What I Planned For and What Actually Happened

When did you last do something just for the fun of it, no purpose, no productivity, no plan?On this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, ADHD coach Megs explores what it really means to give yourself permission to play and why your ADHD brain might need it more than you think. 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 joy, mess, and micro practices that interrupt the go-go-go mindset and bring you back to the present.Megs opens with her daughter's observation that adults forget how to play and takes it seriously. Turning 40, watching her girls gleefully stomp through mud, and eventually joining them despite every instinct to stay clean became a turning point. From there she shares a series of playful experiments: ice skating, rollerblading, hopscotch on the school walk, a spontaneous lunch invitation, and using Command strips to try out home decor without the pressure of getting it perfect.She connects rigid internal rules, shaped by church culture, parenting pressures, and strict routines, to a deeper fear of making mistakes, and explores how treating life and work more like play helped her run a summer-planning event smoothly despite tech mishaps, stay present with her family, and slowly retrain her body to pause instead of push.The good news? Play doesn't have to be big or planned. It just has to be real and this episode gives you plenty of small places to start.Megs has been part of the Mindful as a Mother community and wanted to share something she thinks is worth knowing about. If you're a mom of a neurodivergent kid, their small group might be exactly what you've been looking for, a 4-week space led by neurodivergent child counselors who live this stuff too. Real talk about regulation, RSD, meltdowns, and burnout, in a small group where you can finally stop masking and get into what actually works.Learn more here: https://stan.store/Mindfulasamother/p/you-can-sit-with-us-Also check out the Mindful as a Mother podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-as-a-mother/id1546749518This episode is for anyone with ADHD who has been running on empty and is ready to remember what it feels like to just play.2:54 — Turning 40 and the Mud Lesson 5:45 — Micro Practices and Shifting the Go-Go-Go Mindset 7:24 — Family Skating and Making Play Happen 8:43 — Messy Social Play and the Lunch Invitation 11:12 — Rigid Rules, Church Culture, and Bedtime Battles 13:59 — Hopscotch on the School Walk 15:51 — Why Play Is Really Practice 18:03 — Home Decor Experiments Without Perfectionism 19:50 — Making Faster Decisions by Lowering the Stakes 21:16 — Running a Planning Event Like It's Play 24:45 — Interrupting the Go-Go-Go in Real Time Share your thoughts with Megs! Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

GUEST BIOBailey Pilant is a New York and Florida-licensed therapist, ADHD-CCSP certified, and the founder of The Wave Counseling, a practice specializing in neurodivergent affirming therapy for women navigating ADHD, anxiety, burnout, and life transitions. She brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work, helping women understand themselves more deeply and advocate for the support they actually need. Find her:Website: https://thewavecounseling.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewavecounseling TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewavecounselingSHOW NOTESHave you ever felt like your ADHD symptoms get dramatically worse at certain times of the month, and wondered if it was all in your head?On this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, ADHD coach Megs welcomes back therapist Bailey Pilant to break down the connection between ADHD, hormones, and women's health, including cycle tracking, perimenopause, and PMOS. 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 women's ADHD is so often missed, how your hormones are directly affecting your symptoms, and what you can start doing right now to track, plan, and advocate for yourself.Bailey explains how estrogen affects dopamine and why that means ADHD symptoms can shift dramatically across the menstrual cycle, worsen with age, and intensify during perimenopause. She walks through why women's ADHD is so frequently dismissed as personality traits rather than a neurological difference, the knowledge gaps that exist around diagnostic criteria and co-occurring conditions, and why girls often mask in ways that hide their symptoms entirely. They also dig into emotional overwhelm, what borderline hormone test results can mean, and why "normal" results don't always tell the full story.Bailey shares her own experience with PMOS (formerly PCOS), the value of at-home hormone tracking, and how using real data can help you plan supports, communicate your needs, reduce reactivity, and extend yourself genuine self-compassion, through what she calls "experiments" rather than expectations.The good news? Once you understand what your hormones are doing and when, you stop wondering if something is wrong with you and start working with your body instead of against it.Previously on Organizing an ADHD Brain — Bailey's earlier episodes: Cravings & Cognitive Chaos: Decoding the ADHD-Eating Disorder Connection for WomenCognitive Chaos: Interview with Bailey (Part 2)This episode is for any woman with ADHD who has ever felt like her symptoms were a moving target — and is ready to understand why.3:31 — Why women's ADHD is so often missed and dismissed as personality traits 8:18 — How ADHD presents differently in girls versus boys due to socialization and masking 14:18 — How estrogen affects dopamine and what that means for ADHD symptoms across your cycle 17:49 — When to test your hormones and what to look for 20:39 — When test results look "normal" but something still feels off 26:26 — Cycle tracking as a self-support tool, using data to plan and regulate 36:03 — Perfectionism, self-compassion, and reframing progress as experiments 44:03 — What PMOS means and Bailey's personal experience with her diagnosis 50:55 — How to work with Bailey and closing thoughtsShare your thoughts with Megs! Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

