Hacking Your ADHD

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Evidence of Emotion Dysregulation as a Core Symptom of Adult ADHD: A Systematic Review." Just to give a bit of background here, when Skye and I were discussing topics to look into for future episodes, rejection sensitive dysphoria was one that seemed like it might be really interesting to see what's actually out there. In a way, it was interesting because there's just not a whole lot of research on the topic. So instead, we came up with this paper, which asks whether emotion dysregulation should be considered a core fourth symptom of adult ADHD alongside traditional things like inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

To get started, let's try to get a quick definition of what we're talking about with emotional dysregulation and, of course, rejection sensitive dysphoria. You want to hit that one, Skye?

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/319

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

Hey Team!

This week I'm talking with the fantastic Jessica McCabe. Many of you probably know Jessica from her award-winning YouTube Channel, How to ADHD, where she has helped millions of people better understand how ADHD brains work. And Jessica is a returning guest, last time she was on we talked about her then upcoming and now New York Times bestselling book, How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) - which just came out in paperback.

And last time Jessica was on the show she was pregnant, so we dive into that a bit on this episode, discussing how having a kid really changed everything for her. And we really do dive into some of those struggles that come with parenting while ADHD and how those can compound with regular ADHD struggles as well through things like sleep, scheduling and how much pressure we put on ourselves. We also get to hear a little about the new book that Jessica is starting to work on.

How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) - Barnes & Noble

How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) - Amazon

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/318

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This episode's Top Tips:

A system can be a great fit for how your brain works and still stop fitting the life you're actually living. When something that used to work stops working, check what changed around it, be it your schedule, responsibilities, environment, or available support. Then look at what was useful about the old system and what needs to change to fit the life you have now.

Try putting something you actually want to do on the calendar before everything else fills the space. That might also mean scheduling more time for rest or fun than feels strictly necessary, because if we leave those things to whatever time is left over, there often isn't much left. This is something I've talked about before and am still not particularly good at myself, but making space for it deliberately gives that time a much better chance of actually happening.

Progress isn't about reaching a point where everything suddenly becomes easy. Part of it is adjusting what you expect from yourself, and part of it is getting better at recognizing which tools and supports you need. So when you're struggling, instead of making that struggle a verdict about yourself, ask: Why is this hard right now, and what can I do about it?

Hey Team!

This week I'm talking with someone who has an impressive 12 years of podcasting and over 800 episodes, Eric Zimmer, is the host of The One You Feed podcast, taking the name from the parable of the two wolves inside you and asking which one grows, well, it's the one you feed. After struggling with heroin addiction and homelessness in his twenties, Zimmer became deeply interested in how people make lasting changes in their lives. Drawing on both behavioral science and his own experience with addiction and recovery, Zimmer's work focuses on exploring behavior change, meaning, and what helps people build better lives. Zimmer is also the author of How a Little Becomes a Lot.

In our conversation, Eric and I talk about why lasting change is usually built with the small, unglamorous days after the big moment and not in the moment itself. We explore how structure can reduce the need for willpower, how it can help separate deciding from doing, and how change becomes easier when we treat it as a skill to practice rather than a test of character. And while Eric hasn't been diagnosed with ADHD himself, we still get into topics like time blindness, using tools without shame, and why a little bit of something often beats a lot of nothing.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/317

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This episode's Top Tips:

Change is a skill you can get better at, not a trait that is set in stone. While it can feel impossible to change at first, it is something that we can get better at, it just takes practice. This doesn't mean that the process will be easy, just that if you keep at it you can make progress.

When possible, make the decision about what you're going to do, before you're in the moment of having to act. By giving yourself a little structure, you're not asking yourself to make a fresh decision every minute. And while you'll still have a choice to make when the time comes, you've already made that choice at least a little easier.

Often our plans are built out of our best case scenarios and can break down when we hit the speed bumps of real life. So it's important that we remember that a little bit of something beats a lot of nothing. This means that we want to decide the minimum version of what we're doing instead of relying on that best case scenario.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, dive into what it says and how it was conducted, and try to find practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're discussing a paper called "Evaluating Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Review of Current Methods and Issues." This is a continuation of what we were talking about two weeks ago. This is Part 2 because the paper was so long and densely packed with information.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/316

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

Hey Team! This week I'm talking with Dana K. White, the creator of A Slob Comes Clean and the author of Decluttering at the Speed of Life, How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind, and her newest book Procrastinators Get Stuff Done: How to Go from Overwhelmed to Finished. Her work grew out of her own struggles with clutter and home management, and she's become known for practical, reality-based strategies designed for people who feel like traditional organizing advice just doesn't work for them.

This was a real fun episode and I just gotta say that I love that title, A Slob Comes Clean - it's a pun, it tells you exactly what to expect and gives that little of hey I was there too and we both can get out. Also as a slob myself, it's very validating.

So, in our conversation today we work through her decluttering methodology, from where we should start to where something goes to how we really should be using containers. We also talk about clutter thresholds, family-buy-in, ways to reframe what a win actually looks like. She also shares some of the ways her advice has changed over the years, including things she used to recommend and now recommends against.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/315

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

When putting stuff away it's important to decide where you'd look for an item and put it there instead of just thinking about where it "should" go. By putting something where you'd look for it first, when it comes time to look for the thing you know exactly where to go.

While a container's first job is to hold things, it also serves as a way to set limits on how much of something can go in there. When the container is full, that's it, that's the limit and that decision is made for you.

If we can change our goals from "done" to "better" we can shift our entire mentality around cleaning, organizing and decluttering. Instead of needing to set aside a whole weekend to completely upend your house, you can do five minutes and that progress still counts as a win.

Hey Team!

This week I'm talking with Dr. Jolene Brighten, a naturopathic doctor, women's health educator, and author whose work focuses on hormones, reproductive health, and the ways hormonal changes can affect women across their lifespan. She's the author of Beyond the Pill and Is This Normal?, and her newest work, ADHD and Women, coming out October 6th, explores the intersection of hormones and ADHD in women.

I know hormones and ADHD is a topic we've explored before, but Dr. Brighten was a delight to have on the show, and this conversation went in all kinds of directions. So yes, we talked about how hormonal shifts across your life affect ADHD symptoms, why medication can sometimes feel less effective at different points, and some of the ways those changes may show up differently for women with ADHD.

But we also got into the much more practical question of what you actually do when you know your brain isn't going to perform exactly the same way every day, like externalizing executive function instead of trying to remember harder, building small pleasures into the day, and recognizing that sometimes the best intervention isn't the full protocol, it's finding the smallest lever you can actually pull.

Dr. Brighten's Book ADHD & Women: https://drbrighten.com/adhd-and-women/

Dr. Brighten's Website: https://drbrighten.com

Dr. Brighten's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten

Dr. Brighten's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoleneBrighten

Dr. Brighten's Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten

Dr. Brighten's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drbrighten/

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/314

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

With ADHD it's often said that we know what to do, but have trouble executing on those ideas. For something like exercise, the best idea is then to work towards making it accessible. Instead of focusing on getting the biggest result, we can look toward what we actually enjoy doing and can sustain, even if for just a little bit, we're going to see far more consistent results. It's important to remember that everything has a cost, even if we're not noticing it at the moment. These costs can compound when we're not paying attention and lead us to wonder why doing just one simple task can leave us exhausted. This doesn't mean that we necessarily need to be doing less, but it does mean we need to pay extra attention to what something is actually going to cost us. Our brains are not meant to be at peak productivity all month, and that applies doubly if you experience a cycle. As Dr. Brighten says, "that is [just] how you are physiologically designed." This means that it's important that we're giving ourselves grace and letting ourselves block out time on the calendar for when we're not going to be at our peak (and again, we do not need to be at our peak all the time, or even most of the time; it's called the peak for a reason).

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try and find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called Evaluating Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD: A Review of Current Methods and Issues. And this paper is a narrative review that surveys the current landscape of ADHD diagnosis, where the DSM criteria came from, how they've evolved, and any known problem areas that are in there.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/313

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hey Team!

This week I'm talking with Dr. Jennie Byrne, a board-certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist with over 20 years specializing in high-achieving professionals and adults with ADHD. She has a PhD in Neurophysiology and an MD from NYU with her psychiatry residency at Mount Sinai (pronounced SIGH-nye). Now she runs Constellation PLLC, a concierge telepsychiatry practice where she helps busy professionals manage their ADHD. In her most recent book, ADHD in Professionals: Embracing Your Brain, Dr. Byrne examines how ADHD shows up at work, and why some individuals thrive while for others everything looks great on paper, but underneath they're struggling.

In this episode, we consider why the idea that "you're too high functioning to have ADHD" isn't a diagnosis and how often that same high performance at work can lead to a crash at home. We also play with the ideas of using anxiety as fuel and the costs that come with that, how productivity advice built for neurotypical brains can backfire for us and our environmental fit can make all the difference.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/312

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Your environment can play an important role in managing your ADHD, but it can cut both ways. A brain that loves working fast and connecting dots could easily be an asset in a high-stress fast-moving environment like the ER, OR or ICU. But then that same brain could fall apart when stuck in front of a pile of emails. Finding the right fit for you allows you to get the results without paying an extra cost you never intended to. While it is possible to use anxiety as a fuel to get stuff done, it often comes with a physiological cost. And it's important that we acknowledge the cost because it's too easy to let ourselves fall into the trap of letting anxiety provide all of our extra motivation which can then lead to chronic stress, health problems, and even a shorter lifespan. The idea that you're "too high functioning" to have ADHD often comes from a training gap and it is not diagnostic. High achievers are often able to hold it together at work but then fall apart at home, so it's important that you are able to express the totality of your existence with ADHD and find a clinician that is up to date on the current research.

Hey Team!

This week I'm talking with Dr. Megan Anna Neff, an AuDHD clinical psychologist, author, and educator. She holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from George Fox University, which she completed the same year that she was diagnosed as autistic. Dr. Neff has moved away from traditional clinical practice to focus on creating research-informed, lived-experience-centered, and emotionally resonant resources and training through her platform Neurodivergent Insights.

In our conversation today, we discuss her diagnosis, how ADHD and Autism tend to run in families, and the ripple effects that can happen from there. We get into sensory processing and its role in burnout and self-regulation. We also hit on interoception, alexithymia, and self-care, and round things out with some frameworks and ideas on how we can work with our brains. It's a conversation of identity and self-attunement that I really enjoyed.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/311

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Alexithymia, sometimes called emotional blindness, is a trait where you can have difficulties processing or describing your emotions and is often felt in ADHD with the experience of going from 0 to 100 with an emotion. While this can feel impossible to work on in the moment, learning to name your emotions and tracking how you feel through socio-emotional training can provide measurable improvements. Self-care starts with figuring out where you're at, but most advice on self-care often assumes that you already know what you need. With ADHD and poor interoception that can be a hard read. When we're feeling dysregulated, often our first step needs to be checking in with ourselves, and as Dr. Neff suggests, creating more sensory predictability. Masking can train you out of listening to your body because it is a learned way of suppressing yourself. While this insight won't necessarily fix what's going on here, it gives you a starting point to notice when you're not listening to your body because you're just not noticing, versus when you've trained yourself out of it.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try and find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Psychological Implications of Exclusion in Individuals with ADHD Symptomatology." That's a hard word there. This study asked a deceptively simple question: when people with ADHD symptoms are socially excluded, do their bodies respond differently than those without ADHD? And so basically, what we're talking about today is RSD, or Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, which is something that a lot of people have really started to resonate with, but there isn't a ton of research on yet. And I think this is a great place for us to kind of dive in on that research. So let's get into it.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/310

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hey team! This week I'm talking with James and Sam Brown, co-authors of Focus: The ADHD guide to productivity that actually works - James is a science communicator with a PhD in Biomedical Science, and 20+ years in academia and Chair of the adult ADHD charity ADHDadultUK. Sam, also known as Mrs. AuDHD online, is an Executive Administrator with ADHD-informed PA expertise, an ADHD coach, Director and Secretary of JBHD Ltd, and a Trustee of ADHDadultUK. Together (with Alex Conner) they co-host The ADHD Adults podcast. As both of them were diagnosed as adults, they use their lived (but evidence-based) experience with late diagnosis to help others navigate their own ADHD and Autism.

In this episode we spend some time talking about their book and the very ADHD process in which it was written. But we also cover the gamut of boundaries (both with ourselves and others), the need to keep doing and how hard it can be to give ourselves credit or accept it from others. This is a deep episode where the themes of self-acceptance and how that swirls through burnout plays a big role. And of course we also discuss all the usual ADHD shenanigans and how some days the ADHD just wins.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/309

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

The things we say no to are often just as important as the things we say yes to. With ADHD we often run on a default mode of saying yes to every interesting thing that we come across, but we simply don't have the time or capacity to say yes to everything. By choosing what we're saying no to, it gives us space to really embrace the "yeses" in our lives. While setting and maintaining boundaries with others can be difficult, it is often even harder to set them with ourselves. Playing directly with what we say no to, James says: "it's sometimes healthier to accept it may be a passion project now, but ask yourself, is it going to be in three months' time when you're stressed with everything else?" It's okay to let things go and change your mind about what's important. Try Sam's three-at-a-time rule. With two master lists (work and "side quests"), pull three tasks and focus on just doing those three until they're done. Once complete, move them to a done list, and you can move on to the next three. But also remember to periodically go through and delete what's no longer important in your lists. We all build up to-do's that no longer need to be and can be let go of.

Hey Team!

This week I got a chance to catch up with my good friend Brendan Mahan and talk with him about his upcoming book, Overcoming the Wall of Awful. Brendan is one of the first people I got to know in the ADHD space and I feel lucky to have done so because for one he's just an awesome guy, but also because his approach to ADHD has always just felt so real and coming from a place of lived experience. Brendan is the host of the ADHD Essentials Podcast, a board member of the Men's ADHD Support Group and the Director of Professional Resources for Calmer Con: Boston - and also one of the few people I know who gets me to sit down and listen because it's always worth hearing what he has to say.

Today on the show we're going to be talking about a book that Brendan spent a decade being asked to write. After finding his co-writer, Alex Hughes Capell, Brendan brought us the book we've been waiting for. So for those of you who are unfamiliar, the Wall of Awful is a concept that Brendan developed to explain the metaphorical emotional barrier that builds up over time and makes starting basic, everyday tasks feel nearly impossible. Or, in simpler terms, the barrier that keeps us from starting what often feels like a simple task, such as doing the dishes or starting our homework.

In our conversation, we discuss the ways that we build up these walls and also ways that we can work on getting past these walls (and what doesn't work). We also dive into the distinction between burnout and the wall and get into the nitty-gritty of the Wall of Awful.

If you'd like to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/308

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Worth restating here, the Wall of Awful is a metaphorical emotional barrier that builds up over time and makes starting basic, everyday tasks feel nearly impossible. And it's important to acknowledge that we can build this wall from both real and perceived failure. While smashing through our walls by activating through anger or anxiety often works, it's not always enough to get us completely through the wall. So while it may get us started it doesn't always get us to the finish line. As well, smashing often comes with a cost in terms of relationships, both to ourselves and to others who are hurt in the process of smashing through the wall. It's important that we're able to distinguish our walls from preferences and boundaries. While our walls are built out of the emotional response to failure, preferences aren't built out of failure. It may be something we don't like doing but we can get past it without reaching for our wall tools. And boundaries are choices that we make not out of our sense of failure but instead our sense of who we are.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what that paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways. In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "The Experiences of Adults with ADHD in Interpersonal Relationships and Online Communities: A Qualitative Study."

This study looks at how young adults with ADHD navigate real-world interpersonal relationships, how they mask their symptoms to fit into a neurotypical world, and what happens when they turn to online platforms like TikTok and Facebook.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/307

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

We're diving back into the vault today to bring you a foundational episode on one of my favorite ADHD strategies: Automation.

We all know the struggle—if it's interesting, we're all in. If it's boring? It's nearly impossible to start. Because so much of "adulting" is inherently repetitive, automation allows us to frontload our work so our "future selves" don't have to rely on willpower alone.

Top Tips from this Rebroadcast:

Frontload your effort: Save time and brainpower by making decisions once and letting tech handle the rest.

Systematize first: Learn why reducing steps in a task is often more important than the gadget you use to do it.

Automated Accountability: How to let your teammates know you've finished a task without having to remember to send that "done" email.

Smart Home, Clear Mind: Exploring the possibilities of smart speakers and sensors to keep your household running on autopilot.

Support the show on Patreon

Find the show notes at HackingYourADHD.com/automation

Hey Team!

Welcome back to a special encore presentation of Hacking Your ADHD.

I'm dipping into the archives this week to bring back an episode that has only become more relevant since it first aired. We're talking about misinformation—a topic that feels like it should be easy to define and identify, but as we know, the ADHD brain loves a rabbit hole, and not every rabbit hole leads to the truth.

We've all seen those posts online where we roll our eyes and think, "How does anyone actually fall for this?"

But here's the kicker: that exact feeling of immunity is what makes us vulnerable. When we think we're too smart to be fooled, we stop looking for the subtle stuff. We stop looking for the information that "rhymes" with the truth—the kind of stuff that's just close enough to be believable but just far enough off to be dangerous.

With the explosion of ADHD content on social media, we have more access to help than ever before, but we're also swimming in a sea of oversimplifications. Today, we're revisiting the rules of engagement for evaluating what you see on your feed.

Revisiting the Top Tips:

As you listen to this rebroadcast, keep these three guardrails in mind:

Credibility is Key: Always verify the source, especially when it involves health or medication. It's easy for a "fact" to go viral when it's wrapped in a relatable meme, but relatability doesn't equal accuracy.

Look for the "Why": Most misinformation doesn't come from a place of malice; it comes from oversimplification or well-meaning errors. People (including me!) make mistakes. Being vigilant doesn't mean being cynical; it just means being careful with your mental health.

The "Compared to What?" Filter: To get the full context of any advice, ask yourself: Compared to what? Is this tip a universal truth, or just something that worked for one person in one specific context? Focus on the big wins that actually move the needle for you, rather than getting bogged down in the minutiae.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and any practical takeaways we can find.

In this episode, we're discussing a paper called "Time Perception in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Does Task Matter? A Meta-Analysis Study." This study looks at how children with ADHD process the passage of time across different senses and experimental conditions. It investigates the exact mechanics behind "time blindness," confirming that our internal tracking systems don't just fail universally; they experience a predictable collapse the longer an interval drags out—specifically stretching past the five-second mark. We're going to get into all of this because it's fascinating how relevant this really is.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/306

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

We're diving back into the archives today to revisit one of our most-requested episodes. Does the hum of the refrigerator feel like a jet engine? Does a scratchy shirt tag ruin your entire afternoon? You aren't alone.

