Overcoming Distractions

Welcome to another episode of Overcoming Distractions! In this episode, Dave sits down with Christopher Richards, a leadership consultant and founder of Atomic Growth. They dig into the unique challenges and surprising strengths of busy professionals with ADHD, exploring how to navigate demanding careers and personal lives.

Christopher shares insights from his own journey with ADHD, the philosophy behind Atomic Growth, and practical advice for ADHD’ers with demanding careers and business owners looking to find success and fulfillment without relying on unsustainable pressure.

Key discussion points:

• Atomic Growth’s Philosophy: Christopher talks about his holistic approach, called “RISE” (Rituals, Identity, Somatics, Environment), which emphasizes making a meaningful difference beyond just financial gain.
• The Problem with Pressure: Both David and Christopher highlight how many business owners and professionals rely on immense pressure to achieve goals, often leading to burnout and a lack of real accomplishment despite long hours. They emphasize that effective work doesn’t have to be stressful.
• ADHD and Work Styles: Christopher, who was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD later in life, discusses his unique ability to focus better when engaged in multiple tasks simultaneously, contrasting with David’s preference for single-task, undisturbed focus. This highlights the diverse ways ADHD brains can operate and the importance of understanding one’s own optimal working environment.
• The Value of an ADHD Diagnosis: For Christopher, his diagnosis wasn’t about a label but about gaining a clearer understanding of how his brain functions to leverage its strengths effectively.
• Overcoming Self-Imposed Limitations (Demand Avoidance): The discussion touches on “demand avoidance,” where individuals with ADHD, even when self-imposing demands, can find their brains resisting. This underscores the need for self-awareness and strategies that align with how an ADHD brain naturally operates.
• Identifying and Leveraging Strengths: Instead of solely focusing on challenges, David and Christopher emphasize the importance of identifying and utilizing strengths.

Connect with Christopher Richards here: https://atomicgrowth.co.uk/

In this episode of “Overcoming Distractions,” host Dave welcomes Rand Selig, author of “Thriving: How to Create a Healthier, Happier, and More Prosperous Life.”

Rand shares his insights on what it truly means to thrive, especially for busy professionals and those with ADHD.

He emphasizes that thriving is more than just getting by, it’s about fulfillment, purpose, and living a life that matters. This discussion offers valuable perspectives on personal growth, community involvement, and the science behind a flourishing life, applicable whether you have ADHD or simply seek to enhance your well-being.

Discussion Points:

• Defining Thriving: Rand introduces his high bar for thriving, which transcends merely “getting by” and focuses on a profound sense of fulfillment, purpose, and overall well-being.
• The Four Dimensions of Thriving:
  • Thriving Personally: The foundation of all other dimensions, focusing on character building, gratitude, purpose, managing emotions, and understanding one’s spirituality. The importance of the relationship with oneself.
  • Thriving with Others: Building meaningful relationships and fostering a sense of community.
  • Thriving Out in the World: Engaging in service to others, conservation, and volunteering, highlighting how helping others can shift one’s perspective and lead to happiness.
  • Thriving by Moving Ever Forward: The continuous process of evolution and becoming a better version of oneself, rather than comparing oneself to others.
• The Science of Thriving: Rand touches upon scientific frameworks that support his ideas, including:
• Self-Care and Recharge: The critical need for individuals, especially those with demanding careers and ADHD, to recognize signs of fatigue and burnout, and to implement self-care practices.
• Being Present: The significance of being fully present in interactions and in moments of reflection, as a source of joy and clarity, and how this contrasts with the ADHD brain’s tendency to wander.
• Intentional Decisions and Habits: The power of making conscious choices about how we spend our time, who we spend it with, and the habits we cultivate. The importance of fostering positive habits and self-awareness in guiding one’s “bus” (life’s direction).

Find rand at his website: https://www.randselig.com/

Are you a busy professional with ADHD feeling overwhelmed and burned out? You’re not alone. This week, David welcomes Brittany Piper, author of Body-First Healing: Get Unstuck and Recover from Trauma with Somatic Healing, and an expert in trauma-informed care, to dig into the profound impact of our modern world on our nervous systems.

They discuss how the constant demands of technology, work, and life contribute to chronic stress and burnout, especially for those already navigating the challenges of ADHD.

Britt highlights that our nervous system fundamentally seeks safety and connection. Modern life often undermines both, leading to feelings of unsafety within our bodies and relationships, and a sense of “connected but disconnected” through technology. They explore the difference between stress and the cumulative “allostatic load” of chronic stress, emphasizing that simply resting isn’t always enough to release built-up tension.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Impact of Modern Life: How 24/7 connectivity and societal pressures overload our nervous systems.
• Beyond Surface-Level Advice: Why typical burnout advice like “take breaks” often misses the deeper physiological roots of chronic stress.
• The Body’s Silent Signals: Britt explains how stress and trauma are stored in the body, manifesting in physical symptoms like digestive issues, chronic pain, and even changes in facial muscles and hearing.
• The Role of Early Experiences: The crucial impact of secure attachment in early childhood on developing a resilient nervous system and the potential for “developmental trauma.”
• Unpacking the Past: Recognizing how past experiences, even without overt abuse, can prime our nervous system for survival mode and impact our stress response in adulthood.
• The Autonomic Loop: Understanding how some high-achievers unknowingly use the energy of unprocessed stress (adrenaline and cortisol) to fuel their careers, leading to eventual crashes.
• The Meaning of Presence: A glimpse into how to truly become present by engaging the sensory-motor system.

