Podcast
Hacking Your ADHD
Hosted by William Curb · EN
Welcome to Hacking Your ADHD, where you can learn techniques for helping your ADHD brain.
ADHD can be a struggle, but it doesn't always have to be. Join me every Monday as I explore ways that you can work with your ADHD brain to do more of the things you want to do. If you have ADHD or someone in your life does and you want to get organized, get focused and get motivated then this podcast is for you.
109episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Physics of Easy Discipline with Jia Jiang
Yesterday00:43:23Summary readyHey Team! I've been on a bit of a break this summer, but I wanted to help celebrate International ADHD Awareness Day by dropping a new episode. We often think that achieving big things requires feeling miserable during the process. We buy into the myth that if a task isn't agonizing, it isn't worth the time we put into it. My guest today is Jia Jiang, an expert in rejection resilience, a Duke MBA graduate, and the founder of Wuju Learning. After stepping away from a stable corporate career at Dell and LinkedIn to launch a tech startup, Jia realized his deepest bottleneck wasn't a lack of talent, but a profound fear of rejection. Fueled with this insight, he launched 100 Days of Rejection Therapy and filmed himself requesting absurd things from strangers daily. And this is actually when I first came across Jia 11 years ago, so it was quite the treat to get to talk with him and learn about his new book, Easy Discipline. Jia brings a unique lens to the table because he's battled his own severe, late-understood ADHD and procrastination loops since growing up in Beijing when ADHD just wasn't considered a thing. In this episode, we talk about shifting away from transactional, anxiety-inducing task completion and moving toward what he calls the "Artist Mindset." We also break down how masking and over-indexing on how other people perceive us turns into a form of self-sabotage, where we pre-reject ourselves before we even give our true traits a chance. Jia's Easy Ambition substack- https://substack.com/@jiajiang Jia's New Book- Easy Discipline: An Unconventional Way to Achieve Ambitious Things If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/303 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Stop declaring war on your own brain by trying to grind through tasks using sheer willpower. Willpower is a finite biological resource that inevitably runs out, and relying on it just triggers a cycle of broken resolutions and self-blame. Instead, shift your strategy to working with your human nature by building environment-based systems that remove structural friction from the start. If your daily routine constantly feels like Sisyphus endlessly pushing a heavy boulder up a mountain, you are fighting psychological gravity. Instead of forcing yourself through tasks with external pressure, anchor the process in intrinsic enjoyment so the activity becomes your default state. When you flip the physics this way, the boulder starts rolling downhill, meaning it actually takes more active energy to stop your momentum than to keep going. Masking and over-analyzing how others perceive you creates an intense cognitive tension that completely paralyzes the ADHD brain. Break out of this by adopting the "Artist Mindset"—reframing stressful interactions or projects not as rigid transactions where you need approval, but as unreplicable opportunities to express your authentic presence. Focusing on full creative expression in the moment completely bypasses the perfectionism trap and lowers social anxiety.
SummaryADHD and Pregnancy with Dusty Chipura (Rebroadcast)
1w ago00:37:14Summary readyToday, we are dipping into the archives to revisit one of our most important and requested conversations. We're joined by Dusty Chipura, a passionate advocate and ADHD Coach, to explore the often-overlooked world of ADHD and pregnancy. Even if you aren't currently pregnant or planning to be, the insights shared here regarding healthcare gaps and self-advocacy are vital for everyone in the ADHD community. Since this episode first aired, the need for better information has only grown, making Dusty's expertise as relevant today as ever. Sign up for my Newsletter: Any And All Distractions Have a question? Contact Page Full show notes and resources: HackingYourADHD.com/184 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hackingyouradhdPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips: Acknowledge the Research Gap: There is a significant lack of data regarding ADHD and pregnancy. Because of this, you may need to be your own strongest advocate, as you might end up more informed on the subject than your primary caregivers. Build Your Team Early: Prioritize a support system that includes healthcare providers who understand ADHD, as well as a community that can offer emotional and practical help. Prepare for Executive Function Shifts: Pregnancy can significantly impact organization and time management. Be proactive in developing strategies and tools—and lean on your support network—to help mitigate these challenges.
SummaryResearch Recap with Skye: Mindfulness and ADHD
2w ago00:12:56Summary readyWelcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper, dive into what it says and how it was conducted, and try to find practical takeaways. In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation for Primary School Children: Effects on Attention and Psychological Well-Being." The study investigates mindfulness-oriented meditation and its effects on attention and emotional health in seven- to eight-year-old children. So, let's get into it. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/302 https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon
SummaryADHD and the Art of Mindful Living with Ying Deng (rebroadcast)
2w ago00:29:10Summary readyWe're diving back into the vault this week to bring you my conversation with Ying Deng (ADHD Asian Girl). I'll be honest: for a long time, meditation felt like one of those things I should do, but didn't really get. Talking with Ying changed that. We're rebroadcasting this episode because her approach to mindfulness is perfectly tailored for the ADHD brain. We move past the "popular media" version of meditation and get into the nitty-gritty of how to actually build a practice when your mind won't stop racing. Today's Top Tips: Micro-Mindfulness: You don't need a mountain top; you can practice while putting on your socks. Keep it Novel: Mix up your routine with guided sessions, nature walks, or mindful movement. The Power of Partners: Use body doubling to stay accountable to your practice. Duration Doesn't Matter: Five minutes is better than zero minutes. Start small! Find more from Ying through her Mindfulness Course and grab the full show notes at HackingYourADHD.com/169.
