Normally (and ironically) there’s nothing that makes me fall asleep faster than talking about proper sleep hygiene. However, the more I learn about sleep’s impact on our overall health and our ADHD symptoms specifically, the more I realize how crucial it is for ADHDers to make good sleep a priority. Most of us know what we should be doing to get better sleep--keeping a consistent sleep schedule, no naps during the day, no technology at least an hour before bed--but actually putting these habits into action is easier said than done, especially when our ADHD is fighting us every step of the way.  In this episode I cover not only the latest research behind why sleep is so important to our functioning and learning, but I also provide some concrete sleep strategies that are geared toward the ADHD brain, such as connecting positive emotion with getting into bed on time. Like all things ADHD, once we know why we’re struggling with these habits we can start to find workarounds and implement sustainable systems that allow us to be successful.

ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

EP. 148: ADHD and Sleep: Beyond the Boring Strategies 

My guest this week, Juliana Hock, gives a whole new meaning to the word ‘resilient’. Seriously, this woman does not give up on herself; Juliana recently fulfilled her dream of becoming a realtor after 12 attempts at the Real Estate exam. Her difficulty with written tests is something I know many ADHDers can relate to, but where many people would have given up Juliana pushed through, knowing that once she overcame the hurdle of passing that exam she would thrive in the job itself.    Juliana credits her resilience to a strong support system, a passion for everything she does, and a positive mindset, among many others. She wakes up every morning saying, “this is going to be the best day ever!” and then goes forward to make it so. My conversation with Juliana is a great reminder that prioritizing fun, passion, and self-determination is so important to living a fulfilling life.   Resources: Instagram: @Juliana.Evolves Email: julianamhock@gmail.com David & Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell

EP. 147: ADHD and Resilience with Juliana Hock

In our last episode we discovered why our ADHD brains struggle with time so much. Understanding this ‘why’ provides us with a foundation for building long-lasting time management skills, so make sure to listen to Episode #145 first if you haven’t already!  Now that we have our ‘why,’ the next step is to figure out how to develop a more effective and less stressful relationship with time. In this episode I’ll give you some concrete strategies to help you work with your brain’s natural flow rather than struggling against it. When we learn how to pause, check in with our bodies, stare down our discomfort, create a plan based on history, and celebrate our accomplishments, we can stop waiting for the perfect time to feel inspired and instead we can start creating it ourselves.

EP. 146: Simple Strategies For Being on Time and Planning Better

What is it about our ADHD brains that causes so much difficulty with time and what can we do about it? Executive function plays a role, but like most of our ADHD challenges there are also other factors that, when combined, can make time awareness feel downright impossible. In this episode I’ll take you through the contributors to time blindness, such as emotional regulation and working memory, because the more we understand why we do what we do the more successfully we can tackle the problem.    Then, next week I’ll talk about what we can do to improve our relationship with time and share some of the strategies that have really worked for me. I still haven’t mastered time, but I have gotten so much better at it the more I learn how my brain works. I hope I can do the same for you. 

Ep. 145: Why is Time So Difficult For Our ADHD Brains?

Why is it that a single negative comment can ruin my entire day, even amongst a sea of otherwise positive feedback? Our ability to hyperfocus is one of our greatest ADHD strengths, but if that hyperfocus gets ahold of a negative thought it can send us into a spiral of shame and self-doubt that feels impossible to break out of. In this episode, I’ll give you 7 unusual, research-based strategies to help you tune into your body, get out of your head, and calm your nervous system when you find yourself ruminating on thoughts that don’t serve you.    Resources: ​​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6715326/ https://www.amazon.com/Octorox-Spiky-Massage-Balls-Shoulder/dp/B0759KK3HS/ref=sr_1_10?crid=24LXTWCKR1LTL&dchild=1&keywords=spiky+massage+balls+for+feet&qid=1630383559&sprefix=spiky+mass%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-10 https://www.healthline.com/health/cryotherapy-benefits https://integrisok.com/resources/on-your-health/2019/february/what-is-cryotherapy https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-coping-technique-for-anxiety.aspx https://anxietycontrolcenter.com/stop-negative-thoughts-using-rubber-band-snap/  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21645566/ https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B0084DD2XM/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Center+Shock&qid=1629392022&sr=8-6 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21645566/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158435/ https://www.thehealthy.com/aging/mind-memory/benefits-of-chewing-gum/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N8KR2NS/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

