In this week’s 'Wisdom' episode, we explore the connection between ADHD, perfectionism, and burnout, and how these patterns often shape our daily lives without us realising.
I've also written about this deeply personal topic in Chapter 6 (Prevent Burnout) of my upcoming new book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit. On today's episode, we revisit conversations with Natalie Englander, an accredited senior CBT therapist and Michaela Thomas, a Clinical Psychologist, coach and author.
From procrastination and people-pleasing to self-criticism and the pressure to keep going, we unpack the emotional toll perfectionism can take. We also discuss practical tools like mindfulness and how reframing perfectionism with curiosity and compassion can help us work with our brains, not against them.
🌟 My new book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit, is available to preorder here🌟
What You’ll Learn:
- What perfectionism can look like in ADHD women - including procrastination, overthinking, people pleasing, self-criticism and imposter syndrome
- The strong link between self-worth, achievement and burnout, and why this dynamic is so common in neurodivergent minds
- How to reframe perfectionism so it becomes something you work with, rather than constantly fighting against
- Why ADHD brains are more likely to fall into the boom and bust cycle, and how it can lead to burnout
- Understanding the ADHD brain’s dopamine response and why pushing through isn’t always the answer
- The reasons ADHD makes us more vulnerable to burnout, and how we can start making small, protective changes
- How to use mindfulness and thought-challenging tools to quiet your inner critic and reduce feelings of shame
- The power of self-compassion in making sense of your ADHD and building sustainable, supportive habits that actually work for you
Timestamps:
- 05:30 - Understanding Perfectionism and ADHD
- 07:37 - Considering the Root of Perfectionism in ADHD
- 14:56 - Using Mindfulness and Thought Checking as a Tool for Perfectionism
- 16:40 - Introduction to Michaela Thomas
- 17:33 - Discussing the Boom or Bust Cycle
- 20:42 - Navigating Burnout and Self-Care
- 27:31 - Finding Compassion for Understanding and Taking Action with ADHD
If you’re facing common ADHD challenges like perfectionism, imposter syndrome, people pleasing and procrastination, please know you're not alone. If you'd like to learn more about how to navigate burnout, you can watch Kate's latest workshop [here].
Links and Resources:
- Missed our ADHD Women’s Summer Series? Get the Perfectionism and Procrastination workshop [here].
- Preorder my book: The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit [here].
- Join the Waitlist for my new ADHD community-first membership launching in September [