Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_____

If you feel busy, stimulated, but still oddly unsatisfied, this episode will explain why.

ADHD isn’t a dopamine deficiency. It’s a regulation problem. Tracy breaks down what dopamine actually does in the ADHD brain and why chasing it through scrolling, shopping, sugar, urgency, or constant stimulation leaves so many women feeling flat or burned out. ADHD brains don’t have a broken gas tank. They have a sticky accelerator. The issue isn’t pleasure. It’s how often and how intensely we spike it.

Tracy explains dopamine spikes versus baseline, why wanting outpaces liking, and why novelty driven motivation fades so quickly for ADHD brains. Drawing on neuroscience research, she shows how constant stimulation lowers baseline motivation and turns productivity hacks, new planners, and

systems into part of the same dopamine loop. This has nothing to do with discipline or follow through. It’s biology.

The episode closes with practical ways to work with dopamine instead of fighting it, including dopamine pauses, time bound resets, replacement instead of restriction, and small doses of productive discomfort. Tracy explains why confidence comes from self trust and why environment design matters more than willpower. Dopamine isn’t the enemy. It’s fuel. Learning how to steer it changes everything.

Resources:

• Website: tracyotsuka.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796
• FREE 3-days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain training on Jan 6th: https://tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain
• Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_____

What if the most ADHD-friendly “plan” is simply following what lights you up?

In this episode, we’re talking with Clare Adams, a British-Canadian artist, poet, community builder, and humanity advocate who was diagnosed with ADHD at 50, after both of her kids were identified. Clare’s story is full of movement and reinvention: 24 moves, a career that spans law, healthcare, finance, airline operations, marketing, and fundraising, plus a strong pull toward creativity, connection, and service. She also shares how her diagnosis first brought grief and a fix-it mindset, and what helped her come back to self-trust.

We get into what changes when you stop treating ADHD like a trade-off and start seeing the “good and bad” inside the same trait, why supportive environments matter more than willpower, and why connection isn’t optional for long-term wellbeing. Clare also shares the real-world workarounds she relies on (including “racing the kettle”), the phrase that stops her perfection spiral, and the meaning behind “pretirement,” her choice to build a values-led life now instead of waiting for later. If you’ve ever felt pulled between who you are and who the world wants you to be, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.

Resources:

• Website: www.compassionartcreations.ca
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61565941119375/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/CompassionartCreations
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/compassionartcreations
• Website: www.fishslapbooks.ca

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_____

Wanting to be understood is completely normal. Especially for ADHD women. But there’s a moment where that need quietly shifts, and suddenly we’re not trying to connect anymore. We’re trying to survive.

In this episode, let’s talk about why feeling misunderstood doesn’t just feel uncomfortable. It can feel unsafe. When that happens, the nervous system takes over. The brain speeds up. We explain more. We repeat ourselves. Not because we’re trying to win an argument, but because our body is trying to prevent rejection. We explore how rejection sensitive dysphoria, a reactive amygdala, and years of being misread wire ADHD brains to overexplain as a form of self protection.

Let’s unpack why overexplaining is not a communication problem, it’s a nervous system response. We explore rejection sensitive dysphoria, the empathy gap, and why saying more often creates more distance, not more understanding. We also talk about the shift that changes everything: moving from chasing understanding to choosing safety, and how to protect your energy without shrinking, defending, or disappearing.

Resources:

• Website: tracyotsuka.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796
• FREE 3-days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain training on Jan 6th: https://tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain
• Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_____

New Year comes with a loud promise: new goals, new habits, new you. But real change does not come from flipping the calendar. It comes from changing the lens you look through, especially if your brain defaults to “I’m behind,” “I’m failing,” or “I should be better by now.”

In this episode, let’s break down the simplest framework that explains why you feel stuck: your thoughts create your feelings, your feelings drive your actions, and your actions create your results.

When an ADHD brain gets caught in rumination, catastrophizing, and “monkey mind” loops, it can feel like you are working on the problem when you are really just flooding your system with fear.

You will also learn practical ways to step out of that spiral, including mindfulness basics and the STOP skill (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) for regulating your nervous system in real time. Learn how to use intention, visualization, and positive emotion in a grounded way that actually supports ADHD brains, plus why the goal is not “never feel negative,” but learning how to guide your mind back to safety so you can move again.

Resources:

• Website: tracyotsuka.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796
• FREE 3-days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain training on Jan 6th: https://tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain
• Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_____

Every year, many of us feel pressure to set resolutions, overhaul our lives, or become a “new version” of ourselves. That approach rarely works for ADHD brains.

In this episode, let’s talk about a different way forward. Instead of adding more goals, habits, or systems, this episode explores the power of choosing one word to guide the year and why simplicity works so well for ADHD brains. Tracy walks through the science behind why a single, emotionally charged word is easier to remember, easier to act on, and more motivating than long to do lists or rigid plans.

The episode also shares the personal experiences that shaped Tracy’s word for 2026, including major family health events, big transitions, and the decision to let go of a long time family home. Along the way, she explains why ADHD brains do not thrive on more, how clutter and obligation quietly drain cognitive bandwidth, and why subtraction can actually bring clarity, creativity, and energy back online.

