Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with ADHD, ADD

David A Greenwood
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Jan 8, 2026 • 24min

Navigating the Adult ADHD Survival Mode Trap

In this episode, Dave takes a "street-smart" look at a cycle many high achievers with ADHD know all too well. Survival mode and ADHD! It's that grueling state where you're constantly reacting to fires, clawing your way to Friday, and feeling emotionally depleted at home. Dave will explore why survival mode is a nervous system response rather than a personal failure, and how to shift from chaotic reaction to intentional action. Key Highlights: Defining the Struggle: Identifying signs like constant urgency, mental exhaustion, and the "reaction vs. planning" loop. The High-Achiever Trap: Why being reliable and saying "yes" often rewards survival mode early on but leads to unsustainable burnout. Stabilize, Don't Optimize: Forget perfect routines; focus on "predictability" and small "home base" stabilizers to lower stress. Reclaiming Agency: Moving from "I have no control" to "I can influence this" through strategic delays and better boundaries. Redefining Success: Shifting your goals to match your current season of life, prioritizing sustainable energy over constant output. **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
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Jan 2, 2026 • 20min

Why Vision and Values Matter for The Busy Professional with ADHD

Discover why having a clear vision and set values is crucial for professionals with ADHD. Explore how misaligned values can lead to burnout and frustration. Learn the stark difference between chasing urgency and being intentional about your goals. David shares usable values like autonomy and creativity, reframing what fulfillment and productivity mean for an ADHD mind. Plus, practical exercises to help you align your commitments with your core values for greater momentum and less stress!
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7 snips
Dec 26, 2025 • 41min

Managing Your Nervous System and Energy for the ADHD Professional

In a thought-provoking discussion, EFT Master Practitioner Theresa Lear Levine shares insights on managing ADHD for high-achieving professionals. She reframes ADHD as a brain-environment mismatch, emphasizing the need for emotional regulation to enhance executive function. Theresa introduces EFT as a tool to calm anxiety and mitigate chronic stress, explaining its physiological benefits. They delve into the importance of slowing down to prevent burnout, exploring simple tools like breathwork and tapping to restore focus and joy in busy lives.
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Dec 18, 2025 • 21min

Building Awareness & Clarity as a Busy Adult with ADHD

Navigating life with Adult ADHD often feels overwhelming, but awareness is the key to meaningful change. Recognizing your unique strengths, like creativity and energy, can help you thrive. Discover the importance of pinpointing daily challenges and developing personalized strategies to overcome them. Embrace self-compassion as a performance enhancer and learn how small adjustments can rebuild trust with yourself. Ultimately, it's about leveraging your ADHD wiring to create a roadmap to clarity and success.
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Dec 12, 2025 • 30min

Navigating Life's Complexities with Adult ADHD

Juggling a demanding career and the unique challenges of adult ADHD can be tough enough. But what happens when you add significant life commitments, like caregiving, into the mix? In this episode of Overcoming Distractions, Dave welcomes Lisa Candera, a mom, attorney, ADHD-er, and autism mom coach. They dive deep into the real-world strategies for managing a full, complex life while respecting and even leveraging your ADHD wiring. Lisa shares her personal journey of late-in-life ADHD diagnosis and the radical compassion it unlocked. This episode is packed with essential insights on managing burnout, mastering self-regulation, and finding grace amidst the chaos. For Busy Professionals with ADHD: Customized Support is Key: For adults with demanding careers, support (from a coach or mentor) should meet you where you are! There is no one-size-fits-all "playbook" for ADHD. Embrace Individual Needs: Recognize and respect your unique sensory environment. Some thrive in dead silence (like David), while others need background stimulation (like Lisa, who studied for the bar in coffee shops). Unexpected Coping Tools: Simple items can be life-savers. Lisa's AirPods/earphones help with focus, enjoyment (listening to true crime), and self-regulating her sound sensitivity and quick startle response. The Adult ADHD "Click": Many adults with ADHD are diagnosed later in life, often after a child's diagnosis. What seemed like stress, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation often turns out to be a manifestation of their neurotype. The Caregiving Challenge: When you have caregiving or high-level family responsibilities, you often experience a next level of exhaustion. Bringing home complexities into the workplace is a reality that contributes to burnout. Practice Radical Compassion: Apply the same love, grace, and understanding you afford a struggling child or friend to yourself. This helps reframe struggles that you previously saw as character flaws as part of your wiring. Find Lisa Candera on her Website: theautismmomcoach.com **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min Buy Dave a cup of coffee and support the show here! https://buymeacoffee.com/overcomingd
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Dec 5, 2025 • 21min

