Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Today on Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast, hosts Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright delve into the nitty-gritty of building an effective "planning workflow" as they continue the trip through their new book, Unapologetically ADHD. They acknowledge the aversion many with ADHD feel towards rigid routines and advocate for a more flexible, forgiving approach. Instead of aiming for minute-by-minute scheduling, they emphasize the importance of creating a system that adapts to the ever-changing currents of life with ADHD.

Nikki and Pete guide listeners through the key elements of their workflow, starting with diligently capturing new information from various "inboxes" like emails, text messages, and even those stray thoughts jotted down on scraps of paper. They stress the importance of regularly transferring this information into a centralized "workbox," utilizing tools like calendars and task managers to maintain order and prioritize tasks.

The duo emphasizes the need for resilience and flexibility within the workflow, acknowledging that consistency isn't always easy. They recommend scheduling regular "weekly focus" sessions, ideally twice a week, to review, adjust, and plan for the days ahead. Thursday, they suggest, is the sweet spot for this review, offering ample time to adjust for the remaining workday and plan for the weekend.

Finally, Nikki and Pete tackle the often-contentious topic of time blocking. They debunk common myths surrounding this technique, assuring listeners that it doesn't require rigid adherence to unrealistic schedules or perfect time estimations. Instead, they advocate for a more forgiving approach, incorporating buffer time for distractions and transitions while emphasizing the importance of simply dedicating blocks of time to specific tasks.

Links & Notes

• Unapologetically ADHD: A Step-by-Step Framework For Everyday Planning On Your Terms
• Dig into the podcast Shownotes Database

• (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
• (01:44) - The Workbox Recap
• (02:38) - Workflows
• (15:06) - Time Blocking and Hyper-Scheduling

Join Pete and Nikki this week as they dive into the world of planning tools, focusing on the concepts of "inboxing" and "workboxing” from their new book, Unapologetically ADHD. They explore the challenges of managing the constant influx of information and tasks that come with ADHD, emphasizing the importance of a systematic approach.

Nikki and Pete discuss the common struggle of finding the "perfect" tool, acknowledging the allure of shiny new apps and planners. They encourage listeners to shift their focus from finding a magical solution to developing a personalized system that works for them. This involves viewing tools as part of a cohesive whole rather than isolated entities.

The conversation takes a turn as they explore the role of impulsivity in planning. They introduce the concept of strategically introducing "friction" to combat impulsive decision-making, particularly when it comes to adopting new tools or systems. This involves setting up personal commitments and boundaries to prevent ADHD tax-inducing purchases.

Tune in to discover practical strategies for managing inboxes, optimizing work time, and navigating the world of planning with ADHD. Pete and Nikki offer valuable insights and actionable advice to help listeners find a system that brings calm and control to busy lives.

Links & Notes

• Available Now: Unapologetically ADHD by Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright
• Dig into the podcast Shownotes Database

• (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
• (01:36) - The Workbox
• (06:02) - Inboxing
• (10:24) - Key Principles of Inboxing
• (12:25) - Workboxing
• (22:56) - Managing Impulsivity
• (28:08) - Breaking Down Myths

This week on the show we dive into the key principles for getting and staying organized when you have ADHD, following up on our conversation last week about decluttering spaces.

We really want to drive home that organization is more about function than perfection. The whole point is being able to find what you need when you need it. We advise against buying organizing products without a clear purpose, because let's face it, they can just become more clutter.

Making things easy to access and see is super important. We recommend using shelves, racks, and step stools to make the most of your vertical space. Try not to overstuff your bins, so they stay easy to pull out. Creative solutions like hooks and open bins can work wonders for those of us with ADHD.

Remember, organizing is an ongoing process. Start small, focus on function over form, and create systems that work with your natural habits and tendencies – that's how you make them stick. As we like to say, for everything, there is a place … and for every place, there is a purpose.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
• (01:49) - Organizing Principles

If you’re parenting a teen, you know the challenges we’re talking about today. And whether you live with ADHD yourself or not, those challenges are made even more real if your kiddo is living with ADHD. Today on the show, we’re sharing our own lessons learned when it comes to navigating the universe of parenting teens with ADHD.

The biggest lessons revolve around communication, awareness, and balance. But what are the major milestones that stand before you as a parent of a teen when it comes to getting the ADHD assessment? Preparing for college? Confronting life skills and deadlines? And, perhaps most important as a parent, how do you avoid letting your experience with school, ADHD, anxiety and more to color their experience and expectations with ADHD?

• (00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast
• (01:59) - Support the Show: Become a Patron at patreon.com/theadhdpodcast
• (04:23) - Partentings teens with ADHD

This episode was a delightful accident.

It started with a conversation with one of our fantastic community members, Shoshanah Blaiss, how casually mentioned that she was running late for her session with her art therapist, and ended with a connection to that very artist, learning about her work, her process, and the incredible value that comes with embracing art as a channel to connect with ourselves across the neurodiversity spectrum.

Andrea Krakovsky is a teaching artist in Georgia whose work helps her clients to heal through the creative process. This week, Andrea leads us through that journey of healing through creativity — whether you believe you're creative or not — and how the physical connection with the media can help you learn about yourself while finding grounding in your ADHD, anxiety, and more.