With ADHD, our "filters" often don't work the way we want them to. We can't simply ignore the background noise or the overwhelming scent of a neighbor's perfume. In this encore presentation, we explore the world of hypersensitivity and what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) while navigating ADHD.

In this episode, we revisit:

Why our brains struggle to prioritize what to focus on.

The five senses and how they can lead to sensory overload.

The emotional side of sensitivity, including Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).

Top Tips from the Archive:

Audit Your Environment: Reduce daily friction by choosing tagless clothing, using noise-canceling headphones, and adjusting your lighting.

Understand RSD: Recognize that extreme emotional sensitivity to perceived rejection is a common ADHD trait—and while it's painful, it is temporary.

Connect with the Show: Support the show on Patreon Find the full show notes at: HackingYourADHD.com/hypersensitivity

In this special rebroadcast, we are revisiting a conversation about a phrase many of us use at the start of a new project or a new year: "I want to hit the ground running."

Often, we start with great momentum, but it doesn't take much—like an unexpected illness or a change in schedule—to throw a snag into our plans. For those of us with ADHD, we tend to thrive on speed and urgency. We don't want to wait around, and that "emergency" energy can be a powerful motivator. However, living from one urgent task to the next often means we never get around to the things that are important but don't have an immediate deadline.

In today's episode, we explore how to use urgency as a tool without letting it run our lives, and how we can intentionally make space for the tasks that truly matter in the long run.

Urgency vs. Importance: Just because a task feels urgent doesn't mean it is actually important. We often feel an internal pressure to act immediately, but it's essential to pause and evaluate if that task truly requires our instant attention.

The Deadline Trap: We frequently use deadlines as our primary source of motivation. However, living deadline-to-deadline ensures that only "urgent" tasks get finished, while the "important but not urgent" goals—the ones that often lead to the most growth—continually fall by the wayside.

Creating Artificial Pressure: Since important but non-urgent tasks lack a natural "fire" to get us moving, we can use accountability to bridge the gap. Creating artificial deadlines or engaging in co-working and body-doubling sessions are great ways to ensure we follow through on our long-term plans.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says and how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Bidirectional Association Between Allergic Rhinitis and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." This is a comprehensive study looking at the relationship between allergic rhinitis—which is more commonly known as hay fever—and ADHD. All right, let's get into it.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/305

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hey team,

We're dipping into the archives this week to revisit one of my favorite high-energy conversations! This episode features the incredible Rachel Scanlon—stand-up comedian, actress, writer, and co-host of the podcast Two Dykes and a Mic. You may have seen her on Don't Tell Comedy or Comedy Central, bringing her signature positivity to the stage.

In this classic episode, Rachel and I dive deep into her ADHD journey and the intentional choices she's made to manage it. We also explore the fascinating intersection of ADHD and queer identity. Whether we're talking about the struggles of the classroom or the magic of finding your voice through podcasting, this conversation is a masterclass in the power of embracing your unique experience.

Support me on Patreon Feel free to ask me a question on my Contact Page Find the full show note at HackingYourADHD.com/149

This Episode's Top Tips

Challenge the Labels: ADHD is often unfairly linked to being "lazy" or "scatterbrained." Let's shift the focus to our real strengths: drive, engagement, and compassion.

Embrace Your Brain: Understanding your neurodivergence is liberating. Stop trying to fit the neurotypical mold and start celebrating what makes you you.

Explore the Intersections: There is a unique overlap between the queer and neurodivergent experiences. Self-reflection and introspection are vital tools for self-discovery.

Find Your Outlet: Creative self-expression is a superpower. Lean into your strengths to find fulfillment in what you do.

Hey team,

As we look at ways to refresh our systems, we're rebroadcasting a fan-favorite episode featuring ADHD coach Shane Thrapp. We're diving deep into the world of Focus101, a free digital body-doubling platform designed to help you reclaim your focus.

If you struggle with task initiation or follow-through, this episode covers the essential mechanics of body-doubling. Shane and I discuss how working in the presence of others—even virtually—can dramatically reduce distractions. We also touch on the "productivity stack": using Pomodoros, alarms, and task-splitting to make your work sessions even more effective.

This Episode's Top Tips (A Refresher):

The Power of Presence: Body doubling is a technique where working in the presence of another person provides the external accountability many ADHDers need to stay on track and motivated.

Stack Your Tools: Body doubling is even more effective when paired with "micro-productivity" tools like Pomodoro timers, scheduled alarms, and breaking large projects into tiny, actionable steps.

Focus101: As discussed with Shane, Focus101 is a free, specialized tool that combines body doubling with accountability groups and timing features specifically for the ADHD community.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we look at a single research paper—or, in today's case, multiple papers—and dive into what they say, how they were conducted, and try to find practical takeaways.

The first paper we're discussing is called "The MTA at Eight Years: Prospective Follow-Up of Children Treated for Combined-Type ADHD in a Multisite Study." This is about the MTA, the Multitreatment Study of Children with ADHD, which was the largest, most expensive, and most influential study conducted on ADHD treatment, originally published in 1999. It had a huge impact on how we view ADHD, especially in highlighting the shift toward thinking of ADHD as a chronic condition that requires sustained management rather than just something you "cure." Let's dive in and talk about what's going on in this eight-year follow-up study.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/304

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Hey Team!

I've been on a bit of a break this summer, but I wanted to help celebrate International ADHD Awareness Day by dropping a new episode.

We often think that achieving big things requires feeling miserable during the process. We buy into the myth that if a task isn't agonizing, it isn't worth the time we put into it. My guest today is Jia Jiang, an expert in rejection resilience, a Duke MBA graduate, and the founder of Wuju Learning. After stepping away from a stable corporate career at Dell and LinkedIn to launch a tech startup, Jia realized his deepest bottleneck wasn't a lack of talent, but a profound fear of rejection. Fueled with this insight, he launched 100 Days of Rejection Therapy and filmed himself requesting absurd things from strangers daily. And this is actually when I first came across Jia 11 years ago, so it was quite the treat to get to talk with him and learn about his new book, Easy Discipline.

Jia brings a unique lens to the table because he's battled his own severe, late-understood ADHD and procrastination loops since growing up in Beijing when ADHD just wasn't considered a thing. In this episode, we talk about shifting away from transactional, anxiety-inducing task completion and moving toward what he calls the "Artist Mindset." We also break down how masking and over-indexing on how other people perceive us turns into a form of self-sabotage, where we pre-reject ourselves before we even give our true traits a chance.

Jia's Easy Ambition substack- https://substack.com/@jiajiang

Jia's New Book- Easy Discipline: An Unconventional Way to Achieve Ambitious Things

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/303

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Stop declaring war on your own brain by trying to grind through tasks using sheer willpower. Willpower is a finite biological resource that inevitably runs out, and relying on it just triggers a cycle of broken resolutions and self-blame. Instead, shift your strategy to working with your human nature by building environment-based systems that remove structural friction from the start. If your daily routine constantly feels like Sisyphus endlessly pushing a heavy boulder up a mountain, you are fighting psychological gravity. Instead of forcing yourself through tasks with external pressure, anchor the process in intrinsic enjoyment so the activity becomes your default state. When you flip the physics this way, the boulder starts rolling downhill, meaning it actually takes more active energy to stop your momentum than to keep going. Masking and over-analyzing how others perceive you creates an intense cognitive tension that completely paralyzes the ADHD brain. Break out of this by adopting the "Artist Mindset"—reframing stressful interactions or projects not as rigid transactions where you need approval, but as unreplicable opportunities to express your authentic presence. Focusing on full creative expression in the moment completely bypasses the perfectionism trap and lowers social anxiety.

Today, we are dipping into the archives to revisit one of our most important and requested conversations. We're joined by Dusty Chipura, a passionate advocate and ADHD Coach, to explore the often-overlooked world of ADHD and pregnancy.

Even if you aren't currently pregnant or planning to be, the insights shared here regarding healthcare gaps and self-advocacy are vital for everyone in the ADHD community. Since this episode first aired, the need for better information has only grown, making Dusty's expertise as relevant today as ever.

Sign up for my Newsletter: Any And All Distractions Have a question? Contact Page Full show notes and resources: HackingYourADHD.com/184 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hackingyouradhdPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips:

Acknowledge the Research Gap: There is a significant lack of data regarding ADHD and pregnancy. Because of this, you may need to be your own strongest advocate, as you might end up more informed on the subject than your primary caregivers.

Build Your Team Early: Prioritize a support system that includes healthcare providers who understand ADHD, as well as a community that can offer emotional and practical help.

Prepare for Executive Function Shifts: Pregnancy can significantly impact organization and time management. Be proactive in developing strategies and tools—and lean on your support network—to help mitigate these challenges.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, dive into what it says and how it was conducted, and try to find practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation for Primary School Children: Effects on Attention and Psychological Well-Being." The study investigates mindfulness-oriented meditation and its effects on attention and emotional health in seven- to eight-year-old children. So, let's get into it.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/302

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

We're diving back into the vault this week to bring you my conversation with Ying Deng (ADHD Asian Girl). I'll be honest: for a long time, meditation felt like one of those things I should do, but didn't really get. Talking with Ying changed that.

We're rebroadcasting this episode because her approach to mindfulness is perfectly tailored for the ADHD brain. We move past the "popular media" version of meditation and get into the nitty-gritty of how to actually build a practice when your mind won't stop racing.

Today's Top Tips:

Micro-Mindfulness: You don't need a mountain top; you can practice while putting on your socks.

