Organizing an ADHD Brain

Megs Crawford
  • 4.8 (73)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Organizing an ADHD Brain is the podcast for people who are tired of organizing advice that just doesn't stick. Host Megs Crawford — ADHD coach, professional organizer, and fellow ADHDer — goes beyond the bins and labels to explore the whole picture: how your nervous system, beliefs, and environment all work together to either support or sabotage your ability to function. Each episode offers permission-giving, judgment-free strategies rooted in how ADHD brains actually work — because real organization isn't about a perfect system. It's about building a life that works for you. With over 100,000 downloads and counting, this is the show where messy is welcome and progress beats perfect every time.

  1. 2d ago

    Figuring Out What Your ADHD Brain ACTUALLY Wants

    Do you actually know what you want out of life, or are you stuck in the "I'll figure it out someday" loop? In this episode, we break down why so many ADHDers struggle to identify their goals, passions, and purpose and why that's not a personal failing, but it's actually an executive function and dopamine-driven challenge. We unpack the "hobby graveyard," the danger of using AI as a decision-making crutch, and why knowing what you don't want is just as valuable as knowing what you do. Megs also shares her own journey breaking away from social media as a real-world case study in messy, non-linear progress. If you're an adult with ADHD who feels behind, indecisive, or like everyone else got a "purpose manual" you never received, this episode will help you reframe what progress actually looks like. Mentioned in this episode: Why ADHD brains struggle to "just know" what they wantHow the "hobby graveyard" keeps you stuckWhat “progress” actually meansMegs' personal, honest story of quitting social mediaHow to ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/@HowtoADHDResources on ADHD and Executive Function: (Freebie) Dopamine Menu: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/dopaminemenuWhat Are ADHD Executive Functions?: https://www.additudemag.com/slideshow...How to Improve Executive Function with ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-im...Time Management Skills and Organization Help for ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/time-mana...00:00 What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?  04:57 Having Big Dreams but Executive Function Gets in the Way  07:35 How AI Doesn't Actually Help You  08:51 How Do We Even Know if We Are Making Progress?  13:41 Knowing What You Don't Want is Progress  17:22 Journey to Breaking Away From Social Media  22:18 What If We're Wrong about What We Want?  26:02 Don't Lose Sight of Progress by Focussing on the End Result  31:21 Conclusion Website: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/ Blog: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/blog Events: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/adhd-events CONNECT 🔗 Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/megscrawford/ 🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Organizing.an.adhd.brain 🔗 LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/MegsCrawford 🔗 Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/OrganizingAnADHDBrain/ #selfimprovement #hobbygraveyard #ADHDtips #executivedysfunction #ADHD #neurodivergent 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

  2. Sep 9

    Do You Have ADHD or Trauma and How are They Related? | Deserae Kofoed

    Is it ADHD or is it trauma? In this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, Megs sits down with licensed psychotherapist Deserae Kofoed aka “Des” to unpack the fascinating overlap between ADHD symptoms and trauma responses. Des shares her own surprising journey of suspecting she had ADHD, getting a QEEG brain scan, and discovering the truth about what's actually happening in her nervous system. Together, they break down the science of the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, explain what nervous system regulation really means, and dive deep into the difference between "big T" and "little T" trauma. If you've ever wondered why you're so reactive, why emotional dysregulation shows up alongside ADHD, or how childhood experiences shape your adult coping skills, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and real tools for healing. This episode is essential listening for anyone navigating ADHD, trauma recovery, nervous system regulation, or perimenopause-related brain fog. Mentioned in this episode: How ADHD vs. trauma show up differently in the brainAn explanation of nervous system regulationThe difference between "big T" and "little T" traumaPractical, real-life stories of co-regulating with children, breaking cycles of people-pleasing, and building new coping skills that lastConnect with Des: 🌐 Website: https://www.deseraekofoed.com Resources on ADHD and Executive Function: (Freebie) Dopamine Menu: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/dopaminemenuWhat Are ADHD Executive Functions?: https://www.additudemag.com/slideshow...How to Improve Executive Function with ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-im...Time Management Skills and Organization Help for ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/time-mana...00:00 She Thought She Had ADHD but she didn't!  12:31 What is Nervous System Regulation?  22:15 What is Trauma?  24:47 Emotional Disregulation and ADHD  30:13 Big T vs Little T Trauma  33:29 How Older Generations Dealt with Trauma  39:46 Healing Trauma  44:49 Fire Alarm Story  49:46 Coping Skills the Good and Bad  56:39 The Magic of the Parasympathetic Nervous System  58:42 Where to Connect with Des Website: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/ Blog: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/blog Events: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/adhd-events CONNECT 🔗 Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/megscrawford/ 🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Organizing.an.adhd.brain 🔗 LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/MegsCrawford 🔗 Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/OrganizingAnADHDBrain/ Editing done by Ian Gilliam at Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc #ADHD #Trauma #NervousSystemRegulation #MentalHealth #Neurodivergent #Perimenopause #EmotionalRegulation #Psychotherapy #SelfRegulation 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

  3. Sep 3

    What Does it ACTUALLY Look Like to Work with Your ADHD Brain?

