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18th March, 2025

Doctors with ADHD

With Dr Sarah Goulding

Photo of Dr Sarah Goulding

Listen to this episode

On this episode

Lots of doctors struggle with feeling scattered, overwhelmed, or out of sync with the demands of everyday life. Feeling constantly behind, dropping the ball on tasks, or battling critical thoughts can drain our energy and confidence.

Getting an ADHD diagnosis allows us to understand ourselves better and find tools that work for our unique brains. Medication can also be highly effective, and there are practical systems and routines that can help us stay on top of things.

It all starts with building small, effective routines, like regular exercise. But there are other techniques like body doubling that can be highly effective too. Automating tasks like meal prep can free up mental space, and seeking support from friends, family, or even virtual assistants can reduce the mental load.

People who struggle in silence or assume it’s “just them” often feel overwhelmed, anxious, and can get stuck in a cycle of self-criticism. This robs us of the energy and creativity we need to thrive, both at home and at work.

But support is on hand, and there are simple systems you can implement to stay on track. Small steps can lead to big changes.

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About the guests

Dr Sarah Goulding photo

Reasons to listen

  • For strategies like body doubling, automating tasks, and using routines to manage ADHD effectively in daily life
  • To embrace strengths like hyperfocus and creativity, while addressing common ADHD challenges like disorganisation and time blindness
  • To reduce mental load by seeking help, outsourcing tasks, and creating supportive systems for both work and family life

Episode highlights

00:06:51

How children with ADHD are labelled

00:12:01

How adults with ADHD can be labelled

00:17:09

The Butler

00:25:05

The trouble with meetings

00:27:36

The default mode network seesaw

00:30:59

The advantages of ADHD

00:32:27

The importance of exercise

00:33:33

The grieving process in late diagnosis

00:35:47

Automation

00:37:40

Meetings on foot

00:39:03

Body doubling

00:40:04

Backup and support

00:45:14

Sarah’s top tips

00:46:16

Rachel’s top tips

00:48:11

ADHD and menopause

00:49:01

ADHD parenting ADHD

Episode transcript

[00:00:00] Rachel: Have you ever secretly suspected you may be neurodivergent? Lots of doctors are. In fact, it may be one of the things that makes you particularly good in your role, but any strength also has its shadow side and it’s not uncommon for us to find life challenging in other areas, even if it’s easier in some. [00:00:17] Rachel: I myself have ADHD, diagnosed in the last five years and after the initial shock, I’ve lost counter the aha moments that I’ve had, and I’ve finally begun to understand fully what makes me tick, what my secret superpowers…

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