Keep it Novel: Mix up your routine with guided sessions, nature walks, or mindful movement.

The Power of Partners: Use body doubling to stay accountable to your practice.

Duration Doesn't Matter: Five minutes is better than zero minutes. Start small!

Find more from Ying through her Mindfulness Course and grab the full show notes at HackingYourADHD.com/169.

We are diving back into one of our most popular and highly requested conversations! In this rebroadcast, host William Curb sits down with Maddy De Gabrielle to talk about moving past the struggle of adult ADHD and building a highly personalized, practical toolkit for daily survival.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by neurotypical advice that demands the very executive function you're short on, this episode is your permission slip to stop trying to fix your memory and start accommodating it instead.

The Myth of Neurotypical Sleep Hygiene: Why traditional "wind-down" routines can backfire for an ADHD brain—and how a pair of sleep headphones and a late-night treadmill walk completely flipped the script for Maddy.

Low-Tech, High-Impact Hacks: From an $8 plastic medication dispenser that removes the executive burden of record-keeping, to using an unexpected "grabber bar" to tackle messy floors with the kids.

Defeating Time Blindness: The power of a waterproof shower clock to manage transition anxiety and conquer the daily "getting in vs. getting out" hurdle.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Why Bluetooth trackers (like AirTags and Tiles) are crucial health support devices for an ADHD brain's short-term memory limits.

The Shared Vocabulary of ADHD: Powerful phrases like "I'm stuck" and the difference between "climbing the wall" vs. "staring at the wall" that can transform communication with your partner or family.

"My life got so much better when I stopped trying to improve my memory and instead treated myself like someone who had a memory problem." — Maddy De Gabrielle

This Episode's Top Tips

When we're looking at what goes into our tool kit we need to be thinking of both the physical and mental items that can assist us throughout the day. It's important to work on getting past the idea of how we "should" be able to do certain things and look at what tools will let us actually do those things. It's important to work on understanding and accepting ADHD as a chronic condition. We need to recognize ADHD's impact on our daily life and work on employing practical tools and strategies to mitigate those challenges.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called Virtual Reality Interventions for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review. This paper is actually a review that provides a comprehensive look at how virtual reality is transitioning from a high-tech novelty to perhaps more of a legitimate clinical tool for managing ADHD. Also, as a note, this was a listener-submitted paper and definitely something I would have never thought to look into on my own, so I was really excited to get this submission because I had no idea that this was something people were doing.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/301

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https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

We are kicking off our summer archive series with one of our absolute favorite, high-impact episodes from the vault . Originally airing at the start of the year, this conversation with Alyece Smith—founder of Socially Awesome, neurodivergent entrepreneur coach, and host of the ADHD CEO podcast—is the perfect reality check we all need as we try to navigate summer schedules without completely burning out .

In this episode, Alyece and William dive deep into the exhausting ADHD trap of feeling like you constantly have to earn the right to sit down and rest . They unpack the difference between being truly productive and engaging in "fake productivity"—inventing random, low-priority tasks just to keep our brains in overdrive and avoid basic needs .

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

The "Earned Rest" Trap: Why the ADHD brain struggles to recognize non-business achievements (like household chores) as real work, leading to chronic overworking and severe burnout .

Protecting Your "Spark Times": How to map out your day based on your natural biological energy peaks rather than traditional clock-based schedules, saving your best brainpower for things that actually matter .

The Power of Voice Dumps: How Alyece uses voice-to-text apps (like VoicePin) to execute a "60-second brain dump" right out of the shower, preventing mid-day context switching and freezing .

Removing Daily Decisions: Tactical ways to systematically eliminate decision fatigue from your life, from building a personal "uniform" to outsourcing your product research to AI or a trusted partner .

Bypassing the Monetization Trap: A honest look at the pressure to monetize every single creative hobby and how to search for authentic clarity and fulfillment instead .

Whether you're an entrepreneur struggling with a complete lack of office boundaries or just someone tired of trying to force a square peg into a round hole, this episode is full of permission slips to stop, breathe, and put your hands down .

Connect with the Show:

Newsletter: Sign up for Any and All Distractions at hackingyouradhd.com/newsletter .

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YouTube: Watch us at youtube.com/@hackingyouradhd .

Today's Moment of Dad:

"Since it's a brand new season, I decided to get some shoes with clocks on them... you know, so I can watch my step."

Welcome back to the Hacking Your ADHD rewind queue, team. In this highly requested rebroadcast, host William Curb sits down with illustrator, podcaster, and creative powerhouse Andy J. Pizza (host of Creative Pep Talk) to unpack the exhausting realities of masking and what it truly looks like to live "right side out." Using a hilariously relatable mishap involving a graphic T-shirt at a family memorial service, Andy illustrates how neurodivergent individuals slowly clip away their own tags and forget who they are just to blend into a neurotypical world. The two dive deep into the heavy emotional toll of constantly performing rather than just being, exploring that liberating "pro-being pride" that only happens when you step out of a performance and into a space that actively celebrates individuality.

Beyond the philosophy of self-acceptance, this conversation serves up an essential masterclass in ADHD-friendly productivity, hacking the rigid definitions of habits, and managing creative burnout. Andy and William challenge the traditional advice of doing things consistently, revealing that the real secret to sustaining momentum for an ADHD brain is doing the same task differently to feed our constant craving for novelty. From bundling tedious chores like mowing the lawn with juiced-up playlists, to embracing the natural "incubation" period of the creative process, this episode delivers a vital reminder: stop trying to hate yourself into changing, and start building dynamic systems that allow your unique brain to thrive.

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

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "ADHD as a Circadian Rhythm Disorder: Evidence and Implications for Chronotherapy." Now, this is a perspective paper looking at the available research on circadian rhythm dysfunction in ADHD and what works for correcting some of that dysfunction.

So as we get into it, I think a great place for us to start is to talk about what a perspective paper is, because it's a little different than what we usually take on.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/300

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https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

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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.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Watterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called A Quantitative Analysis of Fidgeting in ADHD and Its Relation to Performance and Sustained Attention on a Cognitive Task. And so, yeah, this study is investigating the functional role of fidgeting in adults with ADHD and how that affects their performance when doing tasks. Let's get into it.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/295

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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.

Christine's website: Mindovermoneysite.com.

Also for your listeners who are interested in the 4 bucket banking method here's a freebie to help: 4 Bucket Banking Calculator

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.

In this rebroadcast of Hacking Your ADHD, host William Curb returns to the fundamental concept of coping—redefining it not just as an emotional reaction, but as a proactive problem-solving toolkit designed to mitigate predictable ADHD mishaps. Curb explores the critical shift from "reactive" stress management to "proactive" strategies, such as building calendar buffers and utilizing visual organization systems like hooks and "point of performance" reminders. By distinguishing between effective tools and maladaptive habits like self-defeating humor or impulsive spending, the episode emphasizes that the ultimate ADHD coping skill is "giving yourself slack" and building systems that work with, rather than against, your unique brain.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/120 Support me on Patreon Feel free to ask me a question on my Contact Page This Episode's Top Tips

While ADHD coaching and therapy can seem similar, they are distinct practices, with therapists often focused on healing in the past and present and coaches more focused on future-oriented goal setting. When seeking out help in either of these domains, it is important to remember that they do not work like magic, and you are going to have to put in work to see results. Additionally, the individual you see will usually become much more important than their profession. Accountability is a tool that we can use to take ownership of our actions, and when used in conjunction with others, it can help create salience and clarity in what we are doing to follow through with our intentions.

Hey team, today I'm talking with Liz Tenuto, more widely known as the Workout Witch. Liz is a somatic specialist with a degree in psychology from UCSB, who has spent over a decade helping people release chronic stress through movement. She's also the author of Moving Through Trauma, which hit shelves in January. Liz's work bridges the gap between psychology and physical health, specializing in how trauma and stress manifest as psychological issues like gut problems, insomnia, and chronic pain. In our conversation today, we're diving into the world of somatic exercises, which are slow conscious and gentle movements designed to enhance the mind-body connection and nervous system regulation.

We talk about how traditional no pain, no gain fitness often backfires for the ADHD brain, the nuances of introception, and why your body might feel stuck in a functional freeze without you even realizing it. If you'd like to follow along on the show notes notes page, you can find that at hackingyouradhd.com. All right, keep on listening to find out how to get your body and brain on the same page.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/294

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episodes Top Tips

While random stimming may help us cope in the moment, it doesn't necessarily lead to long-term nervous system regulation. By intentionally performing certain somatic exercises, we can actually shift our baseline physiology over time. When we are in a state of functional freeze or understimulation, the goal isn't to lower our energy levels, but instead to move from a shutdown state up into a regulated and alert state of ease known as the ventral vagal state. Because ADHD involves a bottom-up nervous system, our mental state is often a direct reflection of our physical tension. By consciously relaxing, we can trigger an immediate emotional shift, even if we don't realize our own stress levels.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try and find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Prevalence, Patterns, and Predictors of Sleep Problems and Daytime Sleepiness in Young Adolescents with ADHD." And so this is a study that's investigating the high prevalence of sleep-related issues in adolescents with ADHD, and this paper is also trying to distinguish between, like, nighttime sleepiness disorders and daytime sleepiness. So the story here being that, hey, maybe ADHD might not be caused by poor sleep quality alone, but there are, like, strong links to other things like sluggish cognitive tempo, which we'll all get into. So how about that? Let's dive in.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/293

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

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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.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what it says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways that we can give you.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Brain potentials reveal reduced attention and error processing during a monetary go/no-go task in procrastination." This study looks at how procrastinators handle mistakes and try to stay focused, especially when tasks get harder, and how those differences in rewards and punishment affect those outcomes. So, there is a lot there—and I'm going to tell you, this paper has a ton of acronyms. Let's get into it.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/289

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Today I'm talking with Katy Weber, a certified ADHD coach and the creator of the top-rated Women & ADHD podcast. After a career in journalism and wellness, Katy was diagnosed with ADHD at 45. Following that diagnosis, she has built a platform helping neurodivergent women move past the shame of late diagnosis and into a place of radical self-acceptance.