    Welcome to Season 4 of Organizing an ADHD Brain! In this kickoff episode, we talk about what it really means to work with your ADHD brain instead of against it with honest strategies from a working ADHD entrepreneur. We talk about daily rhythms, tools, and mindset shifts. Learn how self-compassion, body doubling, period tracking, and asking for help can transform your relationship with productivity and yourself. If you've ever consumed all the ADHD advice in the world and still felt stuck implementing it, this episode is your permission slip to meet yourself where you are. Mentioned in this episode: Real daily/weekly rhythms, and tools to externalize your brain and stay accountable.How to manage shame, burnout, and unrealistic expectations by giving yourself grace.The connection between hormones, cycles, and ADHD symptomsDifferent perspectives on what it means to work with your brain.Resources on ADHD and Executive Function: (Freebie) Dopamine Menu: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/dopaminemenuTime Management Skills and Organization Help for ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/time-mana... 00:00 What Does it Mean to Work WITH Your Brain?  07:47 There's Not Much Time in a Day  09:22 Body Doubling Group  12:00 Giving Yourself Grace for Not Getting Everything Done  15:17 ADHD, Your Cycle, Shame, and The Unexpected  20:21 Different Ways of Working with Your Brain  22:12 The Reality of Being an ADHD Entrepreneur  25:22 Where Can You Start and What’s Next? Website: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/ Blog: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/blog Events: https://www.organizinganadhdbrain.com/adhd-events CONNECT 🔗 Instagram:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/megscrawford/ 🔗 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Organizing.an.adhd.brain 🔗 LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/MegsCrawford 🔗 Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/OrganizingAnADHDBrain/ Editing done by Ian Gilliam at Sabr Media LLC: https://www.iangilliam.com/sabr-media-llc #ADHDProductivity #ADHDParenting #ADHDEntrepreneur #ADHD #Neurodivergent #ADHDBrain #ADHDCoach #Hyperfocus #ADHDPodcast #WorkWithYourBrain 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

  4. Aug 7

    There's No After Picture: A Year in the Messy Middle (Season 3 Finale)

    A year ago I sold everything, organized my whole life into a 5x8 trailer, and moved across the country. There's no after picture to show you — and that's exactly the point. In this Season 3 finale, Megs looks back on a year of navigating the messy middle: rebuilding a life in Massachusetts, decluttering an entire home in fight-or-flight mode, learning to interrupt hyperfocus before it turns into burnout, and letting go of the Pinterest-perfect kitchen for pink countertops that are exactly enough. If you've ever made a beautiful plan, watched it fall apart, and decided that meant something was wrong with you — this one's for you. In this episode:  • Why the "before and after" picture is a lie, and what growth with ADHD actually looks like  • How to catch yourself in fight-or-flight (even mid-oven-scrub) and come back to the present  • The "shallow holes" problem: what happens when dopamine picks all your projects — and the treasure you find when you keep digging one  • Why half-assing it beats no-assing it, every time Plans change — that's not failure, it's data. If you want to build a flexible fall plan that works with your ADHD brain, join me for the Plan Your Fall Before It Plans You workshop on August 30th: Sign up here Season 4 launches in September — with episodes on YouTube and big community news coming. Follow the show so you don't miss it. 💛 Related episode: Half-Assing It with Russ from ADHD Big Brother  02:09 Finding joy and learning to play with ADHD 05:24 When your plans fall apart (and why that's data) 08:21 ADHD fight or flight: regulating in real time 14:52 Hard days, self-belief, and why community matters 19:58 Getting out of debt with ADHD 21:52 Why there's no perfect "after picture" 25:13 Shallow holes, dopamine, and half-assing it 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

