Organizing an ADHD Brain

Struggle with letting go of clutter, even when you know it's holding you back?
In this episode we break down what letting go actually looks like for the ADHD brain, not the Pinterest-perfect version, but the real, messy, emotional process. We walk through the real reasons ADHDers get stuck in decluttering cycles: overwhelm, emotional decision-making, all-or-nothing thinking, and the myth that the right bin will fix everything.
Learn how to make one decision at a time, build self-trust through small actions, and understand why it’s okay that letting go is uncomfortable. If you're ready to stop buying organizing products as a substitute for actually organizing, this episode is for you.
Mentioned in this episode:
What it actually takes to start letting go of clutter, even when you don't feel prepared
The emotional and executive-function process behind decision-making, decluttering, and organizing with ADHD
Practical mindset shifts for building self-trust, managing emotional discomfort, and creating systems that stick
Resources on ADHD and Executive Function:
(Freebie) Dopamine Menu: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/dopaminemenu
What Are ADHD Executive Functions?: https://www.additudemag.com/slideshow...
How to Improve Executive Function with ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-im...
Time Management Skills and Organization Help for ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/time-mana...
00:00 What We Think Letting Go Should Look Like
 04:47 Do I Have to Feel Like Letting Go?
 07:27 Is Organizing About Changing Your Environment?
 09:01 What Letting Go Actually Is and What It Looks Like
 12:16 Asking Yourself What Do I Want to Do?
 17:39 What Happens when You Let Things Go?
 24:59 Towels on the Floor Story
 28:06 It's Okay to Feel Uncomfortable
 30:17 Letting Go Is Different for Family Heirlooms
 34:42 Up Next Week
Website: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/
Blog: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/blog
Events: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/adhd-events

CONNECT
🔗 Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/megscrawford/
🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Organizing.an.adhd.brain
🔗 LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/MegsCrawford
🔗 Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/OrganizingAnADHDBrain/
#Decluttering #Organizing #ADHDcoach #ProfessionalOrganizer #SelfTrust #HomeOrganization #MentalHealth #Neurodivergent #ADHD #ADHDbrain
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

Do you actually know what you want out of life, or are you stuck in the "I'll figure it out someday" loop?
In this episode, we break down why so many ADHDers struggle to identify their goals, passions, and purpose and why that's not a personal failing, but it's actually an executive function and dopamine-driven challenge. We unpack the "hobby graveyard," the danger of using AI as a decision-making crutch, and why knowing what you don't want is just as valuable as knowing what you do.
Megs also shares her own journey breaking away from social media as a real-world case study in messy, non-linear progress.
If you're an adult with ADHD who feels behind, indecisive, or like everyone else got a "purpose manual" you never received, this episode will help you reframe what progress actually looks like.
Mentioned in this episode:
Why ADHD brains struggle to "just know" what they want
How the "hobby graveyard" keeps you stuck
What “progress” actually means
Megs' personal, honest story of quitting social media
How to ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/@HowtoADHD
Resources on ADHD and Executive Function:
(Freebie) Dopamine Menu: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/dopaminemenu
What Are ADHD Executive Functions?: https://www.additudemag.com/slideshow...
How to Improve Executive Function with ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-im...
Time Management Skills and Organization Help for ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/time-mana...
00:00 What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
 04:57 Having Big Dreams but Executive Function Gets in the Way
 07:35 How AI Doesn't Actually Help You
 08:51 How Do We Even Know if We Are Making Progress?
 13:41 Knowing What You Don't Want is Progress
 17:22 Journey to Breaking Away From Social Media
 22:18 What If We're Wrong about What We Want?
 26:02 Don't Lose Sight of Progress by Focussing on the End Result
 31:21 Conclusion
Website: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/
Blog: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/blog
Events: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/adhd-events

CONNECT
🔗 Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/megscrawford/
🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Organizing.an.adhd.brain
🔗 LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/MegsCrawford
🔗 Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/OrganizingAnADHDBrain/
#selfimprovement #hobbygraveyard #ADHDtips #executivedysfunction #ADHD #neurodivergent
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

