Overstimulated and Over It: A Podcast for Women in Perimenopause with ADHD

Overstimulated and Over It: A Podcast for Women in Perimenopause with ADHD

by Blair Pfeiffer, LCHMC, CST
Self-ImprovementMental Health
Season 1

Exhausted but Wired: Notes from the 2 A.M. Committee Meeting

Do you ever crawl into bed completely exhausted… only for your brain to decide it’s the perfect time to replay every awkward conversation you’ve ever had, plan next week’s grocery list, solve three imaginary problems, and wonder if penguins have knees? Welcome to the 2 A.M. committee meeting. In this relatable and humor-filled episode, Blair explores the frustrating experience of being physically exhausted while your ADHD brain refuses to power down, especially during perimenopause. She shares her own journey from proudly identifying as a night owl to realizing that hormonal changes, nervous system overload, and the mental load of everyday life had completely changed her relationship with sleep. Rather than offering another list of miracle supplements or bedtime hacks, Blair takes a deeper look at why so many women struggle to “turn their brains off” at night. She explains how ADHD, fluctuating hormones, chronic stress, and carrying the invisible mental load all contribute to restless nights and racing thoughts, while gently reframing sleep struggles with compassion instead of self-criticism. This episode is a reminder that sleep isn’t simply about willpower or finding the perfect routine. Sometimes the biggest shift comes from giving your nervous system permission to slow down, treating rest as maintenance instead of something you have to earn, and letting go of the belief that waking up in the middle of the night means you’ve somehow failed. If you’ve ever found yourself wide awake at 2 a.m. mentally reorganizing your closet, replaying conversations from middle school, or making tomorrow’s to-do list instead of sleeping, you’ll leave this episode feeling understood, validated, and hopefully a little less alone. If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another woman who could use the reminder that she’s not the only one attending the 2 A.M. committee meeting. To learn more about The Emotionally Organized Woman, join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community, and explore additional resources, check out the links below. For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community.
S1 · E13
Sep 29, 2026
22:45

Cold Closet, Lost Words, and the Brain Fog Files

Ever walked into a room and immediately forgotten why? Blank on someone’s name mid-conversation? Called the refrigerator the “cold closet” because your brain temporarily misplaced the actual word? You’re in good company. In this episode, Blair dives into one of the most frustrating and anxiety-provoking experiences for women with ADHD navigating perimenopause: brain fog and memory glitches. From forgotten appointments and disappearing thoughts to losing words in the middle of a sentence, she explains why these moments are far more common than most women realize and why they don’t automatically mean something is seriously wrong. Blair breaks down how ADHD already affects working memory and how the hormonal changes of perimenopause can amplify those challenges by impacting focus, sleep, dopamine, serotonin, and overall cognitive function. Add the mental load of everyday life, and it’s no wonder your brain feels like it’s buffering. This episode is full of practical, compassionate strategies to help you stop treating brain fog like a personal failure and start working with your brain instead of against it. If this episode made you feel a little less alone, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another woman who’s ever stood in the kitchen wondering why she walked in there in the first place. To learn more about Blair’s coaching program, The Emotionally Organized Woman, and other resources for women navigating ADHD and perimenopause, check out the links below. For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community.
S1 · E12
Sep 22, 2026
8:32

The Mask Is Getting Heavy: ADHD, Perimenopause, and the Exhaustion of Pretending You’re Fine

What if the exhaustion you’re feeling isn’t just hormones or ADHD… but decades of trying to be who everyone else needed you to be? In this deeply personal episode, Blair shares her own journey of discovering ADHD in adulthood, navigating perimenopause, and realizing just how much energy had been spent masking, overcompensating, and performing “fine.” She explores why so many women with ADHD become experts at appearing capable while quietly carrying overwhelm, emotional intensity, perfectionism, and chronic exhaustion behind the scenes. Blair explains how perimenopause often becomes the tipping point, when the strategies that once kept everything together suddenly stop working, leaving many women wondering, “What happened to me?” Rather than seeing this as failure, she offers a different perspective: maybe your nervous system is finally asking you to stop carrying what was never meant to be carried forever. If you’ve ever looked like you had it all together while feeling completely overwhelmed inside, this conversation is for you. It’s an invitation to stop measuring yourself by how well you perform and start reconnecting with who you are underneath the mask. If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another woman who needs the reminder that she’s not the only one wondering why everything feels different lately. To learn more about Blair’s coaching program, The Emotionally Organized Woman, and other resources for women navigating ADHD and perimenopause, check out the links below. Resources & Links: For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community.
S1 · E11
Sep 15, 2026
20:13

