“I used to really get annoyed with myself for not being able to just be up and ready and start the day.
Now I know my brain works differently, and I’ve stopped punishing myself for it.”

In this episode, Tania Gerard shares how ADHD self-awareness changed the way she treats herself, works, and lives. She talks openly about slower mornings, letting go of “normal,” hyperfocus, burnout, and the relief that comes from finally understanding how your brain actually works.

If you’ve struggled with ADHD, late diagnosis, self-judgment, burnout, or feeling like you’re constantly failing invisible expectations, this conversation explores what shifts when awareness turns into self-acceptance, and why working with your brain matters more than fixing it.

Tania Gerard is an Accessible Marketing Consultant, Keynote Speaker and Founder of Tania Gerard Digital UK, one of the UK’s first consultancies focused on accessible marketing and neurodiversity. She works with companies to improve accessibility, inclusion and digital communication for diverse audiences.

Episode Highlights

00:05:26 — Learning to stop punishing herself
Tania explains how self-awareness helped her recognize she was constantly blaming herself for not coping like others. Accepting how her brain works allowed her to prepare for environments instead of judging herself afterward.

00:08:33 — Hyperfocus as a strength and a cost
She describes hyperfocus as both a superpower and a risk. Getting days of work done in hours often comes at the expense of bodily needs and rest.

00:12:00 — What accessible marketing really means
Tania breaks down accessible marketing as making content easier for everyone to understand and act on. It’s not about compliance, but reducing friction for real human brains.

00:18:00 — Burnout, rest, and “potato days”
She shares how ignoring rest eventually forces it upon you. Planned rest becomes essential fuel, not a reward for productivity.

00:23:22 — Visual systems to support an ADHD brain
Tania explains how sticky notes, color, and visual cues help her manage overwhelm and follow through. External systems reduce cognitive load when memory and focus fluctuate.

00:37:13 — Accepting slower mornings and letting go of “normal”
She reflects on how ADHD self-awareness changed her mornings. Waking up slower became an act of self-respect instead of something to fix.

Connect with Tania:
Website: https://www.taniagerard.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tania-gerard-neurodiversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taniagerard.co

Connect with Jeremy:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy

Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

More from Focus Bear:

Website: https://focusbear.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearapp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_bear/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusbearapp/

Podcast: https://podcast.focusbear.io

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@focusbear

“I don't feel like I can do all the things that I used to do, and I'm still me. So this is very confusing.”

Eliana Bravos shares what neurodivergent burnout actually felt like, how it disrupted her sense of self, and why pushing harder only made things worse.

If you’ve experienced ADHD burnout, chronic overwhelm, identity loss, or the fear that you “can’t do what you used to anymore,” this episode explores what burnout really is, why it happens, and how community, self-accommodation, and nervous-system-aware work design

Eliana Bravos is the co-founder of ND Connect, a community platform helping neurodivergent adults form meaningful, supportive relationships. A social impact entrepreneur with an Honors Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, she has supported over 1,000 leaders in building more accessible cultures and has facilitated non-hierarchical peer programs for neurodivergent people since 2018.

Episode Highlights

00:07:00 — When something inside you breaks
Eliana describes pushing her body past its limits for so long that it felt like something inside her broke. She explains the confusion of still being “herself,” but no longer being able to do what she used to.

00:04:08 — Finding hope through a neurodivergent mentor
Meeting a mentor with ADHD changed how Eliana saw her future. Seeing someone thriving on their own terms made happiness feel possible again.

00:09:24 — Why working from home changed everything
She explains how overstimulation in school and offices made focus nearly impossible. Having control over her environment finally allowed her to concentrate and conserve energy.

00:23:04 — Outsourcing what you’re bad at
Eliana shares why being a non-solo founder is essential for her. Letting others handle operations and admin frees her to work in her strengths.

00:25:58 — Creating communication boundaries
She talks about scheduling email time, setting expectations, and preferring calls over long message threads. Clear communication norms reduce overwhelm.

00:34:17 — Struggling with sleep hygiene
Eliana explains why nighttime routines are hard and how she often falls asleep to shows. Sleep remains a major work in progress.

Connect with Eliana:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliana-bravos/

Website: https://www.ndconnect.app/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elianahyperfixates/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eliana_focus

Connect with Jeremy:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy

Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

More from Focus Bear:

Website: https://focusbear.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearapp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_bear/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusbearapp/

Calm on the outside. Spiraling on the inside.

Dilpreet Buxi shares what it was like to grow up masking anxiety, living with a constantly racing mind, and slowly realizing his nervous system works differently.

If you struggle with chronic stress, masking, emotional dysregulation, or feeling “fine” while everything feels too much inside, this episode explores why stress begins in the body, how autistic and ADHD nervous systems process stress differently, and what actually helps.

Dilpreet Buxi is the CEO and Co-founder of Philia Labs, a Melbourne-based company using wearable technology and biomedical engineering to make stress measurable and manageable. With a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Monash University, his work focuses on supporting autistic people, people with anxiety, and their caregivers through objective stress measurement and early intervention.

Episode Highlights:

00:03:05 — Masking anxiety behind calm
He describes learning to appear calm while feeling deeply stressed inside. The disconnect between outer presentation and inner reality shaped how he understood himself.

00:07:27 — Realizing he may be neurodivergent
After pivoting his company toward supporting autistic people, he began recognizing the same patterns in his own life. Reading about nervous system differences forced uncomfortable self-reflection.

00:13:00 — Choosing to pivot or shut down
After hearing caregiver stories, the team faced a choice: pivot or wind down the company. The decision became personal when his co-founder connected the mission to his autistic brother.

00:19:00 — Acute vs chronic stress
He explains the difference between moment-to-moment stress and stress that reshapes the body over months. Chronic stress quietly drives fatigue, sleep problems, and emotional dysregulation.

00:24:16 — You can’t outthink stress
Stress regulation starts in the body, not the mind. Movement, breathing, and vagus-nerve-stimulating practices matter more than positive thinking.

00:32:23 — Winding down for real sleep
Evening yoga, meditation, gratitude, and keeping the phone out of reach help his nervous system switch into rest mode. Better sleep becomes the foundation for everything else.

Connect with Dilpreet:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dilpreet-buxi/
Website: https://solutions.philialabs.com.au/

Connect with Jeremy:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy

Email: jeremy@focusbear.io

More from Focus Bear:

Website: https://focusbear.io

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/focus-bear/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focusbearapp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focusbear1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_bear/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/focusbearapp/

Podcast: https://podcast.focusbear.io

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@focusbear