On this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, ADHD coach Megs breaks down the "deadheading" analogy, removing what's no longer living so your energy and resources can go toward what will actually thrive. 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 framework for making decluttering decisions that feel regulated, intentional, and aligned with where you're actually going, not where you've been.Megs shares the real story behind letting go of most of her family's belongings before their move from Colorado to Massachusetts. When she and Adam learned that moving pods could cost up to $16,000, they made a different call, sell, gift, donate, and occasionally discard. What followed was an unexpectedly emotional process of untangling identity, memory, and nervous system strain from the objects filling their home.She reflects on the time cost of selling, the weight of repeated decision-making, and how Dana K. White's decluttering questions helped her make choices that felt grounded rather than reactive. She shares memorable exchanges with buyers and neighbors, what they chose to keep (sentimental ornaments made the cut), and how renting furnished places freed them from the pressure of building a "perfect" space, and let them focus on what was actually next.The good news? You don't have to let go of everything. You just have to get clear on what you're growing toward, and deadheading gets a lot easier from there.This episode is for anyone with ADHD who is holding onto more than they need and is ready to make peace with letting go.Products mentioned in this episode: Colorful storage drawers with gold knobs: https://amzn.to/3Pxt9oY 3-tier rolling cart: https://amzn.to/3PgYDQmOrganizing an ADHD Brain is supported by its audience: when you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Share your thoughts with Megs! Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

What if the hardest part of a big life change isn't the logistics, it's everything that happens while you're in the middle of it?On this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, ADHD coach Megs walks through what it really looks like when a carefully made plan meets real life; grief, fear, and all. 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 the messy middle, not as failure, but as temporary data pointing you toward what matters most.Megs gets real about her fourth move of the year, relocating from Colorado to Massachusetts after selling their home in July 2025. She came prepared: early packing, labeled boxes, a full week off to settle in. Then the plan met life. What followed was a week of grief, anxiety, and move-related chaos that no amount of planning could have prevented.She explores why change is uncomfortable even when it's good, how clutter and unfinished logistics amplify emotional overwhelm for ADHD brains, and why regulation in those moments comes down to something simple, reminding yourself that you are safe. She shares the choice she kept making that week: putting down the unfinished tasks to be present with her kids, even when everything around her felt undone.The good news? The messy middle isn't a sign that something went wrong. It's information. And choosing presence over perfection, even once, even imperfectly, is always the right move.This episode is for anyone with ADHD who is navigating a season of change and needs permission to put down the to-do list and just be okay for a minute.TIME MARKERS 2:45 — How Megs planned the move: early packing, labeled boxes, a week to settle in 4:39 — When life hits: a friend's death, a community crisis, and Charlotte's hospital visit 7:22 — Finding home again in the middle of grief and chaos 10:23 — How clutter and unfinished logistics amplify ADHD overwhelm, and what regulation actually looks like 14:45 — Choosing presence over productivity, putting down the tasks to be with her kids 18:14 — Lessons from the week: what the messy middle was actually teaching her 22:17 — Permission to pause, why stopping is sometimes the most regulated choice Share your thoughts with Megs! Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

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/4w7Z14dThis 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: @adhdwithjennafreewebsite: ADHDwithJennafree.com1:25 — 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 togetherShare your thoughts with Megs! Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou 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=1000760213135Looking 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 HereThis 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 doable4:03 — 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 thoughtsShare your thoughts with Megs! Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou 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 focusTIME MARKERS1:09 — 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 StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou 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 MARKERS0:39 — 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 nextShare your thoughts with Megs! Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou 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 InstagramLinkedInIf 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 diagnosis4:30 Asking for accommodations7:12 Unmasking at work9:33 Showing up authentically online13:46 Rest without shame15:14 Social media and business17:58 Service vs. income20:55 Workplace coaching ROI22:20 The messy middle workbook23:35 Conference goals mindset27:20 Owning the messy middle29:40 Ask for support systems31:00 Slow down strategically33:37 Digital, mental, and physical order38:59 Rules and habit stacking at home42:30 Stop the 'should' timeline44:36 Where to find MeghanShare your thoughts with Megs! Would you like to learn more about hiring Megs as your ADHD coach? Start here> The Perfect Place to StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

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 StimulationWhether 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 StartThe Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD BrainYou can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com