EP. 144: 7 New Ways to Biohack Your ADHD Brain and Stop Rumination NOW

My son Markus has always been incredibly introspective and self-aware, so when, even after receiving ADHD accommodations and visual processing intervention he felt there was still something else going on, I believed him. Markus suspected that dyslexia was the underlying cause of his inconsistent gaps in learning, yet whenever he was evaluated in the past these gaps were overlooked or attributed to his ADHD. Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia are very common comorbidities with ADHD, so why weren’t these evaluators ever digging deeper?    Enter the incredible Laurie Peterson, a brilliant Educational Diagnostician who you may recognize from Episode 61 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women, and my guest this episode. Laurie evaluated Markus a third time, and to his relief, his suspicions were confirmed--it was dyslexia all along. Having the complete picture of his brain finally allowed Markus to advocate for his needs, which is exactly why Laurie does the work she does. Join me for another wonderful conversation with Laurie as she provides an overview of the different learning disabilities that can co-occur with ADHD, explains why whole-picture interventions are so important, and dispels some common myths surrounding learning disabilities.    Resources:  Website: ediagnosticlearning.com Apps mentioned: Snap Type; Mod Math

EP. 143: It's Usually Not Just ADHD With Educational Diagnostician, Laurie Peterson

‘Intuitive eating’ is a term we hear more and more these days, but in a culture where restrictive diets are king, the concept of listening to your own body may seem foreign and even “woo woo.” My guest this week, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Becca King, admits that she also thought intuitive eating was pretty “woo woo” when she first heard about it, but after closer examination, she discovered that intuitive eating wasn’t too out there at all. In fact, it was quite the opposite: intuitive eating helped Becca heal her relationship with food and her own body and started her on a path to help others, specifically those with ADHD, heal those relationships too.   Whether you’re curious to learn more or you still need some convincing, in this week’s episode, Becca will teach you the basics about intuitive eating and provide you some helpful eating tips for the ADHD brain. Resources: Instagram: @adhd.nutritionist Website: adhdnutritionistllc.com

EP. 142: ADHD, Nutrition and Intuitive Eating with Becca King

When licensed professional therapist, author, and speaker KC Davis first began a self and home-care TikTok account, she didn’t intend to make ADHD content. In fact, she didn’t even know she had ADHD at the time, she just knew her unique brain required equally unique systems in order for her to stay on top of home care tasks. When KC’s content inevitably ended up on the ADHD side of TikTok, her number of followers exploded. So many people with ADHD were relating to her content and finding success with her systems that, after receiving yet another comment asking if KC had ADHD herself, she decided to get an evaluation, and soon it was confirmed that she does indeed have ADHD.   Since receiving her diagnosis KC’s content has expanded to include creative ADHD-specific systems and solutions for care tasks, but the underlying message in her work has always remained the same: “Care tasks are morally neutral. They have nothing to do with being a good or bad person, with failing or succeeding in life.” Join me this week as the insightful and hilarious KC Davis explains why thinking of care tasks as ‘morally neutral’ is so important for our mental health, teaches us her ‘condiments in the produce drawer’ ADHD fridge hack that everyone is talking about, and gives us the tools to implement a no-fold laundry system that saved her sanity.    Resources Instagram: @strugglecare TikTok: @domesticblisters Website: Strugglecare.com Book: How to Keep House While Drowning

EP. 141: Laundry, House Cleaning, and an ADHD-Friendly Refrigerator with Struggle Care’s KC Davis

This week I break my cardinal rule of only interviewing women with ADHD on the podcast, which should tell you just how strongly I believe in author and marriage consultant Melissa Orlov’s work. Melissa may not have ADHD herself, but her daughter does, which is exactly what prompts Melissa to learn as much about ADHD as she possibly can. She dove deep into the research, even working alongside renowned ADHD expert, Dr. Edward Hallowell, one of my only other guest to break the podcast rule (go back to Episode 106 to listen to his insightful interview).    All of Melissa’s research led her to the surprising realization that her own husband had ADHD as well. Hello, rabbit ---> bunny! Suddenly, all of the disagreements that they’d been having for years around their relationship suddenly made sense. With this realization came a new level of compassion and understanding for each other.  Together Melissa and her husband were finally able to find solutions and create systems that worked for both of them.   Since this marriage-saving discovery, Melissa has been researching and writing about how ADHD impacts relationships and marriage with the goal of providing others with the roadmap she and her husband wish they’d had sooner. Whether you’re in a relationship with a neurotypical or another ADHDer, Melissa has some helpful tips and insights that may just end that argument about emptying the dishwasher for good.    Resources: Melissa’s website: adhdmarriage.com Her couples’ seminar: The ADHD Effect In-Depth Her book: The ADHD Effect on Marriage: Understand and Rebuild Your Relationship in Six Steps

EP. 140: ADHD and Relationships With Melissa Orlov

When Covid hit the U.S. in 2020 and hair salons all across the country shut down, more and more people started taking the scissors into their own hands, often with disastrous results. While the rest of us were laughing at quarantine haircut memes (or creating our own), Jayne Matthews was brainstorming a solution: What if she could teach people how to cut their own hair using the same technique she used on clients at her salon? Now less than two years later Jayne teaches people all around the world how to give themselves stylish haircuts in a way that’s intuitive and easy to follow. This ability to problem-solve in the face of seemingly unsolvable problems is a skill Jayne attributes to her ADHD and is one she believes is the key to her success.  Join me this week as educator and trendsetting hairstylist Jayne Matthews and I discuss the importance of blazing new paths rather than trying to fit in, how to be okay with not being great at everything, and some favorite ADHD workarounds.   Resources: Website: Jaynematthews.com Instagram: @jayne_edosalon

EP. 139: ADHD, Authenticity and Not Fitting In with Trendsetting Hairstylist and Educator Jayne Matthews

This week I’m sitting down with ADHD expert, author and coach René Brooks to talk about Vertical Heterophoria -- a little-known eye condition that, when René stumbled upon the diagnosis by happenstance, changed everything for her. While René is grateful that she was able to find relief from a lifetime of headaches and neck pain, she’s frustrated by how close she came to missing such an important diagnosis and believes the medical community still has a long way to go in understanding and treating ADHD comorbidities. “It’s right there, it’s not hidden, people just don’t put it together. People are so mired down in the research about ADHD that it’s difficult for them to understand how these things apply to real-life scenarios.”    Vertical Heterophoria and the connection to ADHD is so unknown that I myself had never heard of it, but by the end of the episode, René helps me to realize that this just might be the missing piece in my own son’s unresolved vision struggles. This realization is a great reminder of why these conversations are so important to have, and for that reason and many more I’m so excited to bring you this episode with the brilliant René Brooks.  Resources Instagram: @blackgirllostkeys Twitter: @Blkgirllostkeys Blog: Black Girl Lost Keys  Vertical Heterophoria: The Unknown ADHD Related Eye Condition  (scroll to the bottom of the blog post for a link to the online test for Vertical Heterophoria)   

EP. 138: ADHD and Vertical Heterophoria with ADHD expert and author René Brooks

Tracy shares: Why forcing ourselves to do mundane tasks doesn’t work The real question to ask ourselves that helps us get things done Why do our ADHD brains struggle to get through boring, predictable, mundane tasks What three things must an ADHD strategy employ for us to successfully get a boring, predictable task done? What generates positive emotion? Why deadlines don’t work over time? How light and easy can work every time!   Resources: Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' Easy

EP. 137: How to Get That Thing That You REALLY Don't Want to Do, Done!

Join Tracy as she welcomes Miriam Schulman to Ep. 136 of her podcast ADHD for Smart Ass Women. So for all these reasons, I am delighted to introduce you to Miriam Schulman, artist and founder of The Inspiration Place. Through her online classes, business coaching programs, and popular podcast, she’s helped thousands of artists around the world develop their skill sets and sell more art. Miriam is a graduate of Dartmouth College and M.I.T. who has been featured in major publications including Forbes, The New York Times, Art of Man, Professional Artist magazine, and Art Journaling magazine. Her artwork has also been featured on NBC’s “Parenthood” and the Amazon series “Hunters” with Al Pacino. Her forthcoming book with HarperCollins Leadership on how to make it as an artist is scheduled to be released in October 2022.    Miriam shares:  Her and her family’s experience with ADHD Her challenging first year in college Why originality is so important to her Her observations on the link between creativity and ADHD What it means to be a lifelong learner Why she started The Inspiration Place The difference between selling art online or in person The ADHD traits that she regularly sees in artists What artists tend to struggle with The importance of practicing your creative The ADHD traits that she feels are responsible for her success? The key to living successfully with ADHD is? Her number one ADHD workaround?    Resources: https://www.schulmanart.com/The Inspiration Place Podcast, Artists and ADD: Creatively Distracted, with Tracy Otsuka  