When ADHD Stops Being the Excuse- From Complaining to Commanding

In high-pressure careers, stress is constant, and for adults with ADHD, that pressure can quickly turn into frustration, overwhelm, and chronic complaining. In this short episode, Dave digs into one of the most important personal upgrades you can make: shifting from reacting to your problems to actively solving them. This isn't about ignoring stress or pretending things are easy…It's about learning how to reclaim control, build momentum, and become someone who figures things out instead of staying stuck in the same mental loop. Remember, those of us with Adult ADHD are great problem solvers! Key Discussion Points: Why the "complaint loop" feels productive, but quietly drains your energy and power The critical difference between venting for relief and problem-solving for change How ADHD magnifies overwhelm, and why shrinking problems restores momentum The one question that instantly shifts you from reaction mode into solution mode How language shapes your outcomes: replacing emotional drama with usable data Why problem solvers don't wait for perfect clarity, they take imperfect action fast The identity shift that changes everything: becoming "the person who figures it out" If you feel stuck in the same frustrations at work or at home, this episode will give you a practical, actionable roadmap to move forward, one small decision at a time. **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min Buy Dave a cup of coffee and support the show here! https://buymeacoffee.com/overcomingd
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9 snips
Dec 1, 2025 • 22min

The Power of the Not-To-Do List for the Busy Adult with ADHD

Discover the power of a Not-To-Do List to boost productivity by focusing on what to eliminate. Learn how to identify energy drainers like constant emails and unnecessary meetings. Find out why setting boundaries is crucial for maintaining focus and how to delegate low-value tasks to prioritize what truly matters. Get tips for a weekly review practice to refine your list and enhance efficiency. If you're feeling busy but not productive, this approach could help reclaim your time and energy!
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Nov 7, 2025 • 19min

ADHD time management is nothing without energy management

Discover how your ADHD brain has unique energy rhythms that dictate productivity. Time management fails when energy isn't considered, as tasks on your to-do list might remain undone due to brain chemistry. Learn to identify your focus zones and protect them fiercely. Understand the difference between energy and focus to match tasks with your energy levels. Embrace fluctuating focus and adapt your approach, treating peak productivity times like important appointments to optimize your work.
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Oct 29, 2025 • 33min

Understanding ADHD in Adults and the Late Diagnosis Journey

Dave welcomes Dr. Jennifer Dall, a grief-informed neurodivergence specialist and founder of ADHD Holistically, to discuss the increasingly common experience of being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, often in your 30s, 40s, or 50s. Many adults, particularly those who were successful in their early careers or excelled in structured environments like school, find themselves suddenly struggling when life's demands and structures change. Dr. Dall shares her own candid journey of a later-in-life diagnosis, from initial misdiagnosis to the ultimate "Aha!" moment, and provides actionable insights on how to navigate the complex emotional and practical aspects of this discovery. This conversation is an essential listen whether you're newly diagnosed, suspect you have ADHD, or simply want a deeper understanding of the adult ADHD experience. **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min
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5 snips
Oct 23, 2025 • 26min

Adult ADHD and Burnout-When we can't just walk away

Burnout when you have adult ADHD is complex. It's not as simple as social media makes it look. Sure, sometimes people walk away from a stressful job or career. But let's be honest….that's not always possible. You've probably heard the phrase, "People don't leave jobs, they leave people." Well, that's not always true. People do leave jobs. But what happens when you can't leave? What if you're running a business you own? Or working a job you depend on financially? Or caring for a loved one, a responsibility that's not optional or short-term? These are situations you can't just walk away from. You have to find a way to make it work. One of the biggest drivers of burnout is the feeling that your situation isn't going to change anytime soon. So in today's episode, we're talking about realistic, practical strategies for navigating burnout when you're stuck in a situation that's not easily changed. If you take away just one thing from today's episode, let it be this: You have to become a problem solver. Because when your circumstances can't change, your approach has to. **Do you want to work with Dave one-on-one? Go to www.overcomingdistractions.com and book an introductory Zoom chat. Or go directly to Dave's calendar; https://calendly.com/davidgreenwood1/15min

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