SummaryCrafting Your ADHD Survival Kit with Maddy De Gabriele (Rebroadcast)
3w ago00:41:03Summary readyWe are diving back into one of our most popular and highly requested conversations! In this rebroadcast, host William Curb sits down with Maddy De Gabrielle to talk about moving past the struggle of adult ADHD and building a highly personalized, practical toolkit for daily survival. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by neurotypical advice that demands the very executive function you're short on, this episode is your permission slip to stop trying to fix your memory and start accommodating it instead. What We Cover in This Episode: The Myth of Neurotypical Sleep Hygiene: Why traditional "wind-down" routines can backfire for an ADHD brain—and how a pair of sleep headphones and a late-night treadmill walk completely flipped the script for Maddy. Low-Tech, High-Impact Hacks: From an $8 plastic medication dispenser that removes the executive burden of record-keeping, to using an unexpected "grabber bar" to tackle messy floors with the kids. Defeating Time Blindness: The power of a waterproof shower clock to manage transition anxiety and conquer the daily "getting in vs. getting out" hurdle. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Why Bluetooth trackers (like AirTags and Tiles) are crucial health support devices for an ADHD brain's short-term memory limits. The Shared Vocabulary of ADHD: Powerful phrases like "I'm stuck" and the difference between "climbing the wall" vs. "staring at the wall" that can transform communication with your partner or family. "My life got so much better when I stopped trying to improve my memory and instead treated myself like someone who had a memory problem." — Maddy De Gabrielle This Episode's Top Tips When we're looking at what goes into our tool kit we need to be thinking of both the physical and mental items that can assist us throughout the day. It's important to work on getting past the idea of how we "should" be able to do certain things and look at what tools will let us actually do those things. It's important to work on understanding and accepting ADHD as a chronic condition. We need to recognize ADHD's impact on our daily life and work on employing practical tools and strategies to mitigate those challenges.
SummaryResearch Recap with Skye: Virtual Reality and ADHD
4w ago00:13:39Summary readyWelcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our research recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways. In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called Virtual Reality Interventions for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review. This paper is actually a review that provides a comprehensive look at how virtual reality is transitioning from a high-tech novelty to perhaps more of a legitimate clinical tool for managing ADHD. Also, as a note, this was a listener-submitted paper and definitely something I would have never thought to look into on my own, so I was really excited to get this submission because I had no idea that this was something people were doing. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/301 https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon
SummaryYou Don't Need to Earn Your Rest with Alyece Smith (Rebroadcast)
4w ago00:41:43Summary readyWe are kicking off our summer archive series with one of our absolute favorite, high-impact episodes from the vault . Originally airing at the start of the year, this conversation with Alyece Smith—founder of Socially Awesome, neurodivergent entrepreneur coach, and host of the ADHD CEO podcast—is the perfect reality check we all need as we try to navigate summer schedules without completely burning out . In this episode, Alyece and William dive deep into the exhausting ADHD trap of feeling like you constantly have to earn the right to sit down and rest . They unpack the difference between being truly productive and engaging in "fake productivity"—inventing random, low-priority tasks just to keep our brains in overdrive and avoid basic needs . What You'll Learn in This Episode: The "Earned Rest" Trap: Why the ADHD brain struggles to recognize non-business achievements (like household chores) as real work, leading to chronic overworking and severe burnout . Protecting Your "Spark Times": How to map out your day based on your natural biological energy peaks rather than traditional clock-based schedules, saving your best brainpower for things that actually matter . The Power of Voice Dumps: How Alyece uses voice-to-text apps (like VoicePin) to execute a "60-second brain dump" right out of the shower, preventing mid-day context switching and freezing . Removing Daily Decisions: Tactical ways to systematically eliminate decision fatigue from your life, from building a personal "uniform" to outsourcing your product research to AI or a trusted partner . Bypassing the Monetization Trap: A honest look at the pressure to monetize every single creative hobby and how to search for authentic clarity and fulfillment instead . Whether you're an entrepreneur struggling with a complete lack of office boundaries or just someone tired of trying to force a square peg into a round hole, this episode is full of permission slips to stop, breathe, and put your hands down . Connect with the Show: Newsletter: Sign up for Any and All Distractions at hackingyouradhd.com/newsletter . Patreon & Discord: Support the show and join the community at hackingyouradhd.com/patreon . YouTube: Watch us at youtube.com/@hackingyouradhd . Today's Moment of Dad: "Since it's a brand new season, I decided to get some shoes with clocks on them... you know, so I can watch my step."
