The unique mental load of moms with ADHD: Being a mom means managing meals, homework, doctor’s appointments, birthday parties, emotional support, and more. When you add ADHD to the mix, the mental load can become overwhelming. Many moms with ADHD find that planners, routines, and color-coded calendars never seem to stick, and it’s not because they’re lazy or disorganized. Traditional systems simply weren’t built for your brain or your lifestyle.

Planners are difficult for adults with ADHD because of executive function challenges: ADHD disrupts the brain’s executive functions, which are essential for managing time, organizing tasks, and following through. Planners require initiation, organization, working memory, sustained attention, and task monitoring, which are precisely the areas where adults with ADHD struggle. Maintaining a planner can feel like a job in itself.

Stimming, short for “self-stimulatory behavior,” refers to repetitive movements or sounds that help regulate attention. They can include leg bouncing, doodling, chewing on pens or gum, tapping fingers or nails, using fidget toys, humming, throat clearing, or vocal tics. These behaviors may intensify when you’re bored, overstimulated, emotionally overloaded, or hyper-focused. Instead of being a bad habit, stimming serves as an adaptive coping mechanism for many ADHD brains.

What is ADHD shutdown? ADHD shutdown is a powerful and often invisible state of paralysis where individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder become mentally, emotionally, and physically overwhelmed. Unlike procrastination or simple fatigue, ADHD shutdown is a neurological response to stress, executive dysfunction, and emotional overload. Recognizing the symptoms of ADHD shutdown ADHD shutdown is frequently misinterpreted as laziness, avoidance, or moodiness, but

The relationship between ADHD and sleep: The connection between ADHD and sleep is complex and deeply intertwined. Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder often struggle to fall and stay asleep, and poor sleep can significantly worsen ADHD symptoms. Recognizing and addressing this cycle is crucial for improving both focus and overall well-being.