Organizing an ADHD Brain

Megs Crawford
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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

    How to Stop the ADHD Crash Cycle and Start Regulating with Jenna Free

    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/4w7Z14d This 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: @adhdwithjennafree website: ADHDwithJennafree.com 1:25 — 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 together 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

    57 min

  2. APR 22

    What Does Planning with ADHD Actually Look Like?

    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=1000760213135 Looking 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 Here This 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 doable 4:03 — 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 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

    39 min

  3. APR 15

    Adult Timeouts and Habit Stacks: A Real Talk on Self-Care with Stephanie Wall Morrow

    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 focus TIME MARKERS 1:09 — 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 Start The Community is OPEN! Join right here: Organizing an ADHD Brain You can also learn more about the community HERE> OrganizinganADHDBrain.com

    48 min

  4. APR 8

    Burn It All Down: The ADHD Brain's All-or-Nothing Trap

    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 MARKERS 0:39 — 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 next 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

    37 min

  5. APR 1

    ADHD at Work Doesn't Have to Mean Struggling in Silence with Meghan Brown-Enyia

    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 Instagram LinkedIn If 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 diagnosis 4:30 Asking for accommodations 7:12 Unmasking at work 9:33 Showing up authentically online 13:46 Rest without shame 15:14 Social media and business 17:58 Service vs. income 20:55 Workplace coaching ROI 22:20 The messy middle workbook 23:35 Conference goals mindset 27:20 Owning the messy middle 29:40 Ask for support systems 31:00 Slow down strategically 33:37 Digital, mental, and physical order 38:59 Rules and habit stacking at home 42:30 Stop the 'should' timeline 44:36 Where to find Meghan 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

    48 min

  6. MAR 25

    Why Is Change So Hard? (Even When You Want It)

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

    36 min

  7. MAR 18

    Two ADHD Brains, One Household: Kendall's Tools for Couples and Cloudy Days

    If you've ever struggled to explain a hard mental health moment to your child — or wondered how to hold your ADHD brain together as a parent — this episode is for you. Megs sits down with Kendall, mental health advocate and children's book author, to talk about something most of us never learned how to do: make our inner emotional world visible to the people who love us most. Kendall shares her journey from lifelong anxiety diagnosis to ADHD discovery, how postpartum depression cracked her open, and the "cloud" metaphor she created so her kids could understand mom's hard days without fear or confusion. 🎧 What We Talk About Understanding your own brain first — Kendall spent years being told she had anxiety before landing on an ADHD diagnosis that finally made sense. If your mental health story has kept shifting, you'll feel seen here. The cloud metaphor that changed everything — After PPD, Kendall needed a way to say "mom is struggling today" without clinical language or blame.  ADHD tools for couples — Kendall and her husband have different ADHD patterns. She shares "pause" check-ins, shared lists, and strategies that actually work when two executive-function-challenged brains are building a life together. Care kits for hard days — What goes in one? Simpler and more intentional than you'd expect. The book + pay-it-forward program — Kendall self-published Cloudy Day Chronicles to keep the family dialogue supportive rather than clinical, and now donates books through a pay-it-forward program and speaks with community organizations to connect parents to local mental health resources. About Kendall Kendall's greatest adventures began at home, as a mother. Her stories are inspired by the curiosity, humor, and boundless imagination of her children, who often help shape the characters and moments that appear on the page. Alongside her husband Matt and their dog Kiaora, she fills her days with laughter, exploration, and just the right amount of playful weirdness. When she's not creating stories, Kendall can usually be found where the wild things are. ⏱️ Jump To 01:12 — From mental health struggles to becoming an author02:07 — Postpartum depression and the birth of the cloud metaphor03:26 — Inside the Cloudy Day Chronicles book12:21 — ADHD tools for couples with different patterns18:46 — Building a care kit for cloudy days23:42 — How (and why) to ask for support out loud27:12 — Publishing choices and drawing the family line29:56 — Advocacy work and connecting parents to resources33:36 — Community impact and closing thoughts35:16 — Where to find the book 📚 Resources & Links Cloudy Day Chronicles — Author's Website/Buy The BookFollow Kendall — Substack/InstagramOrganizing an ADHD Brain is a podcast for humans with ADHD who are done with shame. 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

    38 min

  8. MAR 11

    Weight Loss, Sobriety, and Decluttering: The Messy Middle is the Point

    If you've ever started a weight loss journey, tried to declutter your home, or attempted to quit a habit — and felt like you were doing it "wrong" because it wasn't linear or easy — this episode is for you. As an ADHD coach for women, Megs Crawford digs into why quick fixes don't create lasting change, and why going through the "messy middle" is actually what builds sustainability, self-trust, and genuine self-understanding — especially for an ADHD brain. Using real stories from her own life, Megs shares her experience pursuing bariatric surgery and the required nutrition coaching, therapy, strict dietary changes, and body-image work that came with it; getting sober through a structured program, confronting depression and navigating triggers like ordering drinks in social settings, and maintaining sobriety for nearly four years; and decluttering her home through trial and error, selling items, lowering barriers, and discovering which organizing systems actually fit her ADHD patterns. She also connects these lessons to parenting a child through uncomfortable transitions, showing how the messy middle isn't just a personal growth concept — it's a life skill. If you're a woman with ADHD looking for an approach to organizing, sobriety, or weight loss that meets your brain where it is (instead of shaming you for not fitting a neurotypical mold), this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.   03:11 Cora And The Transition 04:17 The Quick Fix Trap 06:57 Weight Loss And Surgery 11:10 Body Image And Self Talk 13:07 Quitting Drinking For Good 16:15 Sober Struggles And Tools 19:05 Decluttering With ADHD 22:39 Trial And Error Systems 27:25 Fix It Mindset Shift 31:32 Small Steps Build Rome 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

    38 min
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4.8
out of 5
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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
    116
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Organizing an ADHD Brain
  • Show Website
    Organizing an ADHD Brain

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