Advice from Britt Piper:

• Focus on Internal Safety: Pay attention to physical sensations in your body as indicators of your nervous system state.
• Recognize the Need for Real Connection: Acknowledge the limitations of digital connection and prioritize genuine, in-person interactions.
• Understand the Body-Mind Connection: Be aware that physical symptoms can often be linked to underlying stress and past experiences.
• Consider Early Life Influences: Reflect on your childhood experiences and attachment style, as they can significantly impact your resilience to stress.

Learn more about Brittany Piper on her website: https://www.bodyfirsthealing.com/

Busy adults with ADHD often face the challenges of burnout. And sometimes, adults with ADHD can burn out harder and faster than others.

On this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we discuss why we may see more burnout in the adult ADHD community.

At the basic level, those of us with ADHD have challenges with executive functions, managing the emotional aspect of ADHD, time management and other factors that are major contributors to burnout.

Paula Liub is a burnout expert for ADHD, autistic, and highly sensitive people.

Combining her own burnout experience with a degree in psychology, yoga, and 20 years of mindfulness practices, Paula has developed an effective system that beats and prevents burnout by using a combination of science backed and mindfulness tools.

Our main discussion points about ADHD and burnout include:

• Why ADHD Brains are More Prone to Burnout
• Recognizing Early Burnout Signals (Especially in ADHD)
• Biggest pitfalls in ADHD burnout
• Practical Tips to Regulate Your Nervous System & Energy
• Best approaches beyond tips and tricks

Paula’s Website: https://paula-mindfulness.com/

Many adults with ADHD struggle with perfectionism. And that’s the topic of this week’s podcast.

How do we thrive as adults with ADHD without letting perfectionism get in our way?

Let’s discuss the dilemma of perfectionism and adult ADHD.

Dr. Tara Cousineau is the guest on this episode of Overcoming Distractions and is the author of the book The Perfectionist’s Dilemma.  She is also the author of the “Kindness Cure” and has joined us on the podcast several times.

Trained at Harvard Medical School, she’s a part-time staff psychologist at Harvard University’s Counseling and Mental Health Service.

Dr. Cousineau describes herself as a recovering perfectionist and because of that, she talks about why she decided to write The Perfectionist’s Dilemma.

Dr. Cousineau gives us a basic definition of what she feels perfectionism is.

Dave and Dr. Cousineau discuss how tackling perfectionism can help us find more balance, peace, and joy and cultivate a better relationship with ourselves.

Dr. Cousineau also discusses the following with Dave.

Where is perfectionism rooted? Is it a fear of judgment, etc…? People pleasing?

Are we born as perfectionists, or is this learned behavior?

Perfectionism is more than just work. We also see this in social interactions and in other areas of our life.

Can perfectionism cause anxiety and stress? Can it even lead to burnout?

Dr. Cousineau walks listeners through a beginning strategy to help minimize the challenges of perfectionism.

Find out more about the Perfectionist Dilemma including valuable resources here. And don’t forget to purchase the book!

https://perfectionistsdilemma.com/

The Peaceful Perfectionist (Substack)

https://taracousphd.substack.com/

Happiness is a big topic, right?

But so many of us have to navigate the ups and downs of ADHD. Demanding careers, habits we wish we could adjust, understanding our own ADHD and for some having to go through burnout.

One thing is clear: there is no template for overcoming burnout. Everyone’s experience with burnout or major stress requires different strategies.

Our goal? we just want to be happy. And we want fulfillment in our lives so we can thrive as an adult with ADHD.

Today’s guest is Cat Duvall.

Cat Duval is the founder of Nine Lives Yoga and Morning Ritual Club, where she’s guided over 25,000 clients across 11 countries. Through her 4 Pillars of Happiness framework—Peace, Purpose, Power, and Play—Cat helps people transform burnout into balanced, joyful living. Her own journey with burnout inspired her mission to create accessible, ADHD-friendly routines that prioritize well-being and personal growth.

Cat discusses her four pillars of happiness with Dave. They include.

Peace

Power

Purpose

Play

Cat also gives actionable advice for adults with ADHD that are struggling to navigate the ups and downs of burnout.

Find Cat’s resources here.

https://yes.catduval.co.uk/ to download free Future You meditation

https://www.catduval.co.uk/burnout/ to read action steps to overcome the 12 stages of burnout.

If you are currently surrounded by Post-Its or sticky notes, you’re going to want to hang out through this whole episode because this one is for you.

We are talking about some of the best practices for planning, especially in the workplace and how to select a planner that works with you and for you.

There are many working parts to productivity and one of them is planning.

