Podcast Episode 384: Go from Chaos to Calm: The ADHD Mom’s Guide to Actually Getting Your Act Together Transcripts

Please note: Transcripts for the No Guilt Mom Podcast were created using AI. As a result, there may be some minor errors.

Brie Tucker (00:01)

You open the fridge, you look at it, and you’re like, oh crap, I don’t have it in me. And you shut it, and you’re like, I gotta go get as far away as possible because I don’t wanna think about how I’m not doing it, even though it needs to be done. And you have to actively like fight that.

JoAnn Crohn (00:18)

Welcome to the No Guilt Mom podcast. I’m your host JoAnn Crohn joined here with the brilliant Brie Tucker.

Brie Tucker (00:24)

Why hello hello, how are you?

JoAnn Crohn (00:26)

Guys, if you haven’t noticed already, Brie and I have ADHD. my gosh! You can’t be listening to this podcast and not know because I think we bring it up all the time.

Brie Tucker (00:38)

Just had that conversation with my parents last week where I was telling them that I was working with my therapist and I had told her that I would like to get tested for ADHD. She’s like, well, you know, you would have had to have signs when you were a child. Did your parents not have any concerns? And I’m like, no, they didn’t. And then when I was talking about the other day, my mom’s like, what makes you think you had ADHD as a child? I’m like, I don’t know, mom. Did you tell every teacher not to put me near a door or a window because I would become distracted? And she’s like, well, yeah. And I’m like,

And by the way, when I played softball, did I not get in trouble for dancing in the outfield when there weren’t people hitting in my direction? And she’s like, well, yeah, but you were just quirky.

JoAnn Crohn (01:16)

That’s how it’s explained. We’re just quirky. Not knowing that there is an inner struggle going on inside. All of that quirkiness is embraced and we are so fun and amazing to be around. And I find the most ADHD people I click with very, very well. I understand the interruptions. I understand the changing subjects. My dad used to tell me, Joanne, you change subjects so fast, you give people whiplash.

Brie Tucker (01:35)

We get it.

You’re one to talk, Dad.

JoAnn Crohn (01:46)

He has different, it manifests for him because he is diagnosed as ADHD. He got diagnosed when my little sister got diagnosed because usually, you know, the parent has it as well as the child.

Brie Tucker (01:56)

He didn’t want your sister to feel left out. Yeah.

JoAnn Crohn (01:59)

Mine is all, exactly. Mine’s all internalized. So it was always hard. But today, a big struggle with ADHD is that organization. Organization and figuring out daily home life, especially we talk a lot on here about the mental load. We talk a lot on here about how much moms in general are juggling. Throw on there some neurodiversity and it’s just a powder keg waiting to explode. So.

Today we have with us Robyn Buchanan. She is the CEO of minimalist home and business. She is a former ER nurse and has a house full of ADHD, which yes includes her as well. Robyn started her own business from home and now she helps other women simplify their businesses, homes, schedules and systems so they can enjoy a Keanu movie and a cup of tea. Plus she’s the proud mom of three. And with that, let’s get on with the show.

You want mom life to be easier. That’s our goal too. Our mission is to raise more self-sufficient and independent kids. We’re going to have fun doing it. We’re going to help you delegate and step back. Each episode, we’ll tackle strategies for positive discipline, making our kids more responsible and making our lives better in the process. Welcome to the No Guilt Mom podcast.

JoAnn Crohn (03:28)

Okay, so Robyn, in your bio, you mentioned Cherokee on a movie and I was looking through your site and looking at your celebrity crushes and we share a celebrity crush. Matthew Good.

Robyn Buchanan (03:37)

⁓ I love that.

JoAnn Crohn (03:42)

He’s in department Q right now on Netflix. Have you seen this yet? No. He was first in Chasing Liberty with Mandy Moore. Did you watch that one, Robyn?

Robyn Buchanan (03:46)

No

Brie Tucker (03:48)

Who’s this?

Robyn Buchanan (03:56)

I did not. Well, actually, in all honesty, the Matthew Goode I’m referring to as a Canadian musician.

JoAnn Crohn (03:58)

Darn it all!

Brie Tucker (04:09)

Because JoAnn’s like, wait a minute. I’ve named a couple of things. So there you go.

JoAnn Crohn (04:13)

Yes, I was noticing that okay Canadian musician got it.

Robyn Buchanan (04:18)

But I don’t know who the other one is.

