Drawing from The Charisma Myth and her work coaching adults with ADHD, Megs breaks down why lasting change requires both a clear vision and a deep belief that you're capable of it. She explores why people with ADHD often carry limiting beliefs that block growth, how the dopamine pull of novelty (hello, online shopping) fits into that picture, and what it actually feels like to sit in discomfort long enough to forge a new path.

Article referenced in show: Never Enough: Why ADHD Brains Crave Stimulation

Whether you're part of an ADHD community looking for real talk, searching for an ADHD coach, or just trying to figure out why you keep ending up back at square one — this episode will give you language, perspective, and empowering beliefs to carry with you.

You'll hear: the hiking metaphor for building new habits, the "Pandora's box" of self-awareness, why community and coaching accelerate change, and a set of affirmations you can repeat daily — including "My patterns kept me safe. I get to choose different now" and "Good things are allowed to happen to me and stay."

In This Episode:

04:57 — Why your beliefs are blocking change (even when you're trying really hard)

06:26 — What discomfort actually is — and why it's proof you're capable

10:20 — How therapy, ADHD coaching, and mindset work together

13:45 — A guitar lesson on the power of community for ADHDers

15:45 — No-spend month as a real-life example of belief in action

19:15 — The Pandora's box of self-awareness: facing data, emotions, and avoided realities

22:12 — The hiking metaphor: forging a new path through your brain

27:56 — Be the hero of your own story — and take action

29:54 — Beliefs to repeat daily if you have ADHD

Share your thoughts with Megs!

Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to Start

The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain

You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

If you've ever struggled to explain a hard mental health moment to your child — or wondered how to hold your ADHD brain together as a parent — this episode is for you.

Megs sits down with Kendall, mental health advocate and children's book author, to talk about something most of us never learned how to do: make our inner emotional world visible to the people who love us most. Kendall shares her journey from lifelong anxiety diagnosis to ADHD discovery, how postpartum depression cracked her open, and the "cloud" metaphor she created so her kids could understand mom's hard days without fear or confusion.

🎧 What We Talk About

Understanding your own brain first — Kendall spent years being told she had anxiety before landing on an ADHD diagnosis that finally made sense. If your mental health story has kept shifting, you'll feel seen here.

The cloud metaphor that changed everything — After PPD, Kendall needed a way to say "mom is struggling today" without clinical language or blame.

ADHD tools for couples — Kendall and her husband have different ADHD patterns. She shares "pause" check-ins, shared lists, and strategies that actually work when two executive-function-challenged brains are building a life together.

Care kits for hard days — What goes in one? Simpler and more intentional than you'd expect.

The book + pay-it-forward program — Kendall self-published Cloudy Day Chronicles to keep the family dialogue supportive rather than clinical, and now donates books through a pay-it-forward program and speaks with community organizations to connect parents to local mental health resources.

About Kendall

Kendall's greatest adventures began at home, as a mother. Her stories are inspired by the curiosity, humor, and boundless imagination of her children, who often help shape the characters and moments that appear on the page. Alongside her husband Matt and their dog Kiaora, she fills her days with laughter, exploration, and just the right amount of playful weirdness. When she's not creating stories, Kendall can usually be found where the wild things are.

⏱️ Jump To

• 01:12 — From mental health struggles to becoming an author
• 02:07 — Postpartum depression and the birth of the cloud metaphor
• 03:26 — Inside the Cloudy Day Chronicles book
• 12:21 — ADHD tools for couples with different patterns
• 18:46 — Building a care kit for cloudy days
• 23:42 — How (and why) to ask for support out loud
• 27:12 — Publishing choices and drawing the family line
• 29:56 — Advocacy work and connecting parents to resources
• 33:36 — Community impact and closing thoughts
• 35:16 — Where to find the book

📚 Resources & Links

• Cloudy Day Chronicles — Author's Website/Buy The Book
• Follow Kendall — Substack/Instagram

Organizing an ADHD Brain is a podcast for humans with ADHD who are done with shame.

Share your thoughts with Megs!

Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to Start

The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain

You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

If you've ever started a weight loss journey, tried to declutter your home, or attempted to quit a habit — and felt like you were doing it "wrong" because it wasn't linear or easy — this episode is for you. As an ADHD coach for women, Megs Crawford digs into why quick fixes don't create lasting change, and why going through the "messy middle" is actually what builds sustainability, self-trust, and genuine self-understanding — especially for an ADHD brain.

Using real stories from her own life, Megs shares her experience pursuing bariatric surgery and the required nutrition coaching, therapy, strict dietary changes, and body-image work that came with it; getting sober through a structured program, confronting depression and navigating triggers like ordering drinks in social settings, and maintaining sobriety for nearly four years; and decluttering her home through trial and error, selling items, lowering barriers, and discovering which organizing systems actually fit her ADHD patterns.

