Flourish:Women with ADHD

09/20/2025

ND Burnout Is Real 🔥

It’s not laziness. It’s system overload.

🧠 What it can look like: sudden shutdown, foggy or blank, tools that stop working, feeling extra sensitive or irritable.

Why it happens? Masking nonstop. Sensory floods. Too many demands. Not enough reset time. And all the little “Why can’t you just…?” comments that pile up.

😵‍💫 Burnout isn’t failure → it’s your system protecting itself.

💡 Recovery = rebuilding capacity. That means lowering the bar, leaning into silence + softness, giving yourself space to stim, nap, move gently, or just be. Recovery takes time, and that’s normal.

🔄 Burnout runs in cycles: Function → Overwhelm → Shutdown → Recovery. You’re not broken. You’re adapting.

🖍️ Say it with me:
“I get to slow down.”
“I am not a machine.”
“Rest is my right.”

✨ Check in with yourself today: Foggy? Tired? Snappy? Overheated?
👉 Then give yourself permission to rest despite the guilt.

03/19/2025

Build Self-Awareness Through Curiosity, Not Control

💡 Why? Self-regulation isn’t about "stopping" impulses—it’s about understanding what the body and brain need at the moment. Teaching your child about this connection is an invaluable lifelong skill.

✅ Ways to Work Together:

Reflect without judgment: "I noticed you got really excited and jumped in—did you feel that energy building up?"

💬 "I love how excited we are to share our thoughts! Let’s figure out how to ensure we hear each other."

Help kids connect cause and effect: "It seems like transitions are tricky—how can we make them easier?"

👉 The goal isn’t to "fix" ADHD energy, but to understand how to manage it together.

Tools and Tips for Neurodivergent Affirming Parenting

03/12/2025

Research shows speaking to yourself in the second or third person helps regulate emotions by creating psychological distance, allowing you to respond with support rather than criticism.

2. Name the Emotion (If You Can) & Explain Why It Makes Sense
When you put words to your emotions, your brain processes them more effectively.

Say:

Kristen, you are feeling overwhelmed and shut down because you have a lot to do today. The tasks take a lot of executive function and involve dealing with people. That’s hard for you.

Formula

🗣️“[Your name], you are feeling [ insert feeling] because you have a lot to do today. That makes sense.” https://open.substack.com/pub/kristenlynnmcclure/p/why-self-validation-matters-for-adhd?r=5ptrw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

02/26/2025

Imagine being asked to sit still, stop moving, and focus—even when your body is telling you to do the opposite. For neurodivergent kids, classrooms can feel like an obstacle course designed for someone else’s brain. But what if we built classrooms that worked for all brains?

Tools and Tips for Neurodivergent Affirming Parenting

01/28/2025

Your emotions are signals to guide your decisions. 🌟 Overwhelm is a sign that your environment might be too much.

When you feel this way, try practicing self-accommodation by asking yourself:

🤔 How can I make this task simpler for myself?

🔄 What changes would make this feel easier?

🚫 What if I decided not to do this at all?

Start small and notice the difference! 🌼

https://open.substack.com/pub/kristenlynnmcclure/p/stop-pushing-harder-embrace-self?r=5ptrw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

01/23/2025

1️⃣ Pause and Reflect
Ask:
🧠 What do my body and brain need most right now?
🌟 What small, intentional change can I try tomorrow to meet that need?

Do you stay up late scrolling, binge-watching, or diving into hobbies?

01/21/2025

Starting can feel daunting because of the mental energy it takes to shift focus or overcome .
You’re not alone, and this pattern is common for minds. Be kind to yourself and celebrate any step forward!

01/21/2025

Struggling with tasks that feel burdensome? ADHD brains often resist being told what to do or feeling like they have to do something—it can create stress and spark a sense of rebellion.

Struggling with tasks that feel burdensome?

01/20/2025

Many ADHD women get good grades and are told they are too bright to be an ADHD person. Unfortunately, this is a myth. ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence.

01/20/2025

What if the right song could help you focus? New research from Northeastern University and brain.fm shows that specially designed music with rapid modulations—quick changes in sound intensity—can improve focus by syncing with your brain’s natural rhythms. https://substack.com//note/c-87297076

What if the right song could help you focus? New research from Northeastern University and Brain.fm shows that specially designed music with rapid modulations—quick changes in sound intensity—can improve focus by syncing with your brain’s natural rhythms. https://open.substack.com/pub/theadhda...

01/18/2025

Your Child Doesn’t Need to Be Fixed 🦋

Your child’s brain isn’t broken, delayed, or deficient—it’s beautifully wired for wonder, discovery, and diving deeply into what matters most to them.

ADHD individuals are gifts to the world, yet they are often not taught to see their strengths. Without this support, their potential may go unexplored—even though the world desperately needs passionate specialists and innovative thinkers.

Your Child Doesn’t Need to Be Fixed 🦋 Your child’s brain isn’t broken, delayed, or deficient—it’s beautifully wired for wonder, discovery, and diving deeply into what matters most to them. ADHD individuals are gifts to the world, yet they are often not taught to see their strengths. Wit...

01/13/2025

5 triggers for anxiety in ADHD women and solutions.

Of course you're anxious