Brie Tucker (04:24)

I always loved Keanu Reeves as well. He has always been my crush.

JoAnn Crohn (04:27)

He was at the Tony’s by the way. I don’t know if you watched the Tony’s Robyn. Yes, Keanu Reeves was at the Tony’s. He was in the audience. Did you see this? no, I was wondering if, you know who Jonathan Groff is? Jonathan Groff played the King in Hamilton. He was part of the original cast. He was, gosh, I can’t remember his name in Frozen. The voice of the good one, the good man in Frozen, not the evil guy. What’s his name? What’s his, that was the character’s name. Was it Spence the reindeer.

Brie Tucker (04:30)

Keanu Reeves?

Brie Tucker (04:56)

He’s Finn’s owner!

JoAnn Crohn (04:58)

Yes, He’s Finn’s owner, Jonathan Groff voices him. Anyways, Jonathan Groff is just an amazing musical theater talent. He’s in the show Bobby Darin and so he is performing. He stood right on Keanu’s chair. One foot was on each railing. Keanu was looking up at him like this and just laughing. Yes.

Brie Tucker (05:16)

Was he getting spit on because I know, and by the way, it was Kristoff!. Cause I know Jonathan tends to spit when he sings.

JoAnn Crohn (05:20)

That’s Kristoff!

He does. That was actually a joke made during the Tony’s. No, but I mean, if you look it up, go look it up after this. Gianna, Jonathan Graff. Look it. I made a new name, Gianna. Jonathan Graff. Yeah.

Brie Tucker (05:37)

Right?

JoAnn Crohn (05:41)

⁓ There we go. Giannu. Yes. So as you see, bam, Robyn. Let’s get in. Strong with us. Strong with us.

JoAnn Crohn (05:55)

Back on the path. You’re a former ER nurse. What caused you to switch from that?

Robyn Buchanan (06:02)

Well, it’s actually funny because I was initially a 911 dispatcher. This is like the ADHD. I was going to say, you need change. Yeah. So I started that and then after seven years and you know, they something about seven years, right? I went to nursing school. Like I did the whole four years. Plus I upgraded beforehand all while having little kids. Like I started school.

Brie Tucker (06:12)

and you need like…

Robyn Buchanan (06:30)

when my first was like three months old, started upgrading. And then when I started nursing school, I had a five-year-old, a three-year-old, and a one-year-old, and it was nursing. And then I switched, and actually like it’s a huge part of my story because I started a YouTube channel in I think January of 2019, and I started it as a gardening channel, but then it took away the relaxation that gardening was because

Robyn Buchanan (07:00)

YouTube looks easy, but it is not. that would be. Yeah. So then I, a year after that, I switched it to decluttering and minimalism and sort of like keeping on top of the home, was just, know, what I, regardless whether or not I enjoyed it, which I did not, it had to be done. So making a job out of that was easy. And it actually was just the whole reason for everything really like balancing home life, everything. then.

Brie Tucker (07:04)

Right?

Robyn Buchanan (07:29)

After a certain number of years, you really only have so much time in the day and you can only juggle so many balls and are dropping many of them, especially with three boys. And finally was like, can’t focus on both nursing and my business and eventually just let my license go. I only worked like last year. This is the year where I didn’t renew my license because you have to have, I think it’s a certain number.

of hours and I wouldn’t have been able to next year because last year I only worked like 20 hours. So that’s it. I’m done.

JoAnn Crohn (08:06)

You’re done. You’re out.

Brie Tucker (08:08)

You’re going this route. Yep.

JoAnn Crohn (08:10)

Yeah, it’s so interesting because my sister is actually a paramedic right now and about to enter nursing school as well. And she has young kids at home. She has a one-year-old and a six-year-old. ⁓ So I will have to like tell her your story and just to give her hope that it’s possible because she’s very stressed out about starting the actual nursing course load and classes. Obviously, it’s a lot. It’s a lot. With the home, I know just the struggles of trying to keep a home in order, not doing everything yourself. What are some specific struggles that women with ADHD have that maybe like people who don’t have neurodiversity have?

Robyn Buchanan (08:49)

Well, it’s interesting because so many of us with ADHD are told by people to just get your act together, just do it. And that is really hard to do. And in my house, my husband has ADHD, my oldest son has ADHD, my second son does, there’s one kid who doesn’t. And then, yeah. And for me, I’m kind of lucky because I can be organized.

