From Stuck to Started: ADHD Paralysis Explained

Travel Smarter, Not Harder: Solo Travel Tips for ADHD Brains

Travel can be exciting, freeing, and a little overwhelming—especially when you’re doing it solo and your brain has ADHD. In this episode, recorded from the middle of a two-week trip, I share some of my favorite ADHD-friendly travel tips. From packing lighter and planning for laundry to building in buffer time and giving yourself permission to change your mind, these are practical strategies that help make travel less stressful and more enjoyable. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a longer adventure, these simple ideas can help you travel with more confidence and a lot less overwhelm. In This Episode: * Why packing light matters when you’re traveling solo * The laundry hack that lets you bring fewer clothes * How to avoid common ADHD travel pitfalls * Staying safe while traveling alone * Using public transportation and delivery services * Why downtime is part of the trip * The importance of flexibility and changing plans * Giving yourself permission to travel your way If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Product Links (The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use, genuinely like, or believe may be helpful to my audience.) Travelon Bag: https://amzn.to/4e1RJH3 Air Tags: https://amzn.to/4u4Prg3 Loop Earbuds: https://amzn.to/4vscR0d Kind Bars (these are pricey on Amazon, I buy them on sale at the grocery store): https://amzn.to/3PDPYYp About me: Christine Dunning is a Master Certified Life Coach, owner of Two Cats Coaching, and host of A Solo Person’s Guide to ADHD. She helps single adults with ADHD create systems and support so life feels intentional instead of chaotic. Free PDF & Newsletter sign-up: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/XLi30FH [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/XLi30FH] Website: www.twocatscoaching.com [http://www.twocatscoaching.com/] Podcast homepage: https://asolopersonsguidetoadhd.buzzsprout.com [https://asolopersonsguidetoadhd.buzzsprout.com/] YouTube: www.youtube.com/@twocatscoaching2697 [http://www.youtube.com/@twocatscoaching2697] Substack: https://twocatscoaching.substack.com [https://twocatscoaching.substack.com/] Facebook (group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1332027535133386 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1332027535133386] Insta: https://www.instagram.com/twocatscoachingdenver/ [https://www.instagram.com/twocatscoachingdenver/] Want trivia fun?  I’m also a trivia master! I run a weekly online game. https://tinyurl.com/Quizlandia [https://tinyurl.com/Quizlandia]

From Doing to Done: How to Finish Tasks When You Have ADHD

From Doing to Done — How to Finish What You’ve Started Do you have unfinished projects everywhere? Half-done tasks, abandoned hobbies, paperwork piles, and things that are almost complete — but somehow never get finished? In this episode, Christine talks about why finishing is often harder than starting when you have ADHD. You’ll learn why motivation disappears mid-project, how executive functioning affects completion, and practical ways to make tasks easier to finish without relying on willpower alone. Topics include: * Why “almost done” can feel impossible * ADHD and sustained attention * Decision fatigue and task avoidance * Small steps that actually help * Building systems that support completion If you’ve ever wondered why you can start things easily but struggle to cross the finish line, this episode is for you. Did you miss the From Stuck to Starting episode? Find it here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2510471/episodes/19131825].

From Stuck to Started: ADHD Paralysis Explained

ADHD paralysis is when you want to do something—but can’t start. It’s not laziness or procrastination—it’s your brain getting stuck in a fear response. Key Shifts * Drop the shame * Stop asking “why?” → ask “what’s one step?” * Focus on starting, not finishing What Actually Helps * Get it out of your head (say it or write it) * Break tasks into very small steps * Try the Just Five Method (5-minute timer + start) * Adjust your environment (music, location, noise) * Use support (accountability, body doubling) Try This! Pick one task and do just five minutes. Next episode: From Doing to Done: How to Finish What You Start

How My ADHD Self Gets Dishes and Laundry Done (and you can, too)!

