Ever head into December feeling oddly confident, only for Christmas to immediately prove you wrong? One minute you’re convinced this is the year you’ll be organised, calm and festive. The next, you’re overstimulated, surrounded by half wrapped gifts, and wondering why everything feels so loud.

In this episode, I’m talking about what Christmas looks like when you have ADHD and anxiety in the mix. The sensory overload. The emotional whiplash. The way one “simple” task somehow turns into twelve separate ones. And why feeling behind in December isn’t a personal failure, it’s a completely predictable brain response.

✨ What I cover:

Why December hits ADHD brains harder than any other month

How sensory overload builds fast during Christmas

Why gift giving is never just one task

The dopamine spikes and crashes that make everything feel more intense

Why feeling behind is basically part of the festive package

Tiny survival strategies that actually help

Decision fatigue and how to reduce it

Why rest is regulation, not laziness

Letting go of the idea that Christmas is a performance

Normalising messy, chaotic, imperfect festive seasons

💬 Quotes to remember:

“Dopamine goes absolutely feral.”

“Christmas tasks are not one task.”

“Sensory stacking equals chaotic brain soup.”

“December is not a productivity test.”

“Resting is not quitting, it’s regulation.”

🧠 Takeaway: Christmas with ADHD and anxiety isn’t supposed to look calm, polished or effortless. It’s louder, messier and more emotional, and that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Once you understand what your brain is up against, the guilt eases and the season becomes a little more manageable. You don’t need to win Christmas. You just need to survive it kindly.

#ADHD #ADHDChristmas #Anxiety #Neurodivergent #ADHDPodcast #TheAnxiousADHDer #MentalHealth #ADHDLife

Ever feel like time just slips away from you without warning? One minute you’re replying to one email, the next the whole morning has vanished and you’re staring at the clock like it has personally betrayed you. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

In this episode, I’m talking about what ADHD time blindness actually feels like. The disappearing hours, the shock at the clock, the chaotic Tuesday that summed up my entire personality, and why none of this is about laziness. It’s wiring, not willpower.

✨ What I cover:

• What ADHD time blindness really is and why it isn’t poor time management • Why the brain doesn’t register time passing until it is too late • How one quick task spirals into a full morning • The Tuesday story that explains the entire ADHD timeline • The classic leaving the house scavenger hunt • Working memory and why time information deletes instantly • How dopamine impacts motivation, initiation and duration • Why urgency is the only thing loud enough to cut through • Time paralysis and why wanting to start isn’t enough • Tools that actually help: visible timers, start times, body doubling, playlists

💬 Quotes to remember:

"ADHD time blindness isn’t poor time management. It’s not about responsibility. It’s not about caring."

"My brain is like, we have been productive. The clock is like, it’s 8.45."

"Earlier isn’t a real place for ADHD people."

"Then begins the ADHD scavenger hunt."

"Energy yeah. Anxiety quite high. Intention missing, hope missing, will to live also missing."

"I leave the house looking like a woman who has been chased by wild dogs."

"I will check the time five times in one minute just to retain it for half a second."

"You know exactly what you need to do. You even want to do it. But the body just says no."

🧠 Takeaway: Time blindness isn’t a moral failure. It isn’t a lack of effort. It is a brain that does not track time the way other brains do. Once you understand that, the guilt softens. With the right tools and a bit of self-compassion, your days get easier and the pressure feels lighter.

#ADHD #TimeBlindness #Neurodivergent #ADHDPodcast #ExecutiveFunction #ADHDLife #MentalHealth

Ever feel like you’re really good at making friends but accidentally terrible at keeping up with them? One minute it’s instant connection, the next you’ve slipped into silence without meaning to. If that sounds familiar, you’re not the only one.

In this episode, I’m talking about what friendship looks like when you’ve got ADHD and anxiety in the mix. The fast bonding, the overthinking, the unintentional disappearing acts, and the kind of loyalty that stays even when your messages don’t.

✨ What I cover:

• How ADHD makes friendships feel easy and intense at the start
• How anxiety turns small moments into big worries
• The reality of typing a message and never pressing send
• Hyper-empathy and why it can be draining
• Parallel play as a calm, comfortable way to connect
• Friendship gaps and why they’re not personal failings
• Finding people who understand your rhythm
• Why connection doesn’t require perfect communication

💬 Quotes to remember:

'Think like detective board, red strings everywhere, me in the middle connecting the dots that probably do not need to be connected.'

'ADHD friendship energy is honestly unmatched.'

'You meet someone and your brain is like yes, this is my person, soulmate, done, we ride at dawn.'

'You overshare, you laugh, you message twenty voice notes, you plan a holiday, you’re ready to adopt a houseplant together.'

'Then your executive function evaporates in broad daylight.'

'You see their message, you feel the love, and you think I’ll reply… later. And later becomes never.'

'Typed the message. Laughed at it. Forgot to send it. Classic ADHD friendship behaviour.'

🧠 Takeaway: Friendships with ADHD and anxiety aren’t broken, they’re just a different rhythm. Once you understand how your brain works, the guilt softens and the connections feel easier. The right people won’t be thrown off by the gaps. They’ll know you always come back.

#ADHD #ADHDFriendship #Anxiety #Neurodivergent #ADHDPodcast #FriendshipEnergy #MentalHealth #ADHDLife