Brie Tucker (09:10)

Poor kid. Right?

Robyn Buchanan (09:18)

but I really struggled with focus. like with you. Yes. Like it was always Robyn talks a lot in class and yes, the same. Like I had to be at the front of the room where the teacher could keep an eye on me. So I’m lucky in that way that I can kind of be disciplined, but I had to teach myself over the years. And when I was diagnosed, they gave me the option of medication, but I said I’d actually developed so many coping strategies. I didn’t feel like I needed it, but a lot of struggles some people have is,

They just are like, well, I need to do this. I need to do that. You know, like my fridge is an absolute nightmare. And, you know, I can’t keep the smell down, but then they forget about it as soon as they close it. Right.

Brie Tucker (10:00)

Show me!

JoAnn Crohn (10:01)

And then it opens again and you’re like, I was supposed to do this! I was supposed to do this! And then you close it again and then it’s like…

Brie Tucker (10:06)

Wait, wait, do either of you have like where you there’s a task and we’ll stick with the fridge because that’s what we have going right now. You open the fridge, you look at it, you’re like, ⁓ crap, I don’t have it in me and you shut it and you’re like, I got to go get as far away as possible because I don’t want to think about how I’m not doing it, even though it needs to be done. And you have to actively like fight that.

Robyn Buchanan (10:29)

And it’s really an out of sight, out of mind situation. And a lot of people with ADHD will leave a lot of things lying around because that is their visual cue. And for me, in my business of decluttering minimalism and supporting women with their businesses, managing the home and balancing it all, I understand why we’re leaving these visual cues out. But eventually we become kind of numb to it. And often we leave so many things out that it takes that cue away.

But even me, for example, I use this like nasal spray, it’s in my bathroom and I left the box out to remind myself to go on to Costco, right? To do the renewal. Yeah, and it’s like, so we end up just forgetting so much and then we feel like we’re dropping the ball everywhere and there is just so much shame. And we just feel like we’re failing at everything. And that’s actually why I started

Robyn Buchanan (11:29)

I even like pivoted my business a little while ago to even niche down further to help business owners because we’re trying to run our business at home and have our kids, taking care of our kids. Like that was one of the greatest things about me working from home. I was like, good, like I’ll be around the kids more. And I mean, it has been helpful because my kids are all teenagers now. Like they’re about to turn 16, 18 and 20.

but I’m at the stage where I’m like, come and see me when you get home and I’m like, me a hug and give me, you know, let me smell you.

JoAnn Crohn (12:02)

We all are, yes.

Brie Tucker (12:04)

Fighting with our teens just to remember to tell us they’re leaving the house. ⁓

JoAnn Crohn (12:08)

Yeah

Robyn Buchanan (12:09)

Exactly, exactly.

JoAnn Crohn (12:11)

So I still exist. Thank you. right.

Robyn Buchanan (12:15)

Yeah. So being home, was great for that because I was like, yeah, I’m actually able and I’m able to support my husband more because his ADHD is like a nightmare. But at the same time, we’re surrounded by our failures, our perceived failures constantly. When I was being a nurse, I was out, everything there was organized, there were systems. And that’s actually what I brought into my home and into my business was the ability to systematize things.

JoAnn Crohn (12:40)

But we’re going to talk about those systems because I want to get into like the nitty gritty of all of it. And we’re going to do it right after this. So you talked before, Robyn, about having these systems in your home so that you’re not always surrounded by your own perceived failures. Because when you were talking about all those visual reminders, I was looking at my desk and I’m like, OK, this is what we’re doing here. It was a big light bulb moment to me.

and why it’s so messy. So let’s get into like some systems that you have set up in your home and like you recommend other women with ADHD to set up in theirs. What is one that we can start with today?

Robyn Buchanan (13:22)

We’ll break it down for you first that I have developed a method. ⁓ an ER nurse, so of course, if somebody came in with a heart attack, there was like a protocol we would go through an algorithm. And that was sort of what I wanted to do to create for myself and then to help others. And I call it the mighty method. And there’s four parts to it. Triage, simplify, organize and thrive. So triage, know, the emergency nurse part in me is like,

JoAnn Crohn (13:26)

Yes.

Robyn Buchanan (13:51)

We need to see what is going on. What’s the worst thing? What needs to happen first? But also like stepping back a little bit, like imagine there’s a video camera in your room. What is it seeing? Where are things falling through the cracks? Where are things piling up? Where are people getting mad? Where are relationships breaking down? Things like that. So we can see sort of, and you know, if you’re looking at your whole house, you might be like, but like let’s take it to the kitchen in the morning.