  5. Jun 26

    5 ADHD Organizing Tips From 2024: What Still Works, What I'd Change, and What I Got Dead Wrong

    What if getting organized isn't something you finally achieve, but something you keep deciding, one small step at a time? On this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, ADHD coach Megs revisits one of her earliest organizing episodes with fresh eyes, more ADHD knowledge, and a lot more compassion for how hard it actually is to start. 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 realistic, shame-free framework for decluttering and building routines that actually work with your ADHD brain, not against it. Megs opens by reflecting on how her thinking has shifted since recording this episode two years ago, particularly around not prescribing one-size-fits-all habits (she's officially retiring the 5 a.m. wake-up recommendation) and understanding organizing as a collaborative, regulated process rather than a checklist to complete. She shares her own history of growing up surrounded by generational clutter, her Facebook Marketplace decluttering phase, and what she learned from the book Decluttering at the Speed of Life, that not everything needs to be sold, and donating is often the more regulated, sustainable choice. The episode covers why executive function challenges make starting and stopping so hard, why having less stuff means fewer decisions, and how tiny time-boxed steps, paired with reminders, habit stacking, a dedicated donation box, and focused "blinders", are what actually move the needle over time. She also talks through teaching kids organizing systems, what happens when everything feels equally important, and why action will always beat knowledge when it comes to getting your space under control. The good news? You don't have to overhaul your whole home. You just have to start somewhere small, and then praise yourself for doing it, without shame. Mentioned in this episode:  Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White: https://amzn.to/43XyQAh Resources on ADHD and Executive Function:  What Are ADHD Executive Functions?: https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/what-are-adhd-executive-functions/  How to Improve Executive Function with ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-improve-executive-function-adhd/  Time Management Skills and Organization Help for ADHD: https://www.additudemag.com/time-management-skills-organization-help-adhd/ This episode is for anyone with ADHD who has tried to get organized, given up, and is ready to try again, this time with a plan that actually fits their brain. 00:00:39 — Revisiting Old Advice with Fresh Eyes and More ADHD Knowledge  00:13:03 — 2026 Megs: Selling Versus Donating perspective 00:15:19 — 2026 Megs: Lessons Learned from Her Parents' Decluttering Journey  00:20:57 — The Craft Closet Reality Check  00:22:46 — 2026 Megs: Teaching Kids How to Use Organizing Systems  00:25:54 — 2026 Megs: When Everything Feels Equally Important  00:35:01 — Starting Small with Time-Boxed Organizing Sessions  00:37:59 — 2026 Megs: Using Reminders and Habit Stacking to Build Consistency  00:45:40 — Why Having Less Stuff Creates More Ease  00:48:41 — Praising Your Progress Without Shame  00:50:59 — 2026 Megs: The Messy Middle 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

  6. Jun 17

    From Misunderstanding to Pride: One ADHD Coach's Career and Identity Journey

    Have you ever achieved something you were "supposed" to want, and still felt like something was quietly off? On this episode of Organizing an ADHD Brain, ADHD coach Megs reconnects with Lauren Goldberg to talk about internalized ableism, disability pride, career transitions, and what it really means to work with your ADHD brain instead of against 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 have a new lens for understanding the shame many of us carry around disability and neurodivergence, and what it looks like to slowly, imperfectly trade that shame in for pride. Lauren was diagnosed with ADHD at age eight, but it wasn't until an ADHD reassessment for college that she learned she also had hearing loss. She shares what it felt like to hide her hearing aids, why she initially resisted identifying as disabled, and the milestones that shifted things, ASL classes, learning about Deaf culture, and eventually decorating her hearing aids as a public act of pride. She also opens up about navigating the space between hearing and Deaf communities, and the ongoing messy middle of considering cochlear implants as her hearing continues to change. On the career side, Lauren talks about how repeated industry shifts and COVID-era unemployment pushed her toward entrepreneurship and why she moved away from digital products to focus on deep one-on-one coaching for neurodivergent clients. She and Megs dig into internalized ableism, toxic professionalism, and what self-advocacy actually looks like in practice when you've spent years masking and shrinking yourself to fit in. The good news? The messy middle of identity isn't a problem to solve. It's where the real work and the real growth actually happen. This episode is for anyone with ADHD who has ever felt shame around who they are and is ready to start seeing themselves differently. Lauren Goldberg is a Career Self-Discovery and Leadership Coach who specializes in helping neurodivergent changemakers move from self-doubt to self-trust, in their careers and beyond. Diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, and hearing loss, Lauren brings lived experience and deep compassion to her coaching, helping clients unlearn toxic professionalism, advocate for their needs, and build careers that actually fit them. She describes herself as a disco ball, reflecting your light back at you so you can enjoy it and shine it on the world. Website: https://www.laurengoldbergcoaching.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurengoldbergcoaching  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

  7. Jun 10

    Mud, Hopscotch, and Micro Practices: Reclaiming Joy with ADHD

    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/id1546749518 This 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 Start The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

  8. Jun 3

    ADHD and Hormones: Why Women's Symptoms Are a Moving Target with Bailey Pilant

    GUEST BIO Bailey 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/@thewavecounseling SHOW NOTES Have 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 Women Cognitive 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 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

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4.8
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About

Organizing an ADHD Brain is the podcast for people who are tired of organizing advice that just doesn't stick. Host Megs Crawford — ADHD coach, professional organizer, and fellow ADHDer — goes beyond the bins and labels to explore the whole picture: how your nervous system, beliefs, and environment all work together to either support or sabotage your ability to function. Each episode offers permission-giving, judgment-free strategies rooted in how ADHD brains actually work — because real organization isn't about a perfect system. It's about building a life that works for you. With over 100,000 downloads and counting, this is the show where messy is welcome and progress beats perfect every time.

Information

  • Creator
    Megs Crawford
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Organizing an ADHD Brain
  • Show Website
    Organizing an ADHD Brain

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