In our conversation, we talk about the systemic stressors that often trigger a late-life ADHD "breaking point," particularly for women navigating career, parenting, and hormonal shifts. We get into the mechanics of masking, why we often use anxiety and shame as our primary motivators, and the overlap between neurodivergence and physical health, looking at how chronic stress manifests in our bodies.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/288

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Recognize that "having it all together" on the outside often comes at a high cost. When people ask, "How do you do it all?" the answer is usually through extreme masking and "white-knuckling," which leads directly to burnout and chronic anxiety rather than true stability. Many ADHDers wait until the last possible second and use anxiety as a fuel source. While this can work as an effective short-term strategy, keeping yourself in perpetual anxiety to drive productivity is detrimental to long-term mental health. Broaden your view of ADHD to include the autonomic nervous system and physical health. Katy notes a high correlation between ADHD and "invisible" physical issues like autoimmune disorders, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain, suggesting that a neurodivergent nervous system reacts to stress in ways that affect the entire body, not just cognitive function.

It's 11:20 right now and I'm eating a brownie, but tomorrow, no more sweets - it's zero sugar for me. And exercise, all of it. Every day. And cleaning? My house is going to be spotless. Email? Say hello to inbox zero. And no more TV or video games, only highly enriching activities for me from now on.

All I have to do is follow the plan. What is the plan? That's not important right now. I'll figure that out tomorrow. For now, I'm going to bask in the glory of what is to come.

All right, let's get back to reality - although I really did write this at 11:20… and while those may not be my thoughts exactly, they aren't that far off from ideas I've had in the past. I mean, they weren't good ideas, but ideas nonetheless.

So today we're talking about midnight motivation - that late-night urge to turn your life around that somehow doesn't translate into the next day. We're going to be talking about why, in the quiet of the night, we become these master architects of our own lives, designing sprawling mansions of productivity because we don't have to worry about the cost of materials or even the laws of physics. But when we wake up, we're no longer the architect; we're the contractor. Or maybe even more accurately, the subcontractor who has been handed some hastily drawn out plans on the back of a bar napkin. So in this episode, we're going to look at why our ADHD brains love building these "theoretical" lives when the world is on pause and how we can start translating those blueprints into something we can actually build during the daylight hours.

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

We need to understand that late-night motivation isn't really potential energy(pulling back the bowstring), but rather it's theoretical energy (you're just thinking about the bow). Recognizing this distinction is important in understanding why we never "release the arrow" in the morning; we never actually pulled the string back in the first place. While it does feel like planning, thinking about doing something isn't the same as planning, and thinking about planning also isn't the same thing as planning. This is important to remember because even though it's not really planning, it still feels like we are, and when we don't follow through with those not-plans, it also still feels bad. We want to shift our focus from the Vision (the dopamine-heavy end goal) to the Logistics (the boring friction). A plan isn't a plan if it isn't accounting for all those logistical pieces. If the logistics aren't there, your brain will bail the moment you hit a "hidden" step. By moving "theoretical" plans into a physical calendar, we are better able to see our existing commitments in a visual space. We don't have infinite time, and if we want to start something new, we have to be able to fit it into the calendar.

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.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, dive into what it says and how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Time Perception in Adults: Findings from a Decade Review." In this paper, they analyzed a decade of research—from 2012 to 2022—investigating the specific nature of time perception deficits for adults with ADHD. Time is a little bit more complex than we often think, so let's get into how complex it really is.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/286

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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.

Is it possible to take ADHD off "Hard Mode"?

We often hear that living with ADHD is like playing a video game where the difficulty slider is permanently stuck on "Hard." But while the challenges of executive dysfunction are very real, we sometimes make things even more difficult for ourselves by insisting on doing things the "right" (read: hardest) way.

In this classic monologue episode, William Curb explores the concept of Easy Mode. What would it look like if your morning routine felt effortless? What if your workspace didn't feel like a barrier to your productivity?

By utilizing the "Focusing Question" from Gary Keller's The One Thing, William breaks down how to find the lead domino that makes every other task easier—or completely unnecessary.

The "Easy Mode" Vision: Defining what a low-friction life actually looks like (and why a perfect life might actually be a bit boring).

The Focusing Question: Learning to ask, "What's the one thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

The Domino Effect: Why focusing on small, strategic tasks creates the momentum needed to tackle the big ones.

Environment Design: Using the three parts of a task (Setup, Doing, and Cleanup) to reduce the cognitive load of starting.

Progress over Perfection: Shifting the goal from "fixing" your ADHD to simply sliding that difficulty scale down a few notches.

The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

The "Walls of Awful" concept (shoutout to Brendan Mahan)

Checklists & Automation: Tools to make remembering "unnecessary."

"Sometimes life is hard because our ADHD is making it harder, and sometimes it's because we're choosing to do things in the hardest way possible."

Find the full show notes and transcript at: hackingyouradhd.com/191

Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/hackingyouradhd

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.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, dive into what it says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Improvement of Anxiety and ADHD following goal-focused cognitive remediation: a randomized controlled trial." This study investigates goal-focused interventions and looks at whether they can improve executive function and emotional well-being for adults with ADHD. There's not too much to the intro, so let's get into it.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/282

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

If you only listen to one episode this year to ground your understanding of ADHD, make it this one. We are dipping back into the archives to bring you a masterclass from Dr. Stephen Faraone, a world-renowned expert ranked in the top 0.01% of scientists globally.

In a world of 60-second TikTok "diagnoses" and viral misinformation, Dr. Faraone joins William to discuss the ADHD Evidence Project. They strip away the noise to look at what 208 internationally supported research statements actually tell us about the ADHD brain.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/202

What's Inside This Encore:

The "Pyramid of Evidence": Why a charismatic story on social media isn't the same as a peer-reviewed meta-analysis.

Debunking the "Modern Invention" Myth: Did you know ADHD was described in medical texts as far back as the 1700s?

The Truth About Environment: From "Screen Time" to "Bad Parenting" and what actually causes ADHD (and what definitely doesn't).

The Medication Gap: A look at the real-world costs of not treating ADHD, including the staggering statistics within prison populations.

The "Default Mode Network": A fascinating look at why the ADHD brain struggles to flip the switch between daydreaming and "Executive Mode."

Why We're Re-Sharing This: This episode serves as a vital "BS detector" for anyone navigating ADHD. Dr. Faraone reminds us that while ADHD is a significant part of our lives, it doesn't define our entire identity: it's just the operating system we're working with.

In today's special rebroadcast, we're revisiting a deeply personal and essential conversation from the Hacking Your ADHD archives. When the world feels heavy and focus feels like a luxury we can't afford, how do we keep moving forward?

Will opens up about the "surreal" experience of navigating life's mundane demands: laundry, dishes, and school runs all while grappling with the sudden loss of his mother. It's a raw look at the cognitive dissonance of surviving a personal tragedy while the rest of the world refuses to hit the pause button.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/212

What You'll Re-Learn:

Numbing vs. Resting: How to tell if you're actually recharging or just hiding from your feelings.

The "Go Big or Go Home" Trap: Why your ADHD brain loves a fantasy plan, and why "going home" is usually the result.

The Power of the Bucket: Shifting from the despair of being alone to the strength of community.

Self-Grace: A much-needed reminder that being hard on yourself is never the productivity hack you think it is.

Whether you're hearing this for the first time or the fifth, William's insights on "resisting despair" are as timely today as they were when this episode first dropped

Hey team!

This week, I'm talking with Dr. Anupriya Gogne, a psychiatrist at Brown University Health in Rhode Island. Dr. Gonge works at the crossroads of addiction psychiatry and neurodevelopmental disorders, with a specific focus on treating ADHD during pregnancy and the postpartum period. She's dedicated to clearing up the misinformation surrounding medication safety during pregnancy, which can be seen in her book, Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Adult Women: Special Considerations in the Perinatal Period.

In our conversation, we dive into why hormonal fluctuations turn ADHD symptoms into a "perfect storm," the actual science behind "mom brain," and why your internal systems for keeping your life together tend to implode the moment a baby enters the picture. We also get into the nuances of how ADHD presents in women versus men, specifically regarding internal hyperactivity and emotional regulation.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/281

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

When ADHD symptoms suddenly appear or worsen, it's often not because the brain has changed, but rather that the environment's demands have finally exceeded the brain's compensatory systems. When life transitions occur, such as having a child, external chaos disrupts the systems that previously helped keep the ADHD in check. Chronic sleep deprivation isn't just being tired; it's also a failure of the memory consolidation system. While we are in deep sleep, our brain is encoding the day's events. If you aren't getting those stages, your working memory cannot function properly. These memory issues then compound with ADHD symptoms which can make it feel like you are experiencing early-onset dementia. In many adults, and especially in women, hyperactivity often isn't physical; instead, it's mental. It can manifest as negative self-talk on a loop, racing thoughts, or just feel like you have too many tabs open in your brain. Shifting the mental model to see internal ruminating as a form of hyperactivity helps identify the need for mental breaks rather than just physical outlets.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Use of Cosmetics in Pregnancy and Neurotoxicity: Can it Increase the Risks of Congenital Enteric Neuropathies?" That's a lot. In this, the authors explore the hypothesis of neurotoxins such as microplastics, parabens, benzophenones, phthalates, and metals that can cross the placental barrier and disrupt the development of the fetal nervous system.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/280

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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!