Right? So we might notice that kids are slow to eat breakfast and we’re getting frustrated with that. Things are piling up and maybe we get home after work and we’re like, like the kitchen’s messy. I wish like I had cleaned it, but you know, I’m ADHD and like, why would I think of doing that?

JoAnn Crohn (14:34)

I wish that someone else would have cleaned it for me and I didn’t have to think about this.

Robyn Buchanan (14:39)

Exactly.

Yes. So that’s, know, triage. And then simplify. That’s when we remove things. The more we can remove, the less we have to deal with. And for me, like decluttering and minimalism were always like a really big thing, but also like commitments, kids activities that nobody’s really enjoying. Like how about let’s not feel like we have to be a part of all of that. And then organize. How can our schedule be organized? How can our

Kitchen be organized. What can we do the night before to keep things working well? Which is a part of thrive, which is the systems part. So what systems can work better? So for me, for example, I noticed that one of my kids was so slow at eating and I had been started making bagels. I want a bagel kick for the past few months and bagels take a while to eat. There’s a lot of chewing involved. There’s a lot of bread there. So.

I was like, this kid has taken forever to eat. So I was like, all right, I’m going to give him half a bagel because he already gets like an egg and some berries. And then I realized, all right, we’re still running behind every day. We’re going to have to get up 10 minutes early. So that’s just one example. A lot of people are like, like it sounds like systems are so overwhelming, but it can be as simple as just making an adjustment like that where you don’t even really have to do anything ever again. But another thing can be, well, how do you start your day in the kitchen? Do you have your

Meals organized, you have all of the ingredients, making sure we have that ahead of time. And another thing is leaving the kitchen sort of clean, right? And who is going to do it? Yeah.

Brie Tucker (16:21)

Brace Liley raises her head. I’m the one that does the leaving the kitchen kind of clean My husband will come through behind

Robyn Buchanan (16:26)

Yeah.

JoAnn Crohn (16:29)

That’s what I did. like two things you said, Robyn, first of all, the bagel kick. This is something that I know that people with ADHD do. We have like kicks on certain types of foods for a little bit of time. And then all of a sudden we don’t even want them anymore. So I was like, my gosh, there that is. I love the simplify thing because I am a big fan of throwing things away as a part of simplification. Also the tendency for ADHD is like the stuff really ignites memories.

And if you’re not careful, you have way too much stuff around you that you can’t get rid of. And then we’re not able to simplify. I grew up with this where my dad, I remember I was going to help my mom. My mom always complained about how cluttered our house is. She still complains about how cluttered the house is living with my dad. She complains about his office on how she helped him clean it. And now it’s a total mess again. And there’s all this stuff around it because he has ADHD. I was cleaning a bathroom for her when I was a teenager and I wanted to throw out all this stuff underneath the sink.

And they were like 10 year old stuff and he would not let me because.

Brie Tucker (17:31)

Was it stuff that expires out of classroom?

JoAnn Crohn (17:33)

products. Yeah. And yeah, we might need that. We might need that. I’m like, haven’t used it.

Brie Tucker (17:39)

Dad It expired five years ago, Let it go

JoAnn Crohn (17:42)

Throw it away and he wouldn’t and I think like that is why I’m so gung-ho about throwing things away.

Brie Tucker (17:50)

Do you see a lot of this in your partner here in the podcast? Do you see a lot of this?

JoAnn Crohn (17:56)

Okay, little story, Robyn, Brie likes to go to all these conferences and collect all the tchotchkes from everywhere. And I’m like, I don’t want to Brie. She’s like, look, I brought one for you. No, I don’t

Brie Tucker (18:06)

But I might need a cozy with a bottle opener you never know

JoAnn Crohn (18:11)

⁓

So this simplifies. you say triage first, simplify. What is the third step?

Robyn Buchanan (18:18)

organize. Yeah, so having things even just like, a lot of people don’t even think, hey, maybe I should have my, you know, knives near the cutting boards or my stirring spoons near the stove, right. And for me, it’s funny, because as I sort of like, kind of organized

ADHD person but who struggles to focus on like, like other people don’t even think about that, right? And it sounds like second nature, but once you do something like that, you organize, life is easier. You don’t have to walk around the island a million times or, you know, everybody knows where things go when they put them away. Not that my kids are even still good at emptying the dishwasher.

