ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

EP. 371: When the Problem Isn’t You - It’s the System with Stephanie Ray

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] _____ Many neurodivergent women are not struggling because they lack ability. They struggle because the systems around them were never designed for how their brains actually work. In this episode, Tracy talks with Stephanie Ray, a neurodivergent lawyer, coach, and founder of Growthset Coaching. Diagnosed with ADHD in her early 30s, Stephanie spent years succeeding on the surface while quietly struggling with memorization, rigid study methods, and performance pressure in law school and legal practice. Once she understood how her brain learns best, she stopped forcing traditional systems and built visual, movement-based, and story-driven approaches that actually worked. Tracy and Stephanie break down why standard study advice often fails ADHD learners and what makes information stick instead. They also cover imposter syndrome, accommodations, time blindness, and task initiation, along with practical strategies for studying, exam prep, and managing demanding careers. If you feel smart but still behind, this episode will help you see why and what to change. Resources: Website: https://www.growthsetcoaching.com [https://www.growthsetcoaching.com ] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-didomizio-ray-esq-75157347  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-didomizio-ray-esq-75157347 ] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift [https://tracyotsuka.com/shift] Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy]: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com]

EP. 370: When You Flip Your Lid: How to Let the Glitter Settle with Lyndsay Morris, M.ED.

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] _____ Many kids aren’t struggling because they lack motivation or discipline. They’re struggling because their nervous systems are overwhelmed. In this episode, Tracy talks with Lyndsay Morris, a former teacher and school counselor diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood, about what actually helps ADHD brains learn and regulate. Lyndsay shares how masking as the “good student” kept her ADHD hidden for years and why school only worked when learning felt engaging. What once looked like boredom, emotional sensitivity, and focus struggles were never a lack of effort. That realization reshaped her work. After years in classrooms, Lyndsay saw how often dysregulation was treated as defiance and punished instead of supported. Her approach centers on regulation, connection, and reflection as foundational skills, not behavior control, including her Regulate, Connect, Reflect framework and simple nervous system supports like movement and emotional safety. Tracy and Lyndsay also explore ADHD masking in girls, why adults must regulate themselves before expecting kids to do the same, and what changes when schools stop shaming and start teaching skills. This conversation offers practical, brain-based tools for parents, educators, and adults who want to build capacity rather than compliance. Resources: Website: https://www.generationwellness.com [https://www.generationwellness.com] Portfolio: https://www.lyndsaymorris.com [https://www.lyndsaymorris.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyndsay__morris [https://www.instagram.com/lyndsay__morris] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndsaymorris [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndsaymorris ] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift [https://tracyotsuka.com/shift] Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy]: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com]

EP. 369: Why Everything Feels Unsatisfying

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] _____ If you feel busy, stimulated, but still oddly unsatisfied, this episode will explain why.  ADHD isn’t a dopamine deficiency. It’s a regulation problem. Tracy breaks down what dopamine actually does in the ADHD brain and why chasing it through scrolling, shopping, sugar, urgency, or constant stimulation leaves so many women feeling flat or burned out. ADHD brains don’t have a broken gas tank. They have a sticky accelerator. The issue isn’t pleasure. It’s how often and how intensely we spike it. Tracy explains dopamine spikes versus baseline, why wanting outpaces liking, and why novelty driven motivation fades so quickly for ADHD brains. Drawing on neuroscience research, she shows how constant stimulation lowers baseline motivation and turns productivity hacks, new planners, and  systems into part of the same dopamine loop. This has nothing to do with discipline or follow through. It’s biology. The episode closes with practical ways to work with dopamine instead of fighting it, including dopamine pauses, time bound resets, replacement instead of restriction, and small doses of productive discomfort. Tracy explains why confidence comes from self trust and why environment design matters more than willpower. Dopamine isn’t the enemy. It’s fuel. Learning how to steer it changes everything. Resources:  * Website: tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com/] * Instagram: https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka  [https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796 [https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796] * FREE 3-days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain training on Jan 6th:  https://tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain  [https://tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain%20] * Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com  [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com%20/] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift [https://tracyotsuka.com/shift] Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy]: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com]

EP. 368: This Is What Alignment Feels Like with Clare Adams

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] _____ What if the most ADHD-friendly “plan” is simply following what lights you up? In this episode, we’re talking with Clare Adams, a British-Canadian artist, poet, community builder, and humanity advocate who was diagnosed with ADHD at 50, after both of her kids were identified. Clare’s story is full of movement and reinvention: 24 moves, a career that spans law, healthcare, finance, airline operations, marketing, and fundraising, plus a strong pull toward creativity, connection, and service. She also shares how her diagnosis first brought grief and a fix-it mindset, and what helped her come back to self-trust. We get into what changes when you stop treating ADHD like a trade-off and start seeing the “good and bad” inside the same trait, why supportive environments matter more than willpower, and why connection isn’t optional for long-term wellbeing. Clare also shares the real-world workarounds she relies on (including “racing the kettle”), the phrase that stops her perfection spiral, and the meaning behind “pretirement,” her choice to build a values-led life now instead of waiting for later. If you’ve ever felt pulled between who you are and who the world wants you to be, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Resources:  * Website: www.compassionartcreations.ca [https://www.compassionartcreations.ca]     * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61565941119375/ [https://www.facebook.com/61565941119375/]    * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/CompassionartCreations     [https://www.linkedin.com/CompassionartCreations] * Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/compassionartcreations [https://www.instagram.com/compassionartcreations] * Website: www.fishslapbooks.ca  [https://www.fishslapbooks.ca] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift [https://tracyotsuka.com/shift] Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy]: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com]

EP. 367: You Can Be Right And Still Feel Miserable; The Emotional Cost of Needing to Be Understood

Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] _____ Wanting to be understood is completely normal. Especially for ADHD women. But there’s a moment where that need quietly shifts, and suddenly we’re not trying to connect anymore. We’re trying to survive. In this episode, let’s talk about why feeling misunderstood doesn’t just feel uncomfortable. It can feel unsafe. When that happens, the nervous system takes over. The brain speeds up. We explain more. We repeat ourselves. Not because we’re trying to win an argument, but because our body is trying to prevent rejection. We explore how rejection sensitive dysphoria, a reactive amygdala, and years of being misread wire ADHD brains to overexplain as a form of self protection. Let’s unpack why overexplaining is not a communication problem, it’s a nervous system response. We explore rejection sensitive dysphoria, the empathy gap, and why saying more often creates more distance, not more understanding. We also talk about the shift that changes everything: moving from chasing understanding to choosing safety, and how to protect your energy without shrinking, defending, or disappearing. Resources:  * Website: tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com/] * Instagram: https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka  [https://instagram.com/tracyotsuka] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796 [https://www.youtube.com/@tracyotsuka4796] * FREE 3-days to Fall in Love With Your ADHD Brain training on Jan 6th:  https://tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain  [https://tracyotsuka.com/ilovemybrain%20] * Tired of ADHD strategies that don’t work? Here’s what actually does. FREE training here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com  [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com%20/] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] If this podcast helps you understand your ADHD brain, Shift helps you train it. Practice mindset work in just 10 minutes a day. Learn more at tracyotsuka.com/shift [https://tracyotsuka.com/shift] Instead of Struggling to figure out what to do next? ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem. That’s why most strategies don’t stick—they weren’t designed for how your brain actually works. Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy is different. It’s a patented, science-backed coaching program that helps you stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits. 👉Learn more here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy]: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/aok-academy] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com]