Black Friday is basically engineered to hijack an ADHD brain.

 Countdown timers, flashing banners, urgency emails — it’s the perfect storm for impulsive buying and dopamine-driven decisions.

In this short solo episode, Clinical Psychologist and ADHD specialist Michaela Thomas shares three quick, compassionate strategies to help you navigate Black Friday with intention, self-trust, and calm, rather than getting pulled into impulsive spending.

You’ll learn how to pause before you buy, check your emotional state, and create a tiny, intentional “YES list” that keeps you grounded instead of overwhelmed.

Whether you’ve overspent before or simply want to approach the season with more steadiness, this episode offers practical tools you can use today — without shame, restriction, or perfectionism.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

If you struggle with impulsivity, emotional regulation or burnout…

You’re not alone — and you’re not broken.

 These tendencies are part of your wiring, not a personal flaw.

You might need support in learning to slow down for long enough to notice how you feel so you can regulate your emotions and nervous system.

Connect with Michaela:

Join the newsletter for tools on slowing down with compassion on www.thethomasconnection.co.uk/newsletter

What happens when midlife hormones, ADHD traits, and the demands of running a business all collide?

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, Clinical Psychologist Michaela Thomas speaks with Candice Mason, founder of Mother Cuppa Tea, about the realities of female entrepreneurship, hormone upheaval, and navigating neurodivergence in midlife.

Candice shares her candid journey through endometriosis, peri-menopause symptoms, and building a product-based business from the ground up. Together, Michaela and Candice explore the pressures of social media visibility, the emotional load behind brand growth, and the overlap between ADHD traits and entrepreneurial resilience.

You’ll hear:

Candice’s journey into launching Mother Cuppa Tea and being loved by Fearne Cotton!

How ADHD shows up in entrepreneurship - the strengths and the struggles

Why self-compassion matters when you’re juggling hormones, business, and visibility

Behind-the-scenes realities of running and growing a wellness brand

Candice’s recent win - being selected by Mary Portas for a high-impact pop-up retail opportunity

This is an honest, warm conversation about ambition, identity, and wellbeing - and how to build a business without burning yourself out.

💛 Connect with Candice:

✨ Connect with Michaela:

📘 Download Michaela’s free guide:

What if the way you’ve been taught to succeed is the very thing burning you out?

In a world that glorifies overwork, perfectionism and endless productivity, it can feel almost radical to rest, slow down, or say “no”. But that is where your business freedom lies. 

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, Clinical Psychologist Michaela Thomas speaks with Jo Hooper, founder of the Me First Method, about the mental health impact of patriarchal and capitalist work cultures — and how to build a business that supports your wellbeing instead of sabotaging it.

Jo shares her experience of hitting breaking point in the corporate world, navigating multiple breakdowns, and reshaping her life and business around rest, boundaries and ease. Together, they explore how to step away from hustle culture, value your time and energy, and give yourself the permission slaps you need to reclaim your life.

You’ll hear:

This is an honest and compassionate conversation about redefining success on your own terms — and choosing spaciousness over self-sacrifice.

🎙️ About Jo Hooper

Jo Hooper is the founder of the Me First Method, helping powerhouse women build businesses that support their mental health. After a decade in the corporate world — and two breakdowns — she rebuilt her work around rest and sustainability. Known for her Permission Slaps and belief in slow, spacious living, Jo now helps women work less, live more, and rediscover joy in their businesses.

🔗Connect with Jo

Website

Instagram

You can be passionate about your exercise or sport, and still burn out from it. Have you ever pushed yourself so hard to “do better” or beat a personal best, that the joy disappeared?

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, Clinical Psychologist Michaela Thomas speaks with Dr. Josephine Perry, Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist, about the complex relationship between ADHD, high performance, and perfectionism in sport and exercise.

Together, they explore how the drive for achievement can become both a strength and a struggle — especially for those with busy, high-achieving minds. Whether you’re an athlete, a coach, or someone using exercise to manage ADHD, this conversation offers insights into balancing motivation, wellbeing, and self-compassion.

Dr. Perry shares her practical ‘coins system’ for tracking energy expenditure and understanding when you’re pushing too hard, offering strategies to prevent burnout, injury, and loss of joy in movement. Michaela brings her signature compassionate approach to exploring how ADHD traits such as hyperfocus, impulsivity, and perfectionism can show up in exercise habits — and how to turn these into sources of balance and fulfilment instead of exhaustion.

