Organizing an ADHD Brain

Does it ever feel like you're constantly running on empty, rushing, crashing, and starting the whole cycle over again?
On this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, ADHD coach Megs welcomes back therapist and author Jenna Free to talk about her book, The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation, and what it actually means to heal your nervous system instead of just managing it. Whether you're looking for ADHD coaching, a supportive ADHD community, or practical ways to get organized, this episode meets you where you are.
By the end, you'll understand why so many ADHD coping strategies keep you stuck, and what a different approach to regulation could make possible for your everyday life.
Jenna explains how many ADHDers live in chronic fight-or-flight, caught in frantic crash cycles that quietly make executive functioning and symptoms worse over time. Her approach isn't about more homework, better organization systems, or forcing your way through, it's about retraining your nervous system toward genuine balance. They dig into why rushing, rigid cleanliness, hustle culture, and constant news and social media scrolling can all function as attempts to soothe dysregulation rather than actually resolve it..
The good news? Regulation isn't about becoming a different person or achieving a perfect life. It's about building enough internal stability that you can stay okay — no matter what the messy middle throws at you.
Grab Jenna's book, The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation, on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4w7Z14d
This episode is for anyone with ADHD who is exhausted by the cycle of hacking and crashing and is ready to try something that goes a little deeper.
Jenna Free is a therapist, ADHD specialist, and the author of The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation, a practical, structured approach to retraining the nervous system for people who are tired of hacks and ready for something that actually sticks. Diagnosed with ADHD herself at 32, Jenna brings both lived experience and deep clinical expertise to her work helping ADHDers move out of chronic fight-or-flight and into a life that feels more balanced, more spacious, and a lot less frantic. 
instagram: @adhdwithjennafree
website: ADHDwithJennafree.com
1:25 — From coping and hacking to actually healing 
3:16 — The eureka moment behind her method 
9:35 — The "messy middle" 
15:34 — Control, perfectionism, and how they show up as dysregulation in disguise 
19:05 — The power of doing one thing at a time for an ADHD nervous system 
22:46 — What it actually means to be dysregulated 
25:09 — How Jenna's method differs 
29:35 — ADHD dysregulation vs. trauma dysregulation 
34:40 — How regulation creates space for ambition instead of replacing it 
39:11 — News, doomscrolling, and the beliefs quietly driving the habit 
44:22 — Choosing presence as a daily practice — what that looks like in real life 
47:56 — Kids, screens, and the underrated value of boredom 
54:07 — No shame, just curiosity — how to wrap it all together
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

Have you ever looked at a blank weekly planner and thought, I don't even know where to start?
On this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, ADHD coach Megs teaches how to make a plan that actually works for an ADHD brain, without needing it to be perfect. Whether you're looking for ADHD coaching, a supportive ADHD community, or practical ways to get organized, this episode meets you where you are.
By the end, you'll have a new way to think about planning, one that bends instead of breaks, and actually helps you feel more regulated instead of more overwhelmed.
Megs gets real about a hard day juggling two young kids and another move, then pushes back on the idea that ADHD brains just can't plan. Plans, rhythms, and routines can absolutely work, when they're simple, written down, and treated as flexible guides instead of rigid rules to fail at.
Using meal planning as her anchor example, she shares what she learned living temporarily on a mountain in Georgia (far from any grocery store), and how she eventually built a Sunday meal-planning habit in Massachusetts that reduced both overwhelm and overspending, even on the weeks it still fell apart. She walks through how to notice what isn't working, break goals into small steps, set intentions with reminders and support like body doubling, and build a "bare minimum" plan for your worst days so you stay regulated even when life gets chaotic.
The good news? A plan doesn't have to be beautiful or complete to work. It just has to exist, and this episode shows you exactly how to build one you'll actually use.
This episode connects to an earlier conversation about all-or-nothing thinking, if that resonates, check out the "Burn It All Down" episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/organizing-an-adhd-brain/id1728728980?i=1000760213135
Looking for more meal-planning and organizing support? Join Megs' Circle community, a space built for ADHD brains who want accountability and connection without the pressure. > Join Here
This episode is for anyone who has ever given up on planning because it felt too hard to do it perfectly, and is ready to try a different way.
Time Stamps:
2:03 — An Instagram video about ADHD planning sparks a reframe 
3:23 — Why plans fail: and why that's not the whole story 
4:26 — The Georgia meal planning story: planning on a mountain far from groceries 
7:46 — Building a Sunday meal-planning routine in Massachusetts 
11:26 — Keeping plans simple, written, and flexible 
13:25 — Beliefs, small wins, and what actually builds momentum 
17:04 — What a plan really is — and what it doesn't have to be 
18:25 — How to reverse-engineer a goal into something doable
4:03 — Setting intentions, reminders, and using body doubling for support 
29:27 — Expecting imperfection: treating plans like projects, not promises 
32:12 — Building a bare minimum plan for your hardest days 
35:52 — Community invite and closing thoughts
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

