
How ADHD entrepreneurs can supercharge self compassion!
02/19/23 • 29 min
How to be kind to yourself when you miss those dopamine moments
"When we forgive ourselves, and we just add it to the list fresh, and it becomes a new task for us, we actually do give ourselves that dopamine when we get it accomplished..." - Katie McManus, Brave Business Coaching
This is the episode for ADHD entrepreneurs who don't show themselves any self compassion!
Accessibility: click to read a written-to-be-read transcript of the episode
ADHD people need a little more self compassion
In this episode, I'll be talking about self-compassion, which is often difficult for individuals with ADHD.
The reason being that throughout our lives, we've been told that we're not doing things the right way, that we're not paying attention enough, and our work isn't good enough.
All of this negative self-talk makes it hard for you to be kind to yourself as an ADHD entrepreneur.
I'm going to shares my personal experience of how my inner child is still affected by the experiences of my childhood and how easy it is to recognise it in others.
Why is self-compassion difficult for individuals with ADHD?
Growing up, we've heard negative messages that have created a harsh inner critic. This self-talk leads to us punishing ourselves when we miss self-imposed deadlines, which are often arbitrary and associated with failure.
ADHD and Overcompensation
Individuals with ADHD have to overcompensate in many ways to function in traditional systems such as schools and jobs.
This creates a higher standard that we hold ourselves to, which results in us not allowing ourselves to screw up.
However, we have never-ending compassion for other people who make mistakes.
Nobody said we aren't 'interesting', us folks with ADHD! 😂😂
The Playground Incident
If you have kids, I hope you listen to this episode, because you need to be aware of the challenges they're already facing which will potentially shape their adult struggles.
You have to hear what I witnessed this week from a local Philidelphia school teacher!
This episode that's all about ADHD self compassion, covers:
- The episode discusses how ADHD entrepreneurs struggle with self-compassion, which is difficult for them to access.
- People with ADHD have been told throughout their lives that they are doing it wrong, not paying attention, or not good enough, which affects their self-talk.
- ADHD entrepreneurs tend to hold themselves to a higher standard than others, despite having never-ending compassion for others who screw up or miss deadlines.
- The pressure to overcompensate and function within systems that do not work for them results in this need to be better, and it makes self-compassion impossible for them.
Psst!! Have you registered to participate in my "37 Weenie Challenge" yet?
Get hold of the downloads and guides as well as booking yourself into the 37 Weenie accountability club by clicking here.
Who will get the most out of this episode all about ADHD self compassion?
This episode is particularly useful for individuals with ADHD who are struggling to show themselves self-compassion.
The episode addresses the negative inner dialogue many people with ADHD have internalized, due to the harsh and critical messages they have been told throughout their lives.
The episode also looks at how people with ADHD must overcompensate in order to function in traditional systems, resulting in unrealistic self-imposed standards that are difficult to meet.
Ultimately, this episode serves to help individuals with ADHD practice self-compassion and understand that everyone makes mistakes.
Related must-listen episodes
ADHD dopamine seeking and how to manage support teams
37 Weenie (if you want to kick the booze and get healthier in mind and body!)
Also useful to check out:
How to be kind to yourself when you miss those dopamine moments
"When we forgive ourselves, and we just add it to the list fresh, and it becomes a new task for us, we actually do give ourselves that dopamine when we get it accomplished..." - Katie McManus, Brave Business Coaching
This is the episode for ADHD entrepreneurs who don't show themselves any self compassion!
Accessibility: click to read a written-to-be-read transcript of the episode
ADHD people need a little more self compassion
In this episode, I'll be talking about self-compassion, which is often difficult for individuals with ADHD.
The reason being that throughout our lives, we've been told that we're not doing things the right way, that we're not paying attention enough, and our work isn't good enough.
All of this negative self-talk makes it hard for you to be kind to yourself as an ADHD entrepreneur.
I'm going to shares my personal experience of how my inner child is still affected by the experiences of my childhood and how easy it is to recognise it in others.
Why is self-compassion difficult for individuals with ADHD?
Growing up, we've heard negative messages that have created a harsh inner critic. This self-talk leads to us punishing ourselves when we miss self-imposed deadlines, which are often arbitrary and associated with failure.
ADHD and Overcompensation
Individuals with ADHD have to overcompensate in many ways to function in traditional systems such as schools and jobs.
This creates a higher standard that we hold ourselves to, which results in us not allowing ourselves to screw up.
However, we have never-ending compassion for other people who make mistakes.
Nobody said we aren't 'interesting', us folks with ADHD! 😂😂
The Playground Incident
If you have kids, I hope you listen to this episode, because you need to be aware of the challenges they're already facing which will potentially shape their adult struggles.
You have to hear what I witnessed this week from a local Philidelphia school teacher!
This episode that's all about ADHD self compassion, covers:
- The episode discusses how ADHD entrepreneurs struggle with self-compassion, which is difficult for them to access.
