Performance Under Pressure is a podcast for high-achieving women navigating ADHD, motherhood, business, burnout, and the invisible pressure behind doing it all.
Hosted by Katie Nickel, performance strategist and trained mental health counselor, the show explores the real-life pressure patterns that keep capable women over-functioning—and what happens when the systems that once worked stop working.
Through honest stories, conversations, and practical insights, we’ll unpack how to build a life and business that actually works in real life.
Performance isn’t the problem. Pressure is.
Self-care isn't fixing your mental health. It's just one more thing on your to-do list that you're failing at.
Three kids, the biggest burnout of my life, a stronger marriage, and grad school for mental health counseling. On paper, life was finally good. So why was I crying on my half-bathroom floor?
In this episode of ADHD & Motherhood: How I Got Here, I'm sharing the part of my mental health story I hid from everyone, even my husband. We talk about mom anxiety and depression, the three "punches" that knocked me down (second-guessing, becoming the full-time parent, and an identity crisis), what my first therapy appointment was really like, and why I was so nervous about anti-anxiety medication despite training as a counselor.
If you're a high-achieving mom who looks like she has it all together but secretly feels like she's failing, this one's for you. It's not just you.
In this episode:
Why self-care can feel like another performance review
The hidden pressure of being "the one who holds it all together"
What therapy actually looked like (spoiler: nobody came to take me away)
Making an informed decision about medication
Why needing help isn't the failure
Content note: This episode discusses anxiety, depression, and dark thoughts. If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, (https://988lifeline.org/get-help/) anytime.
Want an episode on how to get mental health help? DM me on Instagram: @thenickelcollective (http://instagram.com/thenickelcollective)
Performance Under Pressure is the podcast for high-achieving women navigating ADHD, motherhood, and the invisible pressure of doing it all. New episodes every Monday.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.
Chapters/Estimated Time Stamps:
00:00 Content Note & 988 Resources
00:40 Why Self-Care Wasn't Fixing My Mental Health
01:40 Welcome to Performance Under Pressure
02:10 ADHD & Motherhood: How I Got Here
03:30 Growing Up When Therapy Wasn't Talked About
05:20 When Life Was Finally "Good on Paper"
06:05 Round 1: The Second-Guessing
06:50 Round 2: Becoming the Full-Time Parent
09:00 Trying to Self-Care My Way Out
09:55 Round 3: The Identity Crisis
11:35 Telling My Husband "I'm Not Okay"
12:45 My First Therapy Appointment
14:35 Why I Was Nervous About Anti-Anxiety Medication
16:05 Leaving Therapy (and Why It Sounds Familiar)
16:55 The Problem: "I Thought I Was Failing at Self-Care"
18:30 The Pressure: Being the One Who Holds It All Together
19:30 It's Not Just You
20:25 The Reframe: Self-Care Was Never a Solo Project
21:10 How to Reach Me + Next Episode
28 Sept 2026
Why Being Good Under Pressure Is Breaking You | ADHD & Motherhood
Being really good under pressure isn't a strength. For a lot of us, it's the thing that's slowly breaking us.
Baby #3 is here, and this was supposed to be my breakthrough season. I left the job that was draining me, launched my own business, kept up with grad school during nap times, and pulled off childcare at the very last second. Win after win after win.
So why did everything feel like it was on fire?
In this episode of ADHD & Motherhood: How I Got Here, I'm taking you into the season when I thought I'd finally figured it out. It's also when I realized I had no idea how to operate without pressure. Each last-minute win was teaching my nervous system the same lesson: pressure works. Until the bill came due.
In this episode:
Why baby #3 was my easiest baby in my hardest season
What happened when a full-time job stopped holding my ADHD together
The daycare scramble, the part-time identity crisis, and leaving to start my own business
How every "win" became more proof that pressure works
The crash, and my first-ever therapy appointment (while in grad school for counseling, no less)
Survival Over Performance: why your nervous system stays on edge even when things are going well
If you remember one thing:
Before you count the win, count the cost, because your nervous system is taking notes either way.
Connect with Katie:
📲 Follow along on Instagram: @thenickelcollective (http://instagram.com/thenickelcollective)
💬 Raising neurodivergent kids? DM me on Instagram (http://instagram.com/thenickelcollective)if you'd like an episode on how I handled it.
New episodes every Monday. If this one hit home, follow the show and share it with the mom who always "has it handled."
Performance isn't the problem. Pressure is.
EPISODE CHAPTERS
(00:00) Why being good under pressure is breaking you
(02:00) Baby #3: my easiest baby in my hardest season
(03:50) Losing the job that held my ADHD together
(05:30) Part-time work and my identity crisis
(07:00) Leaving to start my own business
(08:00) Grad school during nap times
(08:45) The crash and my first therapy appointment
(10:30) Pressure works… until the bill comes due
(12:40) Why this hits ADHD women so hard
(13:50) The reframe and one takeaway
(14:10) Survival Over Performance + where to find me
22 Sept 2026
ADHD & Motherhood | The Year Everything Broke
I went from feeling like I was on top of the world to watching it end... in nine months. This is that story.
This is the next chapter of ADHD & Motherhood: How I Got Here — and it's not about ADHD symptoms. It's about what happens when being "the fixer" becomes the thing that keeps you stuck.
I unpack two ideas I keep coming back to: The Competence Trap (capable people get handed more, just because they can handle it) and Leadership Gravity (why it's almost impossible to admit you don't want to carry something anymore).
If you're a high-achieving woman with ADHD who's exhausted from proving you can handle everything, this one's for you.
🎧 Subscribe to Performance Under Pressure for weekly conversations on ADHD, burnout, motherhood, and the pressure behind trying to do it all.
💬 DM me on Instagram @thenickelcollective (http://instagram.com/thenickelcollective)— I read every message myself
🎙️The Competence Trap Episodes: Burnout (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/performance-under-pressure/id1879837229?i=1000752873927), Decisiveness (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/performance-under-pressure/id1879837229?i=1000753629184),
🎙️Leadership Gravity Episodes: Leaders (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/performance-under-pressure/id1879837229?i=1000754447825), Systems (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/performance-under-pressure/id1879837229?i=1000755085519), Home (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/performance-under-pressure/id1879837229?i=1000755751926), Action (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/performance-under-pressure/id1879837229?i=1000756316579)
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
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