She also connects these lessons to parenting a child through uncomfortable transitions, showing how the messy middle isn't just a personal growth concept — it's a life skill. If you're a woman with ADHD looking for an approach to organizing, sobriety, or weight loss that meets your brain where it is (instead of shaming you for not fitting a neurotypical mold), this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.

03:11 Cora And The Transition

04:17 The Quick Fix Trap

06:57 Weight Loss And Surgery

11:10 Body Image And Self Talk

13:07 Quitting Drinking For Good

16:15 Sober Struggles And Tools

19:05 Decluttering With ADHD

22:39 Trial And Error Systems

27:25 Fix It Mindset Shift

31:32 Small Steps Build Rome

Share your thoughts with Megs!

Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to Start

The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain

You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

🔁 Rerun from Fall 2024 — still so good, we had to bring it back.

If you've ever felt guilty for loving color, keeping "too much," or struggling to maintain a minimalist space — this episode is your permission slip.

Megs sits down with Eli Trier, an AuDHD neuroqueer artist based in Copenhagen, to talk about what it really means to organize and decorate as a neurodivergent person. Spoiler: it's not about having less. It's about having what fills you up.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why colorful spaces aren't clutter — they're actually good for your ADHD brain (hello, dopamine 🧠)
• What maximalism really means and why it can be the most intentional way to live
• How art and color affect dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol — backed by science
• Eli's late AuDHD diagnosis story and the emotional journey that followed
• How to stop organizing out of guilt and start curating a space that genuinely supports you

This episode is for you if: ✔ You're a human with ADHD looking for less overwhelm at home ✔ You've tried minimalism and it just… didn't stick ✔ You want a neurodivergent-friendly approach to your space and your life

Connect with Eli Trier: 🌐 Website ▶️ YouTube

Timestamps

00:14 Minimalism to Color

02:00 Meet Eli in Copenhagen

04:13 Diagnosis Journey

09:38 Art and Brain Chemistry

16:21 Maximalism Explained

26:21 Systems For Creative Chaos

32:45 Advice For Late Diagnosis

37:30 Final Thanks And Reflection

Share your thoughts with Megs!

Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to Start

The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain

You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

Book: Deep Work

Learn more about Sukha:
Join Steven's Flow State App

Contact Steven:
steven@thesukh.co

In this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, Megs talks with Steven Puri — ADHD-diagnosed entrepreneur, former film executive, and founder of Sukha — about flow states, distraction, and what it actually takes to focus in a world engineered to pull your attention away.

Steven shares his journey from engineering and Hollywood to building a company centered on sustainable focus for neurodivergent brains. Together, they explore:

• What flow state really is
• Why ADHD brains struggle with long to-do lists and context switching
• The nervous system layer of distraction
• Why hiding all but your top three tasks increases follow-through
• How finishing one meaningful task a day shifts identity

Steven explains Sukha’s “friendly nudge” approach — gently asking, “Is this helping you?” instead of harshly blocking websites — and how redefining productivity as time for what truly matters (family, creativity, community) changes everything.

07:16 — What Flow State Actually Is (ADHD + Neuroscience Explained)
Clear explanation of flow and why ADHD brains crave it.

13:01 — Why Modern Distraction Feels Impossible to Beat
Notifications, dopamine loops, and the attention economy.

14:48 — ADHD Distraction & Regulation: Real-Life Examples
Nervous system awareness + how distraction shows up day-to-day.

29:56 — Multitasking vs Monotasking: The Context-Switch Trap
Why switching tasks drains executive function.

30:59 — ADHD To-Do List Paralysis & the “Top 3 Only” Strategy
Reducing overwhelm to increase follow-through.

32:15 — Breaking Big Goals Down: 1% Progress & Micro Practices
Sustainable momentum instead of burnout cycles.

28:15 — Beating the ‘I’m Behind’ Story: Identity & Momentum
Rewriting self-narratives through action.

48:59 — Redefining Success: The One Thing That Moves Your Life Forward Today
Values-based productivity instead of hustle culture.

Share your thoughts with Megs!

Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to Start

The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain

You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

In this episode, Megs explores organizing through the lens of ADHD, nervous system regulation, and the human need for comfort during difficult times. She shares a personal story about losing her childhood blankie to illustrate how comfort objects and familiar routines often help us feel safe — especially when life feels unpredictable or overwhelming.

The episode also acknowledges the emotional weight of what’s happening in the world and how collective stress can quietly intensify avoidance, dysregulation, and the urge to retreat or “hide.” Through this discussion, the host differentiates between comforts that genuinely support regulation and those that keep people stuck.