Too Sensitive for This Nonsense: ADHD, Perimenopause, and the HSP Nervous System

Have you spent your life being told you’re too sensitive, too emotional, too intense, or that you need to “toughen up”? What if the problem was never your sensitivity? In this episode of Overstimulated and Over It, Blair Pfeiffer explores what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and how that experience can become even more intense when ADHD and perimenopause enter the picture. From noticing every shift in tone and feeling overwhelmed by noise, crowds, and conflict, to carrying emotional conversations for days afterward, Blair shares her own experience as a highly sensitive person and explains why sensitivity isn’t a character flaw. It’s a nervous system trait. When deep processing, sensory sensitivity, emotional intensity, ADHD, and fluctuating hormones collide, life can start to feel louder, brighter, faster, and more overwhelming than ever before. But instead of trying to become less sensitive, Blair offers a different approach: learning how to better support your nervous system. This episode is a compassionate reminder that sensitivity isn’t something to fix. It’s something to understand, honor, and care for. Resources & Links: For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community. If this episode helped you feel seen, understood, and a little less “too much,” share it with another woman whose nervous system has been carrying more than anyone realizes. And don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join us next week for more conversations about ADHD, perimenopause, emotional regulation, and living with a beautifully overstimulated brain.
S1 · E10
Sep 8, 2026
21:27

The To-Do List Goblin: How to Actually Start When Your Brain Says Nope

Episode Description Do you ever stare at a simple task like “make a doctor’s appointment” and somehow end up reorganizing your sock drawer, scrolling social media, and questioning all your life choices instead? You’re not alone. In this episode of Overstimulated and Over It, Blair Pfeiffer tackles one of the most frustrating challenges for women with ADHD in perimenopause: getting started. Because the problem usually isn’t that you’re lazy, unmotivated, or don’t care. More often, the task is too vague, too big, too overwhelming, or packed with invisible steps your brain can’t easily untangle. Blair breaks down why task initiation can feel so difficult, especially when ADHD meets brain fog, sleep disruption, hormone fluctuations, and executive dysfunction. She shares practical strategies for turning overwhelming projects into manageable actions, reducing the mental friction that keeps you stuck, and creating momentum one tiny step at a time. You’ll also learn about tools designed for neurodivergent brains, including Goblin Tools, and why the secret to getting things done often has nothing to do with motivation and everything to do with making the first step smaller. Resources & Links: For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community. If this episode helped you turn one giant impossible task into one tiny doable step, share it with a friend whose to-do list currently looks like a haunted forest. And don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and come back next week for more practical support for navigating ADHD, perimenopause, and the beautiful chaos in between.
S1 · E9
Sep 1, 2026
11:18

Talks Too Much, Feels Too Much: The ADHD Report Card Receipts

Episode Description Were your childhood report cards full of comments like “talks too much,” “daydreams,” “smart but distracted,” or “does not use time wisely”? In this episode of Overstimulated and Over It, Blair Pfeiffer revisits the teacher comments so many late-diagnosed women with ADHD carried for decades, and reframes them with compassion instead of shame. Blair explores how ADHD in girls was often missed, especially when it showed up as talking, daydreaming, emotional sensitivity, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or last-minute productivity. What adults may have labeled as lazy, dramatic, careless, or disruptive may have actually been clues: time blindness, executive dysfunction, nervous system regulation, creativity, overwhelm, or a need for connection. This episode also looks at why these old messages can resurface during perimenopause, when shifting hormones, sleep disruption, emotional intensity, and dopamine changes can make old coping strategies harder to maintain. Resources & Links: For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community. If this episode made you want to emotionally confront your third-grade report card, send it to another late-diagnosed woman who needs to know she was never lazy.
S1 · E8
Aug 25, 2026
26:20

Mood Swings, Meltdowns, and the Emotional Emergency Kit

Episode Description Ever found yourself crying over a commercial, raging at the sound of someone chewing, or standing in the grocery store wondering why everything suddenly feels like too much? If so, you’re not alone. In this episode of Overstimulated and Over It, Blair Pfeiffer explores the emotional roller coaster that so many women experience when ADHD and perimenopause collide. From mood swings and overwhelm to irritability, anxiety, and emotional meltdowns that seem to come out of nowhere, Blair explains why these experiences are more common than you might think—and why they aren’t a sign that something is wrong with you. You’ll learn how fluctuating hormones can amplify ADHD symptoms, why emotional regulation often becomes more challenging during perimenopause, and most importantly, what you can do when your nervous system feels overloaded. Blair shares practical tools for building your own “Emotional Emergency Kit,” including how to become more curious about your emotional patterns, identify what you’re really feeling, create space before reacting, and develop a personalized list of strategies that help your nervous system recover when life feels overwhelming. This episode is a reminder that emotions are not flaws to fix. They are information. And when we learn how to listen to them with compassion instead of criticism, we can navigate even the hardest moments with more understanding and support. Resources & Links: For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community. If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs a reminder that she’s not alone in the mood swings, meltdowns, and “what the hell is happening to me?” moments of midlife.
S1 · E7
Aug 18, 2026
17:18

