellence training program. She holds a Master's in Social Emotional Learning and is one of the few experts who approaches social skills as a "muscle" that can be built, rather than an innate talent you either have or you don't. Her first book, Why Will No One Play with Me?, became an instant staple for neurodivergent families helping children struggling with social skills to make friends. And with what she learned from that book she is now bringing to her upcoming book, Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults: A Guide for the Anxious, Uniquely Wired, and Easily Distracted. In this episode, we're looking at the mechanics of friendship through a neurodivergent lens. We talk about the importance of proximity and "shared interest fuel" in bypassing the awkwardness of small talk. We also touch on the "rejection lens" and how our history of being bullied or marginalized can often color our current adult relationships. Caroline also walks me through some of her most practical frameworks, including the "Ice Cream Scoop" method for building trust and why having a "third place" is essential for creating low-pressure social friction. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/285 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips ADHD impulsivity often leads to "oversharing," which creates a "self-regulation hangover" of shame. The shift here is to view sharing as taking one "scoop" at a time, waiting for the other person to match your level of intimacy before offering more, which protects your trust and your energy. Our brains naturally hang on to negative social stories like Velcro while letting positive ones slide off like Teflon. Recognizing this biological bias allows you to challenge the "rejection lens" and realize that a friend's lack of a text might be about their own hard time rather than a reflection of your worth. Making friends isn't a 1-2-3 prescriptive step; it's about "social friction" and proximity. By prioritizing showing up at the same place consistently, you allow people to get used to you, which lowers the barrier for entry into community and future friendships. Remember, deep friendship doesn't happen instantly and takes work. Don't be discouraged if you're first attempts don't work out, keep at it and build up those friendships over time.  

Hey Team! We often talk about the "internal" struggles of ADHD, the messy desks and the forgotten appointments, but we don't always talk about how the outside world reacts to those traits. I'm joined by Brooke Schnittman, an ADHD coach and the best-selling author of Activate Your ADHD Potential. Brooke has worked with thousands of individuals to help them develop sustainable systems for focus and emotional regulation, but today, she's here to talk about a global study she conducted on the link between ADHD and bullying. So in today's episode, we're talking about how this study was conducted and what we can garner from that data. We also discuss the "invisible disability" penalty, where our symptoms are misinterpreted as character flaws, and how "masking" can actually prevent us from progressing because we're too busy being chameleons. And we also cover some practical ways to identify safe people and build a "reciprocal" support system that helps buffer against the impact of chronic criticism. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/283 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips When faced with a threat or bullying, the ADHD brain often experiences a physiological "freeze" where the parasympathetic nervous system takes over. It's important for us to understand that we're not always in control of this shift, and not to be self-critical about how we react in the moment and give ourselves grace to do better in the future. To effectively manage a bullying situation, we have to understand the framework: repetition, power imbalance, and harm. Recognizing that a power imbalance can be "social status" or "neurotypical norms" rather than just a boss-employee hierarchy allows us to identify why a situation feels "off". Many ADHDers stay in bullying situations because the executive function required to leave (interviewing, onboarding, starting over) feels more overwhelming than the bullying itself. Shifting the perspective to "body data"—how your nervous system feels around that person—can be a more reliable indicator than your internal pro/con list. Since bullying often triggers a survival response that shuts down your executive functions, you can't rely on logic in the moment. To combat this, Brooke suggests focusing on nervous system regulation tools (like EMDR or grounding) to help your body feel safe again. You have to train your brain before the situation occurs so that "doing X when Y happens" becomes a more automatic habit.  

Hey Team! This week I've got Cate Osborn and Erik Gude on the show. Cate, known online as Catieosaurus, holds an M.Ed and uses her background in research and sex education to help neurodivergent folks navigate relationships and communication. Erik, known online as HeyGude, is an advocate and speaker who uses his platform to destigmatize the messy internal monologue of the ADHD brain. Honestly, it almost feels like I don't need to introduce these two given everything they've produced; they are definitely an online powerhouses. I've been a fan of their podcast, Catie and Erik's Infinite Quest: An ADHD Adventure, for quite a while now. So I imagine you've probably seen at least something from them. And they've spent the last few years distilling their combined experiences into a new book designed to act as a foundational knowledge base for neurodivergent adults. The book The ADHD Field Guide for Adults was a ton of fun to read; it's written in an incredibly ADHD-friendly manner, and I really appreciated the approach, making this a book for adults where I don't feel like I'm being talked down to. So in the episode, we're definitely talking about the book, but we go into a ton of different topics. We talk about the "systems-first" approach to ADHD management. We break down the precision of language and why understanding that distinction matters. And a whole lot more, there's just a ton of stuff in this episode. Check out The ADHD Field Guide for Adults which is available in hardcover, e-book, and as an audiobook narrated by the authors Cate and Erik. Visit Catieosaurus.com for information on Cate's national tour, "Wildly Unprepared," and upcoming book signing events. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/279 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Understand the difference between shame (a fixed belief about who you are) and guilt (a feeling about what you did). Shame is an unchangeable dead end, but guilt is a "window for change" that allows you to acknowledge a behavior, such as being late or having a messy car, without condemning your entire identity. Recognize that "defeat" is often more comfortable than "failure" because defeat asks nothing of you; it simply means the game is over. Overcoming ADHD difficulties requires a healthy relationship with failure. Try viewing failure as a data point for "dissecting the system" rather than a reason to just stop trying. Many ADHD systems fail because they are built to satisfy "residual gook" from childhood. We often have internalized rules about how things "should" be done, like folding socks or separating silverware that have no basis beyond that it's just how we've always done it. Audit your tasks to see if you actually care about the result; if you don't, dismantling the expectation (like using bins instead of folding laundry) can remove the cognitive load of a performance you don't actually value.    

Hey Team, I've been working on a presentation for an upcoming conference called Neurodiversion, and when I was thinking about what I wanted to present, the idea of memes came to me, and I'm gonna be honest here: this was mostly out of a desire to just make looking at memes part of work. As I started looking into the concept more and putting together the presentation, I realized there's a lot more to it than I initially thought. Memes are more than just digital clutter; they're a fairly vital part of modern culture. I know how that sounds, but this is visual shorthand. They give us a way to communicate that we are part of an in-group simply by understanding what the meme is. They are these inside jokes across entire online communities, and the more I dove in, the more I realized that memes are more important than they seem on the surface. They aren't just jokes; they're ways to find community, understanding, and meaning in our own experience. That's important even if they come from something silly. And so that's what we're going to explore in this episode: how memes can give us meaning, how they can give us community, and how they can be a little dangerous. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/278 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips For ADHD brains, traditional social upkeep sometimes requires more executive function than we have available. "Pebbling" allows for a low-stakes connection that signals "I am thinking of you" without the cognitive load of a conversation. Digital content can act as a starting point for self-discovery, but it's still not a diagnostic tool. A meme can point you in the right direction, but it doesn't represent the actual lived experience of your impairment. Don't mistake a "relatable quirk" for the totality of the disorder. Virality is not a proxy for truth. ADHD brains can be prone to "sticky" ideas and sometimes skip steps on verifying facts. The shift here is moving from "It's relatable, so it's true" to "It's relatable, but what's the source?"  

Hey Team! Today, I'm talking with Erika Levine, a special education professional with a clinical background in Occupational Therapy. Erika has made it her mission to simplify the legal and procedural hurdles that keep parents from getting their kids the support they're legally entitled to, drawing from her deep well of lived experience as both a professional and a parent of neurodivergent children. In this episode, we get into the nitty-gritty of advocating for a child who isn't "failing" but certainly isn't thriving. We dive into the legal weight these documents carry, the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan and how we can walk into those meetings with six professionals without feeling like you're the one being sent to the principal's office. Erika also shares some personal history about her own mother's advocacy and why she created "My IEP Hero" to help parents navigate the system. Mentioned in this episode: https://myiephero.app/ If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/275 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Treat the IEP as a legal mandate and understand that it is a legally binding document that schools must adhere to strictly; it is not a set of globalized suggestions, but a tailored plan for a specific child. Remember that the IEP team should include more than just teachers; it includes specialists like OTs, PTs, speech-language pathologists, and psychologists who can address the child's needs. If a school denies services because the child is "fine" academically, parents can request an Individualized Educational Evaluation (IEE) from an outside psychologist, which the school may be required to fund. Remember we want to focus on our children thriving, not just passing by through school.  

Hey Team! In physics, there's a concept called "static friction"—it's the friction that exists between a stationary object and the surface on which it's resting. It's actually harder to get something moving than it is to keep it moving once it's already in motion. I think about this a lot when I'm staring at a pile of mail or a sink full of dishes. We often feel like we need a massive internal explosion to overcome that static friction, like we have to "hulk smash" our way into productivity just to get off the couch. But that explosion often carries us too far, landing us right in the middle of a panic attack or total overwhelm. We're essentially trying to jump from zero to sixty in a car that isn't even idling yet. Today we're looking at a different approach: how we can gently increase our internal RPMs without redlining the engine. We're exploring the biology of our nervous system and how we can use "bottom-up" signals to tell our brains that it's time to move, without relying on the usual fuel of shame or last-minute panic. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/274 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Stop trying to "think" your way out of a shutdown or a panic. When your Prefrontal Cortex is offline, your brain isn't listening to logic; it's listening to your body. Use physical signals—like temperature or movement—to tell your brain you are safe or ready to move. Understand that some stress is biologically necessary for ADHD focus. Instead of trying to be perfectly relaxed before a big task, aim for "optimal stimulation"—enough arousal to feel sharp, but not so much that you're jittery. When you're stuck in a low-energy state, don't look for a massive "hype" session that might lead to overwhelm. Instead, "calm up" by using the smallest possible increments of arousal—like a single song or light stretching—to reach a "zen" state of doing.  

Hey Team! Most of us with ADHD have fallen into the trap of thinking that if we just work a little harder or do a few more things, we'll finally feel like we have our lives under control. But it turns out that "doing" and "leading" are two very different skill sets, and being a world-class "doer" can actually keep you stuck in place. Today, I'm talking with Katy McFee, an executive coach and the founder of Insights to Action. Katy reached the highest levels of corporate leadership before realizing that her success was built on a "doer" mentality that was no longer serving her, especially after her later in life ADHD diagnosis. In our conversation today, we're looking at why that "doer identity" can be such a common pitfall for ADHD brains and how it can lead to burnout instead of progress. We talk about Katy's journey with a late-in-life diagnosis and how that shift in perspective allowed her to stop masking and start building systems that actually worked for her Combined-Type ADHD. Whether you're running a household, a small business, or a massive department, the way Katy frames the transition from tactical "doing" to strategic "being" is something we can all use. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/273 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Recognize when you are trying to "outwork" your ADHD by doing more tasks. We don't always have to be the person doing everything; instead, we can focus on thinking strategically about what needs to be done and focus on doing those most important things. Give yourself explicit permission to stop pretending you work like a neurotypical person. You can reduce your cognitive load from "faking it" and free up energy for actually doing things the way they work for your brain. Instead of just using a calendar, use systems that visualize the passage of time and the weight of your commitments. Often time blindness can hit us not only in the moment, but also while were in the planning phase, when we don't realize how much we're really taking on.  

Hey Team! Today I'm talking with Sharon Pope, a certified habit coach and the CEO of Shelpful. Sharon has an extensive background in the tech world, having served as a CMO for multiple companies and as an advisor for the startup accelerator Y Combinator. After her own ADHD diagnosis, she pivoted her career to focus on building tools that help neurodivergent brains get more done. Sharon also runs the ADHD Founders Podcast with Jesse J. Anderson and Marie Ng, where they talk about the unique challenges of having ADHD and building a business. I actually had Sharon on the show a number of years ago and thought it would be fun to have her on again after running into her at the 2025 ADHD Conference. And one of the big changes that has happened at her company. Shelpful, since we last talked, is the shift to using AI, so we spend a good portion of this episode discussing how to use AI as a "second brain" rather than just another static to-do list. Sharon explains how they've integrated personality and novelty into their system to break through our natural notification immunity. We also explore some of her favorite "Magic Sort" features that help you pick tasks based on your current energy level rather than just due dates, because we all know that looking at a massive, unsorted list is a one-way ticket to Task Paralysis. But we are also talking about accountability, automation, and how to gamify our habits. I had a lot of fun with this one. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/271 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Try sorting your to-do list by energy level. Instead of looking at a stressful, long list, you can sort your tasks by "vibe" or energy (low, medium, high) to find a task that matches your current capacity. When we're setting goals, we want to intentionally lower the bar to ensure a win and strengthen neural pathways. Often our inclination is to overdo whatever it is we're trying to do in an effort to catch up, but by lowering the bar instead, we can often create more sustainable habits. A fun way to get into automation can be to try out cheap NFC stickers around your house to trigger specific automations, like reminders to move the laundry or start a playlist, with a single tap of your phone.  

Hey Team! So it's been a bit since I've done a monologue episode - for those of you new to the podcast that are more used to the interview format, that's not how the show began. It started with me doing episodes like these, where I'm dissecting an idea about how we can really work with our ADHD brains. The plan right now is that I'm going to be sprinkling in a few more of these episodes throughout the year, looking to add them every other Friday opposite the Research Recaps. So let's get into this first episode back. In the mythology of the Trojan War, after a 10-year stalemate, the Greeks built a massive, wooden horse and seemingly left it behind as a gift for the Trojans. Hidden inside the horse were Greek soldiers, waiting for the dead of night to creep out, kill the sentries, and open the city gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had quietly sailed back under the cover of darkness. It's a story of letting the enemy in the gates. It's about perceiving a threat as something safe and then paying the price.  And I've been thinking about how this same story can play out in how we choose to spend our time during the day. What are the things that seem innocuous that are going to throw us off. Sure, checking social media seems like it's going to be a nice little break, and it certainly isn't going to let in a horde of Greeks that will slaughter all of our defenders, but perhaps there are some downsides that we're not thinking about. And so that's the idea that we're going to be exploring in this episode. What are the pitfalls that are not just going to throw us off, but set us off in the wrong direction entirely? If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/270 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips A Trojan Horse task is a task where you are sabotaging yourself without realizing it. They are things that on the outside appear to be innocuous but instead being a 15 minute break they end up as something that derails your entire day. Watch out for optimization procrastination, where you are trying to get things "just right" before starting. If the preparation takes longer than the task itself, recognize that it could be procrastination in disguise. At that point, it's okay to give yourself permission to settle for "mediocre" or "good enough" so that you can just get started. Your ADHD is not the enemy here, even though it may feel like it's always the one letting the Greeks in the gate when a shiny new Trojan Horse shows up. Remember, we want to work with our ADHD, not against it. Help yourself out by identifying those Trojan Horses and figuring out ways to avoid them.  

Hey Team! Burnout is one of those terms we throw around a lot in the neurodivergent community, but often we don't realize we're in it until we've hit a wall. Today, I'm talking with Garrett Wood, a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and founder of Gnosis Therapy. Garrett specializes in working with high-achieving professionals—which is often code for high-masking folks—helping them navigate executive well-being and nervous system regulation. In our conversation, we dive into the nuances of burnout, specifically how it differs from just being tired, and we walk through the five stages of burnout so you can actually spot where you are on the map. We also get into some heavy but important stuff regarding self-worth and how we often subconsciously drive ourselves into the ground just to prove we're enough. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/267 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Understand that there are different levels of burnout. If you are getting a full eight hours of sleep but are still waking up exhausted, or if you find yourself unable to calm down after minor inconveniences (like getting cut off in traffic), you are likely already heading into Stage 1 or 2 of burnout. Make sure to pay attention to your specific physiological needs rather than general advice. You might be someone who needs 10 hours in bed to get 8 hours of actual sleep (I mean I'm not someone who gets in bed and is instantly asleep, it takes sometime and I'm a bit restless). Your physiological needs are unique to you and what you "need". If trying to rest and doing "nothing" feels anxiety-inducing, find a low-stakes activity like organizing books or doing a puzzle. These kinds of low-stakes tasks can provide a sense of accomplishment and soothing without the consequences or pressure of a work project.  

Hey Team! This week I'm talking with Alan P. Brown, the creator of ADD Crusher and host of Crusher™TV. Alan is an ADHD and productivity coach who spent decades struggling with undiagnosed ADHD while working as an advertising executive in New York. His own "mess to success" story involves battling addiction and navigating a career where he felt like he was constantly floundering, only to turn it all around by developing his own "brain hacks." In our conversation today, we dive into some of the practical strategies Alan developed to get his brain in gear, like the importance of identifying your "strong time" and then really protecting that time. We also discuss why long to-do lists can actually sabotaging your productivity, the power of talking to yourself to overcome the inertia of starting, and how to make peace with the "Outlaw Brain" that just wants you to stay on the couch. This is definitely an episode that will help you If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/266 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Limit your daily to-do list to a maximum of three "biggies" and often preferably just one or two. Alan reminds us that research suggests that once you list more than seven items, the likelihood of doing any of them drops significantly, because a long list encourages you to pick the easiest low-hanging fruit and avoid the important work. When you can't get started on a task like writing, trying talking to yourself out loud to break the inertia with micro-steps. Ask yourself, "Can I open the laptop?" then "Can I find the document?" then "Can I read the first paragraph?" This process can help us engage our brain enough to build some momentum and get into a groove. Embrace your pace and stop wasting energy lamenting that you work slower than others. Sure it sucks, but by accepting that things might take you longer, you can factor that extra time into your schedule, and still get things done. Refuse to beat yourself up about it, shame doesn't make you work faster.  

Hey Team, this might be my new favorite episode. She is a total star in her niche - freerunning or parkour - with over 450k followers on instagra,. I interviewed her last year during the Olympics in Paris for Red Bull and I loved her spirit then - and now I hope you'll love today's episode. But I'm sure you will because she really understands life like only few people do. They way she has conquered her mental game can teach EVERY SINGLE one of us! She tells us how she challenges herself every day to grow, to get better and breaks it down for us into achievable steps we can all relate to. She tells us why it is so important to be truly honest with ourselves and how it can change everything. We talk about fear, about how to achieve laser focus and quiet your overthinking mind - and just so much more. She is truly such a beautiful soul. Please reach out and let me know what you learned from her and took away from this episode. And now, please enjoy, team member number 110: Hazal Nehir **Schnitt und Postproduktion: Andy Aksen** https://www.aksenmedia.de/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyaksen/

Hey Team! Today I'm joined by Alex Bellitter, Senior Manager of Coaching at Shimmer, an ADHD coaching platform that's guided over 75,000 sessions. If this sounds a bit familiar, I also did an interview with Shimmer's CEO, Chris Wang, last year - but of course in this episode, we're covering a lot more and while Shimmer is mentioned it certainly isn't the focus of what we're talking about here. But back to who we're talking with today. Alex holds a Master's in Psychology and is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She's passionate about building a neuroinclusive approach to coaching and helping people redefine what success looks like for their unique brains. We get into what burnout really looks like for ADHD brains and how the “grind it out” mindset backfires every time. Alex shares how resilience isn't about powering through and we also unpack the ideas of capacity, how we burn through future energy, and why rest, play, and flexibility are actually key parts of productivity. Plus, we get into ADHD inertia, smart scaffolding, and that tricky process of rediscovering your strengths when your brain insists you don't have any. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/HackingYourADHD If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/251 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips We often overfill their schedules, not just with work, but with everything, because when we see “blank space,” it can look like laziness or wasted time. But leaving unscheduled blocks gives us breathing room and time for the unexpected. This means it's important that we're making sure keep at least some white space on our calendars. We can fall into the trap of treating rest like a reward for finishing everything, but rest is part of the system that keeps us going. Taking time to rest isn't laziness; it's maintenance that we sorely need. External structure, such as reminders, alarms, notes, and accountability partners, can often help ADHD brains thrive, but a lot of us carry shame around using these supports. We're not “cheating” the system by building one that works for us. These scaffoldings allow us to grow stronger over time without collapsing under pressure by giving us the support we need.  

Hey Team! We got another GREAT ep this week for you. This week the boys go in to the land where it all began. Who knew it but they have some pretty strong beliefs about how stuff got to be how it is. Daniel doesn't trust how the pyramids were built, and he goes into how he thinks they were built based on a couple cool conspiracies! Tristan goes the other direction. He did the plot of the Brendan Frasier version if the Mummy! If you liked what you saw and want some more of the boyz join them twice weekly on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/TheModernApes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Team! This week I'm talking with Kara Cruz, a licensed marriage and family therapist and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional with over 15 years of experience supporting women through life transitions. Kara's work focuses on the intersection of ADHD and reproductive mental health—helping women navigate the complex terrain of hormones, identity, and self-trust. In our conversation, Kara and I dig into how ADHD symptoms can change and intensify across different hormonal stages - puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause - and what that means for real-life functioning. We also get into how ADHD in women often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as anxiety or bipolar disorder, and how learning to track your cycle, protect your energy, and build realistic routines can make a world of difference in your adhd management. And I want to emphasize that even if you don't have a cycle there is still a lot to get out of this episode, when I was working on the top tips for this episode I had to cut a few because there was just so much good stuff. I had a great time talking with Kara and learned a ton, I think you'll love this episode too. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/249 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips ADHD symptoms don't exist in a vacuum and hormones can crank them up or turn them down. And this can be greatly impacted depending on your stage of life or if you have a cycle, and then where you are in that cycle. Burnout is often a side effect of saying “yes” too many times when your brain and body are already maxed out. Protecting your energy starts with noticing when your capacity dips and giving yourself permission to scale back. It's important to create these boundaries so that you are protecting the version of you that you that you still want to be at the end of the week. A big takeaway from Kara's work is that your body will tell you what's up, tight shoulders, clenched jaw, fatigue, restlessness are all early warnings that your system's running on fumes. Building quick body check-ins into your day can help you catch burnout at a “three” instead of waiting for it to hit “ten.” Managing ADHD isn't only about planners and meds; it's also about repairing your relationship with yourself and the shame that has built up from ADHD struggles. That means recognizing how years of undiagnosed or misunderstood ADHD may have shaped your self-esteem through shame and self-blame and learning to separate your symptoms from your worth. And with that last tip, I just want to remind everyone, yes, you are enough.  

Hey Team! This week, I'm talking with Emmy-winning composers Kat Raio Rende and JP Rende, a husband and wife team who've written music for everyone from Elmo to the Jonas Brothers. But today we're talking about their project Aidee, a collection of songs designed to help kids with ADHD build everyday tools through music. I got a chance to listen through the album before the interview and it's honestly really great. Since having my own kids I've had the opportunity to listen to a lot of children's music, so I was pleasantly surprised with how good the songs actually are and how quickly the messages got into my head. Which leads right into what we Kat, JP and I talked about in the interview - how we can use music as a tool for memory and routines, why silly songs can be powerful ADHD strategies, and how turning everyday frustrations into sticky little tunes can lower shame and raise confidence. We also get into working with ADHD but also how to navigate working with a partner who has ADHD. We also touch on breathing exercises, dealing with shame, and the parenting tightrope of empathy and boundaries. AIDEE - Nothing Rhymes with Orange Full Album - https://www.youtube.com/@AIDEEHD Kat & JP website - https://www.earwormny.com/ If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/246 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips For our tips today, let's go through all those songs on the album, each of which is a tool in itself: Anything Else - Reminding us to check if there is anything else we need when we leave the house. Mad Mad (Jelly Belly) - which asks us to check in with ourselves when we're feeling dysregulated and seeing if maybe we just need to take a second to take care of our basic needs Put it Away - I think this one is pretty clear cut, don't put it down, put it away. Control - While one of the symptoms of ADHD is that we tend to be quite impulsive, we still have control over our actions - when you feel that impulse you can take a breath and decide if that's what you really want to do Learning More Everyday - We're a work in progress and while we'll have mistakes along the way, that's okay Breathe - when we're feeling overwhelmed it's important for us to slow down and take a second to breathe and get ourselves recenter And remember to hear all those songs just check out the Aidee Youtube channel - link in the show notes  

Hey Team! This week I'm chatting with Beverly Atkins, founder of Pauseture, an audio-based mindful movement platform grounded in the Feldenkrais Method. It's actually kind of funny, despite Feldenkrais not being particularly well known, this isn't the first time I've discussed it on a podcast, although the last time was on my old ultimate frisbee podcast nearly a decade ago. Anyway, in our conversation today, we discuss how Beverly spent decades unknowingly managing her ADHD by overachieving at work and ignoring her body. But we all know this story and how we all eventually hit a breaking point. Fortunately for Beverly, she stumbled her way into the Feldenkrais method. In the podcast, we dive into how these seemingly simple movements helped Beverly calm her nervous system, get better sleep, regulate her sound sensitivity, and develop an entirely new relationship with her attention. We get into how movement can rewire attention, why novelty is so important for ADHD regulation, and how she took her training and built an app that looks to specifically accommodate neurodivergent needs. I loved this episode; there's a lot of wisdom here about self-awareness, regulation, and finding what works for your unique ADHD flavor. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/244 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips 1. Novelty can help drive engagement and attention, especially when it comes to something repetitive like a daily practice. It's not about needing something stimulating in the flashy sense, but rather something that's engaging. Engagement can come in many forms, such as unpredictability, exploration, and just enough challenge to keep us curious. 2. That ability to move your attention on purpose is a skill, one that's often underdeveloped in ADHD brains. While it's easy to think of movement-based practices as purely physical, it's how you're paying attention during the movements that matters; strengthening your ability to shift and direct your attention. 3. Many mindfulness practices involve some level of stillness that doesn't always sit right with some ADHD brains. It's important to listen to what actually works for your body, rather than just what “should” work. If you find the stillness aspect of mindfulness makes you too agitated and restless, try something that has some kind of active aspect to it.  

Hey Team! This week, I'm talking with Rita Ramakrishnan, a seasoned strategic executive and leadership coach with over 15 years of experience. Diagnosed with both ADHD and Autism Spectrum during her undergrad years, Rita reframed what could have been limitations into strengths and now looks to uplift other neurodivergent women in leadership roles. Currently, she is pursuing a master's degree in neurodivergent leadership at the University of Pennsylvania, intensifying her expertise in coaching and organizational strategy tailored to neurodivergent individuals. In our conversation, we cover everything from identifying when you're dysregulated (and what to do about it) to designing teams that play to everyone's strengths. Rita walks us through practical tools like outsourcing strategically, tracking your energy to uncover strengths, and building a leadership charter so teams can work more effectively together. It's a conversation about leading authentically, creating systems that work for your brain, and how to advocate for your needs without falling into people-pleasing traps. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/243 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips 1. Try creating a Minimum Viable Routine - your baseline routine that consists of the bare minimum you need in place to function. The point of an MVR is to take those non-negotiables and lock them in, either with automation, outsourcing, or simple systems. That way, when ADHD throws a curveball, you still have the essentials covered. 2. Instead of only measuring productivity by what gets checked off a to-do list, try looking at how you feel after activities. Track when you walk away from a meeting or task feeling energized, and when you walk away feeling drained. 3. Rejection sensitivity hits hard for many folks with ADHD. A short email reply, a period at the end of a text, or even a coworker sounding rushed can feel like a personal rejection. Rita's advice is to deliberately separate yourself from the situation and try to depersonalize feedback. This reframing can help shift from identity-based thinking (like “I'm the problem”) to more situation-based thinking (“this may be tough, but it's fixable”).

Hey Team! My guest today is Dr. Jennifer Dall, a grief-informed neurodivergence specialist, ADHD coach, and educator with more than 25 years of experience. She's the founder of ADHD Holistically, and blends her expertise in education, yoga, and grief work to build a focus on the whole person to create personalized, sustainable approaches for neurodivergent brains. In our conversation today, we dig into how societal expectations and outdated research have kept so many women from being recognized as having ADHD. We explore the ways ADHD symptoms often present differently in women, the impact of masking, and the hidden toll of trying to “just keep up.” Dr. Dall also shares quick, real-world strategies for tackling the everyday hurdles that come with ADHD, from taming your to-do list to breaking free of shame around getting help. adhdholistically.com If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/238 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips 1. Low-interest tasks like laundry, dishes, or paying bills often aren't just one thing. They're a series of micro-steps that might require you to switch gears, remember where you were, and re-engage. Each step is a potential stall point for an ADHD brain, especially if the task is competing with something more engaging. 2. Watch out for overstimulation shutdowns; ADHD brains can have trouble filtering out sensory input and mental noise. If we can learn to recognize when we're starting to hit sensory or mental overload, it makes it easier for us to take care of ourselves without burning out. 3. Tasks like keeping track of everyone's schedules, making sure the pantry's stocked, or managing the emotional climate of a household often go unnoticed, but these tasks are still real work and they're important. If we can give this work the weight it deserves, it can help us start seeing ourselves (or someone else in our household) as productive even when the results aren't as visible or tangible as other tasks.

