Hacking Your ADHD

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”).

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 Sky 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 Effects of Physical Exercise on Anxiety, depression and Emotion Regulation in Children with ADHD, a systematic Review and meta analysis. Yep. Lot, lots in there, but we're gonna get into all of it, so don't worry. Now before we get started, I do wanna 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 think of it all. So if you have any thoughts, head on over to hackingyouradhd.com/contact and let me know. I appreciate all the feedback I've already gotten and we've definitely got to work on some things to make sure they're a little bit more organized and so we'll see how that goes. We've been already implementing some of that and I am sure you're gonna love it. 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/242 https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Today I’m talking with Danielle Elliot, a health and science journalist, documentarian, and host of Climbing the Walls, an investigative podcast from Understood.org digging into the surge in ADHD diagnoses among women—especially since the pandemic. If that sounds familiar, it’s cause I did a number of ads for her show a few months back, and I just wanted to make sure that I mention that, since while I’m not getting paid for this episode, I have done work with Understood before and probably will be promoting more of their stuff in the future. Anyway, in our conversation today, we cover a lot of ground, from debunking the idea that no one knew women could have ADHD until recently, to how social media has reshaped the conversation, to why research on hormones and ADHD is still way behind. We also get into the everyday realities of living with ADHD, the default mode network, and why we need far more research into how ADHD shows up in women. It’s a mix of science, lived experience, and the kind of practical reflection that can help you rethink how ADHD fits into your life. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at http://hackingyouradhd.com/241 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips 1. Instead of guessing when you’ve overbooked yourself, start tracking it like an experiment. For a few weeks, note each day you have social, professional, or mentally demanding activities beyond your baseline, then try and figure out how many consecutive “on” days it takes before you feel fried. 2. Downtime doesn’t magically appear and needs to be scheduled on the calendar, or it often just gets eaten by other people’s needs or whatever’s loudest in the moment. If someone asks you to do something during that block, you can truthfully say you already have something scheduled. Treating self-care time as a legit appointment protects it from getting deprioritized just because it’s “only for you.” 3. A common ADHD trap is overestimating how awful or time-consuming a task will be, which makes it easier to avoid it. Try timing your tasks to give yourself actual data to challenge your brain’s “this will take forever” narrative and can turn a dreaded job into something you knock out in a couple of minutes. 4. Consider hormonal factors when tracking ADHD symptoms, as hormones have a big influence on your ADHD symptoms, yet are often overlooked. Hormonal changes can affect focus, energy, mood, and even how well ADHD medication works. Tracking your symptoms alongside your cycle or other hormonal shifts can help you spot patterns and adjust strategies accordingly.

Hey team! My guest this week is Dr. Ute Liersch, a Chartered Counselling and Coaching Psychologist with over a decade of clinical experience and author of A Minimalist’s Guide to Becoming Resilient. Dr. Ute specializes in helping adults navigate anxiety, ADHD, and burnout. Her therapeutic approach is integrative, drawing from modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and mindfulness-based therapies. Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Ute is an associate lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London, and holds a Fellowship in Higher Education. In our conversation, we explore the nervous system beyond the textbook fight-flight-freeze model, including how our nervous system shapes our mood, motivation, and even the way we see the world. Dr. Ute explains why so many of us with ADHD find that our sympathetic nervous system is permanently on edge and how we can work on rewiring that response. We also talk about perfectionism, attention types, and what resilience looks like in real life, breaking it down into actionable steps that fit into our schedules and ADHD brains. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at http://hackingyouradhd.com/240 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips 1. Our parasympathetic nervous system can get stuck in a permanent state of “go time.” To help move our PNS back to a relaxed state, Dr. Ute suggests progressive muscle relaxation, where you are tensing and then releasing muscle groups one at a time so you can physically feel the shift from tension to ease. 2. Many of us have internalized the idea that there’s something fundamentally wrong with the way we work, think, or exist. Dr. Ute suggests replacing this assumption of personal defect with curiosity: “If I weren’t wrong, what would I need to feel safe?” This slight shift can open up room to problem-solve and tailor strategies to your actual needs. 3. We often talk about resilience like it’s a fixed trait—you either “have it” or you don’t. But Dr. Ute points out that resilience is about what you do, not what you are. It’s built in small, repeatable actions that teach your nervous system and your mind how to recover from stressors. Resilience isn’t about holding it together forever; it’s about giving yourself enough space and recovery so you can keep going when you need it the most.

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 Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In these episodes, 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. Today we’re going to be discussing a paper called Time after time: Failure to identify and support females with ADHD – a Swedish population register study As this is a new series, we’re going to be figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and I’d love to hear what y’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 work on making sure to get these episodes a little more organized and help you get the most out of every one. New episodes of research recap will be coming out every other Friday. All right, 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/239 https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

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

This week, we’ve got the return of my friend Saman Kesh, an award-winning music video director and all-around creative force of nature, to talk about the wild and untamed internal landscape of ADHD productivity. Saman is known for his work with bands such as Kygo, Basement Jaxx, and Placebo. And most recently, his work directing Ed Sheeran’s Azizam music video - if you haven’t seen it, check it out, it’s real cool. We get into the weeds of what makes a tool “sticky,” how to lower both the hurdle and the stakes when you’re stuck, and the role of friction in derailing our systems. Saman also shares how he uses routines, gamification, and a lot of self-reparenting to manage the inevitable paralysis that comes with big projects, tiny tasks, and everything in between. This one’s much more of a chill conversation with friends about what works and what doesn’t in their ADHD worlds. Azizam (Official Music Video) - Written and Directed by Saman Kesh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI9ZpIKgyf0 If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/237 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips 1. Try reducing friction on your most important tools. Move your organizational tools (like whiteboards or to-do lists) somewhere visible and easy to access. Out of sight, really is out of mind with ADHD. 2. Lower the Stakes when a task feels overwhelming. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect or done all at once; if we can reduce the emotional weight of a task, it often also reduces the paralysis. 3. When feeling stuck, try spicing things up by using things like dice, tactile tools, or creative mini-games (like drawing a doodle or rolling a task die) to inject novelty and dopamine into your routine.

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. In this episode we’re going to be continuing our Research Recap series with Skye Waterson. 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 Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) improves hot and cold executive functions in children with attention deficit‑hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-57920-3 Now if that sounds like a complete mouthful don’t worry, we’ll be getting into whatever in thing in there means. As this is a new series, we’re going to be figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and I’d love to hear what y’all think of it, so if you have thoughts, head on over to http://Hackingyouradhd.com/contact and let me know. I appreciate all the feedback I’ve already gotten and we’re definitely going to work on making sure to get these episodes a little more organized and help you get the most out of every one. New episodes of research recap will be coming out every other Friday. All right, 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/236 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 Katie Friedman and Alex Campbell, the brains and heart behind Gold Mind Academy, an ICF-accredited, ADHD-friendly training program, crafted to support ADHDers on their journey to success. And their new book, “ADHD… Now What?”, aims to give you the tools you need to find a coach that is right for you and how to advocate for your needs. And honestly, I love this approach to the book because while there are a lot of ADHD coaches out there, it’s important to find someone who is going to work best with you. So who are these people? Katie is a long time educator turned ICF-accredited ADHD coach and also a TEDx speaker. Alex is also an ICF-accredited ADHD coach, but also a psychotherapist and one of the first children in the UK to be diagnosed with ADHD back in 1990. In our conversation today, we explore what coaching really looks like beyond surface-level goal setting. Alex and Katie break down how understanding your strengths can lead to better self-advocacy and less burnout. We also talk about survival mode, how internalized ableism and societal “shoulds” trip us up, and why connection, with ourselves and with others, is essential for building sustainable strategies. I had a great time with this conversation and it gave me a lot to think about, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Gold Mind Academy: https://goldmindacademy.com/ ADHD… Now What?: https://goldmindacademy.com/adhd-book Katie Friedman Tedx: https://youtu.be/_G91NFmKpF8 If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/235 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips 1. Work on shifting from a deficit lens to a strengths lens. We want to understand not just what we’re good at but what we need in place to express those strengths effectively. 2. It’s important that we integrate identity first and strategy second. For real change to happen, we need to understand and accept who we are before trying to layer on productivity tools. 3. ADHD isn’t easy to manage in isolation. With teamwork and support systems, we can drastically reduce burnout and overwhelm, so it’s incredibly important that we work on building connection and community.

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

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. In this episode we’re going to be continuing our Research Recaps with Skye Waterson 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 the  Default Mode Network As this is a new series, we’re going to be figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and I’d love to hear what y’all think of it, so if you have thoughts, head on over to Hackingyouradhd.com/contact and let me know. New episodes of research recap will be coming out every other Friday. All right, let’s get on with the show. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cns.14900 - Interference of default mode on attention networks in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and its association with genetic variants and treatment outcomes If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/233 https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hey team! Our guest today is Dr. Otito Iwuchukwu, who is here to talk about the emotional and psychological aspects of belonging and how it impacts our day-to-day lives. Dr. Iwuchukwu has a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology from the College of Psychology and Counseling, a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, with a specialization in Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, from Temple University, and is currently an Associate Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her scholarly contributions appear in a range of peer-reviewed and indexed publications and have been presented at numerous research meetings and symposia across the world. Additionally, Dr. Iwuchukwu has recently written The Belonging Paradox, a book that presents a new way to understand belonging as an adaptive journey rather than a static destination. In this episode, we talk about why belonging is a dynamic, ongoing process, not a fixed state, and how we can create more inclusive environments for ourselves and others. We’ll also discuss how masking impacts our sense of belonging, the role boundaries play in maintaining our authenticity, and the importance of giving ourselves and others grace. If you’ve ever struggled with finding your place, especially in social settings or work environments, you’ll find practical tools in this conversation for navigating those tough moments. The Belonging Paradox - https://www.otitoiwuchukwu.com/new-book/ Dr. Otito Iwuchukwu on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/otitoiwuchukwu/ If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/232 https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon This Episode's Top Tips 1. Belonging isn’t a fixed state, but an ongoing process that changes with both your internal state and the external environment. Recognizing this can help you manage expectations and frustrations when your sense of belonging fluctuates. 2. Recognize that you don’t have to belong to every group, and not all groups are meant for a deep, personal connection. Don’t force yourself to belong in every situation; if a group or environment doesn’t feel right, it’s okay to step back. 3. You don’t have to be liked by everyone. Instead, it’s important for us to focus on finding spaces where we can truly belong. It’s about finding authentic connections, not chasing superficial acceptance.

Hey team! In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Valerie McIntyre, a Licensed Professional Counselor, an ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider, and the author of A Journey to a Valiant Mind, a book that dives into navigating ADHD with resilience and self-compassion. In our conversation, we dive into how ADHD isn’t just about task management, but how, more often than not, it's also about emotional regulation. Valerie talks about the complex emotions that come with ADHD, especially for late-diagnosed individuals, and how those feelings often get tangled up with shame and self-judgment. We also touch on how perfectionism, rejection sensitivity, and even seemingly small tasks can build up into emotional barriers. Valerie’s approach emphasizes compassion, and this episode is filled with tools to help you break free from self-doubt and cultivate a more positive, empowered relationship with your ADHD. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/231 https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon This Episode's Top Tips 1. It’s important to recognize that emotional struggles are often rooted in our internalized beliefs about our ADHD symptoms. These beliefs shape how we perceive ourselves and what we’re able to accomplish, and our emotional responses. 2. Often, there can be a struggle when shifting from one task to another. If we can acknowledge that there may be a delay in how your brain transitions between tasks and give ourselves time to adapt, we can make those transitions easier. 3. We can use reflective exercises, like journaling or discussion questions, to gain insight into our emotional triggers. This can help us identify better coping mechanisms that actually address the underlying issues we’re trying to overcome.

Hey team welcome to another episode of Hacking Your ADHD Im your host, William Curb and this week we’re starting a new series on the show, Research Recaps with Skye Waterson. In this series we’re going to be taking a look at a single research paper and diving into what the paper says, how it was conducted and any practical take aways. In this first episode of the series we’re going to be exploring a paper called Emotional regulation as a core symptom of ADHD.  As this is a new series we’re going to be figuring out what works and what doesn’t and I’d love to hear what y’all think of it, so if you have thoughts head on over to Hackingyouradhd.com/contact and let me know. New episodes of research recap will be coming out every other Friday. All right, 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/230 https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon

Hey team! This week we’ve got a returning guest - Skye Waterson, founder of Unconventional Organisation and host of the ADHD Skills Lab podcast. Skye’s background includes studies in Psychology, Sociology, and Public Health, and she’s spent over seven years helping late-diagnosed adults create sustainable ADHD strategies. And one of the exciting things that has come from this episode is that Skye and I are going to be doing a spin-off series of the show that focuses exclusively on the research side of ADHD. In these new episodes, we’ll be taking a look at a single research paper and discussing the ins and outs of what the paper says and how it was conducted, as well as trying to give any practical takeaways that will can drum up. Episode lengths are going right back to the origins of this podcast, so we’re aiming for something 15-20 minutes long, but packed with information.  Right now, we’re just going with the name Research Recap with Skye, so we’ll see if we come up with anything a bit more clever than that. Now, if that sounds like something you’re interested in, good news, you don’t have to do anything; these episodes are going to be coming out on the Hacking Your ADHD feed, so they’ll come up right along with all your other podcast downloads. These episodes are going to be coming out every other Friday starting this Friday, July 11th - and as a little preview  we're gonna be talking about a paper called “Evidence of Emotion Dysregulation as a Core Symptom of Adult ADHD: A systematic review” - I know, it sounds riveting, and actually, I think we do a pretty good job with it. But enough on that, let’s jump into what this episode you’re listening to right now is about. In this episode, we’re talking about dopamine and dopamine transfer deficit theory, and Skye lays out her concept of the dopamine dial. We cover everything from how our brains misfire on rewards to fidget toys, and why doom-scrolling on your third screen might not be giving you the kind of stimulation you think it is. This episode is all about dialing it in instead of shutting it all down. https://tinyurl.com/4u4av4s4 - An ADHD Academic's Answer to the Dopamine Detox by Skye Waterson https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/229 https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon This Episode's Top Tips 1. The dopamine dial is a mental model that helps you modulate your level of stimulation, rather than flipping an on/off switch. Instead of quitting stimulating activities all at once (e.g., trying a dopamine detox), you dial down your stimulation in steps. 2. Doing the hard thing now and waiting for the reward later often doesn’t land. Instead, we often need to feel a reward during the process, not just at the end. We can use the dopamine dial to reward ourselves with just enough stimulation to stay engaged without pushing our brain into full-blown distraction or burnout mode. It’s not about denying ourselves stimulation, it’s about using it intentionally and dialing it to the right level. 3. Try negotiating with your brain when you're feeling emotionally overwhelmed or hyper-focused on a desire, such as feeling like you just need to play a video game right now. Try taking a 10-minute breather to reassess those feelings rather than trying to force or deny that urge outright.

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