From Stuck to Started: Executive Function & ADHD Coaching to Take Action

If you're overwhelmed, stuck in your head, or feeling like you're always playing catch-up, this episode is for you. I'm sharing the 3 permission slips I give my executive function coaching clients (and myself) when the "shoulds" start piling up.

What you'll learn in this episode

• Why "I just need to do things faster" keeps you stuck, and what to ask yourself instead
• How to slow down in small, realistic ways when an all-or-nothing approach isn't an option
• Why there's no such thing as a "normal week," and how to let your routines and systems look different without it becoming your new normal forever
• Why self-care takes executive function (and why it's so hard when you need it most)
• How I reframed my own "I should" into a plan, plus an update about the podcast

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call
• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Resources:

• Stop Doomscrolling & getting interrupted by your phone Use Brick -get 10% off when you purchase with this link!
• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan

Does it feel like it's impossible to do anything “extra” because your day is so jam packed? In this episode, we’re talking about how tiny, intentional choices can create more ease in your daily life. From quick mindset shifts to simple habits, you’ll learn how to set future you up for success—without adding more stress to your plate.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How small decisions can reduce future stress
• The power of the Two-Second Rule and how to use it
• Why protecting your time isn’t selfish—it’s necessary (and simple ways to start protecting your time)
• How to start making small changes today that will pay off later

Host: Sarah Lovell, Executive Function & ADHD Coach

Resources Mentioned:

• Free training: Creating a Formula to Overcome Procrastination and Get Unstuck
• Join the ADHD Coaching Membership: Stuck to Started

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Music by: AudioCoffee, Inspirational Background

Have you ever spent hours researching the perfect planner, rewriting an email 10 times before hitting send, or waiting for the right time to start a project? You might think it’s perfectionism, but what if it’s actually executive dysfunction?

In this episode, I break down how perfectionism and executive dysfunction overlap, why both can keep you stuck, and how to recognize what’s really holding you back. By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to identify whether it’s perfectionism, executive dysfunction, or both—and what to do next.

✅ How perfectionism and executive dysfunction create a cycle of avoidance

✅ The difference between procrastination, perfectionism, and task paralysis

✅ How time blindness makes perfectionists wait for the perfect time

✅ Why searching for the “best” system can actually be procrastination

✅ A practical way to recognize what’s really keeping you stuck

Host: Sarah Lovell, Executive Function & ADHD Coach

Resources Mentioned:

• Sign up for the FREE ADHD Action Plan Private Podcast
• Join the ADHD Coaching Membership: Stuck to Started
• Read the blog version of this episode here: https://www.executivefunctioningfirst.com/podcast/023

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Music by: AudioCoffee, Inspirational Background

If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I should be able to stop scrolling,” while still somehow glued to your phone… this episode is for you.

I’m going to walk you through a simple 3-step formula to have a healthier relationship with your phone.

By the end of this episode, you’ll build your own personalized toolbox of strategies to help you stop doomscrolling & use your phone in a way that actually feels good for you. Because that’s the whole point, right?

Brick -get 10% off when you purchase with this link!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to stop doomscrolling even when you feel “stuck” in the habit
• Why ADHD brains are more vulnerable to doom scrolling — and how to work with your brain instead of fighting it
• How to identify the self-talk that keeps you scrolling
• A practical Brick App review, including what the Brick App is and how Brick can help you be more mindful of your phone use

Resources Mentioned:

• Brick -get 10% off when you purchase with this link!
• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan

Host: Sarah Lovell, Executive Function & ADHD Coach

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Music by: AudioCoffee, Inspirational Background

I use affiliate links for my fave products that I use and trust. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

If you’ve ever picked up your phone to respond to a text or Google something quick, but accidentally found yourself down an unintentional doomscroll rabbit hole… or found yourself paralyzed, mindlessly scrolling while simultaneously telling yourself “you should stop” but feeling incapable of putting the phone down — this episode is for you.

If you want to be more mindful of how you use your phone and you’ve tried to break the habit of doomscrolling but keep going back — you’re not alone.

Today we’re digging into why it’s so hard to stop doomscrolling — especially for ADHD brains — and what’s actually happening beneath that autopilot urge to reach for your phone.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The role of anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional dysregulation in keeping you stuck scrolling
• The hidden cues and triggers that send you reaching for your phone without realizing it
• What your brain is actually looking for when you scroll
• The first steps toward building a healthier, more intentional relationship with your phone so you can stop doomscrolling

Host: Sarah Lovell, Executive Function & ADHD Coach

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 9: How to Set Goals that Stick
• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan

My favorite tools to be more mindful:

• Brick (get 10% off Brick with this link!)
• Freedom

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Music by: AudioCoffee, Inspirational Background

I use affiliate links for my fave products that I use and trust. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Fall is here, and with it comes a whole new set of schedules, routines, and things to keep track of. In this episode, I'm talking about why transitions can be so hard, especially if you have ADHD. I'm sharing 5 mindset shifts I've been using with clients this fall (from college students adjusting to a new semester to parents juggling new school schedules) to help you move through change with a little more ease.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why simply naming a transition out loud can take the pressure off and help you make sense of the mistakes or overwhelm that come with it
• The "on-ramp" mindset shift that reminds you a hard season doesn't have to be forever, and why a gradual merge beats flooring it into traffic
• How to adjust your expectations around your systems, and why the routine that worked for you last month doesn't have to work forever
• Why naming uncertainty (instead of pretending you have it all figured out) is actually a powerful executive functioning tool
• How to practice self-compassion and build in micro moments of self-care, even during your busiest season

If you're in the middle of a transition right now, I hope this episode reminds you to be a little more gentle with yourself. And if you know someone else who's navigating a season of change, send this one their way.

