What ADHD Actually Feels Like: Shira Levine on Medication, Focus, and Self-Acceptance – Ep 123

What does ADHD actually feel like in your body and mind?

Shira Levine was diagnosed in the 1980s — and describes the moment medication helped her feel grounded for the first time.

Shira is a Silicon Valley–trained marketing and customer engagement strategist with decades of experience in retention, loyalty, and community-driven growth. Diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager in the 1980s, she brings a rare long-term perspective on neurodiversity, work, creativity, and self-acceptance.

Episode Highlights:

00:06:30 — What ADHD feels like in the body
Shira describes living with ADHD as walking on pavement covered by a thin layer of water — never fully grounded. Medication didn’t “fix” her, but helped her finally feel present and connected to the world.

00:17:20 — Productivity, dragons, and scope creep
She explains how neurodivergent people often solve problems that aren’t theirs to solve. Learning when to say no became essential to doing meaningful work.

00:18:45 — Ruthless prioritization without shame
Shira reframes prioritization not as discipline, but as protection against overwhelm. Seeing too much can be a strength — if boundaries exist.

00:29:00 — Why she rejects minimalism
Minimalism and rigid productivity systems never worked for her ADHD brain. She gives explicit permission to reject trends that create more shame than clarity.

00:30:30 — Fidgets, movement, and regulation
From shells to paper clips, Shira explains how keeping her hands busy helps her stay present. Regulation, not stillness, is the goal.

00:33:00 — Designing tools for real ADHD lives
She describes the need for multidimensional timers that match how neurodivergent people actually multitask. ADHD isn’t a failure of focus — it’s a different operating system.

00:35:30 — Night routines and protecting sleep
Putting her phone on another floor and reading fiction nightly helped Shira become a “gold medal sleeper.” Structure supports rest, not restriction.

00:38:00 — A simple mental exercise for racing thoughts
Listing seven things seen and seven things done becomes a grounding practice when sleep feels impossible. Focus follows structure.

00:40:30 — Self-acceptance, obsession, and dialing it down
Shira reflects on learning to work with ADHD rather than against it. Obsession and intensity aren’t flaws — the work is knowing when to modulate them.

Connect with Shira:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/supershiralevine
Website: https://fanchismo.com/

Connect with Jeremy:
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy
Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

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