- People with ADHD have been told throughout their lives that they are doing it wrong, not paying attention, or not good enough, which affects their self-talk.
- ADHD entrepreneurs tend to hold themselves to a higher standard than others, despite having never-ending compassion for others who screw up or miss deadlines.
- The pressure to overcompensate and function within systems that do not work for them results in this need to be better, and it makes self-compassion impossible for them.
Psst!! Have you registered to participate in my "37 Weenie Challenge" yet?
Get hold of the downloads and guides as well as booking yourself into the 37 Weenie accountability club by clicking here.
Who will get the most out of this episode all about ADHD self compassion?
This episode is particularly useful for individuals with ADHD who are struggling to show themselves self-compassion.
The episode addresses the negative inner dialogue many people with ADHD have internalized, due to the harsh and critical messages they have been told throughout their lives.
The episode also looks at how people with ADHD must overcompensate in order to function in traditional systems, resulting in unrealistic self-imposed standards that are difficult to meet.
Ultimately, this episode serves to help individuals with ADHD practice self-compassion and understand that everyone makes mistakes.
Related must-listen episodes
ADHD dopamine seeking and how to manage support teams
37 Weenie (if you want to kick the booze and get healthier in mind and body!)
Also useful to check out:
Previous Episode

ADHD self compassion - be kind to yourself (Trailer)
Pssst! Want a sneak peek early listen?
Cough - scroll to the end...
Do you give yourself a hard time when you don't meet your own arbitrary deadlines? Do you suffer from missed dopamine hits? You're not alone. You have ADHD! This is your life.
The trick is to know how to have ADHD self compassion and be kind to yourself!
Don't miss the latest episode every Sunday!
Follow the podcast in your favorite app so you don't miss the episode this Sunday, and learn how to make sure you stay visible!
About Katie McManus
Katie McManus was trained in Executive Business Coaching and Leadership Development at the Co-Active Training Institute in San Rafael, California.
She's a CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) and an ACC (Associate Certified Coach) with the International Coaching
Get an early sneak preview of the episode:
Mentioned in this episode:
Katie follow message
Next Episode

ADHD office space sharing - is it a good idea?
The power of parallel work - sharing an office with others. Should you?
"So I tried to work by myself, I tried to set up a little corner in my apartment, and get work done that way. And it just didn't work. What helped me was..." - Katie McManus, Brave Business Coaching
This is the episode for ADHD entrepreneurs who are currently working remotely, from home.
It contains advice on how to leverage the beautiful power of parallel work.
No Irwins allowed!
Accessibility: click to read a written-to-be-read transcript of the episode
The two 'flavors' of silenceThe ADHD brain can be both a blessing and a curse, particularly when it comes to work.
For some individuals with ADHD, the presence of other people can actually help them focus and be productive.
In this episode, we explore the two flavors of silence that exist for ADHD individuals and why co-working can be a challenge for them.
There are two types of silence that ADHD individuals experience when trying to work: the "ADHD flavor" and the "I don't give a f***" flavor.
The former is similar to a library setting where everyone must be quiet, making it difficult for ADHD individuals to focus since they cannot decipher what others are saying.
On the other hand, the latter is like being in a bar during happy hour, with loud music and people speaking loudly.
Weirdly, as we explain in this episode, ADHD individuals can still get a lot of work done in that setting.
The weird thing that happens in the ADHD brainThere's something funny that happens for ADHD people when they're around others. They tend to do really good work when surrounded by people, which she attributes to the idea of "mirroring" or "parallel work." When they see others in their area, they feel cocooned by them, allowing them to focus on their tasks.
This episode that's all about ADHD office space sharing, covers:- The two flavors of silence in the ADHD brain.
- Why co-working when you have ADHD?
- The cacophany of voices in our ADHD heads.
- Working around other people and their noise.
Psst!! Have you registered to participate in my "37 Weenie Challenge" yet?
Get hold of the downloads and guides as well as booking yourself into the 37 Weenie accountability club by clicking here.
Related must-listen episodesUse Doris to grow a full scale business
ADHD dopamine seeking and how to manage support teams
37 Weenie (if you want to kick the booze and get healthier in mind and body!)
Also useful to check out:
The Weenie Entrepreneur community
Brand new!
Our spin off premium podcast "Weeniecast for Winners!"
Click on the artwork or here to get access.
About Katie McManus
Katie McManus was trained in Executive Business Coaching and Leadership Development at the Co-Active Training Institute in San Rafael, California.
She's a CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach) and an ACC (Associate Certified Coach) with the International Coaching Federation.
Mentioned in this episode:
Join the April Pop up
Don't miss this training!
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Featured in these lists
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/the-weeniecast-make-more-money-create-an-impact-249343/how-adhd-entrepreneurs-can-supercharge-self-compassion-28548728"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to how adhd entrepreneurs can supercharge self compassion! on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy