I officially found out I had ADHD in the most unexpected way.
I was in the doctor’s office with my 11-year-old, waiting for her ADHD diagnosis and prescription, when the doctor casually turned to me and asked,
“𝙎𝙤, 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘼𝘿𝙃𝘿?”
I blinked. Excuse me?
I had suspected for a long time, but I asked him how he knew.
His response? “𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙗𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨.”
Apparently, my entire presence gave it away…
My conversation structure
My nervous energy habits (feet moving, hands in action, wriggling, fidgeting)
My detective-like observation of my surroundings, followed by distraction
My laser-focused reading of his energy
That moment confirmed what I’d already known deep down.
But you’d think I would have struggled through life…I actually didn’t struggle as much as you’d expect.
Not because I didn’t have ADHD challenges, but because I 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 built systems that worked for me.
𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹
When I was younger, ADHD wasn’t a diagnosis that was widely recognized, back then, I was simply labelled as extremely 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.
There was no real support, no strategies, no accommodations. Just a sense that I needed to “calm down” and fit into a system that wasn’t built for my brain.
But I 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵struggle the way many do. Not because I had it easier, but because I 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 figure it out myself.
I naturally built my own ways of managing focus, energy, and sensory overwhelm, without even knowing I was doing it.
Over time, these small tweaks became non-negotiables in my life.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗲
𝗔 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 = 𝗔 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱
Clutter fractures my attention. I trained myself to put things in designated spots, not because I love tidying, but because I cannot rely on short-term memory.
If something doesn’t have a home, it’s as good as lost.
And if it’s visible? My brain sees it as an open loop.
That’s why my cupboards are closed, my space is minimal, and my environment stays clean.
No mess.
No distractions.
It’s not just about aesthetics, it’s essential for my focus.
𝗡𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀
Messy surroundings = a messy brain.
If my space is chaotic, my thoughts are chaotic.
That’s why I keep my home, office, and even digital workspace as streamlined as possible (the digital space has been the hardest to keep streamlined).
The fewer distractions, the better my focus.
𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀
I don’t just eat based on what’s “healthy”.
I eat intentionally based on what my brain needs and how it reacts to the food type.
𝘽𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 → light meal + herbal botanical shot = laser focus
𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 → I adjust based on my needs and again use it intentionally to induce sleep if I’m racing too fast.
𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 → cacao, silence, calm time = prevents energy overdrive
These 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤-𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 and set me up for the day.
𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀
The “take a break every 25 minutes” rule?
Nope.
When I’m in the flow, I ride that wave until I naturally finish, sometimes hours later.
Then, I take a proper recharge day if needed.
Breaking flow mid-process actually 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 my productivity.
So, instead of forcing a structured break schedule, I work in cycles of deep immersion followed by intentional rest days.
𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁
Long, talk or information-heavy presentations?
My brain refuses to process them.
Even if the content is useful, I can’t absorb it.
I now avoid signing up for anything unless I know the format works for me.
When I create content, I build in multiple ways for people to engage, because I know how frustrating it is when information isn’t ADHD-friendly.
𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀
As a child, I unknowingly hacked my ADHD by spending 4-6 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, sports, running around, or anything physical.
It prepped my brain for learning.
Even now, I always have movement at the beginning few hours of my day, it doesn’t have to be a prescribed thing, just going around the house, tidying and organising can be enough.
And in face-to-face training?
I sit at the front, less distraction, more focus.
I also always have a pen and paper, and I doodle.
It keeps me locked in.
𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲
Meditation isn’t optional for me. But I don’t force a rigid schedule.
Some mornings I wake up in a naturally altered, creative state, and I lean into that first before meditating. 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙝𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙢 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧.
𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀? 𝗜 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁
I go through structured sleep phases followed by weeks of random wake-ups, late nights, or odd hours. Instead of fighting it, I adapt. Short delta-wave meditations keep me refreshed.
(Not great for a strict schedule.)
𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲
I dislike online schedulers. Booking too far in advance overwhelms me.
(So, appointment setters… NOT A CHANCE!)
What works best? A 2-week window.
When I do book, I 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧-𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙚 like a maniac, and add context to the appointment heading:
eg.
Where I met someone
How we communicate
The context of our conversations
Without this? Total chaos.
𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱: 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 & 𝗔𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
One of the hardest things I’ve had to navigate is morning noise & emotional energy at home.
I have three teenage daughters (yes, send help), and if emotions are running high first thing in the morning, it can derail my entire day.
Sometimes, I can diffuse the mood.
If I’m emotionally fatigued, I remove myself from the space.
(this is where having done deep work around selfish vs selfless and judgements has helped me so much)
I used to push through it, but I’ve learned that absorbing that energy can set me back hours.
Now, I prioritize protecting my mental state.
𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁
Fluffy, meandering posts?
My brain skips them.
I want:
Spaced-out text (not a giant block)
Bullet points where needed, titles to separate topics
Good formatting so I can skim
(Facebook drives me mad with its intentional removal of paragraph spaces, so I have to take more time to add formatting, like emboldening or italicising)
Directness, no over-explaining unless it’s an intentional deep dive.
𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 + 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲: 𝗔 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲
Hormones + ADHD = a lot.
But I’ve been using targeted natural products to balance my nervous system, energy, and focus, and it’s made a huge difference.
If you’re in this phase too, there’s hope!
𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀
My work environment must be separate from my relaxation space and, in turn, separate from my therapeutic space for clients.
When I walk into my work zone, my brain knows it’s time to focus.
When I leave, I mentally close that tab.
And my healing/therapy space has a completely different energy and brain focus.
𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲
One thing I’ve learned?
Every person with ADHD has their own flavor.
But a lot of my tendencies and what works for me?
I’ve also seen them mapped out in my 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙩, especially in the 4 𝙑𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨.
(If you know, you know.)
If this isn’t something you’re aware of, hit me up for a reading.
I’d love it 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙫𝙚 to manage any ADHD or these types of traits, 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, it may be really useful for someone…
