Sonja:
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You know that voice that whispers, they'll figure out that you're faking
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it, when you're crushing a presentation?
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Well, for women with ADHD, that's not
just nerves, it's a full time saboteur.
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I'm talking about 3am panic
googling, am I actually competent?
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After winning Employee of the Month Award.
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Today, we're unpacking why ADHD brains are
Imposter Syndrome's favorite playground.
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And how to flip that script.
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So, start with thinking back.
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Sixth grade science fair.
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Your volcano erupts perfectly, but
you are convinced that the judges must
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have missed your shaking handwriting.
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Now, fast forward 20 years.
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You're nailing your job, but you still
feel like that kid playing dress up.
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And why?
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Because ADHD doesn't just mess with
focus, it hijacks your self worth.
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The thing is, studies show that women
with ADHD doubt their smarts twice
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as often as their neurotypical peers.
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And that's not because we're less
capable, it's because our brains
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are just wired to gaslight us.
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Imagine having a personal assistant who
constantly misplaces your confidence.
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So ADHD isn't forgetting where you parked,
it's forgetting that you have a car.
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For women, it's this sneaky combo
of zoning out mid convo and then
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stressing that you've offended someone.
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You overcompensate by triple
checking emails, which backfires
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when you're late replying.
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Cue the I'm so unreliable spiral.
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But here's what no one tells you.
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That lazy feeling, it's
actually brain chemistry.
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ADHD brains have less dopamine,
the I did it chemical.
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So even when you succeed, your brain
shugs and says, meh, just plain luck.
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It's like running a marathon
and your internal coach says,
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You could have been faster.
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So
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take my friend Jess.
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She aced the bar exam but spent
the after party convinced that
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she had done something wrong.
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It's a classic ADHD imposter move.
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Obsessing over tiny flaws
instead of celebrating your wins.
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And we've been taught that ADHD
symptoms are basically moral failures.
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So you lose your keys, well,
you Should have tried harder.
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Miss a deadline?
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You're so irresponsible.
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So, we developed these
wild coping mechanisms.
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Like rewriting a slack message 12
times just to sound professional
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enough and you know what it's
exhausting And you know, what's worse?
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Hormones actually make this worse.
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Did you ever notice that your focus
actually tanks before your period?
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Estrogen dips mess with
dopamine even more than normal.
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One listener told me, I schedule
big meetings around my cycle now.
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It's like hacking my brain's bad Wi Fi.
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So it's time to weaponize ADHD
traits against imposter syndrome.
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So how do we do that?
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Well, start with the fraud file.
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Keep a notes app that lists all your wins.
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Did the client praise you?
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Add it.
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Did you fix the printer?
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Add it.
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When doubt hits, you blast this
list like your hype playlist
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because that will ensure that you
remind yourself of all the things.
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You are so good at.
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And then there's body doubling magic.
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Works near someone.
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It could be in real life or
use something like focus mate.
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Their presence can steady
your brain's chaos.
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It's like mental WD 40.
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And thirdly, the good enough timer.
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Give tasks 80 percent effort,
set a 5 minute alarm, and
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when it dings, walk away.
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Perfectionism hates deadlines.
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And if all else fails, steal
this mantra from Reddit.
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I'm not failing, I'm collecting data.
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So here's a little pop quiz.
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Name a famous woman with ADHD.
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Exactly!
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We've got Will Smith and Simone
Biles, but where's our icon?
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This erasure feeds the do I even exist?
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Spiral worse.
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Doctors dismiss women's symptoms
as anxiety 70% of the time, but
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Gen Zs are changing the game.
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Tiktoks hashtag A HD Women, 4.7
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billion views.
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And companies like Microsoft
now offer focus hours.
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No meetings, just deep work.
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It's not accommodation.
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It's actually evolution.
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So next time imposter syndrome
hisses at you, you're a fraud.
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Hit back with, no, I'm a raider
dodging society's nonsense.
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And
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share this with someone
who really needs it.
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And leave me a comment with
your messiest ADHD wins.
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And remember, different brains
just build better worlds.
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See you next time.
