Adulting is hard AF — especially when you have ADHD. I’m Kim Spangler — an ADHD coach and someone who knows firsthand what it’s like to live in brain chaos. This podcast is your judgment-free zone for navigating life with ADHD — with humor, honesty, and occasional F-bomb (and Lord of the Rings references).
Each week, we dive into the real struggles: missed appointments, forgotten laundry, emotional spirals, and that overwhelming sense that everyone else got the Adulting Manual that you never received. You’ll get practical tips, relatable stories, and ADHD-friendly strategies to help you build routines, manage your time, and feel a little more in control (even if your inbox still hates you).
Whether you're newly diagnosed, undiagnosed-but-suspicious, or just sick of pretending to have your shit together — you're in the right place.
Holiday Overwhelm Hits Different With ADHD — Here’s What to Watch For
The holiday season is supposed to feel joyful … but for ADHD adults, it often feels like someone cranked the overwhelm dial to expert mode. In this episode, we’re breaking down why December hits ADHD brains so hard, the hidden traps that make everything feel more stressful, and the simple shifts that help you protect your time, energy, and sanity.
We’ll cover:
Why holiday overload hits faster and stronger when you have ADHD
The sneaky ADHD “overwhelm triggers” to look out for
Why saying yes feels easier in the moment but harder in the long run
How people-pleasing, time blindness, perfectionism, and emotional load collide this month
A few simple, ADHD-friendly ways to reduce stress (without needing to become a new person)
Plus — a quick announcement:
The Level Up Lab is officially open! This brand-new ADHD community is starting its first month with a focus on making December easier, not harder. You can grab a 7-day free trial here: https://levelupmyadhd.kit.com/6593658cf2
And if you were on the waitlist, check your email — you’ve got a special lifetime founder rate waiting for you.
4 Nov 2025
ADHD and the Myth of “If You Really Wanted To, You Would”
You know the drill: you plan the family vacation like a spreadsheet-wielding wizard, but you still haven’t scheduled that doctor’s appointment. You can hyperfocus on a creative project for hours, but your laundry is now a sentient being. You never miss game night—but you forgot your kid’s permission slip again.
Cue the judgment:
“If you really wanted to do it, you would.”
“If it really mattered to you, you’d remember.”
And yeah… that sounds reasonable. But it’s also not the whole story.
In this episode, we’re digging into one of the most damaging struggles with ADHD — the idea that your inconsistent follow-through means you don’t care enough, or you’re not trying hard enough.
Here’s what we’re unpacking:
What situational variability really means (and why your brain can’t “just do it” on command)
The deeper story behind the interest-based nervous system—and why interest alone isn’t enough
How dopamine, emotion, and working memory mess with motivation
The shame spiral this myth creates, and why it’s so hard to escape it
How to reframe the problem, repair relationships, and start building consistency with ADHD-friendly tools and support
✨ Whether you're the ADHDer struggling to show up consistently — or the person on the other side of the hurt — this episode will help you understand what’s actually going on, and what you can do about it.
💬 Listener Reflection Prompt:
Where have you confused inconsistency with not caring? What kind of support — or conversation — could help bridge that gap?
🎧 If this hit home for you, share it with someone who needs to hear it: a partner, a parent, a friend, a coworker. Understanding is the first step to healing the disconnect.
Resources
https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-motivation-problems-getting-started-on-tough-projects/?srsltid=AfmBOorYiX5S2OCrzCVSMd986hO5cLep0S6bJeQ9uu2cVlvfeLT5bJ0c (https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-motivation-problems-getting-started-on-tough-projects/?srsltid=AfmBOorYiX5S2OCrzCVSMd986hO5cLep0S6bJeQ9uu2cVlvfeLT5bJ0c)
https://chadd.org/adhd-news/adhd-news-adults/how-to-deal-with-situational-variability/ (https://chadd.org/adhd-news/adhd-news-adults/how-to-deal-with-situational-variability/)
2 Sept 2025
ADHD & The Morning Doomscroll Trap: Why We Get Stuck and How to Break Free
Ever grab your phone “just for a second” in the morning … and suddenly it’s 45 minutes later, your coffee’s cold, and you feel like the day already slipped away? ADHD brains are especially vulnerable to doomscrolling, and it often sucks the life out of our day when we start doing it before we even get out of bed.
In this episode of ADHD Adult(ish), I break down:
Why mornings make us extra prone to scrolling spirals.
Why doomscrolling is basically the junk food of dopamine.
Simple swaps to break the morning doomscroll cycle.
Quick tricks to break free in the moment if you realize you’ve already been sucked in.
Whether you want to cut the scroll entirely or just stop it from hijacking your whole morning, this episode has you covered.
Links & Resources:
Come say hi on Instagram → @adhdadultish (https://instagram.com/adhdadultish)
Want help making life less chaotic? → levelupadhd.com (https://www.levelupmyadhd.com/)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
291,581
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 51 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
37
Social presence
90
YouTube
86
Engagement
32
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