Repetitive tasks can quietly drain mental energy for adults with ADHD — especially when they require remembering steps, starting from scratch, or constantly reinventing the wheel.

In this episode of ADHD Support Talk Radio, host Tara McGillicuddy and co-host Lynne Edris explore how saving mental energy is not about working harder or relying on motivation. Instead, they discuss how using shortcuts like templates, checklists, guides, routines, and simple personal automations can make everyday life easier for the ADHD brain.

This conversation focuses on why repetitive tasks often feel more exhausting than creative or new work, and how executive function overload contributes to procrastination, overwhelm, and mental paralysis. By externalizing steps and decisions, shortcuts help reduce mental fatigue, prevent common mistakes, and make it easier to get started on tasks that have been done many times before.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why repetitive tasks are so draining for ADHD brains

• How templates and checklists reduce mental load

• Why starting from scratch makes tasks harder to begin

• How structure can actually support creativity

• Practical ways to make everyday tasks easier to manage

This episode is especially helpful if you feel overwhelmed by responsibilities you've handled many times before, struggle with follow-through, or feel burned out by tasks that shouldn't feel so hard.

ADHD Support Talk Radio is one of the longest-running podcasts for adults with ADHD, offering practical strategies, real conversations, and support to help listeners move from stuck to action.

ADHD Support Talk Radio
https://adhdsupporttalk.com/

ADDClasses – ADHD support, education, and events
https://addclasses.com/

Learn more about Tara McGillicuddy
https://taramcgillicuddy.com/

Learn more about Lynne Edris
https://coachingaddvantages.com/

This episode has been updated for clarity.

Emotional dysregulation is one of the most challenging — and least understood — aspects of adult ADHD. Mood swings, emotional shutdowns, irritability, overwhelm, and intense reactions are often mistaken for personality flaws, when they are actually connected to how the ADHD brain processes stress, stimulation, and emotion.

In this episode of ADHD Support Talk Radio, host Tara McGillicuddy and co-host Lynne Edris explore ADHD mood swings from a practical and compassionate perspective. They discuss why emotions often feel like they escalate quickly, how emotional buildup happens beneath the surface, and why the "last straw" is rarely the real cause of emotional reactions.

This conversation covers:

• What emotional dysregulation looks like in adults with ADHD

• Why mood swings are often the result of accumulated stress and overload

• Common triggers such as interruptions, transitions, boundaries, and exhaustion

• How emotional dysregulation impacts productivity, relationships, and self-trust

• Early warning signs that signal emotional overload before it escalates

• ADHD-friendly ways to pause, reset, and recover

• Why self-compassion is essential after emotional reactions

Rather than focusing on emotional control or perfection, this episode emphasizes awareness, preparation, and compassion as key tools for improving emotional regulation over time.

This episode is especially helpful for adults with ADHD who feel stuck in cycles of overwhelm, emotional paralysis, or self-criticism — and want to better understand their emotional experiences without judgment.

Learn more and connect here:

ADHD Support Talk Radio
https://adhdsupporttalk.com

Tara McGillicuddy
https://www.taramcgillicuddy.com

Lynne Edris
https://www.coachingadvantages.com

Procrastination is one of the most common labels adults with ADHD use when they feel stuck — but in many cases, it's not what's really happening.

In this episode of ADHD Support Talk Radio, Tara McGillicuddy explains why what looks like procrastination for adults with ADHD is often actually brain overload. Too many thoughts, too much information, and too much pressure can shut down action, even when motivation is high.

Tara explores how information overload, mental clutter, and urgency can make it harder to start or follow through — and why trying harder often makes things worse. She also explains why vague goals like "start" or "get organized" increase overwhelm, and how identifying one clear, specific action can help reduce overload and make movement possible again.

This episode offers a more compassionate and practical way to understand why ADHD brains get stuck — and what actually helps when taking action feels impossible.

Links & Resources

• Tara's Website + Action Sessions: https://www.TaraMcGillicuddy.com
• Free ADHD Support Resources: https://www.ADDclasses.com
• ADHD Blog: https://www.MyADDblog.com
• Podcast Community: https://www.ADHDsupporttalk.com