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call
• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Resources:

• Stop Doomscrolling & getting interrupted by your phone Use Brick -get 10% off when you purchase with this link!
• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan

Feeling overwhelmed by a schedule change, a routine that's fallen apart, or just... life? Same. In this episode, I'm sharing 5 simple systems I lean on I’m overwhelmed.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why giving yourself permission to let your systems (and your consistency) look different is one of the most supportive things you can do
• How I stopped doomscrolling and using my phone as a nervous system regulation tool
• Why doing small things for "future you" matters so much, plus the surprising reason our brains make this so hard
• How asking for help, talking things out loud, and body doubling can move you through overwhelm faster than trying to push through alone
• My go-to strategy for breaking free of all-or-nothing thinking so "I don't have time to do it perfectly" doesn't turn into "so I won't do it at all"

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call
• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Resources:

• Stop Doomscrolling & getting interrupted by your phone Use Brick -get 10% off when you purchase with this link!
• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan

Other Episodes You May Enjoy:

53: Why it's so hard to stop doomscrolling & the first step to have a healthier relationship with your phone

55: What to do when you feel overwhelmed: 5 Strategies to Manage ADHD Overwhelm Without Burning Out

66: Simple Systems for ADHD: Reduce Overwhelm and Create Systems That Actually Work

67: Why Executive Function Strategies Don’t Work as Well When You’re Overwhelmed: Nervous System Regulation Tools for ADHD Brains

69: 5 Tips from an Executive Function Coach to Create Simple ADHD Systems That Fit Your Brain & Life

74: 5 Simple Systems That Changed My Life (And How to Make Them Work for Your Brain)

78: Too Overwhelmed to Start? Body Doubling Is the Simple Executive Function Tool You're Missing

Last episode I talked about why smart, capable college students get stuck. Today I'm sharing the good news: there are five concrete systems I build with students that help them navigate college with more confidence, ease, and self-compassion. These aren't one-size-fits-all fixes, they're tools we design together to fit each student's unique brain.

Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How to build a real time management and prioritizing system when your student has never had this much freedom before (and why "one day at a time" stops working in college)
• Strategies to get unstuck and break the procrastination loop, including how we uncover what's really going on underneath the avoidance
• Why self-care requires executive functioning too, and how I help perfectionist, overachieving students learn to slow down without guilt
• Practical ways to minimize phone distractions, including a tool I personally love and recommend to students
• How to help your student actually use their campus resources, and work through the "I should be able to do this on my own" mindset that keeps them from asking for help

Want to Explore if Executive Function Coaching is Right for your college student?

• Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Resources:

• Stop Doomscrolling & autopiloting to your phone with Brick -get 10% off when you purchase with this link!
• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan

If your bright, capable college student is procrastinating, missing deadlines, or avoiding their inbox altogether, I want you to know something first: it's not laziness.

In this episode, I'm breaking down why the strategies that worked in high school often fall apart in college, and what's really happening in your student's brain when they get stuck. This is the conversation I have with parents all the time, and I think it'll bring you some relief.

Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why procrastination often isn't about waiting for urgency, it's about avoidance, overwhelm, and shame building up underneath the surface
• The real difference between high school and college that trips up so many bright students (hint: it's not intelligence, it's structure and freedom)
• How executive function challenges show up differently for students with ADHD, anxiety, or who are neurodivergent
• Why "I should have started this sooner" is a red flag I hear constantly, and what it tells me about what your student needs
• How to support your student now, whether they're already struggling or you're just being proactive, without waiting for a crisis point

Want to Explore if Executive Function Coaching is Right for your college student?

• Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst

Resources:

• Stop Doomscrolling & autopiloting to your phone with Brick -get 10% off when you purchase with this link!
• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan

If you've ever wondered what actually happens in an executive function coaching session — or whether it's even the right fit for you — this episode is for you. I'm answering the questions I get asked most on discovery calls, from what coaching looks like week to week to how long it actually takes to see change.

Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call

What you'll learn in this episode:

• What executive function coaching is (and isn't) including why it's different from therapy, tutoring, or just downloading a new app
• What a real coaching session looks like, with a behind-the-scenes example of how I helped a client tackle time blindness and all-or-nothing thinking
• Why self-talk is the foundation of executive functioning, and how we work with it in coaching
• How long coaching typically takes and why building a sustainable toolbox is more important than quick fixes
• How to know if a coach is the right fit for you — and the questions to ask before you commit

Connect with Sarah Lovell:

• Website: Executive Functioning First
• Instagram: @executivefunctioningfirst
• Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Learn more & let's schedule a free 45-minute discovery call

Resources:

• Stop Doomscrolling & autopiloting to your phone with Brick -get 10% off when you purchase with this link!
• Get your Free ADHD Action Plan