Laundry and dishes are some of the hardest chores for people with ADHD because they’re repetitive, low-reward, and never truly finished—so there’s little dopamine payoff to keep you motivated. Add in executive dysfunction, difficulty getting started, and that familiar “out of sight, out of mind” thinking, and it’s easy for these tasks to pile up.  In this episode, Christine shares simple, ADHD-friendly strategies to make these chores more manageable, like reducing multitasking, adding dopamine boosts (music, podcasts, YouTube), using “fresh eyes” to reset your perspective, and setting up your environment to reduce friction. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s finding systems that actually work with your brain so these tasks stop hanging over your head. This episode may include affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase—at no additional cost to you. Magnetic lint bin: https://amzn.to/4slXQLh [https://amzn.to/4slXQLh] Dryer sheet holder: https://amzn.to/4cbtdC2 [https://amzn.to/4cbtdC2] Magnetic strip: https://amzn.to/4cbu06i [https://amzn.to/4cbu06i] Want my free PDF outlining all this? Check it out below! QUICK LINKS PDF: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/XLi30FH [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/XLi30FH] Website: www.twocatscoaching.com [http://www.twocatscoaching.com/] Podcast homepage: https://asolopersonsguidetoadhd.buzzsprout.com [https://asolopersonsguidetoadhd.buzzsprout.com/] YouTube: www.youtube.com/@twocatscoaching2697 [http://www.youtube.com/@twocatscoaching2697]

The ASSAP Framework: A is for Anchoring and P is for Pace

Making Life Easier Without Starting Over Again A Solo Person’s Guide to ADHD In this episode, we talk about what comes after Structure. If you’ve been following along, you already know: * Overwhelm isn’t a motivation problem. * Staying functional matters more than staying calm. * Most frustration comes from solving the wrong problem. Now we address the part that keeps breaking for so many people: The reset cycle. The new planner. The new system. The new promise. And then—starting over again. This episode explains why that cycle is so exhausting, and how to stop living from zero. The Real Drain: Decision Fatigue It’s not laziness. It’s not lack of discipline. It’s decision load. When you live alone, you carry: * Every micro-decision * Every default * Every background choice No shared systems. No second brain. Anchor and Pace are the final pieces of the ASSAP framework that reduce that load. Anchor: Reducing Decision Friction Anchors are not rules. They’re defaults. Instead of: “I’ll decide in the moment.” You create: “When X happens, Y is already decided.” Examples: * Keys always go in the same place. * Same parking row at the grocery store. * Low energy = no new projects. * Avoidance = pause, not push. Anchors don’t remove freedom. They remove friction. And friction—not character—is what usually breaks systems. A Critical Clarifier Anchors are not hacks. If you try to apply them to emotionally loaded problems without doing Access, Security, and Structure first, they won’t hold. This episode explains why. Organization Isn’t the Goal — Retrieval Is A system works only if you can retrieve what you need under stress. Structure builds the container. Anchors make it usable. Pace: Continuity, Not Speed Pace is not about doing things faster. It’s about preventing resets. Monitoring is not anxiety. Monitoring is care. If you catch problems earlier than you used to, the system is working. Progress looks like: * Fewer emergencies * Smaller corrections * Less starting over The ASSAP Loop ASSAP isn’t linear. It’s a loop: * Access – What feels off? * Security – How do I keep my thinking online? * Structure – What problem are we actually solving? Where does it live? * Anchor – How do I reduce decision fatigue? * Pace – Is this working? Do we need to loop? Smaller problems first. Lower stakes. Real feedback. That’s how change accumulates instead of resets. If This Feels Like Relief If these episodes have helped you understand why nothing else stuck, this work may be for you. I specialize in working with adults with ADHD—especially those who are single and carrying life without a built-in second brain. This podcast shares the framework. Coaching applies it to your real life. 🎁 Free Resource Download the free audio + visual map designed to help you stay steady when your thinking starts to spiral: 👉 https://twocatscoaching.com [https://twocatscoaching.com/] 💬 Coaching Learn more about working together: 👉 https://twocatscoaching.com/coaching [https://twocatscoaching.com/coaching] 📬 Contact Website: https://twocatscoaching.com [https://twocatscoaching.com/]Email: christine@twocatscoaching.com Life doesn’t get easier because you try harder. It gets easier because fewer things need rescuing.