What if self-care isn't about bubble baths and spa days, but about planning, habit stacking, and finally feeling like you have your life together?
In this episode, Megs sits down with Stephanie Wall Murrow, founder of the Self-Care Circle, to talk about her late ADHD diagnosis at 37, how postpartum anxiety led her to finally get answers, and how she turned a career in audiology business development, yoga, and mindfulness into coaching that actually meets ADHD brains where they are.
Stephanie reframes what self-care really means; think meal prep, laying your clothes out the night before, scheduling rest on your calendar, and giving yourself an "adult timeout" before you burn out. She and Megs dig into habit stacking, morning routines, body doubling, and why tiny accessible steps beat big dramatic overhauls every single time.
If you've ever felt like self-care is one more thing you're failing at, this episode will change how you see it. Practical, warm, and full of real talk. This one is worth a listen.
Stephanie Wall Murrow is the founder of the Self-Care Circle and a coach who helps people recognize where mental overload is quietly getting in the way, not in obvious ways, but in the small moments that build up over time. After working with over 1,000 businesses and 9,000 individuals, she knows exactly how it feels to start one thing, switch to another, lose track of what mattered most, and end the day more drained than when it started. Her work blends mindfulness, accountability, and practical self-care tools to help you feel clear, focused, and more in control of how you move through your day. 
Find Stephanie at myselfcarecircle.com 
@myselfcarecircle on Instagram 
Free guide: ADHD-friendly clarity and focus
TIME MARKERS
1:09 — Stephanie shares how her ADHD journey began as a high-achieving, constantly tired student 
7:01 — Shifting from "what if" to "what now" — reframing the diagnosis as an explanation 
11:34 — Accountability tools, body doubling, and how she coaches clients with ADHD 
15:31 — Habit stacking and building morning routines that actually stick 
20:37 — Practical self-care: meal prep, laying clothes out, finances, and planning ahead 
25:58 — Why habits — not magic — are what create lasting change 
29:24 — Embracing the messy middle without shame 
30:41 — Habit stacking specifically for self-care routines 
31:43 — Putting self-care on the calendar like any other commitment 
32:38 — The "adult timeout" — what it is and why it works 
35:36 — Schedule it or burn out: making rest non-negotiable 
39:10 — Pick one tiny thing and start there 
43:50 — The curiosity-first approach and a five-star self-check-in 
44:41 — Modeling self-care for your kids 

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

Have you ever looked at a messy room and thought "forget it, I'll just burn it all down"? That's all-or-nothing thinking, and if you have ADHD, it's probably showing up in your laundry, your to-do list, and everywhere in between.
In this episode, Megs breaks down why all-or-nothing thinking isn't a character flaw, it's actually a flight response, your nervous system trying to protect you from overwhelm. She explains how it keeps us stuck through perfectionism, procrastination, hiding messes, and waiting for the "perfect moment" to start, and why that moment never comes.
The good news? You can build new brain muscles. Megs walks through tiny, doable steps; one dish, five minutes, touching the laundry once, that starts to rewire the pattern over time without requiring you to overhaul your entire life first.
She also shares personal examples, why community and support matter, and where to find help if you want to go deeper. If you're looking for an ADHD-informed therapist, check out  Neurodivergent Therapists,  Psychology Today, and  Zencare, all great places to find someone who gets it.
This one is practical, validating, and a great place to start if all-or-nothing thinking has been keeping you stuck.
TIME MARKERS
0:39 — Welcome and the "burn it all down" feeling — what all-or-nothing thinking actually looks like 
1:55 — What all-or-nothing thinking is and how it connects to your ADHD brain 
4:29 — Why this pattern keeps you stuck: overwhelm, perfectionism, and the impossible starting line 
8:11 — How to start noticing where all-or-nothing thinking shows up in your daily life 
11:14 — Starting small and building the brain muscle — why tiny actions actually work 
13:55 — Real five-minute win examples: dishes, laundry, work sessions, and more 
18:54 — Tiny steps in action: Megs shares personal examples from her own life 
22:21 — The "not enough until it's done" trap — and how to break out of it 
28:14 — Why community and being believed in makes a real difference 
31:57 — Therapy and helpful resources: Neurodivergent Therapists, Psychology Today, and Zencare 
33:31 — Do one thing today — your simple starting point 
34:55 — Closing thoughts and what's coming next
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

Meghan Brown-Enyia is an ADHD coach, social worker, and the founder of ADHD at Work. Diagnosed with ADHD later in life, she brings 15+ years of experience in HR, nonprofit leadership, and social work — plus her own lived experience — to help individuals and organizations better support neurodiverse employees. She specializes in executive function strategies, workplace accommodations, and helping people stop masking and start thriving. You can find her practical, solutions-focused content all over the internet and in your new favorite corner of the ADHD community.
adhdatwork.co
@adhdatwork on Instagram
LinkedIn
If you've ever felt like your ADHD brain doesn't belong in a professional environment — this episode is for you.

Megs sits down with her friend Meghan Brown-Enyia, ADHD coach and founder of ADHD at Work, to talk about what it really looks like to navigate a career with ADHD. From late diagnosis to masking at work, asking for accommodations, and finding your people in the ADHD community — this conversation goes deep and keeps it real.

Meghan shares her own journey of being diagnosed after years working in special education, and how she turned her MSW background and HR expertise into a coaching practice that supports both employees and the companies they work for. They also get into the "messy middle" — what it means to be a work in progress, embrace imperfection, and build a life that actually works for your brain.

Whether you're looking for an ADHD coach, trying to figure out how to ask for workplace accommodations, or just want to feel less alone in this — pull up a chair.

Topics covered: late ADHD diagnosis, ADHD in the workplace, ADHD coaching, executive function strategies, workplace accommodations, disclosure at work, psychological safety, masking, ADHD community, rest and burnout, organization systems, habit stacking.
1:24 Late ADHD diagnosis
4:30 Asking for accommodations
7:12 Unmasking at work
9:33 Showing up authentically online
13:46 Rest without shame
15:14 Social media and business
17:58 Service vs. income
20:55 Workplace coaching ROI
22:20 The messy middle workbook
23:35 Conference goals mindset
27:20 Owning the messy middle
29:40 Ask for support systems
31:00 Slow down strategically
33:37 Digital, mental, and physical order
38:59 Rules and habit stacking at home
42:30 Stop the 'should' timeline
44:36 Where to find Meghan
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