Ever notice how the week between Christmas and New Year doesn’t feel like a real week? Like time has lost its edges, routine has packed up and left, and your brain is just floating around asking what it’s meant to be doing.

In this episode, I’m talking about the Weird Week. That in-between drop after December ends, and why it hits ADHD brains especially hard. We get into what actually happens when structure disappears overnight, why feeling bored and overwhelmed at the same time makes total sense, and why this week isn’t about rest, failure, or “not using your time well”.

I also talk about how the Weird Week feels before and after having kids, why comparison hits harder than usual, and why this whole thing is best understood as a recalibration, not something you need to fix.

If this week always throws you, even when you expect it to, this one’s for you.

✨ What I cover:

• What the “Weird Week” actually is and why it feels so unsettling • Why ADHD brains rely on routine for regulation, not productivity • Time blindness, low motivation and emotional flatness during this period • Why struggling to rest or start things isn’t laziness or burnout • How scrolling and comparison make this week feel worse • Why this week isn’t being wasted, even if it feels messy • Small, predictable anchors that help your nervous system settle • How the Weird Week changes once you’re a parent • Why rest doesn’t always feel restful for ADHD brains • Letting this week be weird without trying to optimise it

💬 Quotes to remember:

“This isn’t laziness or burnout.”

“This week is not being wasted.”

“We need predictability, not freedom.”

“You’re not behind. You’re just in between things.”

“This isn’t rest. It’s the sudden removal of the thing holding everything together.”

🧠 Takeaway

The Weird Week isn’t a failure, a slump, or a productivity issue. It’s a transition. ADHD brains notice transitions more sharply, especially when structure disappears overnight. Feeling unsettled here is expected.

You don’t need to reset, optimise, or come out of this week refreshed and sorted. Small anchors, familiarity, and a bit of self-compassion go a lot further than pressure ever will.

Let it be weird. January will bring structure back soon enough.

Ever head into December feeling oddly confident, only for Christmas to immediately prove you wrong? One minute you’re convinced this is the year you’ll be organised, calm and festive. The next, you’re overstimulated, surrounded by half wrapped gifts, and wondering why everything feels so loud.

In this episode, I’m talking about what Christmas looks like when you have ADHD and anxiety in the mix. The sensory overload. The emotional whiplash. The way one “simple” task somehow turns into twelve separate ones. And why feeling behind in December isn’t a personal failure, it’s a completely predictable brain response.

✨ What I cover:

Why December hits ADHD brains harder than any other month

How sensory overload builds fast during Christmas

Why gift giving is never just one task

The dopamine spikes and crashes that make everything feel more intense

Why feeling behind is basically part of the festive package

Tiny survival strategies that actually help

Decision fatigue and how to reduce it

Why rest is regulation, not laziness

Letting go of the idea that Christmas is a performance

Normalising messy, chaotic, imperfect festive seasons

💬 Quotes to remember:

“Dopamine goes absolutely feral.”

“Christmas tasks are not one task.”

“Sensory stacking equals chaotic brain soup.”

“December is not a productivity test.”

“Resting is not quitting, it’s regulation.”

🧠 Takeaway: Christmas with ADHD and anxiety isn’t supposed to look calm, polished or effortless. It’s louder, messier and more emotional, and that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Once you understand what your brain is up against, the guilt eases and the season becomes a little more manageable. You don’t need to win Christmas. You just need to survive it kindly.

#ADHD #ADHDChristmas #Anxiety #Neurodivergent #ADHDPodcast #TheAnxiousADHDer #MentalHealth #ADHDLife

Ever feel like time just slips away from you without warning? One minute you’re replying to one email, the next the whole morning has vanished and you’re staring at the clock like it has personally betrayed you. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

In this episode, I’m talking about what ADHD time blindness actually feels like. The disappearing hours, the shock at the clock, the chaotic Tuesday that summed up my entire personality, and why none of this is about laziness. It’s wiring, not willpower.

✨ What I cover:

• What ADHD time blindness really is and why it isn’t poor time management • Why the brain doesn’t register time passing until it is too late • How one quick task spirals into a full morning • The Tuesday story that explains the entire ADHD timeline • The classic leaving the house scavenger hunt • Working memory and why time information deletes instantly • How dopamine impacts motivation, initiation and duration • Why urgency is the only thing loud enough to cut through • Time paralysis and why wanting to start isn’t enough • Tools that actually help: visible timers, start times, body doubling, playlists

💬 Quotes to remember:

"ADHD time blindness isn’t poor time management. It’s not about responsibility. It’s not about caring."

"My brain is like, we have been productive. The clock is like, it’s 8.45."

"Earlier isn’t a real place for ADHD people."

"Then begins the ADHD scavenger hunt."

"Energy yeah. Anxiety quite high. Intention missing, hope missing, will to live also missing."

"I leave the house looking like a woman who has been chased by wild dogs."

"I will check the time five times in one minute just to retain it for half a second."

"You know exactly what you need to do. You even want to do it. But the body just says no."

🧠 Takeaway: Time blindness isn’t a moral failure. It isn’t a lack of effort. It is a brain that does not track time the way other brains do. Once you understand that, the guilt softens. With the right tools and a bit of self-compassion, your days get easier and the pressure feels lighter.

#ADHD #TimeBlindness #Neurodivergent #ADHDPodcast #ExecutiveFunction #ADHDLife #MentalHealth