SummaryLiving Right Side Out with Andy J. Pizza (rebroadcast)
Jun 800:55:26Summary readyWelcome back to the Hacking Your ADHD rewind queue, team. In this highly requested rebroadcast, host William Curb sits down with illustrator, podcaster, and creative powerhouse Andy J. Pizza (host of Creative Pep Talk) to unpack the exhausting realities of masking and what it truly looks like to live "right side out." Using a hilariously relatable mishap involving a graphic T-shirt at a family memorial service, Andy illustrates how neurodivergent individuals slowly clip away their own tags and forget who they are just to blend into a neurotypical world. The two dive deep into the heavy emotional toll of constantly performing rather than just being, exploring that liberating "pro-being pride" that only happens when you step out of a performance and into a space that actively celebrates individuality. Beyond the philosophy of self-acceptance, this conversation serves up an essential masterclass in ADHD-friendly productivity, hacking the rigid definitions of habits, and managing creative burnout. Andy and William challenge the traditional advice of doing things consistently, revealing that the real secret to sustaining momentum for an ADHD brain is doing the same task differently to feed our constant craving for novelty. From bundling tedious chores like mowing the lawn with juiced-up playlists, to embracing the natural "incubation" period of the creative process, this episode delivers a vital reminder: stop trying to hate yourself into changing, and start building dynamic systems that allow your unique brain to thrive. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/221 YouTube Channel My Patreon This Episode's Top Tips Masking isn't inherently a bad thing, but it certainly is when we're doing it all the time and unconsciously. We want to be intentional about when and why we mask, and aim for authenticity when possible. It's okay to embrace opposing truths. We need structure and flexibility, goals and play. We don't have to fall into all-or-nothing thinking, and this can help us balance some of these ADHD "contradictions". Celebrate difference, don't just tolerate it. Safe spaces are good, but celebration spaces—where your uniqueness is actively valued—are better. Look for relationships or communities where people enjoy your way of being, not just what you can do
SummaryResearch Recap with Skye: Circadian Rhythm
Jun 500:11:44Summary readyWelcome to Hacking Your ADHD. I'm your host, William Curb, and I have ADHD. On this podcast, I dig into the tools, tactics, and best practices to help you work with your ADHD brain. Today, I'm joined by Skye Waterson for our Research Recap series. In this series, we take a look at a single research paper and dive into what the paper says, how it was conducted, and try to find any practical takeaways. In this episode, we're going to be discussing a paper called "ADHD as a Circadian Rhythm Disorder: Evidence and Implications for Chronotherapy." Now, this is a perspective paper looking at the available research on circadian rhythm dysfunction in ADHD and what works for correcting some of that dysfunction. So as we get into it, I think a great place for us to start is to talk about what a perspective paper is, because it's a little different than what we usually take on. If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at https://HackingYourADHD.com/300 https://tinyurl.com/56rvt9fr - Unconventional Organisation Affiliate link https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk - YouTube https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD - Patreon
SummaryThe Bypassing Creative Consistency with Susanne Schotanus
Jun 100:45:13Summary readyHey Team! As many of you know, I have a passion for writing, and so I'm excited that today we are diving deep into that world and why it often feels like an uphill battle when you have an ADHD brain. I'm talking with Susanne Schotanus, an expert ADHD coach who holds the unique distinction of being the world's first dedicated ADHD writing coach, as well as the founder of the annual Basecamp to Brilliance writing summit. Susanne brings a wealth of clinical and practical insight from her years spent coaching everyone from burnt-out university professors to memoirists struggling to organize decades of research. In our conversation today, we discuss why standard linear approaches to writing clash so intensely with our multi-dimensional thinking styles. Susanne explains the mechanics of the "messy middle" in long-term projects, how our constant craving for novelty can derail a draft after just two weeks, and why we might want to reconsider our view of consistency. We also explore practical ways to gamify your workflow and create structural frameworks that adapt to your brain rather than forcing your brain to adapt to them. And while this episode's core focus is on writing, I think there is a lot to get out of this when considering any kind of long-term pursuit. Susanne's Website - https://passionatewritercoaching.com/ Free Guide - https://passionatewritercoaching.com/hackingyouradhd/ If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/299 YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD This Episode's Top Tips Waiting until you magically feel motivated to start a task is a losing game because our brains require action to generate momentum. To trick your brain into gear, lower the barrier to entry by making the first step absurdly small. Writing a single sentence or fixing a minor typo requires almost zero initial effort, but that tiny completion can give your brain the dopamine boost it needs to transition into work mode. Your note-taking and organizational systems are here to serve you, not the other way around. Using a brand new productivity tool for two glorious weeks and then completely losing interest isn't a personal failure; it's just the natural lifespan of a novelty-driven dopamine source. With this in mind, keep your architectures simple, make sure your data is easily exportable, and make it easy if you need to switch tools in the future. ADHD brains run on an system driven by interest, novelty, challenge, urgency, and passion. Most of us default to novelty (which leaves us with a mountain of half-finished projects) or panic-induced urgency (which runs us straight into burnout). To break the cycle and handle long-form projects, start intentionally leaning into the underutilized levers of challenge, gamification, and genuine playfulness.
Summary