This week I'm talking with Dani Donovan, a neurodivergent artist and designer whose ADHD comics have been shared all over the internet. Dani holds a BFA in Visual Communication and Design and is the creator of The Anti-Planner. She's spent years as an advocate for neurodivergence, using her background in design to simplify those complicated, invisible daily struggles we all face. In our conversation today, we're diving into why traditional planners often feel like they never work how we want them to and how we can transition into a "toolbox" mindset instead. We explore the concept of "anti-shame" tactics and how to stop using mean-spirited self-motivation. Dani shares some of her favorite hacks for the mundane stuff, like an "Inbox Sprint" for tackling email debt and some unconventional strategies, including how she uses "worst drafts" and even Magic: The Gathering packs to keep herself moving.

Check Out the Anti-Planner: https://www.anti-planner.com/

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/277

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

We often beat ourselves up for "failing" to use a planner reliably after three months, but the reality is that our brains stop responding to the same stimuli once the novelty wears off. Instead of trying to find the one system you'll use forever, you can try building a "toolbox" of multiple strategies. Executive dysfunction isn't a monolith; it's a collection of specific emotional roadblocks like being intimidated, over-committed, or paralyzed by perfectionism. Approaching every task with a standard to-do list is like trying to use a hammer on a screw; it's the wrong tool for the specific resistance you're facing. By identifying the specific flavor of your resistance first, you can choose a tool designed to dismantle that exact barrier. Many of us have spent a lifetime using "mean" self-talk as a primary motivator because getting in trouble was the only thing that worked in the past. However, shame is a paralyzing emotion that actually increases avoidance. Shifting to an objective, "engineering" mindset allows you to view a failure not as a character flaw, but as a data point . Asking "Why did this fail?" instead of "Why am I like this?" allows you to troubleshoot the system rather than blaming the person.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we look at a single research paper, dive into what it says and how it was conducted, and try to find practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Evaluation of Maternal Inflammation as a Marker of Future Offspring ADHD Symptoms: A Prospective Investigation." This study investigates the biological origins of ADHD—specifically, whether a mother's immune system during pregnancy might be able to predict ADHD symptoms in her children once they are born.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/276

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Atomoxetine treatment strengthens an anti-correlation relationship between functional brain networks in medication-naive adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial." Yes, that's the full study name.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/272

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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.

Distinguishing between ADHD and anxiety can feel a bit like trying to figure out if you're sneezing because of a cold or because your neighbor just started mowing their lawn - or maybe it's a bit of both, the symptoms look the same, but the solution is very different. This week, I'm talking with Dr. Mona Potter, a Harvard-trained, board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist and the Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder of InStride Health. Dr. Potter spent years at McLean Hospital pioneering treatments for anxiety and OCD, and has a unique perspective on how we can manage the specific brand of exhaustion that comes with being neurodivergent in a world that never stops moving.

Today, we're exploring the bio psycho social model—which is just a fancy way of saying we're looking at your sleep, your stress, and your chemistry all at once. We discuss the "optimal zone" of anxiety and how it can actually mask ADHD symptoms until you find a treatment that works, the difference between a "crutch" and a tool, and why parents (and adults) should stop trying to be the "external executive function" for everyone around them. We also take a deep dive into the specific mechanics of OCD and why the structure that saves an ADHDer might actually feed an obsessive loop.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/269

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

To tell ADHD and anxiety apart, look at what's pulling your focus. ADHD distractions are often external (the world "tapping you on the shoulder"), while anxiety distractions are typically internal (a "side commentary" of what could go wrong). Remember that medication can turn down the biological "volume" of symptoms, but it doesn't build skills or "brain muscles." Use the quiet provided by medication as a window to practice the executive function habits you need. While structure and rituals are helpful for ADHD, they can feed OCD. If you have both, you must learn to sit with the distress of not performing a ritual (Exposure and Response Prevention) rather than making things "seamless".

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series, where we dive into a single research paper to find practical takeaways. In this episode, we're discussing a paper called "Adherence, Persistence and Medication Discontinuation in Patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review." This study asks: what's happening in the real world with medication adherence? Are people taking their meds, and if not, why? I found this paper through a presentation by Bill Dobson at the 2025 ADHD conference in Kansas City, and it really blew me away.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/268

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. We're diving into a paper titled "Pain Associated Diagnosis in Childhood Before the Diagnosis of ADHD." We want to see if kids who were eventually diagnosed with ADHD showed higher rates of pain-related medical visits before that diagnosis even happened. This is a vital question because about a quarter of chronic pain patients are also diagnosed with ADHD.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/265

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hello all you beautiful people, happy new year. I'm gearing up for 2026 after a few set backs at the end of last year that we'll get into in a future episode.

But today we're talking with Alyece Smith, founder of Socially Ausome, a neurodivergent entrepreneur coach, and the host of The ADHD CEO Podcast. She specializes in helping business owners build sustainable systems that actually work for their brains rather than against them.

In our conversation today, we get into why we often feel the need to "earn our rest" and how that can lead to burnout. We also jump into how to systemize your life to save your brainpower for what actually matters. Alyece shares her "DMO" or Daily Method of Operation, and how she uses routine to cut down on daily choices. We also talk about the trap of monetizing every hobby, finding clarity in what actually fulfills us, and why knowing why your brain works the way it does is often more helpful than just trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/264

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Try using Voice Memos to prevent context switching. When you feel a spiral coming on or have too many ideas, use a voice-to-text app (Alyece recommends "Voice Pen") to brain dump everything immediately. This allows you to get the thoughts out without stopping your current workflow. Once you have a brain dump, categorize items by the "mode" required to complete them (e.g., calls to make while driving, emails to answer at your desk, errands to run). This helps you batch tasks based on where you are, rather than just creating a deadline. Track your natural energy peaks to identify your "Spark Times." Save your high-value creative or money-making tasks for these windows, rather than wasting that high energy on low-priority admin work. Work on identifying "Fake" productivity. Be honest with yourself about whether you are creating tasks just to feel busy or "earn" your rest. If you are inventing work to avoid important tasks or to feel productive, it's a sign you need to pause and figure out what's really a priority in that moment (hint: it's usually taking care of one of your basic needs).

It's hard to believe we're already into 2026. If last year felt fast, this year is moving even quicker. As we settle into the rhythm of a new year, I found myself looking back at some of the most impactful conversations we've had on the show—specifically those that help us navigate the "new year pressure" without the burnout.

That's why today, we're revisiting a fan-favorite conversation from the archives with Chris Wang, CEO and co-founder of Shimmer.

Even though this originally aired at the start of 2025, the strategies Chris shares are more relevant than ever. We dive deep into:

Process-oriented goal setting (focusing on the "how" rather than just the "what").

The power of community in maintaining momentum.

Living in alignment with your core values to avoid "productivity for productivity's sake."

Chris brings a wealth of actionable advice to the table. Whether you're currently looking into ADHD coaching or you're just trying to figure out how to make your plans stick for the rest of 2026, this episode is packed with gems.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/207

This Episode's Top Tips

Work on setting process-oriented goals where your focus is on the actions you can control, like "exercise 3 times a week," rather than outcome-based goals like "lose 10 pounds." Make sure you are specific and write your to-do lists with clear, actionable steps to avoid overwhelm and decision paralysis. You want to know exactly what your next step is when looking at your to-do list. Leverage your support systems. You can use community and coaching to provide accountability, remove roadblocks, and refine your systems. Remember there is no gold star for toughing it out by yourself and it's okay to get help.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain.

Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a single research paper and dive into what it says, how it was conducted, and any practical takeaways. In this episode, we're discussing a paper titled "The Effects of Subclinical ADHD Symptomatology on Subjective Financial, Physical, and Mental Wellbeing of Entrepreneurs and Employees." Essentially, this study looks at how ADHD traits—even if they aren't at a diagnosable level—relate to wellbeing for two groups: entrepreneurs and employees.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/263

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

For this week's episode, we are dipping into the archives to revisit a conversation that resonated with so many of you. I'm talking with Vanessa Gorelkin, a seasoned occupational therapist and ADHD coach who's been working in the field for nearly 30 years.

Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis (Bran-Dice) University and a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy from NYU. 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 encore presentation, we discuss:

The "Want-to-Do" Gap: Why we struggle even with the tasks we actually enjoy.

The Anxiety Connection: How anxiety and executive dysfunction team up to create a cycle of frustration.

Strategy Decay: Why tools that work perfectly for a month inevitably seem to stop working.

Practical Regulation: How to break down tasks so they feel doable and why you need a "crisis plan" before the crisis actually hits.

Whether you missed this the first time around or just need a refresher on these strategies, there is so much gold in this episode.

You can still find all the links and resources mentioned in this episode on the original show notes page 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.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb. Today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we dive into a single research paper to see what it says, how it was conducted, and find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're discussing a paper called "Association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and intestinal disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis." It's a fascinating one because they started with nearly 2,000 papers and narrowed it down to 11 high-quality studies.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/262

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Today, we're revisiting our conversation with Skye Waterson. Skye is a Doctoral Candidate and ADHD coach who specializes in research-backed tips for navigating life with a neurodivergent brain. We wanted to rebroadcast this episode because our discussion on her book and specifically her approach to calendars and burnout is still some of the most practical advice we've had on the show. Whether you're hearing this for the first time or the second, there is a lot of gold in here. Let's jump back into my talk with Skye Waterson.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at http://hackingyouradhd.com/206

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.

This week, we're revisiting a classic episode inspired by a late '90s pop-punk anthem: "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit.

The title of that song perfectly captures a feeling common to those with ADHD. We often feel like our own greatest obstacle, plagued by an endless supply of self-destructive behaviors stemming directly from the condition.

Counterproductive manifestations like poor time management, hyper-focusing on low-priority tasks, overcommitting, and procrastination can leave us feeling incredibly frustrated.

We're talking about our "worst self"—the version of us that emerges in ways we later regret or that seem to actively work against our own interests.

While the internet is full of advice on how to become your best self, the reality is that many of these frustrating behaviors do not reflect our value as people. Instead, they are often a reflection of our unmet needs and coping mechanisms.

In this important rebroadcast, we discuss:

How this "worst self" manifests in the context of ADHD.

Why we should extend a bit more empathy toward these maladaptive behaviors.

Practical ways to work on moving forward—not necessarily toward a flawless best self, but at least toward a better one.

Tune in to explore this internal conflict and learn how to find compassion for the parts of you that struggle.

Support me on Patreon Ask me a question on my Contact Page Find the show note at HackingYourADHD.com/188 This Episode's Top Tips

Approach the idea of your worst self with empathy. Focus on the fact that you developed these maladaptive behaviors for a reason. Pay attention to the situations and emotions that trigger your worst behaviors to anticipate and manage them more effectively. Often, our maladaptive behaviors come out when we're not doing a good job of meeting our basic needs. If we're engaging in numbing behaviors, we can look below the symptoms to try and see what's setting them off.

Welcome to Hacking your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD Brain. Today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try and find any practical takeaways.

In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called Bullying in Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, analyzing Student Social Status, and Student Teacher Relationship Quality. So, a lot to talk about here, and I'm sure this is going to relate to a lot of people.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/261

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Hey team,

Today, we've got a heavy but necessary topic. We're looking at what happens when ADHD goes unsupported and the stakes get high. In this episode, I'm joined by Sarah Templeton, a counselor, activist, and author of The Prison Counselor. Sarah spent years working inside the UK prison system before getting her own diagnosis at age 51, which led to some massive realizations about the people she was working with.

In our conversation today, we look at the startling prevalence of neurodiversity in the prison population and how a lack of diagnosis fuels a cycle of reoffending. We explore the stark reality of the "school to prison pipeline" and the specific ADHD traits that land people in legal trouble. It's not just about being a trouble-maker, but about impulsivity, risk-taking, and a heightened sense of justice. And I know that last one might sound counterintuitive, but don't worry, we get into that in the episode.

This is an incredibly important episode to me because I believe that it's one of my jobs to use my privilege as someone with an audience to highlight the struggles in our community from some of our most underserved populations. And our ADHD siblings in prison are definitely a prime example of people who had the system fail them and are now paying the price.

Before we get started, I also just wanted to mention that there is some talk of suicide in this episode, so if that is something you are sensitive about, I just wanted to let you know.

If you'd like to follow along on the show notes page, you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/260

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

While we often associate trouble with malice, many people with ADHD end up in legal or social trouble purely because they reacted impulsively to perceived unfairness. Recognizing this trait as a heightened sense of justice can help you pause before intervening in situations that might escalate. Severe boredom can physically feel like pain for the ADHD brain, leading to high-risk behaviors just to feel something. Acknowledging that boredom is a trigger state can help you find safer dopamine outlets before you do something regrettable. When trying to tame an addiction, traditional reduction techniques often fail for ADHD brains because of our "all or nothing" dopamine response. If you are struggling with substance use, ensure your support team understands ADHD, as "just one drink" can trigger a massive dopamine cascade that neurotypical advice doesn't account for. Work on reframing the idea of an excuse vs a reason. If we can understand that our brain wiring causes certain behaviors (like risk-taking), this isn't an excuse to keep doing them; it's the explanation that gives us permission to stop hating ourselves and seek out tools and strategies that can help manage behaviors.

This week, we are rebroadcasting an insightful earlier episode featuring Dr. Judy Ho, a clinical and forensic neuropsychologist with a PhD in clinical psychology. She focuses on mental health, ADHD, and various psychological disorders. She is triple board-certified and is a tenured associate professor at Pepperdine University, where she teaches graduate-level psychology.

In our conversation, we delve into how ADHD can impact self-esteem, the importance of understanding your brain's wiring, and practical ways to manage attention and relationships. Dr. Ho shares insights into how cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help train your attention and how reframing your thoughts can reduce self-sabotage.

Dr. Ho also shares some of her favorite strategies for improving focus, managing emotional regulation, and using mindfulness to tackle ADHD challenges. Whether you're struggling with self-sabotage or finding it hard to keep up with tasks, this episode is packed with tips that will help you thrive with ADHD.

If you'd like to send me a question answer on the show feel free to head over to hackingyouradhd.com/contact and click the orange button Support me on Patreon Ask me a question on my Contact Page Find the show note at HackingYourADHD.com/197

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD Brain. Today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it's conducted, and try and find any practical takeaways.

In this episode we're gonna be discussing a paper called The Role of Executive Function in mediating the relationship between Adult ADHD symptoms and hyperfocus in university students. Now I think this is a really interesting subject and how about we just jump right into this. Can you tell me a little bit about this paper?

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/259

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hey team!

This week, I'm joined by Rae Jacobson, journalist, ADHD expert, and host of Hyperfocus at Understood.org, to talk about how we make sense of ADHD when it feels like it's everywhere. Rae has spent over a decade reporting on mental health and neurodiversity, and she brings that blend of research, lived experience, and sharp humor that makes big ideas actually relatable.

This was honestly one of my favorite episodes that I've recorded this year - while Rae and I were brainstorming ideas that two ADHD podcasters could talk about, I think we hit on a very salient topic, the over-pathologizing of ADHD within the community. While we love to find all the things that are from our ADHD, it's also true that not everything is because of our ADHD.

In our conversation today, we dig into the ways ADHD often gets pathologized, how everything from losing your keys to getting a song stuck in your head can get blamed on ADHD, and why that can actually make it harder to understand what's really going on. We get into "symptoms of symptoms," the tricky overlap between ADHD and other conditions like depression and anxiety, and why community spaces like Reddit can both help and hurt when it comes to self-diagnosis. And of course, we also go down a few very ADHD side paths about clutter, shame spirals, and why having too many pens is basically a personality trait at this point.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/258

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

When considering what is and isn't ADHD, it's important to remember the context of ADHD as a chronic condition - as in it's something that we deal with all the time. Everyone is going to lose their keys every once in a while, but with ADH,D the difference is in the pattern and the impact. Without the systems I have in place to make sure my keys go into the same place every time, I would be losing them every day. Not everything annoying is an ADHD trait; sometimes it's just being a human in a busy, overstimulating world. While there are a lot of comorbidities with ADHD, if we try to label everything as ADHD, we lose the ability to tell what actually needs attention. Instead of asking, "Is this ADHD?", try asking, "Is this making my life unmanageable?" That's the line that separates "normal chaos" from "I might need help with this." But when ADHD does show up alongside things like depression, anxiety, or trauma, those conditions can feed into each other. You need to figure out who's driving the bus. Treating the wrong "driver" means you'll burn energy fixing the wrong problem. So before building systems or blaming ADHD, step back and ask what's actually behind the behavior.

As many of us navigate shifting routines and rising expectations right now, it's a perfect time to revisit this affirming conversation with Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright. Together we unpack what it means to stop fighting yourself, lean into your strengths, and build supportive systems that make life feel lighter, not harder. A great listen if you need a dose of ADHD-friendly self-compassion this week.

Unapologetically ADHD: A Step-by-Step Framework For Everyday Planning On Your Terms by Nikki Kinzer & Pete D. Wright

If you'd like to send me a question answer on the show feel free to head over to hackingyouradhd.com/contact and click the orange button Support me on Patreon Ask me a question on my Contact Page Find the show note at HackingYourADHD.com/195 This Episode's Top Tips

Embrace your ADHD and plan your day around it to avoid unrealistic expectations and the ensuing shame. When looking for a system, we need to recognize that no one-size-fits-all tool exists. Try to avoid the trap of looking for the best options; focus instead on eliminating the worst options to simplify decision-making. When we recognize the importance of revisiting and adjusting our systems regularly rather than constantly switching to new tools, it'll help us acknowledge that every tool or system will have days it fails. With that in mind, we can focus on embracing resilience so we can get back on track when things do go awry.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for another Research Recap. In this series, we explore a single research paper—what it says, how it was conducted, and what practical takeaways we can find.

In this episode, we're discussing a paper called "Shifting the Focus: Exploring Video Accessibility Strategies and Challenges for People with ADHD." It sounds a little out there—and honestly, this paper is a bit different. So Skye, want to start us off?

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/257

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hey team!

This week, I'm talking with Jami Shapiro, ADHD coach, founder of Silver Linings Transitions, and host of the Grandma Has ADHD podcast. Jami has also recently published her book This Explains So Much, which dives into the world of undiagnosed ADHD in people over 50. Jami brings a wealth of experience from her work helping older adults downsize and organize their lives.