Some of us are good at planning but do not execute.

Some of us execute without planning.

If we slow down and plan out several aspects of our career and home life, it will make our lives much easier.

As is common in the ADHD world, what works for you may not work for others, such as the type of planner you use.

Grace Koelma is the author of ADHD Focus Friend, the future ADHD digital planner, and the host of the podcast Your ADHD Besties.

Grace and Dave start with one of the biggest challenges for adults with ADHD and that is our struggle with planning. That is planning simple tasks or planning more long term projects.

***Other questions that Grace and Dave discuss during the podcast:

When it comes to effective planners, journals and even task management systems, is there some resistance to structure?

Does the interesting thing… take control over the important thing?

Why do we abandon planners and journals? Are we impatient, get frustrated easily? Do many just not work with our brain?

How do we get ourselves to slow down to plan appropriately?

Learn more about Grace’s planners, podcast and more at her website. https://futureadhd.com/

On this episode of Overcoming Distractions, we discuss burnout and its effects on the body.

When people are truly burned out, in most cases that causes trauma within the body. And that trauma can come in all types of forms. When burnout is not addressed, it can take a person years to recover.

Burnout is also becoming far more complex. For example, not all burnout is rooted in the workplace. You may have caregiving responsibilities which are adding to your chronic stress.

So let’s get into what burnout does to you as a human.

The guest on this episode is Clinical Psychologist Dr. Claire Plumbly …author of….THE TRAUMA OF BURNOUT: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You.

First, Dr. Plumbly talks with Dave to clarify the differences between stress and burnout. The term burnout seems to be thrown around a little too loosely lately. Burnout is chronic stress unaddressed.

Chronic stress leads to burnout. Dr. Plumbly discusses what chronic stress does to our bodies and nervous systems.

Dr. Plumbly also discusses with Dave the various modes of burnout including the red mode and the green mode. Why most of us shut down when we are burned out and how to soothe the nervous system into green mode as she explains.

She also explains the polyvagal theory of the nervous system. Understanding this can help us recover from burnout more effectively.

Learn more about Dr. Clair Plumbly here as well as finding her book: https://www.drclaireplumbly.com/

If you are an adult with ADHD, and you are either feeling burned out or have decided that your career is no longer serving you, this is the podcast episode for you. Grab a notebook and a pen because we have one of the most well-known experts in the field of ADHD careers today.

Shell Mendelson is the Author of Unlock Your Career Path. This book is specifically crafted for neurodivergent adults and even teens who need to explore new careers or make a change. Shell also hosts programs to guide those with ADHD to their next career or job.

Shell and Dave discuss some of the major factors that finally cause adults with ADHD to decide they need a new job or even a completely new career.

They also discuss that when a job or career becomes not a good fit, it’s not always our fault and we need to understand this. There are many external factors that make a career unmanageable for adults with ADHD.

Some adults may also let a career decision go far too long, for example when someone is feeling burned out and they put off making a tough decision.

Shell talks about strategies to make our existing job and/or career manageable while we do the necessary work to identify and secure a new role. Some of us may not be able to leave our job in the short term and we’ll need to make our current situation work.

Shell runs one of the only ADHD specific career workshops and she walks us through what people will take away from joining her workshop.

Find Shell and her book at her websites:

www.careercoachingwithshell.com

www.unlockyourcareerpath.com

We are talking about mindsets in this episode of Overcoming Distractions. Some mindsets that are useful and some are serving you well anymore.

One mindset that might ring a bell to you is that “I work better on deadline.” And we know most of us have ADHD in this community can say this…. However that’s a mindset that may not be totally true for most of us.

Dave sits down with Dr. Charryse Johnson, LCMHC, NCC a veteran psychotherapist and mindfulness practitioner whose work focuses on the intersection of trauma, somatic integration, spirituality, and social justice. She is the founder of Jade Integrative Counseling and Wellness, an integrative therapy practice where personal values, the search for meaning, and the power of choice are the central focus.

Her new book is called- Expired Mindsets: Releasing Patterns That No Longer Serve You Well

Dr. Johnson explains that an expired mindset is something that may have been useful to you at one time but presently does not serve you. Maybe we continue to tell ourselves something that just doesn’t help us move forward any longer.

She also discusses with Dave how a proper mindset allows us to thrive and be fulfilled in life and in our work. And how throughout our life we may be telling ourselves certain things that may not be true to us.

Dr. Johnson also explains the concept of shift versus change when it comes to moving away from expired mindsets.

Dave and Dr. Johnson discuss why self-awareness is so crucial for adults with ADHD and why this is important for us to understand ourselves and how we can thrive using proper mindsets.

Dr. Johnson talks about her role as a psychotherapist and what’s involved when she’s trying to key in on somebody’s mindsets and how that helps them move forward.

She also discusses why it is important to release certain patterns and how to begin that process. And Dave and Dr. Johnson wrapped up by discussing how we can make progress fun moving forward from expired mindsets and negative self-talk.

Learn more about Dr. Charryse Johnson on her website here. https://drcharryse.com/