Tracy Otsuka on the 43% of ADHDers with Excellent Mental Health
Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD with Eve Menezes CunninghamShow Notes
Welcome to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast! Today I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Tracy Otsuka, host of the ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast and author of the book by the same name. Get your free weekly journal prompts and more here Tracy was one of the first voices I discovered on my own ADHD journey, and her strengths-based, neuro-affirming approach has been truly transformative. She’s a former lawyer who boldly celebrates the brilliance often overlooked in ADHD while being refreshingly honest about the challenges. In this episode, we explore: Why ADHD is an identity problem, not just a productivity issue Exercise supporting and sometimes replacing medication for managing symptoms The power of finding your “sweet spot” where executive function challenges disappear Revenge Bedtime Procrastination and the most creative solution I’ve come across The 43% of ADHDers with excellent mental health that nobody talks about
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, long-time ADH or supporting someone who is, this conversation is full of practical wisdom and hope. Enjoy! Chapters 0:00 – Introduction to Tracy Otsuka and her work 2:51 – Personal impact of Tracy’s podcast and book 4:02 – Finding Tracy and her programmes 4:41 – ADHD as an identity problem and building on strengths 5:46 – Ideal self-care practices 6:19 – Exercise and medication experiences 8:13 – Morning routines and dopamine 11:26 – Reading, hyperfocus, and slow dopamine 12:13 – Gardening, tapping, and somatic practices 13:12 – Sleep and managing bedtime resistance (Revenge Bedtime Procrastination) 15:20 – Strategies for easier evening routines 18:55 – Advice for younger self and understanding ADHD 21:07 – Self-expertise and navigating medications 23:42 – Following interests and creating meaningful work 24:51 – Music, piano, cello, and doing things your way 26:25 – Singing, family, and supporting creativity 27:29 – How you can find Tracy FULL TRANSCRIPT I can’t wait to introduce today’s guest. She’s someone who has helped me enormously on my own ADHD and now AuDHD journey. Hers was one of the first podcasts I found when I started going down that rabbit hole. The very fantabulous Tracey Otsuka, host of the ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast and author of the book ADHD for Smart Ass Women. Her podcast is really working with the brilliance that is often overlooked with ADHD. She’s very bold, very dynamic, former lawyer, and really confident, honest about the challenges, honest about the disabling aspects, but really it’s probably one of the most strengths-based neuro-affirming approaches I’ve heard. And I just love her guests. She is wanting to draw awareness to the 43% of ADHDers with excellent mental health. So I hope you enjoy our interview. I’m really looking forward to talking to her. And I hope that without any kind of toxic positivity, without any negating of the struggles, you too will be able to own your challenges, know that you deserve support for your challenges and make space for your brilliance. Let me know what you think. Welcome to Episode 85 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. Every Tuesday, I share new episodes helping trauma survivors, ADHDers and AuDHDers take better care of yourself, create a life you don’t need to retreat from, and help build a world in which everyone feels safe, welcome, and loved, able to thrive. So literally working with your nervous system, your energy, and it’s a very holistic approach. You can subscribe if you haven’t already, and you’re very welcome to share. I do a lot of free content because I know not everyone can afford one-to-one work. I’ve got another group event coming up, and there’s always the Sole to Soul Circle. But if you check out selfcarecoaching.net, there’s information about the book, more about the podcast, loads of free resources around different areas and conditions. And you can also visit the www.thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com. I hope you enjoy today’s episode, and thank you for listening and watching what