In our conversation, we dig into what aging looks like with ADHD, from memory changes to social isolation, and how curiosity, compassion, and the power of community can make a huge difference. We get into the challenges of different stages of life, how ADHD can be mistaken for dementia, and what it means to build understanding across generations.

I think this is definitely an episode for everyone, as no matter how you slice it, we're all going to be facing these issues someday, and because of the genetic nature of ADHD, you likely already have someone in your life dealing with these issues.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page, you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/256

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Many symptoms that get labeled as "senior moments" (forgetting names, losing track of appointments, or misplacing items) can actually be longstanding ADHD traits that are finally being noticed. Forgetfulness that comes from ADHD doesn't need memory-care protocols; instead, it needs ADHD strategies such as reminders, structure, external cues, and tools like smartwatches or calendars. As we age, we can risk drifting into isolation, and this can be especially true with ADHD. We already struggle with time blindness, motivation, and this can easily lead to dropping the ball on keeping up with friends and family. This means it's important that we're scheduling regular check-ins with friends and doing things like joining a hobby group. We can revisit our relationships and recognize that your parents (or kids) with ADHD were just trying to do their best; reframing these patterns can transform your relationship. Instead of replaying the same old fights, you start from a place of compassion. It's not about forgiving the past; it's about giving context and finding a way to move forward with the relationship.

Hey team!

Today I'm talking with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, a clinical psychologist, couples therapist, and the author of You, Your Husband & His Mother.

She has spent almost two decades helping couples get unstuck from repeating the same old arguments and start building relationships that actually work in real life. And she also runs her own podcast, Dear Dr. Tracy.

In our conversation, we get into how our relationships don't exist in a vacuum, how family expectations shape our decisions, and why it's so important to be on the same team with your partner, especially when you're juggling extended family, ADHD, and a few generational differences in "how things are done." We also get into setting values-based boundaries, navigating conflict without turning it into a blame game, and using small moments to rebuild connection when everything feels off balance.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/255

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Work on shifting from "Me vs. You" to "Us vs. the Problem" mentality. This shift in mindset can completely change how a couple navigates conflict. By reframing the conflict, you turn what could've been another argument into a shared problem. And I do want to add on here as well that this is a learned skill and takes time to develop, but is well worth doing. Boundaries aren't about controlling someone else's behavior; they're about choosing how you'll respond. We often sabotage our own boundaries by overexplaining them, giving people justifications that sound like permission to debate our choices. You can't stop someone from knocking, but you can decide whether you'll open the door. Try building a "Roadmap" of each other's regulation styles. While everyone has a different way of dealing with stress (and with ADHD, emotional regulation can be unpredictable), knowing them in advance can help prevent some frustrating moments.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb. On this podcast, we dig into tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series.

In this series, we usually look at a single research paper, but today we're covering two and pulling out practical takeaways. We'll discuss two papers on ADHD strengths: Strengths and Challenges to Embrace Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Employment: A Systematic Review, and Paradoxical Career Strengths and Successes of ADHD Adults: An Evolving Narrative. I love an "evolving narrative," and the way papers are named.

Before we get started, I'd love to hear what you think of these Research Recaps. If you have thoughts or a paper/topic you want us to review, head over to hackingadhd.com/contact and let us know. New episodes of Research Recap come out every other Friday. All right—let's get into it

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/254

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

This week I'm joined by Amy Marie Hann, better known online as The Activated ADHD Mama. Amy's an ADHD coach, community leader, and author who specializes in helping ADHD moms wrangle the boring, repetitive tasks that tend to bury us, things like dishes, meal planning, and remembering to call in prescription refills.

In our conversation, we talk about why traditional productivity advice often doesn't work for ADHD brains and why these mundane tasks can create so much stress and shame. We dig into some of Amy's strategies that helps people build realistic systems to make those things easier and how starting with just three daily tasks can create stability when your brain constantly craves novelty. We talk about capacity, executive function burnout, and how to reframe self-care and rest as functional tools instead of guilt trips.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/253

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Work on designing your routines for your actual capacity, not your fantasy capacity. Pay attention to your natural energy rhythms and give yourself permission to do less when you're depleted. It's often not about how long a task takes but about how hard it feels. Build self-compassion by celebrating when you complete these high-resistance tasks and noticing the effort you've put in. There is a distinction between rest and numbing, so we need to plan intentional rest that actually restores our energy. ADHD rest is often about lowering stimulation, not eliminating it. Try for something gentle but engaging enough that your brain doesn't go looking for a dopamine hit elsewhere.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain.

Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series, where we take a look at a single research paper—what it says, how it was conducted, and what practical takeaways we can find.

In this episode, we're discussing a 2022 paper titled "TikTok and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study of Social Media Content Quality." It got quite a bit of coverage when it came out, and I thought it'd be good to revisit it—not because TikTok is back in the news, but because it raises some interesting questions about ADHD information online.

Before we get started, I'd love to hear what you think of the Research Recap series. If you have feedback or a paper you'd like us to cover, head to hackingyouradhd.com/contact. New Research Recap episodes come out every other Friday.

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 https://HackingYourADHD.com/252

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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.

Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain.

Today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series, and we're talking about a paper called Creative Thinking in Adolescence with Attention Hyperactivity Disorder.

In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, dive into what it says, how it's conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways for you.

As this is a new series, if you have thoughts or feedback, let me know — you can head to hackingyouradhd.com/contact and send me a message. New episodes of Research Recap come out every other Friday.

Alright, let's get on with the show.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/250

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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!

Today I'm talking with Nick Jonsson, a best-selling author, executive coach, and co-founder of Executives' Global Network. Nick is the author of Executive Loneliness: The 5 Pathways to Overcoming Isolation, Stress, Anxiety & Depression in the Modern Business World. His work focuses on helping leaders tackle isolation, burnout, and addiction while finding healthier, more sustainable ways to succeed.

Now I realize that doesn't seem particularly ADHD focused, but I thought that this would be a good interview to take because adults with ADHD have a substantially increased risk of substance use disorders. And so while Nick's work doesn't specifically cover ADHD, there is still a lot that you can glean from it.

In our conversation, Nick shares his own journey through loneliness, denial, and alcohol addiction, and how vulnerability and connection became essential tools for his recovery. We dig into practical strategies for opening up in safe spaces, replacing harmful coping mechanisms with meaningful activities, and creating accountability systems that support long-term well-being. We also touch on how social media and other modern habits can quietly feed into loneliness, and what it takes to build resilience against them.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/248

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

Frame recovery as replacement, not deprivation. When looking to break out of unhealthy coping mechanisms, be they alcohol, social media, or some other addiction, deliberately plan what will give you that same connection without the negative costs. Having planned positive alternatives like exercise, hobbies, or group activities can make all the difference in following through with your intentions. Watch out for the "gray zone" of addiction; you don't need to wait until hitting rock bottom to start changing habits. If you are questioning your relationship with alcohol, social media, or other damaging habits, take the time to reflect on what is really driving those habits. Remember, you don't have to make something worse before making it better. When you can, volunteering in support groups or mentoring others not only helps them, but it can also reinforce your own sense of belonging and purpose.

Welcome to hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD Brain. And today I'm joined by Sky Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, although today we're going to be looking at two and so it's a little something different.

What we do is we try to see how the papers were conducted, try to find any practical takeaways and discuss what's going on in these papers. So the two papers we're gonna discuss today are Boredom, Proneness, and its correlation with internet addiction and internet activities and adolescence with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. And our second paper then is boredom, proneness and Inattention in Children With and Without ADHD, the mediating rule of delay aversion.

So lots in there, lots to discuss. And we'll get all into that. And as this is a new series, I do wanna make sure that people know that. I would love to hear what your thoughts about it. Feel free to go to hackingyouradhd.com/contact and leave me a note about what you think about this series.

I'd love to hear about this and I've really appreciated all the feedback I've already gotten for this series. So I'd love to hear more and make sure that I'm doing this in ways that you guys really like. Now, new episodes of Research Recap will be coming out every other Friday.

And with that, let's get into this.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/247

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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

t for a few months now and it's definitely one that I'm always on the look out for new episodes. Rae does a great job with her interviews, asking both the basic questions to help ground the conversation, but also getting into the more nuanced issues that come with neurodivergence.

Today, I'm going to share an episode with you where Rae talks with Dr. Christine Hargrove, a Marriage & Family Therapist with a focus on neurodiversity and financial therapy that she uses to help individuals and couples understand how their symptoms affect their financial behavior.

And honestly, this is a great episode - I know so many people who struggle with their finances, but more specifically, struggle directly because of their ADHD.

Be sure to subscribe to Hyperfocus with Rea Jacobson in your podcast player!

Welcome to Hacking your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any key practical takeaways—stuff that you can actually use. In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called Do Executive Dysfunction, Delay Aversion and Time Perception Deficits Predict ADHD Symptoms and Early Academic Performance in Preschoolers.

And yeah, there's a lot in there, but don't worry, we'll be getting into all of it. Before we get started, I want to mention that this is still a new series, so we're going to be figuring out what works and what doesn't, and I'd love to hear what you all think of it. So if you have thoughts, head on over to hackingyouradhd.com/contact and let me know. I appreciate all the feedback I've already gotten, and we're definitely going to be working on organizing the episodes a little bit more to help you get the most out of every one. New episodes of Research Recap will be coming out every other Friday. And with that, let's get into it.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/245

https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link

https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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").