Stop, Drop, and Don’t Send That Text: DBT Skills for Emotional Chaos

Ever gone from “I’m fine” to “I need to disappear into the woods and never speak to another human again” in under ten seconds? In this episode of Overstimulated and Over It, Blair Pfeiffer breaks down three practical DBT skills that can help when big emotions take over and your nervous system is running the show. If you live with ADHD, are navigating perimenopause, or both, you know how quickly emotions can escalate. One text message, one change of plans, one comment in the wrong tone, and suddenly you’re drafting a novel-length response, spiraling into worst-case scenarios, or fighting the urge to shut down completely. Blair walks you through three powerful emotional regulation tools she uses personally and teaches to clients every day: • STOP: Create space between the trigger and your reaction • Check the Facts: Separate what you know from the story your brain is telling you • Opposite Action: Respond in a way that supports your long-term well-being instead of following the emotional urge of the moment You’ll learn why these skills are especially helpful for women in perimenopause with ADHD, how to use them in real-life situations, and why emotional regulation isn’t about becoming calm all the time. It’s about making choices that don’t make things worse. Whether you’re dealing with rejection sensitivity, anxiety, rage, shame spirals, overwhelm, or emotional exhaustion, this episode will give you practical tools you can use immediately. Resources & Links: For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community. If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who might need a reminder not to send the text. After all, sometimes emotional regulation starts with one minute, one breath, and one better choice.
S1 · E6
Aug 11, 2026
26:59

Side Quests, Shame Spirals, and the Lost Art of Coming Back

You sat down to answer one email. Somehow you are now forty-seven minutes deep into researching patio furniture you do not need, your tea is cold, and the original task has completely left the building. Sound familiar? This episode is for you. Blair tackles the gap between what we mean to do and what actually happens, and more importantly, what to do when shame shows up to make it worse. Because the side quest is not actually the problem. The shame spiral that follows is. She starts with the science, breaking down why distraction and follow-through get harder during perimenopause as estrogen fluctuations impact dopamine, making tasks harder to start, boring things more painful, and novel things almost irresistible. Your brain is not being dramatic, Blair explains. It is trying to regulate. And once you understand what your brain was actually looking for during the side quest, you can redirect instead of spiral. The centerpiece of this episode is a skill Blair calls the comeback. Not perfect focus. Not staying on task forever. Just the ability to notice you have wandered off, say "side quest noted," and gently return. She walks through practical tools including the five-minute return, breaking restart steps down to embarrassingly small actions, and how to decode the emotional avoidance that sometimes disguises itself as productivity. Blair also spends time with the grief that can come with late ADHD diagnosis, the complicated mix of relief and sadness that arrives when you finally have an explanation and start looking back at everything it cost you. She holds that grief with real tenderness, and then moves into an expansive and honest conversation about rest, relationships, and what midlife clarity can do to your tolerance for performing, masking, and contorting yourself into someone else's comfort zone. This one is warm, funny, and genuinely validating. The message is simple and it lands hard: coming back counts. For more information about working with Blair: ⁠www.blairpfeiffercoaching.com⁠ ⁠Join the ADHD and Perimenopause Support community.
S1 · E5
Aug 4, 2026
29:08

Planner? I Barely Know Her: ADHD Life Hacks for the Beautifully Overwhelmed

Forget the 4:30am wake-ups and the cold mushroom water. This episode is for the women who have heard every productivity tip in existence and are still standing in front of their fridge at 7pm wondering what to make for dinner while emotionally recovering from the day. Blair breaks down real, practical, friction-reducing life hacks built specifically for ADHD brains navigating perimenopause. Not because you need to become a different person, but because the systems most people recommend were never designed for brains like yours. And when hormone shifts are also messing with your sleep, focus, energy, and sensory tolerance, the usual advice stops working even faster. She covers a wide menu of supports including meal delivery boxes and pre-chopped vegetables as legitimate accessibility tools, not laziness. Autoship for everything you repeatedly forget until it becomes a crisis. Duplicates of the things you use most, placed where you actually need them. Visual anchors so the things you need to remember stay in your line of sight. One-touch cleaning to stop tiny messes from becoming emotional monuments. Default meals, default outfits, and default routines to fight decision fatigue. Timer names that actually get your attention. Transition time between tasks so your nervous system can catch up. Digital wallets for the inevitable forgotten purse moment. And AI tools, including Goblin Tools, for breaking overwhelming tasks down into something your brain can actually start. The throughline of this entire episode is simple: using tools is not cheating. It is adaptation. It is building a life that respects your actual capacity instead of demanding you perform like a brain you do not have. Blair closes with a challenge so small it is almost embarrassing, and that is exactly the point.
S1 · E4
Jul 28, 2026
41:21
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