With compassion and honesty, the episode offers practical organizing insights, emotional regulation strategies, and reminders that seeking ease, structure, and hope is not a failure — it’s a form of care. The overall message centers on coming out of hiding, choosing supportive comforts, and remembering that progress doesn’t require perfection.

Article: Exaggerated Emotions: How and Why ADHD Triggers Intense Feelings

Podcast Recommendation: Connection Project 360

Episode Breakdown

01:21 – Childhood comfort objects and why they matter more than we realize
02:05 – Autonomy, choice, and trust in organizing decisions
04:04 – Why discomfort makes us cling to clutter, routines, or avoidance
07:47 – Emotional reactions, nervous system responses, and ADHD coping patterns
11:47 – Healthier comforts, regulation tools, and practical support strategies
16:37 – Hope, connection, and the role of community when things feel heavy
26:20 – Final reflections, reassurance, and encouragement to keep going

Share your thoughts with Megs!

Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to Start

The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain

You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

Motherhood. Neurodivergence. Work-from-home life. Burnout.
And that uncomfortable in-between season where nothing is falling apart… but nothing feels settled either.

This episode is a deep exhale for anyone living in the messy middle.

Megs sits down with Candice Janae — therapist, coach, writer, and fellow human navigating real life — to talk about what happens when life shifts, routines stop working, and you’re trying to stay aligned without burning yourself out.

Together, they unpack how to:

• Adapt when life changes (again)
• Build systems that actually work for neurodivergent brains
• Let go of guilt, perfection, and “this should be easier by now”
• Communicate needs and share the load at home
• Choose rhythms and rituals over rigid routines

This conversation is grounding, honest, and full of “oh wow, that’s me” moments — especially if you’re juggling caregiving, creativity, and a career.

⏱️ Episode Breakdown (timestamps adjusted +39 seconds)

02:22 — What “The Messy Middle” Actually Means
03:46 — When Life Happens: Navigating Unexpected Changes
05:31 — Coping with the Unknown (without spiraling)
13:02 — Aligning Your Values with Your Real-Life Needs
19:19 — Creating Systems That Work For You (Not Against You)
24:47 — Letting Go, Grief, and Embracing Change
25:04 — Holiday Decorations, Traditions, and Letting Them Evolve
26:07 — Adapting to New Living Spaces
27:08 — Creative, Neurodivergent-Friendly Organizing Solutions
30:55 — Progress in the Messy Middle (Even When It’s Not Pretty)
37:13 — Why Rhythms & Rituals Beat Routines Every Time
42:54 — Sharing the Load: Communication & Balance with Partners

🌊 Guest Spotlight: Candice Janae

Candice is a private practice therapist by day and, in the online space, a burnout & balance coach for indie, self-employed, and freelance moms.

She works closely with chronically ill and neurodivergent moms who are trying to do all the things — without losing themselves in the process.

She’s also:

• An author of both fiction and nonfiction
• A water-lover (oceans, lakes, give her all of it)
• An introvert constantly navigating the push-pull between community and quiet

Candice brings a grounded, compassionate lens to burnout, balance, and identity — especially for moms who are exhausted from holding everything together.

✨ Connect with Candice

• Instagram / Threads: https://instagram.com/soul_cadence_coaching
  
  
• Substack: https://soulcadencecoachconnect.substack.com
  
  
• Website: https://soulcadencecoaching.services

Share your thoughts with Megs!

Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to Start

The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain

You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

The Power of Noticing: Transforming Your Reactions to Clutter and Life

In this episode, Megs—ADHD coach and professional organizer—dives into the practice of noticing as the true starting point for meaningful change. Before decluttering systems, routines, or productivity hacks can stick, we have to become aware of how we react.

Megs explores the most common nervous-system responses to clutter and overwhelm—fight, flight, freeze, and appease—and explains how noticing these patterns without judgment creates space for compassion, curiosity, and choice. Through personal reflections and real client examples, she shows how noticing reveals triggers, beliefs, and habits that often run quietly in the background.

Noticing can feel uncomfortable. It can bring grief, frustration, or resistance. But it’s also where growth begins. This episode invites you to stay curious, soften self-criticism, and understand that real transformation happens gradually—through awareness, not force.

Episode Breakdown

01:03 – Why noticing is the first step to lasting change
02:04 – Understanding patterns, triggers, and automatic reactions
02:29 – Real-life examples of noticing in everyday moments
05:00 – How judgment shuts down awareness (and what helps instead)
09:04 – Why noticing can feel uncomfortable—and why that’s normal
15:26 – Fight, flight, freeze, and appease responses explained
30:37 – Using curiosity to analyze reactions without shame

Share your thoughts with Megs!

Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to Start

The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain

You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com