Everyday life, executive function, emotional load, and learning challenges.
The emotional labour of proving a struggle no one can see. I keep seeing a familiar question — in support groups, forums, and conversations with other ADHDers: “How do I explain my executive dysfunction better… to my partner? To my boss? To my parent?” The situation varies. But the pattern is the same. Someone is…
Before I knew I had ADHD, I was already doing it.Rehearsing what to say. Hiding the chaos. Pretending I was fine.I thought I was just anxious. Or awkward. Or falling short somehow. It wasn’t until my child was diagnosed—and I started learning more about neurodivergence—that I came across the word: masking. At first, I wasn’t…
Sometimes I wonder if I’d even have an ADHD diagnosis if I’d been born 300 years ago.Not because I wouldn’t have had it — but because the world hadn’t yet made it a problem. The more I look around, the more I find myself asking: When did the world get so weird?So rigid, so fast,…
The Shame Loop We Know Too Well (ADHD & Habit Building) When my friend said, “I’m not really one to stick to things,” I knew what she meant. I’ve said it too. That soft, shame-tinted shrug we do, the one where we pre-disclaim our enthusiasm because we’ve been here before. Started. Tried. Derailed. Pivoted. Moved…
ADHD doesn’t change based on where you live—but how you experience it absolutely does. In New Zealand, our cultural default is often “she’ll be right,” but if you’ve got ADHD, chances are… it won’t be. This is a look at ADHD through a distinctly Kiwi lens—because our quiet, self-deprecating culture shapes how we see ourselves,…
(Unless you’re amazing or genuinely need to work with me…then okay, maybe.) I don’t like phone calls. That’s the short version.The longer version? Well, let’s just say this post has been a long time coming. Lately, I’ve been trying to organise quotes from a tradesperson — and despite clearly requesting email responses, they kept trying…
Today, I misjudged my aim while reaching for the printer and collided with the corner of the desk, forehead first. I screamed out, it hurt bad. I’m grateful it didn’t collide with my eye. At first, I thought it was just a minor bump. But then came the headache, nausea, and a peculiar foggy feeling….
All I wanted to do was buy a couple of extra photo credits. You know, one of those low-stakes parenting decisions. No drama. Quick scroll, click, done. But instead, I found myself in a deep and thoughtful analysis complete with regret forecasting, memory preservation urgency, and minor existential dread. So… classic Tuesday. It started with…
I used to think I was just burnt out. But sometimes, I wasn’t exhausted—I felt frozen. That stuck, drained feeling? It turns out there’s a difference between ADHD paralysis vs burnout, and I didn’t know which one I was living through. Staring at a to-do list, knowing exactly what needed to happen next, and still…
I don’t remember exactly when decision-making started feeling so hard. It’s not that I can’t make decisions—I’ve done it for years in professional settings. I don’t remember exactly when ADHD decision fatigue started creeping into my life. I’ve made plenty of big decisions at work—but in my personal life? It’s like wading through mud most…