Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson

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Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson

Hyperfocus is a show that zeroes in on what fascinates us about ADHD, mental health, and learning. Big questions like, “Does ADHD make you more likely to have postpartum depression?” Little nitpicks (TikTok was wrong about something?!), and personal conversations with everyone from old bosses and hilarious comedians, to leading researchers. Because on this show, hyperfocus isn’t the distraction — it’s the assignment.

Episodes

  1. Neurodiversity initiatives: Branded lip service or real progress?

    6 DAYS AGO

    Neurodiversity initiatives: Branded lip service or real progress?

    At work, neurodivergent people face a bunch of different hurdles — stigma, burnout, firings, higher unemployment rates, and more.  In recent years, all kinds of businesses have begun various types of neurodiversity initiatives. On the surface, these initiatives are supposed to foster inclusion and make working better for everyone. But host Rae Jacobson wondered: Do these initiatives actually do anything, or are they just good marketing?  She put the question to Rachel Lowenstein, a brand consultant and content creator whose job involves working with business leaders to make workplaces more inclusive. Rachel explains how these efforts can create positive change and aren’t just neurowashing (think greenwashing, but for neurodiversity inclusion). And she also shares why these efforts are personal for her as a woman with autism.

    26 min
  2. “Hope is not a plan:” How to manage ADHD at work

    7 NOV

    “Hope is not a plan:” How to manage ADHD at work

    ADHD can create all kinds of challenges in the workplace. Like a list of infinite things to do and to remember. A busy, ever-changing schedule. And co-workers who don’t always know what’s going on in your mind.  There’s a lot to figure out. But recently, Rae Jacobson found herself wondering what it's like on the other side — to manage someone who’s neurodivergent and still figuring it out.  So, Rae called her former boss, Caroline Miller, the editorial director of the Child Mind Institute.  On this episode of “Hyperfocus,” Rae and Caroline go over this question and Caroline shares some advice on ADHD at work — for employees and managers alike.

    24 min

  3. 24 OCT

    Two lifelong friends, two very different ADHD stories

    Rae Jacobson has been friends with Katherine Martinelli since they were 6. In the classroom, they were polar opposites: Katherine, a star student; Rae, scrambling and struggling with then-undiagnosed ADHD and dyscalculia.  As they grew older, they both became mothers and professional writers and editors. Rae got diagnosed and found the support and systems that worked for her.  When, well into their 30s, Katherine called to say she'd been diagnosed with ADHD, Rae was shocked: “My queen of competence has ADHD?” On this episode of “Hyperfocus,” Rae digs into what made her and Katherine’s ADHD experiences so vastly different.

    21 min

  4. 10 OCT

    Did my ADHD make me more likely to have postpartum depression?

    After her daughter was born, Rae Jacobson was hit by a bout of severe postpartum depression. Back then, there wasn’t much out there about ADHD and women, let alone ADHD and postpartum mental health. Rae had heard that there was a link between ADHD and postpartum depression. But with a tiny baby to care for and a life to navigate, she had more pressing things to deal with.  But the question kept bugging her: Does ADHD make you more likely to have postpartum depression? This week on “Hyperfocus,” Rae finally gets some answers to questions she has had for years. Her guest is Dr. Catherine Birndorf, an expert on postpartum mood disorders and co-founder, CEO, and medical director of The Motherhood Center of New York.

    30 min

  5. 4 OCT

    Welcome to Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson

    “Hyperfocus” is a show that zeroes in on what fascinates us about ADHD, learning, and mental health. Join journalist Rae Jacobson as she tackles big questions like, “Why can’t I get my ADHD meds? Who exactly gets to define a diagnosis? And can ADHD make postpartum depression worse?” New episodes launch every other Thursday wherever you get your podcasts.

    2 min

Trailer

About

Hyperfocus is a show that zeroes in on what fascinates us about ADHD, mental health, and learning. Big questions like, “Does ADHD make you more likely to have postpartum depression?” Little nitpicks (TikTok was wrong about something?!), and personal conversations with everyone from old bosses and hilarious comedians, to leading researchers. Because on this show, hyperfocus isn’t the distraction — it’s the assignment.

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