What I Wish I'd Known Earlier About ADHD, Burnout and Saying No

Looking for further guidance and support on ADHD Women's Wellbeing? Check out my resource library here or search for any topic you need on the Podcast here. What if the conversation you needed to hear wasn't one Kate was leading, but one where she was being asked the questions for a change? Welcome back to a More Yourself Monday episode. This week I'm sharing a conversation I had as a guest on the Limited Time Only podcast, hosted by Esther Stanford and Susie Riddell. It's a beautifully produced show that feels like a proper chin wag over a cup of tea, and I had such a good time talking to them. In this conversation, we go into some topics that don't always get as much space on the main podcast: what my life looked like before diagnosis, the shame that came with finally getting those answers, and the very real experience of sensory overload and limited social batteries. We also talk about how burnout can creep in quietly rather than arriving all at once, how hormones and perimenopause can amplify everything, and why decompression and downtime aren't luxuries; they're necessities. I hope you find it as useful and validating to listen to as I found it to record. In this episode, we cover: What Kate's life looked like before her ADHD diagnosis at 40, and how her daughter's struggles during the pandemic finally connected the dots Why the initial reaction to diagnosis is so often shame rather than relief, and how that shifts over time Sensory sensitivities, limited social batteries and why understanding these is so freeing Why ADHD and trauma are deeply interlinked, but trauma does not cause ADHD How fluctuating hormones and perimenopause amplify ADHD traits, and why this hits neurodivergent women harder What ADHD burnout actually looks and feels like when it builds slowly rather than arriving all at once Knowing which "season" you're in and why that matters before making any big decisions Why decompression time is non-negotiable, not a nice-to-have Simple daily practices: movement, outdoor time and breathwork to regulate your nervous system Learning to say no, protect your bandwidth and stop performing for everyone else Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome to this More Yourself episode 01:00 - Introducing the Limited Time Only podcast and what this conversation covers 02:58 - Kate's story: life before diagnosis and how her daughter's struggles led to both of their assessments 07:34 - Why girls with ADHD get missed, and the epidemic myth 08:50 - The shame that comes with diagnosis, and navigating it publicly 10:33 - Labels, autism, and finding language that doesn't hold us back 15:02 - Sensory sensitivities, limited social batteries and permission to protect your energy 18:27 - The parent experience: protecting yourself when you're already pouring into everyone else 23:14 - Hormones, perimenopause and why ADHD traits can feel amplified in midlife 28:57 - Gabor Maté, trauma and ADHD: why Kate disagrees with the causation theory 34:56 - Burnout, boundaries and knowing your bandwidth 40:42 - The empowerment of finally knowing your limits 49:50 - How to recognise which season you're in 52:33 - What ADHD burnout really looks like when it creeps in slowly 55:22 - Simple practices: movement, breathwork and giving yourself buffers Links and Resources: Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website here. Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_pod Get my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) here Join the More Yourself membership community here Listen to the Limited Time Only podcast on Spotify here and Apple here Follow Limited Time Only on Instagram: @limitedtimeonlypodcast Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices