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Beyond the Checklist

Beyond the Checklist

Written by: Shannon Reilly
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Beyond the Checklist is a podcast for neurodivergent humans, chronic overthinkers, and anyone who's tired of being told to “just try harder.” I’m Shannon Reilly—ADHD coach, professional organizer, and therapeutic yoga teacher—and I help people create systems that actually work for their brains and their lives. In each episode, we explore what happens when you toss out the one-size-fits-all advice and get curious about what you really need. You’ll find practical strategies, mindset shifts, and gentle tools for navigating time, space, focus, and self—with plenty of real talk along the way. Expect short, supportive episodes on topics like executive function, decision fatigue, digital clutter, body doubling, sensory regulation, and routine resets. You’ll also get bonus episodes with guided practices for decluttering, prioritizing, grounding, restorative yoga, and more—because sometimes, listening isn’t enough. You need a space to practice. This is your invitation to move beyond the checklist—and into something that feels more like you.Copyright 2026 Shannon Reilly Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Self-Help Social Sciences Success
Episodes
  • Sensory Self-Leadership: Tools for Overwhelm
    Feb 24 2026

    Overwhelm isn’t a personal flaw.

    It’s a sensory event.

    In this episode, we explore sensory self-leadership — the skill of guiding your nervous system through overwhelm using sensory awareness and support, instead of forcing calm or pushing through.

    Sensory self-leadership means:

    1. noticing early sensory cues
    2. choosing support before crash or shutdown
    3. using sensation, not willpower, to return to safety
    4. leading your system instead of being led by overwhelm

    You’ll learn:

    🌿 Why ND bodies regulate through sensory pathways first

    🧠 How overwhelm shows up as sensory load before emotion or thought

    ✨ The 5 sensory pathways that reliably support regulation (pressure, movement, breath, sound, temperature)

    🪶 How to recognize early, middle, and late stages of overwhelm

    🛟 A simple 5-step sensory self-leadership plan you can use anywhere

    This episode is a reminder that you’re not “too sensitive.”

    You’re perceptive.

    And your sensory system is your most powerful tool for coming back to yourself.

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    10 mins
  • Why Letting Go Is a Nervous System Process
    Feb 10 2026

    Letting go isn’t a mindset. It’s not willpower. It’s not “being ready.”

    Letting go is a nervous system process.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    🧠 Why decluttering isn’t logical, it’s biological

    🌿 How safety, attachment, identity, and emotion shape your ability to release

    💛 Why freeze, overwhelm, and guilt make so much sense

    🪶 Why letting go feels vulnerable, not simple

    ✨ What actually helps your system loosen its grip

    You’ll learn:

    1. Why your body decides “safe to release” before your brain does
    2. Why tiny steps work better than big declutters
    3. Why co-regulation and support matter
    4. Why stopping early is part of success, not failure

    You’re not bad at letting go.

    Your nervous system is protecting you.

    When your body feels supported, letting go becomes possible.

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    10 mins
  • Why Rest Feels Hard for ND Bodies
    Feb 3 2026

    If rest feels uncomfortable, frustrating, or impossible, you’re not doing it wrong. Your nervous system just needs a different path to get there.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    🧠 Why rest is a state, not a behavior

    🌙 Why ND bodies stay in “on mode” even when you lie down

    💛 How sensory needs affect your ability to rest

    🪶 Why stillness can feel unsafe or overwhelming

    ✨ Why “just relax” isn’t real nervous-system support

    You’ll learn:

    1. Why your body may need movement before stillness
    2. How pressure, warmth, and containment support downshifting
    3. Why emotions often surface when you finally slow down
    4. How micro-rest builds capacity for deeper rest

    Rest follows safety.

    And ND bodies often need bridges to feel safe enough to settle.

    You’re not bad at resting.

    Your nervous system is asking for gentler support.

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    9 mins
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