More from Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD with Eve Menezes Cunningham
As we get closer to Samhain, the start of the Celtic New Year, original Hallowe’en and time where the veil between the worlds of the living and dead are said to be thinnest, it’s an especial delight to welcome the fantabulous Lisa Taylor. She shares her ideal and actual self-care, Self care and community care including some of the ways in which she (and you can too) protects her energy, connects with Spirit and stays grounded. What are your favourite ways to connect with your highest, truest, wildest, most joyful, brilliant and miraculous Self? Let us know and thank you for being here. le grá (with love) Ev3 #lisataylor #embodiedwellbeing #grounding #energymanagement #solestosoulcarefortraumaandaudhd CHAPTERS 0:00 Energy management and the nervous system 3:25 Lisa’s work in travel, design and wellness 4:52 Looking after your energy 10:51 Self-care, trauma and working for yourself 14:35 Creating a morning self-care routine 16:23 How sea swimming can help reset 21:06 Creativity, play and switching off from work 27:12 Community, retreats and collective care 34:30 The cardamom pod question 37:15 Advice to a younger self LINKS https://www.lisataylortravel.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/lisataylortravel/ https://www.instagram.com/luckylisat/ Transcendental Meditation https://www.tm.org/en-gb Vickie El-Rayyes https://www.dilligrey.com/ If you enjoyed this, check out: Episode 93: More Joy, Less Angst: Trauma-Informed Yoga for AuDHD https://solestosoul.ie/2026/01/13/more-joy-less-angst-trauma-informed-yoga-for-audhd-episode-93-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 99: Defy Dystopia! Energy Clearing Meditation for Trauma and AuDHD https://solestosoul.ie/2026/02/24/defy-dystopia-energy-clearing-meditation-for-trauma-and-audhd-episode-99-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 130: Wayward Women Co-author, Tracey Davies https://solestosoul.ie/2026/09/29/wayward-women-co-author-tracey-davies-episode-130-of-soles-to-soul-care-for-trauma-and-audhd-with-eve-menezes-cunningham/ Choose your own adventures: https://solestosoul.ie/adventures/ Book your free telephone consultation and access 100s of body-mind practices at https://solestosoul.ie/free-downloads
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I’ve been sober (alcohol and drugs, mostly alcohol) since 2001. Quit smoking in 2001, too. Became vegan in 2017. And (drumroll) it’s nearly 7 weeks since I quit the crisps! In this episode, I share what may sound like a silly example of dorsal vagal (aka Freeze! with the Polyvagal Purrs approach – journal and planner coming soon!) numbing and yet it was challenging. I remember contemplating quitting crisps in 2008 doing my NLP master practitioner training but not wanting to be “crisp sober” so not going ahead. I hope this episode will help you untangle some of your own numbing go to behaviours and remember that you deserve better. le grá (with love), Ev3 HASHTAGS #iamjanedoe #polyvagalpurrs #sobriety #embodiedwellbeing #solestosoulcarefortraumaandaudhd CHAPTERS 00:00 Struggling to do what you mean to do 03:19 When behaviours help us feel safer 06:48 Learning to feel good in your body 10:12 Understanding your nervous system responses 12:18 Getting curious about what a behaviour is trying to do 14:03 Learning to love and care for yourself 15:55 Healing through community and support 18:19 How the body can teach us what we need 20:56 Sending love back to our younger selves 25:24 The cardamom pod question 28:43 The Body is Not an Apology (Sonya Renee Taylor) 30:26 Grounding and listening to what you need LINKS Sonya Renee Taylor: https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/ Meggan Watterson: https://www.megganwatterson.com/ onlinevents: https://app.onlinevents.co.uk/ If you enjoyed this, check out: Episode 25: ‘My needs are high’ says Louise Lucas (formerly Brown), the delightful queer, neurodivergent therapist, supervisor and trainer https://solestosoul.ie/podcast-feed/my-needs-are-high-says-louise-brown-the-delightful-queer-neurodivergent-therapist-supervisor-and-trainer/ Episode 127: Compassion and Pandas with Louise Lucas: Episode 127 https://solestosoul.ie/2026/09/08/compassion-and-pandas-with-louise-lucas-episode-127-of-soles-to-soul-care-for-trauma-and-audhd-with-eve-menezes-cunningham/ Episode 94: Neuro-affirming Self Acceptance with Dr Emma Bede https://solestosoul.ie/2026/01/20/neuro-affirming-self-acceptance-with-dr-emma-bede-episode-94-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 97: Movement and Meaning with John Wilson https://solestosoul.ie/2026/02/10/movement-and-meaning-with-john-wilson-episode-97-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 28: COOKING as self care? Psychotherapist and nutritional therapist Jayne Leonard has revolutionised my LIFE https://solestosoul.ie/podcast-feed/cooking-as-self-care-psychotherapist-and-nutritional-therapist-jayne-leonard-has-revolutionised-my-life/ Episode 42: On Inner Royalty with Jayne Leonard https://solestosoul.ie/2025/01/21/on-inner-royalty-with-jayne-leonard-episode-42-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 50: Neurodiversity Celebration Week with Jayne Leonard https://solestosoul.ie/2025/03/17/neurodiversity-celebration-week-with-jayne-leonard-episode-50-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 60: Jayne Leonard on food and mood https://solestosoul.ie/2025/05/27/jayne-leonard-on-food-and-mood-episode-60-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 48: Cattitude: Purr! Hiss! Freeze! Polyvagal informed self care for trauma and/or ADHD. With cats https://solestosoul.ie/podcast-feed/cattitude-purr-hiss-freeze-polyvagal-informed-self-care-for-trauma-and-or-adhd-with-cats/ Choose your own adventures: https://solestosoul.ie/adventures/ Book your free telephone consultation and access 100s of body-mind practices at https://solestosoul.ie/free-downloads
From dogs to isolated cabins, graveyards to comedy, late diagnosed ADHDer and Wayward Women co-author, Tracey Davies, was an absolute delight to chat to for episode 130 of Soles to Soul Care for Trauma and AuDHD. If you're a late diagnosed AuDHDer (autism and ADHD), autistic or ADHDer, did your school report cards help in the process? I only had one school report to hand over and it was very helpful. I hope you enjoy this episode and thanks again for being here. le grá (with love), Ev3
Am beyond delighted to share this conversation with the magnificent Mattia Maurée of AuDHD Flourishing. I can’t believe I’ve gone from literally sobbing on my kitchen floor a few years ago (when I came across their podcast when I was going through my own late diagnosis. Listening to all the episodes, I felt like they were inside my head) to sharing their ideal and actual self-care. Mattia shares their love of camping, awe-inspiring nature and more. le grá (with love), Ev3 #audhdflourishing #audhd #neuroqueer #lgbtq+ #mattiamauree CHAPTERS 00:00 Mattia on the restorative power of camping 04:03 Mattia created AuDHD Flourishing 07:45 Mattia’s ideal and actual self-care 11:07 Learning to listen to the body 14:05 Finding connection through nature and awe 18:08 Combining nature, movement and connection 19:21 The communities that help Mattia feel held 23:48 The power of group somatic work 25:10 Who Mattia would throw cardamom for 27:40 Sending love to a younger self 30:04 What Mattia needed to hear when they were younger 33:09 Grounding and listening to what you need LINKS https://www.audhdflourishing.com/ https://linktr.ee/mattiam https://www.patreon.com/mattia/about https://www.tiktok.com/@audhdflourishing https://www.youtube.com/@MattiaMauree https://www.rewilding.cc/ If you enjoyed this, check out: Episode 83: Community as self-care with Elizabeth Potts https://solestosoul.ie/2025/11/04/community-as-self-care-with-elizabeth-potts-episode-83-of-the-feel-better-every-day-podcast/ Episode 111: Survival for Sensitive Souls with Zeenat Ahmed-Peto https://solestosoul.ie/2026/05/19/survival-for-sensitive-souls-with-zeenat-ahmed-peto-episode-111-of-soles-to-soul-care-for-trauma-and-audhd-with-eve-menezes-cunningham/ Episode 126: Trauma, AuDHD (autism and ADHD) and Your 9 Senses https://solestosoul.ie/2026/09/01/trauma-audhd-autism-and-adhd-and-your-9-senses-episode-126-of-the-soles-to-soul-care-for-trauma-and-audhd-with-eve-menezes-cunningham-podcast/ Choose your own adventures: https://solestosoul.ie/adventures/ Book your free telephone consultation and access 100s of body-mind practices at https://solestosoul.ie/free-downloads