Find Andrea at andreakrakovsky.com, and don't forget to check out the Feelings Wheel!

• (00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast
• (03:38) - Support the Show: Become a Patron!
• (04:41) - Sponsor: TextExpander is BACK!
• (07:36) - Introducing Andrea and Shoshanah
• (12:14) - What happens in Art Therapy sessions?
• (14:41) - Do materials equal feelings?
• (22:56) - Create... then throw away
• (26:26) - Prompts
• (32:46) - Children versus Adults!
• (36:36) - The Value of the Relationship
• (39:10) - Getting Started

Rach Idowu was diagnosed with ADHD Combined Type in January 2020, just before her London ADHD clinic closed down due to the pandemic. Undaunted, she started AdultingADHD on Substack and began to document her own personal experience and the research she would go on to do about her ADHD.

Since then, she has been featured in the New York Times, Inverse, and Mashable, and has been a featured panelist at Facebook, Ubisoft ComicCon London, and other organizations talking about ADHD in the workplace.

Along the way, she created a series of flashcards designed to help those with ADHD and supporting ADHDers to better understand details of ADHD that reflect the research she has engaged in over the years. You can find them at ADHDTraits.com.

Links & Notes

• Subscribe to Rach Idowu on Substack
• Follow Rach Idowu on Instagram
• Follow Rach Idowu on Twitter

• (00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast
• (03:14) - Introducing Rach Idowu
• (04:20) - The Pandemic Diagnosis
• (12:49) - About the Newsletter
• (13:53) - ADHD & Work
• (21:35) - Opening up about the diagnosis in the interview
• (26:07) - Advocacy & Influencers
• (28:30) - Tools of the Trade
• (30:09) - The Flashcards

KC Davis is a licensed professional therapist, author, and speaker. She is the creator of the mental health platform Struggle Care, where she shares a revolutionary approach to self and home care for those dealing with mental health, physical illness, and hard seasons of life.

She's with us today to talk about her role in the neurodiversity community as a TikTok influencer, how she stumbled into her favorite video community.

We love KC not just for her TikTok, though. She's author of the book How to Keep House While Drowning, where she catalogs her approach to healthy living while embracing your struggles as morally neutral, not personality judgments. Her approach to living, shame, and struggle is, frankly, a breath of fresh air.

Learn more about KC and her work at StruggleCare. And, of course, buy the book in your favorite format now.

• (00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast
• (02:56) - Support the show!
• (04:49) - Welcome KC Davis
• (09:39) - ADHD is not your moral failure
• (18:59) - Cleaning and Trauma
• (22:11) - Neurons that fire together wire together
• (24:42) - ADHD Diagnosis rewrites history
• (35:51) - What's the big message?
• (47:11) - Becoming an Influencer and The Five Things

For the next few weeks, we’ll be talking with ADHD influencers. You might have seen them on YouTube or TikTok or Instagram talking about their experiences with ADHD — we want to talk with them about their experience leading them to become creators.

Kicking off this series we welcome Matt Raekelboom. Matt’s a Toronto-based influencer predominantly on TikTok and Instagram sharing his tools and strategies around ADHD, fitness, and healthy living with his 300,000 followers. What you don’t get if you just stumble across Matt’s one-minute videos, though, is any taste of the long road he had to take to get it posted.

He was an ADHD kid of the 80s, when we were wandering the wilderness of ADHD and medication, and ended up over-medicated and misunderstood. He battled substance abuse and homelessness, but regained his footing with an explosive passion for discovery of how his ADHD had played a part in all his troubles, and how it would play a part in his future successes, too.

You can find Matt on Instagram and TikTok, naturally, and check out his community at Journey2ADHD.

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• (00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast
• (04:22) - Introducing Matt Raekelboom
• (10:16) - Nikki admits she's old, doesn't follow influencers ;-)
• (11:25) - Matt's ADHD legacy
• (28:42) - How do you post video #2? Getting Over Imposter Syndrome
• (35:05) - Platform Choices
• (46:31) - A bit on meds
• (50:48) - Journey2ADHD

With hundreds of episodes of Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast, it can be dizzying to figure out how to get started. That’s why we — Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright (your fair hosts) — recorded this episode. It’s for you, new listener, a brief guide that can help you get the most out of the podcast and the fantastic ADHD community that runs through everything we do. Thanks for joining us on this ride. We hope you find what you’re looking for!

This week we’re tabulating lessons learned from our recent series on overcoming obstacles. Over the last month, we met Mallory Band dug into imposter syndrome, RSD, and ADHD. Aron Croft shared his experience through higher education when his expectations ran straight into undiagnosed inattentive ADHD. And Christina Avallone shared her perspective on thriving in a digital world and building healthy relationships with your tech.

If you haven’t listened to these episodes yet, check them out in your podcast app or listen on the web right here:

• Imposter Syndrome, RSD & ADHD with Mallory Band
• When expectations meet your ADHD with Aron Croft
• Thriving in a digital world with Christina Avallone

• (00:00) - Welcome to The ADHD Podcast
• (00:53) - Support the show: Become a Patron! Patreon.com/theadhdpodcast
• (02:07) - Summary Fun!
• (02:37) - Imposter Syndrome
• (08:33) - When Expectations Meet ADHD
• (17:05) - Thriving in a Digital World