You’ll hear:

How ADHD and perfectionism affect motivation, recovery, and performance

The fine line between discipline and overtraining

Why self-compassion is the missing piece for sustainable success

How societal pressures and body image ideals shape our relationship with sport

Ways to bring more joy, purpose, and play into your training or movement routines

About the Guest

performanceinmind.co.uk

josephineperry.co.uk

(A compassionate nudge for busy, neurodivergent women and perfectionists)

You know you should prioritise yourself — but what does that actually look like when you’re juggling ADHD, business, motherhood, and perfectionism?

In this episode of Pause Purpose Play, Clinical Psychologist and ADHD specialist Michaela Thomas explores what real self-care looks like beyond bubble baths and quick fixes. She shares the three types of clients she sees — from those running on empty to those beginning to create balance — and how each can benefit from more compassion and support.

You’ll also hear real success stories from Burn Bright members who learned to set boundaries, manage their energy, and finally put themselves on their own to-do list.

If you’ve been thinking, “I’ll prioritise myself later,” this is your gentle (but firm) reminder that now is the time.

Why self-care feels so hard for perfectionists and ADHD women

The three types of clients Michaela works with — and where you might fit

Real-life examples of women who learned to prioritise themselves

How to choose between therapy and coaching for the right kind of support

A final invitation to join Burn Bright before doors close

Inside Burn Bright, Michaela helps ADHD women in business find balance between ambition and rest through support, systems and self-compassion.

✨ Book your clarity call now: www.thethomasconnection.co.uk/burn-bright

You’ve seen the posts - “If you’re not up at 4am journalling and hitting the gym, do you even want success?”

In this short solo episode, Clinical Psychologist and ADHD specialist Michaela Thomas shares why you don’t need to burn out to build something brilliant. She unpacks how hustle culture is ableist, unsustainable, and particularly harmful for neurodivergent women and mums with ADHD, whose energy is already stretched thin.

You’ll learn how to redefine success on your terms, protect your nervous system, and build a business that feels balanced - not punitive.

Inside Burn Bright, Michaela helps ADHD women in business find sustainable success through support, systems and self-compassion.

✨ Book your clarity call: www.thethomasconnection.co.uk/burn-bright

Doors close for applications 24th of October and the programme starts 5th of November!

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, host Michaela Thomas discusses the importance of prioritizing self-care, especially for perfectionistic individuals and those with ADHD. She categorises her clients into three groups based on their progression in self-compassion and self-care and explains how each group can benefit from her Burn Bright program. Michaela provides real-life examples of women who have benefitted from prioritising themselves, setting boundaries, and managing energy, ultimately leading to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. She invites listeners to consider their needs and offers guidance on whether Burn Bright or therapy might be the best fit for them.

00:13 Understanding the Struggles of Prioritizing Self-Care

01:31 The Three Types of Clients

03:09 The Importance of Prioritizing Yourself

05:28 Success Stories from Burn Bright Members

07:48 Why ADHD Women Struggle with Self-Care

08:51 Final Invitation to Join Burn Bright

10:03 Encouragement to Take Action Now

Ever swing between unstoppable energy and complete inertia - buzzing with ideas one day and paralysed by overwhelm the next?

In this episode, Michaela explores two sides of the ADHD experience she calls the Meerkat and the Sloth. One can’t stop, the other can’t start - and both are trying to help you.

You’ll learn why these shifts aren’t inconsistency or failure, but signs of an ADHD brain managing energy and safety. Michaela shares how to move from shame to self-compassion, and find balance between overdrive and standstill.

ADHD as attention regulation, not deficit

The Meerkat (hyperfocus) vs Sloth (inertia) modes

Why rest and action both deserve compassion

Tools to steady your energy and find your rhythm

Inside Burn Bright, Michaela helps ADHD women in business find the sweet spot between ambition and rest - with support, systems and self-compassion.

✨ Book your clarity call: www.thethomasconnection.co.uk/burn-bright

Are you “too well” to get help for ADHD?

You’ll hear why being told you’re “too well” or “not struggling badly enough” can be just as invalidating and harmful as being dismissed entirely, and why support is still essential even if you appear to be managing.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

👉 Book a free call with me to explore my 6-month group coaching programme, Burn Bright: 

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, host Michaela Thomas explores the concept of 'musturbation' and the harmful effects of forcing oneself to achieve goals out of obligation and fear. She highlights the importance of shifting from a mindset of 'should' to one of 'choose,' promoting self-compassion and conscious decision-making.

Michaela encourages listeners to replace self-critical thoughts with intentional, value-driven choices, improving their mental well-being and productivity.

The episode also includes practical exercises to reframe 'should' statements and an invitation to a free masterclass that Michaela is running on 9th October on how to Burn Bright Without Burning Out, specifically designed for ambitious women with ADHD.

Sign up for my Masterclass: http://thethomasconnection.lpages.co/adhd