Hey Team! This week I'm talking with Britt Piper, a somatic experiencing practitioner, trauma educator, and author of Body First Healing. Britt's work focuses on understanding how trauma impacts the nervous system and brings both professional expertise and a deeply personal understanding of what it means to heal. In our conversation, we start with Britt's story and then we dive into what somatic therapy actually looks like, how trauma can live in the body long after the mind “knows” we're safe, and why the nervous system often gets stuck in survival mode. We also get into the science behind stress responses, intergenerational trauma, and practical ways to start listening to your body's signals instead of fighting against them. Also, just as a quick note before we get into it, today's episode includes discussion of trauma, including mentions of sexual violence, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. If these topics are sensitive for you, please take care while listening - feel free to skip ahead or pause when needed. Books Body First Healing by Britt Piper The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk It Didn't Start With You by Mark Wolynn Therapy & Practitioner Resource Somatic Experiencing International - https://traumahealing.org/ The Embody Lab - https://www.theembodylab.com/ Britt's Body First Healing Program - https://www.bodyfirsthealing.com/ If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/234 https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon This Episode's Top Tips 1. Somatic practices are body-based approaches to healing that focus on how trauma and stress are held in the nervous system rather than just the mind. They employ gentle techniques, such as tracking body sensations, subtle movements, and breath, to help the body complete its stress response cycles. 2. SI-BAM is a tool from Somatic Experiencing that helps track your internal state when emotions feel vague or difficult to name. It stands for Sensation, Image, Behavior, Affect (emotion), and Meaning. It begins by noticing physical sensations (such as tightness, warmth, or buzzing), and then observing if any mental images arise. It is followed by observing your body's behavior or impulses (fidgeting, leaning forward) and from there checking for any identifiable emotions, and noticing what meaning or story you attach to the experience. 3. If you feel stuck in the same emotional patterns and if stress, anxiety, or trauma seem to “live” in your body, showing up as chronic tension, pain, or fatigue, somatic therapy could be an option for you. Somatic work can give you tools to gently release that “stuck” survival energy and restore a sense of calm. 4. When dealing with trauma, you don't have to go it alone, but it is also important to work with a practitioner who understands what they are doing. And understand that somatic therapy is just one of many options that you can use to help you get the help you need.

Hey Team! This week, I'm talking with Dr. Ari Tuckman, a psychologist, certified sex therapist, and one of the most well-known voices in adult ADHD. Ari brings over 25 years of clinical experience to the table, along with his new book, The ADHD Productivity Manual, which takes a honest look at the tools we use, and why they sometimes don't work the way we want them to. It was actually funny, before the call, we were joking about how it's funny that our orbits hadn't crossed before - well, I do get into one anecdote about attending a talk he gave in 2019, but that's basically as close as we'd interacted before this. In our conversation, we unpack how shame and comparison can hijack our energy, how to set reminders that actually help instead of hinder, and why simple doesn't always mean easy. We also touch on what it means to communicate your needs assertively (without over-apologizing) and why trying to do everything perfectly is the fastest route to doing nothing at all. There's a ton of easy-to-access, actionable advice in this episode. I had a ton of fun with it, and I think you'll love it too. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/228 YouTube Patreon This Episode's Top Tips 1. Include contextual details in your reminders. Put the address, building name, or even office location in the event title so you don't show up on time or in the wrong place. 2. Distinguish between “simple” and “easy.” Just because a task is straightforward (like taking out the trash) doesn't mean it's easy to do, especially with ADHD. 3. Be strategic with your best focus time. Don't “spend gold on garbage” - use your high-focus hours for harder tasks, not emails or unloading the dishwasher. Do less, but do it on purpose. Sometimes productivity means pulling back and intentionally choosing what not to do, instead of doing everything poorly.

Hey Team! On today's episode, we're breaking down one of the most frustratingly simple yet hard ADHD challenges, eating, because come on, we have to do it every day, but also, we have to do it everyday. We've got a returning guest, Jackie Silver, a Registered Dietitian with a Masters of Health Science in Nutrition Communications. She's built her practice, Accessible Wellness, around making food and nourishment doable, even on the days when executive function is nowhere to be found. In our conversation, we dig into why eating with ADHD can be so difficult, from executive dysfunction to low appetite, forgotten meals, and food aversions. We also explore practical strategies for eating, managing dopamine-seeking snacking, handling picky eating, and finding low-effort meals that still meet at least some of those nutritional requirements. Plus, we talk shame, sensory preferences, and how to stop making mealtimes harder than they need to be. Website: https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/ Free Download “Neurodivergent Grab & Go Foods List”: https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/grab-and-go-foods-list/ Free 15-minute Discovery Call Bookings: https://l.bttr.to/htZ1u Blog: https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/blog/ Meal Prep Made Easy Course: https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/meal-prep-made-easy/ If you'd like to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/227 YouTube Patreon This Episode's Top Tips 1. When needed, you can try out mechanical eating, where you are eating on a schedule, regardless of hunger cues, to compensate for poor interoception or appetite suppression from meds. 2. Try creating a grab-and-go food list. Having a list of foods that are easy to prep, safe to eat, and require minimal effort (like string cheese, baby carrots, or pre-cooked rice packs) can help reduce friction when deciding what to eat. 3. Work on acknowledging emotional and sensory triggers for eating. Sometimes we crave specific foods because of their texture, taste, or comfort, rather than hunger. Recognizing the why behind the urge can help you make more aligned choices, and remember it's okay to fill those other needs as well. 4. Give yourself permission to eat without shame. There's nothing wrong with sticking with your safe foods when you need them. The idea that adults should eat a certain way can be unhelpful and ableist. Focus on doing what works best for you.

Hey Team! This week I'm talking with H.H. Rune, a Pacific Northwest-based author whose writing explores neurodivergence, identity, and rediscovering meaning in everyday life. Rune was diagnosed with ADHD at 52 after decades of feeling like she was just "bad at life"—something I know I've felt a lot of in my own journey. In our conversation today, we talk through the emotional processing of a late diagnosis—Rune describes it as going through the five stages of grief—and how she's reshaped her relationship with herself, her work, and the people around her. Rune also shares the evolution of her long-running book series and how ADHD both challenged and fueled her creative process. Listen to the Climbing the Walls podcast here! If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/225 YouTube Patreon This Episode's Top Tips 1. Avoid relying on memory, especially for creative ideas, and lean on tools like reminders, email, and structure to back up your attention. Don't trust your brain to remember and instead trust the systems you've set up. 2. Try celebrating your ADHD curiosity. Instead of shaming yourself for going down “random” thought paths, reframe your curiosity as a gift and use humor to engage others. 3. Getting a late diagnosis can require a lot of emotional processing. Rune describes going through the five stages of grief post-diagnosis, acknowledging that the loss of a "life that could have been" is real and valid.

Hey Team, hope you’re great! I’m being an awesome son for a day or two, so I thought we’d revisit this episode that I recorded a while back, which was really well received, and I think it might be timely for some at the moment. *Treading water. Spinning our metaphoric wheels. Stuck in a Groundhog Day of mediocrity, dissatisfaction and frustration. Wasted time, talent and energy. Thinking, habits, behaviours, rituals and fears that keep us trapped in a prison of our own making. This episode is a workshop (of sorts) about stepping up, breaking through and getting unstuck. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Team, hope you’re great! I’m being an awesome son for a day or two, so I thought we’d revisit this episode that I recorded a while back, which was really well received, and I think it might be timely for some at the moment. *Treading water. Spinning our metaphoric wheels. Stuck in a Groundhog Day of mediocrity, dissatisfaction and frustration. Wasted time, talent and energy. Thinking, habits, behaviours, rituals and fears that keep us trapped in a prison of our own making. This episode is a workshop (of sorts) about stepping up, breaking through and getting unstuck. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey Team! This week we've got a really fun episode, I'm talking with ANDY J. PIZZA - well that was weird… Let's try that again - ANDY J. PIZZA - All right, let's just go with it. Andy is a podcaster, illustrator, and creative thinker who's built a career by embracing the parts of himself that used to feel like liabilities. Andy's the host of Creative Pep Talk, and his Right Side Out podcast series dives into what happens when you stop trying to pass for neurotypical and start living a little more like yourself. Andy was diagnosed in his twenties, and his experience navigating masking, creative burnout, and late-in-life self-acceptance forms the core of what we're talking about today. In our conversation, we talk about the costs of masking, the weird middle ground between accommodation and authenticity, and the realization that sometimes we forget who we are because we've been trying so hard to be someone else. We also get into creative practice, novelty, and his favorite ADHD-friendly productivity hacks. And of course, we talk about what it means to live “right side out,” and what it really means to show up authentically. This was definitely one of my favorite episodes I've recorded so far this year, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Start Freedom today! Use code ADHD40 to get them 40% off a Freedom Yearly premium subscription! Listen to the Climbing the Walls podcast here! If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/221 YouTube Channel My Patreon This Episode's Top Tips Masking isn't inherently a bad thing, but it certainly is when we're doing it all the time and unconsciously. We want to be intentional about when and why we mask, and aim for authenticity when possible. It's okay to embrace opposing truths. We need structure and flexibility, goals and play. We don't have to fall into all-or-nothing thinking, and this can help us balance some of these ADHD “contradictions”. Celebrate difference, don't just tolerate it. Safe spaces are good, but celebration spaces—where your uniqueness is actively valued—are better. Look for relationships or communities where people enjoy your way of being, not just what you can do

Hey Team! Today I'm talking with Jessica Summers, a seasoned hypno-psychotherapist and the mind behind Hypnogenics. Jessica brings a unique blend of hypnotherapy and intuitive coaching, specifically tailored for individuals grappling with ADHD, autism, and high sensitivity. With her dual expertise in hypno-psychotherapy and energy coaching, Jessica has become a beacon for those seeking alternative therapeutic approaches. Now, I know the idea of hypnotherapy is not for everyone, and while traditional use of hypnotherapy is not specifically targeted for ADHD, it has been used to manage symptoms associated with ADHD, such as anxiety and stress management. So there's less direct research on hypnotherapy solely for ADHD symptom management, but it may help improve focus, reduce impulsivity, and enhance executive function through relaxation and stress reduction techniques - all stuff we'll get into during the conversation. I just wanted to make sure I was up front about everything and didn't want anyone to feel like I was being misleading with where there science currently stands. But really, the episode has a lot of focus on rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD), and while I know there are a lot of people who really resonate with this topic, it is again something that does not have a ton of research behind it yet. In the conversation, we explore this through the lens of the limbic system and how managing this brain region can profoundly impact ADHD symptoms and how we can work on helping deal with those RSD symptoms as well. I got a lot out of this conversation and felt Jessica's perspective was enlightening, offering actionable advice and novel therapeutic options that could lead to a bit more balance to your ADHD treatment. Start Feedom today! Use code ADHD40 to get them 40% off a Freedom Yearly premium subscription! If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/220 YouTube Channel My Patreon This Episode's Top Tips Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is an intense emotional reaction to perceived or actual rejection, criticism, or failure, often experienced as sudden and overwhelming shame, panic, or sadness. It's not just discomfort with rejection—it's a limbic-driven response that can feel physically painful and can lead to avoidance, emotional outbursts, or withdrawal. We can think of the limbic system as the emotional and threat-processing part of the brain — it's responsible for detecting danger and activating the fight, flight, or freeze response. But for people with ADHD (and especially those experiencing RSD), that system often gets stuck on high alert. When thinking about working on retraining your limbic system understand that it isn't a quick fix and that it can take dedicated, intense work that isn't always ADHD friendly. Focus on working using gentle, daily practices to create safety in your body, working on understanding your nervous system, and offering yourself neutral truths instead of judgment (such as “New things can feel uncomfortable sometimes”). The goal isn't to override the response with willpower — it's to help your brain feel safe enough to listen.

Hey Team, I know how frustrating it is when you're doing everything “right”—you've cut out gluten, dairy, eggs, and still your child's skin is flaring. It feels like food is the enemy. But in this episode, I want to shift that belief. Because your child doesn't have eczema because of a slice of bread or a bite of scrambled egg. The real issue is a leaky gut, sluggish detox pathways, and an overwhelmed immune system that's responding to everything—especially food. I'm walking you through the real reason your child is reacting, what the IgG antibody half-life has to do with mysterious delayed flares, and the food “triggers” I recommend ditching during this critical gut-healing window. This is not about fear. It's about understanding. And once you do, you can start making decisions that actually move the needle toward healing. And I've got tools to help with that: You can grab the Skin Comfort Trio for soothing, organic skin relief at eczemakids.com, plus our Prebiotic Tea to support the gut gently from the inside out. And if you're stuck on what to feed your kid that's actually eczema-safe and edible, download my free guide: 7 Eczema-Friendly Meals Your Kids Will Actually Eat. Let's stop fearing food and start healing the system! Take Care, Andra 

Hey Team! Today's episode is all about navigating ADHD as a late-diagnosed adult—especially for women who have spent years pushing through life without realizing why things felt so much harder. I'm talking with Kate Moryoussef, a UK-based ADHD coach who was diagnosed at 40 and has since made it her mission to help women work with their brains, not against them. She hosts The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast and her upcoming book is The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit, where she dives deep into strategies for managing ADHD beyond just productivity hacks. In this conversation, we get into the realities of late diagnosis, why ADHD in women is often overlooked, and how hormones can throw an extra curveball into the mix. Kate shares her personal journey of discovering ADHD through her daughter's assessment, and we talk about how self-compassion, nervous system regulation, and finding the right support can make a huge difference. There's a lot here about understanding ADHD as a whole-body experience—not just something that affects focus or productivity. This is another one where I had the wrong mic set up, so apologizes for that. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/218 YouTube Channel My Patreon Suscribe to the newsletter here! This Episode's Top Tips Especially for women, work on understanding the role of hormones. ADHD symptoms can intensify during certain phases of the menstrual cycle or perimenopause, and awareness of these fluctuations can help with better self-regulation. And, hey, ADHD men, you also have hormones that can fluctuate. Instead of constantly pushing yourself to meet neurotypical expectations, recognizing that ADHD comes with different needs can be a game-changer. Avoid forcing yourself into rigid productivity schedules, and try to recognize your natural rhythms to make work and life feel easier. Finding ADHD-friendly ways to approach tasks (instead of just trying to "be more disciplined") leads to better long-term success. You don't have to overhaul your entire life—focusing on little shifts, like setting boundaries or adjusting your expectations, can create lasting improvements.

Hey Team! In this episode, I'm sitting down with Kelly Smith, a yoga and meditation teacher who has ADHD herself and has guided over 23 million meditations through her incredibly popular podcast, Mindful In Minutes. Kelly walks us through why meditation is especially beneficial for the ADHD brain, what to realistically expect from starting a meditation practice, and how even just a few minutes a day can sharpen your focus, reduce impulsivity, and make executive functioning a bit less exhausting. We explore practical advice on how to start meditating, even when you're convinced it's not your thing, and break down the misconceptions that keep a lot of us with ADHD from ever even giving meditation a try. Kelly shares her insights on the best meditation styles for ADHD brains and introduces us to practices like yoga nidra that go beyond the mat and offer deep restorative rest—something I'm pretty sure we all could use more of. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/217 YouTube Channel My Patreon This Episode's Top Tips Start small and aim for just 5-8 minutes of meditation daily. Research shows even short practices can significantly benefit the ADHD brain. Choose a simple focus, like your breath or a body scan, to help redirect your wandering mind. Remember, meditation isn't about silencing thoughts. Accept that distractions will happen, and when you notice them, just gently try to bring your attention back to the practice itself. Try performing regular mindful check-ins by simply pausing, taking a breath, and asking yourself honestly, "How am I doing right now?”

Hey Team! This week I'm talking with Vanessa Gorelkin, a seasoned occupational therapist and ADHD coach who's been working in the field for nearly 30 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis (Bran-Dice) University and a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy from New York University. She specializes in executive function strategies, emotional regulation, and anxiety management, and she brings a unique perspective to helping adults with ADHD navigate the day-to-day. In this episode, we talk about why people with ADHD struggle with even the things they want to do, how anxiety and executive dysfunction team up to make life extra frustrating, and why strategies that work for a while inevitably stop working. We also dig into emotional regulation, how to break down tasks so they actually feel doable, and why giving yourself a crisis plan before you need it can make a huge difference. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/215 This Episode's Top Tips 1. If something feels overwhelming, try breaking it down into micro-steps. Even something like getting out of bed can be broken into “sit up,” “put feet on the floor,” and “stand up.” In more practical ways, we could think of this as starting out as just opening the document you need to work on, adding the formatting, and starting your first sentence. The idea is you want to build momentum and go with the flow. 2. Be mindful of language; words like "just" and "should" can be damaging. Instead of “I should just wash the dishes,” you can reframe it as “I could wash the dishes,” and then also if you need a little bit more asking yourself, “What's making this difficult, and how can I work with it?” 3. It's important to have a crisis plan ready before you need it. When emotional overwhelm hits, it's hard to think through what you need. You can pre-plan strategies like a weighted blanket, a favorite show, or calling a friend so you don't have to figure it out at the moment.

Hey Team, If you're ready to stop the suffering and finally heal your child's eczema, the Eczema Elimination Method is your answer. Doors close this Friday, March 14, and once they do, you won't be able to get in. Live masterclasses start Tuesday, March 18, where I will guide you step by step to get real, lasting results. Kristin Smith knows this transformation firsthand. She watched her son suffer from severe eczema, allergies, and constant flare-ups for years. Doctors kept handing out steroids, antihistamines, and endless prescriptions, but nothing actually worked. Then, she found a different way. Now? Her son is thriving. We even get to hear from him at the end of the episode! His skin is healing, his body is stronger, and their family is no longer trapped in the cycle of meds that only mask the symptoms. If you're tired of watching your child suffer, this is your chance to change everything. Sign up now before doors close → https://eczemakids.com/live-eczema-elimination-method

Hey Team! We're back for part two of my conversation with Russ Jones, host of the ADHD Big Brother podcast and head of his community-based ADHD coaching of the same name. In this half of the conversation, we get into the nitty-gritty of how to actually get yourself to do the things you know you need to do—whether that's tackling laundry, setting (and remembering) goals, or just getting yourself unstuck when ADHD inertia takes over. We talk about how traditional goal-setting can fail for ADHDers (and to try and flip that around), why accountability makes everything more manageable, and how structuring tasks in a fun, interest-driven way makes all the difference. Russ also shares some of his best hacks for dealing with executive dysfunction, including gamifying chores, breaking through mental resistance, and using community as a force multiplier for motivation. Now, you don't have to listen the first half of our conversation to get a lot out of this episode, but just know that this is part two. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/214 All right, keep on listening to find out how to build momentum, follow through, and stop getting stuck at the starting line. This Episode's Top Tips When you're stuck in a rut, having people who believe in you (even when you don't believe in yourself) is a game-changer. This is one of the places where having a strong community can really help you flourish. Traditional goal-setting doesn't always work. If you're finding yourself stuck, try a “Reverse Mountain” Approach: Instead of imagining the goal at the top, imagine yourself at the top and let momentum pull you down, guiding your each next step towards your goal. If something is “important but boring,” find a way to inject fun, novelty, or urgency to make it engaging. If the task still feels unbearable, set a 10-minute timer and see how far you get. If you still don't want to do it, try switching things up and find an approach that does work.

Hey Team! Today, I'm talking with Dr. Ryan Sultan, a distinguished psychiatrist specializing in ADHD, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. He serves as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. And he has also been exploring the evolutionary basis for ADHD. Now, let's get to a few things up front here because often when I hear about evolution and ADHD, I know I'm about to hear something about ADHD as a superpower. That's not what this conversation is about today. While we will be looking at how ADHD traits might have been useful in a pre-industrial world and why natural selection didn't weed out our distractible, impulsive brains, the focus is more on how those brains thrived within society instead of looking at them in isolation. This means that our conversation mostly focuses on how these ADHD traits work in conjunction within society rather than trying to view them either negatively or positively. And then we also get into how understanding this evolutionary basis for ADHD can help us understand better ways of managing and treating ADHD. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/211 Subscibe to our YouTube channel here Support us on Patreon This Episode's Top Tips Regarding the evolutionary basis of ADHD, avoid thinking of it in terms of better or worse and instead try to see how ADHD traits can serve the community as a whole. With that lens in mind, the impulsivity, novelty-seeking, and hyper-focus of ADHD brains could have been advantages in early human societies, especially for hunting, exploring, and problem-solving in unpredictable environments. With the opposite from the structured, repetitive, sit-still-and-focus world we live in today giving us more difficulties because it wasn't “designed” with the ADHD brain in mind. Neurodiversity can benefit everyone. Societies thrive on diverse thinking styles. ADHD brains bring creativity, spontaneity, and out-of-the-box problem-solving, which can be a huge asset when properly supported. We're better when we work together.

Hey Team! In this episode, I'm thrilled to welcome Natalia Aíza (I Ez Ah), a multilingual counselor and OCD specialist.  Natalia is the founder and executive director of Kairos Wellness Collective, a therapy center that focuses on holistic care for clients experiencing OCD and Anxiety - located in Boulder, Colorado. They offer therapies including Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Play Therapy, Art Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Neurofeedback. Obviously, we won't get into all of that in our conversation today, but we do hit on a few of those. Also, separately, I wanted to mention that Kairos is the Greek word meaning “the perfect, delicate, crucial moment; the fleeting rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words or movement; also weather.” And really, I just wanted to share that because I love words like that - I just find them neat. Anyway, in our conversation today, we dive into the overlap of ADHD and OCD - how they are similar and how they differ, and also the unique challenges each presents, especially when they are co-occurring. Natalia shares her personal and professional insights on distinguishing between ADHD distractions and OCD compulsions and how to approach treatment for each. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/209 Also before we get started, I wanted to let you know about my AMA on YouTube Live, happening the week this is released on January 31st at 10 AM Pacific - if you're interested you can find that on the Hacking Your ADHD YouTube page, youtube.com/@hackingyouradhd and subscribe to the channel - or if you want to submit a question ahead of time you can do so at hackingyouradhd.com/ama This Episode's Top Tips It's important to remember that you need to approach OCD and ADHD treatments differently; techniques beneficial for one may exacerbate the other. Try to distinguish between compulsions and simple fidgets or stims—while symptoms can be similar, it's essential to understand the root causes that characterize compulsions. Be proactive in seeking diagnosis and treatment if OCD symptoms appear; early intervention can prevent the condition from worsening.  

Hey Team! As you can probably tell, we haven't been posting a lot on this feed as we are moving towards posting season-coverage episodes to our newly created feeds, listed below! So please subscribe to all so you never miss an episode. From now on, the BingetownTV Feed will mostly be used for all kinds of fun episodes like this one; drafts, Pitchtowns, rankings, etc. On this episode --Brian, Kathleen, and Paul to discuss the best friendships in television! BINGE EMPIRE (Dexter: Original Sin, The White Lotus, Yellowjackets) - Binge Empire! THE CORE Apple TV podcast (Silo, Severance!) - The Core! UNREAL Reality Podcast (The Traitors) - Unreal! FINAL FORM (Solo Leveling) - Final Form! Join our Discord!  Join the BingetownTV Community Discord (FREE) Follow us on Socials!  Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/bingetowntv/ Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/bingetowntvpod TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@bingetowntv?_t=8gdE279ReTm&_r=1 Support the Pod! Patreon- www.patreon.com/bingetowntv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Team! This week we've got Skye Waterson of Unconventional Organization back on the show to talk about the book she's working on, Focused, Balanced Days with ADHD. Skye is an academic and ADHD coach with over seven years of experience in adult education. She has studied various fields, including Psychology, Sociology, and Public Health, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Population Health. Skye also hosts "The ADHD Skills Lab" podcast, where she discusses research-backed tips and advice to help individuals navigate life with ADHD. Today, as I mentioned, we're going to be getting into her serialized book that she's releasing chapter by chapter as she works through them on Substack. Our discussion today focuses on what's already been released, regarding Skye's ADHD story and executive function but we also get into a whole host of other things from systems and calendars to burnout. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at http://hackingyouradhd.com/206 If you'd like to checkout Unconventional Organization or sign up for that newsletter go check out https://www.unconventionalorganisation.com/ This Episode's Top Tips Avoid overcomplicating your organizational tools, and try to rely more on basic principles, such as having a capture space, a prioritization system, and a scheduling system. Aim for 80% consistency with your systems and give yourself grace to bounce back after setbacks. No one will ever follow any system perfectly, so work on choosing tools and systems that can adapt to missed days without derailing your progress entirely. Don't forget to prioritize at least a little fun in your planning. Building dopamine into your day through enjoyable activities can help you stay consistent and avoid burnout.

Hey Team! This week I'm joined by Madeline O'Reilly and Jonathan Hassall to talk about their new online program called Decoding Doing that is based on a book they wrote with the same title. And that's fair, Decoding Doing is a great title when we're talking about procrastination. And just a little background, Madeline is a clinical psychologist with a Masters in Clinical Psychology. Additionally, Madeline is a member of the Australian Clinical Psychology Association along with the Australian Professional ADHD Association and the Australian Association for CBT. Jonathan is an ADHD and Executive Function coach and also is a board member of the ADD Association (ADDA USA). In our conversation today we go through the their five-stage model for working through procrastination. We'll explore how our perception of motivation can often hold us back, and more importantly, how understanding our emotional and cognitive needs can help us break free from the procrastination cycle. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/204 You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel This Episode's Top Tips When planning a task visualize the steps. Don't just think about the goal, picture the process of how you'll get there. And be prepared for interruptions or barriers. When they come up, pause, analyze the problem, and choose your next step. Don't just rely on time management—factor in your energy and emotional capacity when planning your day. While time plays a factor in what you can get done, your energy levels are an equally important factor to consider. Often when you're procrastinating, it's a signal that something else—like rest, food, or movement—is needed. When you find yourself in a cycle of procrastination try slowing down and seeing what else might need to be addressed.

Hey Team! We've got another exciting guest teed up for this week. I'm talking with Sean Brock, a neurofeedback expert and the owner of Neuro Colorado. Now I'll be honest that I had a lot to learn in this interview because I wasn't terribly well versed on the science behind neurofeedback. In the interview, Sean shares the fascinating history behind neurofeedback and how it's evolved from training cats to helping humans regulate their brain waves. We get into how neurofeedback works and its longer-term benefits. Also, we end the interview by taking a turn and talking about EMDR therapy and how it is somewhat similar but distinct from neurofeedback. Then, we get into Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), which I think is just a fascinating form of psychotherapy. Now, as I just mentioned, I didn't have a lot of knowledge on neurofeedback going into the interview, and a lot of that stemmed from some of the controversy surrounding its effectiveness in treating ADHD. As Sean is the owner of a neurofeedback facility, it is quite understandable that he is very bullish on the research showing its effectiveness. And based on my conversation with him it seems well warranted, especially with the caveat he gave in the interview that neurofeedback is not a magic process but requires guidance from a qualified practitioner.  That said, while I think the science of neurofeedback looks very promising at this point, take the interview with a grain of salt and be aware that not everyone is convinced of its level of effectiveness. While promising neurofeedback isn't for everyone and it's general accessibility still has a ways to go. Also, this isn't a case of doing one thing or the other; neurofeedback can work alongside medication and other therapies as well. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/203 This Episode's Top Tips Neurofeedback works by teaching you how to regulate your brainwaves, which can help you build focus when you need it. Over time, it appears that neurofeedback can lead to long-term changes in brainwave activity, reducing ADHD symptoms and potentially decreasing the need for further interventions. It's important to find the right neurofeedback practitioner who actively engages with you during sessions for the best results. Also, remember that a multi-modal approach is key, combining neurofeedback with medication or therapy to optimize your treatment.

Hey Team! This week, we've got an incredible guest, Dr. Stephen Faraone, one of the world's foremost experts on ADHD. Let me just give you a quick rundown of just how influential Dr. Faraone is: He has authored over 700 journal articles, editorials, chapters, and books Listed as the eighth-highest producer of High Impact Papers in Psychiatry from 1990 to 1999 as determined by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). In 2005, the ISI listed him as the second-highest cited author in the area of ADHD. In 2019 and 2020, his citation metrics placed him in the top 0.01% of scientists across all fields. In 2002 he was inducted into the CHADD Hall of Fame Currently, Dr. Faraone serves as a distinguished professor of psychiatry, physiology, and neuroscience at SUNY Upstate Medical University and president of the World Federation of ADHD. So yeah, this guy knows what he's talking about when it comes to ADHD and if you only listen to one episode of the podcast this year, I'd suggest this one. One of the focal points in this conversation is the ADHD Evidence Project, which Dr. Faraone started to help fight misinformation about ADHD and give free access to the information we have about ADHD. On the site - which can be found at ADHDevidence.org - you can find the International Consensus Statement, which provides 208 statements strongly supported by ADHD research. In the episode we get more into what went into the process of making the statement and the standards of research. In the episode, we also discuss evidence-based treatments, debunk common myths, and discuss what really works when managing ADHD. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/202 This Episode's Top Tips Stick to treatments that have been proven effective through rigorous studies. Large studies and meta-analyses are more reliable than small studies when determining ADHD treatments. Not all ADHD treatments you find online are helpful—be cautious of sources that aren't peer-reviewed. Beware of misinformation as well as misleading information that can lead you down the wrong treatment path. While some alternative treatments may help, their effects are often significantly smaller compared to standard stimulant medication. When thinking about approaching what we do to help manage our ADHD, we want to think about the magnitude of the effect and do the things that will help the most first.

Hey Team! This week we're following up our last episode on misinformation—and this is going to be our last episode in the research saga that I've been working on for the last… couple of months? Yeah, I think I'm ready for something new as well although as a preview for next week, I had an amazing researcher as a guest and we do cover a lot of similar topics, but don't worry, it's a fantastic episode, great capstone to the series. But today we're diving into a topic that's critical for navigating life with ADHD—understanding and protecting ourselves from myths and misinformation. There's a big difference between outdated myths like, 'ADHD is just laziness,' and actual misinformation, which can mislead us into making risky choices about treatment. In this episode, we're getting into how to spot these traps, why myths stick around, and what makes misinformation so tricky. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/201 This Episode's Top Tips ADHD myths tend to be long-standing cultural beliefs, while misinformation often appears more credible and is linked to misinterpreted research or can be part of a specific agenda. There are a lot of pitfalls to watch out for when consuming information about ADHD. Oversimplication, sensational headlines, anecdotal evidence, secret information and even how the information is framed can be indicators that you might have to double check the information. Avoid spreading misinformation by verifying where your information comes from, especially if you see it on social media or from non-expert sources.