EP. 136: ADHD and Creativity with Artist and Online Entrepreneur, Miriam Schulman

This week Tracy welcomes Grace L’Orange to episode #135 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Grace is a school psychologist, behavior specialist, and suicide prevention coordinator working in public education with a B.S. in Psychology and an advanced Education Specialist degree in School Psychology. Grace is passionate about equity, inclusion, and advocacy for all students, especially those with disabilities and other differences. In addition to her direct work with students, she collaborates with and educates other adults to better understand and address the specific impacts these differences have on daily life.   Grace recently implemented systemic changes in her district by developing updated policies and procedures for special education and suicide prevention/intervention focusing on equity and best practice. She serves as Director-At-Large on the board for her state school psychologist association. She also collaborates with the broader community through the Suicide Prevention Coalition in her county. Initially drawn to school psychology due to the school struggles of her brother with ADHD, little did Grace know that she would be diagnosed much later at the age of 32. Since then, Grace has been integrating this new ADHD facet of her life in the context of being an educator working with students with disabilities and behavior challenges.   In this episode Grace shares:  The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis What has changed since she was diagnosed  How learning about her ADHD shifted her understanding of how ADHD presents in girls and helped her better notice symptoms that are often overlooked in female students Information surrounding the alarming number of ADHD women who have attempted suicide and the societal factors that may contribute to these high rates Signs of suicidal ideation to look out for and ways you can responsibly help someone who may be at risk (resources listed down below) How she uses audio journaling to move past perfectionism, externalize her thoughts in order to process them, and speak more kindly to herself  Her key to living successfully with ADHD   Resources:    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255 https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-someone-else/ Mental Health Crisis Response Program: 1-888-989-9990 (for parents of children through age 17) Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386 (for LGBTQ youth) Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR) online training for anyone: https://qprinstitute.com/ Hopesquad Prevention: https://hopesquad.com/prevention/ A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden, MS and Michelle Frank, PsyD (book mentioned)

EP. 135: ADHD, Suicide Prevention and Audio Journaling with Grace L’Orange

This week Tracy welcomes Kamden Hainsworth to Episode #134 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Kamden lives with her husband and three (almost four) daughters in Springville, Utah. She enjoys spending time in the nearby mountains, traveling, working on home improvement projects, and serving in her community and church. Kamden worked as an educator in a variety of capacities for over ten years. She has always felt the most fulfilled helping others realize their true potential. Years after her daughter was diagnosed, Kamden received her own ADHD diagnosis at 36 years old and quickly began advocating and researching to learn how to build her new amazing life as an ADHDer. She now helps solopreneurs with ADHD find their voice and translate that into their business specifically with marketing and social media.   Kamden shares: The circumstances surrounding her ADHD diagnosis What has changed since she was diagnosed The importance of surrounding herself with people who see and appreciate her ADHD gifts  Why social media can be so challenging for the ADHD brain The ways perfectionism and over-thinking can prevent us from posting on social media How asking the question, “Who makes the rules about what social media needs to look like?” can help us overcome perfectionism and get started Her strategies for building your online presence one puzzle piece at a time How determination and trusting her own creativity and problem-solving skills has led to her success Her #1 ADHD workaround: visuals, visuals, visuals   Resources: The ADHDirectory Kamden's Instagram Kamden's TikTok

EP. 134: ADHD, Entrepreneurship and Social Media with Kamden Hainsworth

This podcast is for smart, high-ability ADD/ADHD (diagnosed or suspecting) women who see their symptoms as more positive than negative. I’m Tracy Otsuka your host and I’m committed to changing the conversation around ADHD. When I was diagnosed eight months after my son, my entire life suddenly made perfect sense but all I heard about was everything that my ADHD brain SHOULD be struggling with when in fact I would come to learn that my ADHD is responsible for some of my greatest superpowers. One other thing, we constantly hear about all the successful ADHD men, but no one talks about the women. This podcast is here to change that dynamic. ADHD women are my people, and I’m here to acknowledge, support and cheer them on. *THE CONTENT IN THIS PODCAST IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY IN SEEKING IT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING YOU HAVE SEEN OR HEARD FROM TRACY OTSUKA OR THIS PODCAST.

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ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

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