Episode Overview

Episode Title: Stop Storing Everything in Your ADHD Brain
Host: David A. Greenwood
Podcast: Overcoming Distractions – Thriving with ADHD, ADD
Date: January 23, 2026

This episode dives into the core challenge faced by busy professionals with ADHD: the overwhelming mental clutter and “noise” caused by trying to remember and manage everything in their heads. Dave Greenwood explores why this approach doesn’t work for ADHD brains and shares practical, “street-smart” strategies—especially the practice of externalizing tasks and thoughts—to improve productivity, reduce stress, and regain a sense of control in both work and life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The ADHD Brain and Mental "Noise"

• ADHD professionals often experience a constant mental hum: scanning, remembering, reacting, and daydreaming (04:50–06:30).
• Working memory overload is a recurring theme:
  • “My brain feels like one of those kitchen strainers.” (03:45–04:00)
  • Forgetting things moments after you think of them isn’t a sign of laziness or lack of discipline; it’s a direct result of the ADHD brain’s limitations.
• Chronic mental noise leads to:
  • Decision fatigue
  • Increased stress and anxiety
  • Frequent mistakes and forgetfulness
  • Negative self-talk and self-blame

The Real Problem: Storing Everything in Your Head

• The main challenge isn’t motivation, it’s the lack of an effective system for managing all the moving parts of life and work (07:50–08:10).

• Dave stresses that "externalizing everything" is a core principle, referencing expert Russell Barkley (09:10–09:25).

  “Our brains are for having ideas, definitely not holding them.” (10:00–10:10)

Why Externalizing Matters

• Externalizing tasks and thoughts means moving information from your head to an external source—paper, app, notebook, or voice memo.

• Benefits:

  • Reduces cognitive load and stress (11:45–12:15)
  • Creates “breathing room” for the brain’s strengths
  • Lowers forgetfulness and anxiety about missed deadlines
  • Helps regulate attention and emotional responses

• Dave emphasizes:

  “The more we keep in our head, I think the less regulated we’re going to be.” (11:45–12:00)

The Power of the Brain Dump

• Brain dump defined: A quick, judgment-free process of writing out everything in your head (13:40–14:00).

• Tips for a successful brain dump:

  • Set a timer (5–10 minutes, max).
  • Don’t worry about organizing.
  • Include work tasks, personal reminders, worries, ideas—everything.
  • Choose any medium (legal pad, app, notebook, voice memo).
  • Do it regularly—especially when stress or overwhelm builds up.

  “It’s not about a perfect list. It’s about giving yourself a little bit of breathing room.” (16:30–16:38)

• Notable Moments:

  • Dave jokes about needing to write down even wedding anniversaries without shame:

    “If you have to write it down, it’s okay.” (14:50–14:55)

  • Calls out that many try brain dumps once, but fail to make it consistent:

    “It’s mind-boggling how many people I’ve chatted with… who maybe tried it, but they’re not currently practicing it.” (12:50–13:10)

The Importance of One Trusted System

• Avoid the ADHD trap of having tasks and notes scattered in six places:

  “We have notes in six different places… those seven shiny, cool notebooks you got at the store… or they’re just in your head, right? Okay. You need one trusted go-to place.” (18:25–18:59)

• Options include a single notepad, a notes app, a task manager, or voice notes—whatever suits your workflow.
• Key principle: No friction between thinking of something and capturing it.
• If you work with a team (e.g., Slack, shared workflows), adapt to integrate your personal system with team needs.

The Weekly Review Ritual

• A simple but crucial practice: At least weekly, “clean up” your brain dump and lists (20:29–23:00).

• Review and triage:

  • What needs action?
  • What can be deleted, delegated, or delayed?
  • What’s actually urgent versus what can wait?

• Helps clarify priorities, prepare for heavy or unusual workload weeks, and reduce last-minute scramble and overwhelm.

  “It kind of creates a sense of control and agency over your week—a little more intention, less reaction.” (23:50–24:00)

• Recommendations:

  • Keep it brief (10–20 minutes).
  • Schedule it at the same time each week if possible.
  • Pair with something enjoyable—a coffee, music, even a beer:

    “If it’s at night and you want to grab a beer or a pint, I’m not judging anybody.” (24:35–24:40)

Overcoming Resistance & Keeping It Simple

• Common objections:
  • “It feels like more work.”

    “I think it’s less work than carrying all that shit around in your head all week. Right?” (25:05–25:10)

  • “I won’t keep up with it.”

    “It doesn’t need to be perfect, just needs to be consistent.” (25:13–25:18)

  • “I tried something like this already.”

    “Okay. That’s a poor excuse as far as I’m concerned. Sorry. You get the real thing here.” (25:19–25:25)

• Golden rule: Simplicity trumps complexity—pen and paper are often best.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the chaos of the ADHD brain:

  “If your brain feels like you’ve got thirty tabs open and none of them are loading, this quick little chat is for you.” (03:30–03:40)

• On working memory:

  “Hell, to this day I can forget about something five seconds after I walked in a room.” (06:05–06:10)

• On externalizing:

  “It’s a regulation strategy… The more we keep in our head, I think the less regulated we’re going to be.” (12:00–12:15)

• On the brain dump:

  “It’s about just giving yourself a little bit of breathing room.” (16:30–16:38)

• On having a single trusted system:

  “You need one trusted go-to place. Not five. Not ten.” (18:34–18:40)

• On weekly review:

  “Just keeping tabs on things and continuing to refresh those lists, it’s going to minimize surprises.” (24:19–24:26)

• On keeping it simple:

  “Systems fail when they’re too complex… I’m as simple as it gets—pen and paper.” (26:00–26:10)

• Closing message:

  “You don’t need to do more. You need to hold less in your head. You need to externalize all that buzz going on in your head… Because I think it’s one of the fastest and more effective ways to lower your stress, improve your focus, prioritize, and feel more in control.” (26:13–26:40)

Episode Structure & Timestamps

• [00:07–02:00] – Introduction and podcast focus
• [02:00–05:30] – Experience of “mental noise” in ADHD brains
• [05:30–12:00] – The problem of storing everything in your head, and the necessity of externalizing
• [12:00–16:30] – Brain dump: what it is, how it works, and why it matters
• [16:30–18:59] – The one-trusted-system rule and practical capture strategies
• [19:00–24:40] – The weekly review: steps, benefits, and tips for consistency
• [24:40–26:40] – Addressing resistance, keeping it simple, closing encouragement

Final Takeaways

• Stop trying to carry everything in your head: Externalize tasks and thoughts for relief and better regulation.
• Make brain dumps and reviews regular habits: They’re your keys to clarity.
• Simplicity is sustainable: Find one system and stick to it—be that pen-and-paper or an app.
• Weekly check-ins are non-negotiable for long-term control and reduced overwhelm.

For more support, Dave invites listeners to connect with him directly for coaching, reinforcing the podcast’s ethos of practical, real-world strategies for thriving with ADHD as a busy professional.