You’ll hear how subtracting is not about minimalism or doing less for the sake of it, but about making space for what actually matters. From simplifying systems and commitments to questioning beliefs that no longer fit, this episode offers a grounded way to think about growth that does not rely on pressure or perfection.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or ready to stop carrying what no longer fits, this episode is for you.

Resources:

• Website: tracyotsuka.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796
• FREE 3-days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain training on Jan 6th: tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain
• Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_____

Join Tracy as she breaks her women only guest rule by welcoming Dr. Edward Hallowell to Episode 106 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. If you know anything at all about ADHD you recognize Dr. Hallowell’s name as the leading authority in the field of ADHD. Dr. Hallowell is a board-certified child and adult psychiatrist, and a New York Times bestselling author. He, along with Dr. John Ratey wrote what Tracy considers to be the bible of ADHD, Driven to Distraction. Now retired from the faculty of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Hallowell has been featured on 20/20, 60 Minutes, Oprah, PBS, CNN, Today, Good Morning America, and in The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Time. He is a regular columnist for ADDitude magazine, and is also the host of his weekly podcast called Distraction. Dr. Hallowell is the founder of The Hallowell Centers in Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and Seattle. He lives in the Boston area with his wife and their three grown children.

Dr. Hallowell shares the circumstances surrounding his ADHD diagnosis, Why he and Dr. John Ratey decided to write their new book ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction. Who he wrote this book for, Why most medical professionals have ignored the strengths in ADHD for so long, His opinion on ADHD and intelligence, Exciting research around the task positive network and default mode network and how you can use them to benefit the ADHD brain, The ADHDers need to create and constantly improve their life, Why those of us with ADHD should never worry alone, Where he believes the field of ADHD research and treatment is going, Whether he believes that there’s a relationship between introversion/extroversion and ADHD types, Why ADHD women have not been part of ADHD studies.

Resources:
Website: drhallowell.com
ADHD 2.0 Book: https://drhallowell.com/read/books-by-ned
Amazon: ADHD 2.0: https://www.amazon.com/ADHD-2-0-Essen

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_____

What if the intensity you’ve chased in relationships wasn’t love, but dopamine?

Amanda McCracken is an award winning journalist, endurance athlete, and intimacy researcher who was diagnosed with ADHD at 36, long after she had built a successful career.

From the outside, her life looked accomplished and disciplined. Inside, she struggled with distraction, emotional intensity, anxiety, and a lifelong pattern of romantic fixation. In this episode, Amanda shares how ADHD showed up quietly in her life, from trichotillomania and overthinking to using extreme exercise as a form of self regulation, long before she had language for what was actually happening.

The conversation centers on limerence, a psychological state of intense romantic longing marked by obsession, idealization, and emotional highs and lows. Amanda explains how limerence thrives on uncertainty, making it especially powerful for ADHD brains that crave novelty and fast dopamine.

Tracy and Amanda explore how rejection sensitivity, perfectionism, and trauma can blur the line between desire and self worth, and why many women mistake intensity for connection. Amanda also shares how chasing emotionally unavailable partners became an organizing force in her life, and how that pattern kept her stuck in fantasy instead of intimacy. She also had to confront a deeper truth: real intimacy feels quieter than fantasy.

Today, Amanda is married to a securely attached partner and is the author of When Longing Becomes Your Lover, a deeply personal exploration of limerence, ADHD, and what it takes to receive love instead of chasing it.

Resources:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-mccracken-4716373
• Website: https://www.amandajmccracken.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.mccracken.39

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup

_____

Some ADHD stories come from authors, psychologists, and researchers. This one comes from a 23-year-old ER nurse who learned early that the brain she has is exactly the one she needs.

Nina Padilla spent ten years trying to get someone to take her ADHD symptoms seriously. From age thirteen through twenty-one, she told her pediatrician every year, “I think I have ADHD,” and every year she heard the same dismissal: good grades and good behavior meant she couldn’t possibly have it. It wasn't until her last semester of nursing school, during a three-day panic attack, that she finally found a therapist who listened. At 23, she was formally diagnosed with combined-type ADHD and started on Adderall.

Today Nina works in the pediatric emergency room at the same hospital where she fell in love with the chaos during her final clinical rotation. She calls herself an energizer bunny, moving so fast that a pediatrician once told her, "Nina, don't fix whatever's going on up there." That was the moment she realized her ADHD wasn't a disability. It was her superpower.

In this conversation, Tracy and Nina talk about growing up emotional and misunderstood, finding your people early, seeking rejection on purpose to heal rejection sensitivity, and why the ER is the perfect place for an ADHD brain that never gets bored.

For any listener in their twenties who feels unsure about the future, Nina offers the clarity so many of us need at that age: follow what interests you, work with the brain you have, and stop chasing a version of “productive” that does nothing but make you miserable.

Resources:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nina_izabella

Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message

If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift

Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next?

ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.

That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy

Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2

Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com