Show Notes
You’ve been doing it “right” for years. Reading every day. Journaling. Checking the box. But somewhere along the way, a gift became a test—and you started performing your faith instead of living it. For Kamden, 20 years of daily scripture study created a powerful habit and a crushing belief: If I read, God loves me. If I don’t, I’m failing. In this deeply honest episode, Kamden unpacks:
The transactional faith trap — and how to tell the difference between “feeling invited to grow” and “feeling fundamentally inadequate” Why scripture study became impossible — the emotional baggage + ADHD executive dysfunction that builds a wall between you and the word ADHD-specific barriers: decision fatigue (“Do I read? Highlight? Journal? Listen?”), interruptions, transitions, the gremlins in your brain The reframe that changed everything — what her husband said that shifted everything (spoiler: there’s no temple recommend question about reading daily) Letting go of the transaction — what it looks like to receive instead of perform The bigger pattern: What good things have you accidentally turned into requirements?
If you’ve ever felt like your spiritual practices became proof of your worth instead of sources of nourishment, this one’s for you. Faith isn’t productivity. Worship is deeper than discipline.
EPISODE CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome & Spooky Season00:23 Audio Quality Note01:12 Episode Setup: Scripture & Testing02:15 General Conference & Absorption04:30 Transactional vs. Transformational Faith07:45 ADHD Resistance (Not to God)10:20 Emotional Barriers12:15 ADHD Executive Function Barriers15:30 The Reframe: It’s Not the Gift, It’s the Story18:00 Gifting Yourself Permission20:15 The Bigger Pattern: What Have You Turned Into a Test?23:30 Closing & Where to Find MeInterested in Coaching? Start with a consultation.
More from The Busy Brained Saint Podcast
Get on Kamden's wait list for The HOLIDAY GAME PLAN: a three-day holiday planning workshop for the ADHD brain. kamdenadhdcoaching.com/holidays There's a unique intersection of ADHD, womanhood, midlife, and navigating life as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hormonal shifts, midlife transitions, and menopause affect our faith, feelings, and daily life. Kamden walks through eight questions she’d want answered if she were just discovering ADHD through the lens of faith: -Does understanding your brain turn faith from a source of shame into relief? -How do you keep track of callings and commitments without feeling like a failure? -Why does “just pray harder” keep coming up, and how do you tell spiritual guidance from self-criticism? -How do you explain ADHD to family, your bishop, or Relief Society sisters without justifying yourself? -Is there space in your congregation to talk openly about mental health? -How do you honor motherhood while your own needs, creativity, and work matter too? -How do you stop comparing your inner experience to other women’s outward appearance? -What does it look like to draw close to God as the person you actually are?
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