Is it ADHD or is it trauma?
In this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, Megs sits down with licensed psychotherapist Deserae Kofoed aka “Des” to unpack the fascinating overlap between ADHD symptoms and trauma responses.
Des shares her own surprising journey of suspecting she had ADHD, getting a QEEG brain scan, and discovering the truth about what's actually happening in her nervous system.
Together, they break down the science of the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, explain what nervous system regulation really means, and dive deep into the difference between "big T" and "little T" trauma.
If you've ever wondered why you're so reactive, why emotional dysregulation shows up alongside ADHD, or how childhood experiences shape your adult coping skills, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and real tools for healing. This episode is essential listening for anyone navigating ADHD, trauma recovery, nervous system regulation, or perimenopause-related brain fog.
Mentioned in this episode:
How ADHD vs. trauma show up differently in the brain
An explanation of nervous system regulation
The difference between "big T" and "little T" trauma
Practical, real-life stories of co-regulating with children, breaking cycles of people-pleasing, and building new coping skills that last
Connect with Des:
🌐 Website: https://www.deseraekofoed.com
Resources on ADHD and Executive Function:
(Freebie) Dopamine Menu: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/dopaminemenu
What Are ADHD Executive Functions?: https://www.additudemag.com/slideshow...
How to Improve Executive Function with ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-im...
Time Management Skills and Organization Help for ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/time-mana...
00:00 She Thought She Had ADHD but she didn't!
 12:31 What is Nervous System Regulation?
 22:15 What is Trauma?
 24:47 Emotional Disregulation and ADHD
 30:13 Big T vs Little T Trauma
 33:29 How Older Generations Dealt with Trauma
 39:46 Healing Trauma
 44:49 Fire Alarm Story
 49:46 Coping Skills the Good and Bad
 56:39 The Magic of the Parasympathetic Nervous System
 58:42 Where to Connect with Des
Website: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/
Blog: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/blog
Events: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/adhd-events

CONNECT
🔗 Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/megscrawford/
🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Organizing.an.adhd.brain
🔗 LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/MegsCrawford
🔗 Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/OrganizingAnADHDBrain/
Editing done by Ian Gilliam at Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc
#ADHD #Trauma #NervousSystemRegulation #MentalHealth #Neurodivergent #Perimenopause #EmotionalRegulation #Psychotherapy #SelfRegulation
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

Welcome to Season 4 of Organizing an ADHD Brain!
In this kickoff episode, we talk about what it really means to work with your ADHD brain instead of against it with honest strategies from a working ADHD entrepreneur. We talk about daily rhythms, tools, and mindset shifts. Learn how self-compassion, body doubling, period tracking, and asking for help can transform your relationship with productivity and yourself.
If you've ever consumed all the ADHD advice in the world and still felt stuck implementing it, this episode is your permission slip to meet yourself where you are.
Mentioned in this episode:
Real daily/weekly rhythms, and tools to externalize your brain and stay accountable.
How to manage shame, burnout, and unrealistic expectations by giving yourself grace.
The connection between hormones, cycles, and ADHD symptoms
Different perspectives on what it means to work with your brain.
Resources on ADHD and Executive Function:
(Freebie) Dopamine Menu: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/dopaminemenu
Time Management Skills and Organization Help for ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/time-mana...

00:00 What Does it Mean to Work WITH Your Brain? 
07:47 There's Not Much Time in a Day 
09:22 Body Doubling Group 
12:00 Giving Yourself Grace for Not Getting Everything Done 
15:17 ADHD, Your Cycle, Shame, and The Unexpected 
20:21 Different Ways of Working with Your Brain 
22:12 The Reality of Being an ADHD Entrepreneur 
25:22 Where Can You Start and What’s Next?

Website: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/
Blog: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/blog
Events: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/adhd-events

CONNECT
🔗 Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/megscrawford/
🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Organizing.an.adhd.brain
🔗 LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/MegsCrawford
🔗 Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/OrganizingAnADHDBrain/

Editing done by Ian Gilliam at Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc

#ADHDProductivity #ADHDParenting #ADHDEntrepreneur #ADHD #Neurodivergent #ADHDBrain #ADHDCoach #Hyperfocus #ADHDPodcast #WorkWithYourBrain
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

A year ago I sold everything, organized my whole life into a 5x8 trailer, and moved across the country. There's no after picture to show you — and that's exactly the point.
In this Season 3 finale, Megs looks back on a year of navigating the messy middle: rebuilding a life in Massachusetts, decluttering an entire home in fight-or-flight mode, learning to interrupt hyperfocus before it turns into burnout, and letting go of the Pinterest-perfect kitchen for pink countertops that are exactly enough. If you've ever made a beautiful plan, watched it fall apart, and decided that meant something was wrong with you — this one's for you.
In this episode:
 • Why the "before and after" picture is a lie, and what growth with ADHD actually looks like
 • How to catch yourself in fight-or-flight (even mid-oven-scrub) and come back to the present
 • The "shallow holes" problem: what happens when dopamine picks all your projects — and the treasure you find when you keep digging one
 • Why half-assing it beats no-assing it, every time
Plans change — that's not failure, it's data. If you want to build a flexible fall plan that works with your ADHD brain, join me for the Plan Your Fall Before It Plans You workshop on August 30th: Sign up here
Season 4 launches in September — with episodes on YouTube and big community news coming. Follow the show so you don't miss it. 💛
Related episode: Half-Assing It with Russ from ADHD Big Brother 
02:09 Finding joy and learning to play with ADHD
05:24 When your plans fall apart (and why that's data)
08:21 ADHD fight or flight: regulating in real time
14:52 Hard days, self-belief, and why community matters
19:58 Getting out of debt with ADHD
21:52 Why there's no perfect "after picture"
25:13 Shallow holes, dopamine, and half-assing it
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