JoAnn Crohn (19:01)

Then they put them away. How do we deal with that issue? This is what I want to know because this is a trouble that I have as well. Maybe I organize it, but then I get unfocused and I put it somewhere that it doesn’t belong. We’re going to talk about that right after this.

So Robyn, let’s get into this. When you said organizing, when you organize something and then you know where something is, and then when people put it away or when you put it away, it’s always there. How do we handle that when they put it away thing? When it’s organized, but the systems aren’t being respected. And I’m not just talking about family members. I’m talking about by ourselves. The systems aren’t being respected by ourselves. We just get unfocused. forget.

Robyn Buchanan (19:43)

Yeah, I’ll just like make a quick aside is that when your family even like respects that you have like these systems there and they’re like, wait, what do I even remember this? I’m like, yes, even today I said to my husband because we’re both like counter macros, right? And so he’s measuring out his using this like spoon cup to measure things and just putting it back in the drawer and it’s all dusty. And I’m like, just rinse it out.

And I have a friend, she’s a relationship coach and she’s amazing. She always says like, the dream. And so I said, I would love to have these things put away clean so that when I go to clean the drawer, so I don’t have to clean the drawer as often because I want the drawer clean. And then he is sort of able to understand why.

Brie Tucker (20:31)

Right.

I hear that. Yeah.

Robyn Buchanan (20:33)

And when it comes to creating systems with the family and even with ourselves in particular, we need to start really, really small, one thing at a time. And if you can anchor it to something else, that’s even better. So, you know, I often, because I work from home, you know, I often will anchor things to lunchtime, right? But a lot of people, work out of the home. So maybe it’s too.

brushing your teeth in the morning or brushing your teeth at night. And how do you remember to even do that in the first place, right? I will tell you, phone reminders, one of the best things. And it’s so hard for me when I pick up my phone to not like go to Instagram right away, but I’ll be like, go to the place you’re going first. So I like go to the timers and I will put in, clothes away, right? I’m so bad for leaving my clothes out.

And even if I’m not going to wear them like the next day, I still will leave them out. And it’s like, no, like put them away, put them in the hamper, whatever. And if I have that or a post-it note where it needs to be, and that’s where it can be really helpful for kids, like maybe on the front door, like, did you do this before, you you left for school or whatever? One thing at a time. And it takes about 30 days for a habit to form, but about, I think it’s 75 for it to become a part of your lifestyle.

JoAnn Crohn (21:53)

There’s like so many different days I’ve seen for that. It’s like six weeks.

Brie Tucker (21:58)

let’s just split the difference people okay. It’s gonna be about a month

Robyn Buchanan (22:04)

It takes a while.

JoAnn Crohn (22:06)

A lot of people hear it and they like think, oh my gosh, there’s all this stuff I have to do. And like when you were listing those things, I immediately went to this place of overwhelmed where I’m like, I’m not doing that. I’m not doing that. I’m not doing that. But something I really want to point out about what you said is one thing at a time. It is not all going to get better at once. It is one thing at a time. So the triage, the simplified, the organized, what’s the four steps.

Robyn Buchanan (22:14)

That would be thrive. So that is starting the system, starting the habits. And yes, like one at a time. And don’t add something else on until you’ve like pretty much got the other one as a part of your habit. Back to organize is I’m not a big organizing things sort of person. ⁓ Like all of the cubbies and the totes and stuff. However, they can be helpful.

in small situations. know, like I have an armoire behind me, that’s where I keep all my office stuff. And I got something just so that all the books aren’t like clumped together and you don’t have to like shove them aside and like cram paper, just throw paper on top because I don’t want it to, you know, yeah, deal with it. And then I’m dealing with all this paper. Like paper is one of the biggest things for people. And so using those sorts of things sparingly is good. But in my bathroom, for example, I got one for like my toiletry drawer.

And it is just life changing because that actually becomes a part of my system because I don’t even have to like everything just sort of like, I just put it where it goes because it’s already got a spot and I put it there. So that becomes I don’t need to really ever clean that again because it’s already clean. It stays clean.

Brie Tucker (23:45)

Isn’t that crazy? I feel like if I could just have somebody come in and do the overhaul thing, how many of us way back in the day, and it feels, I can’t believe I’m saying way back in the day, how many of us during the whole COVID lockdown was like, great, now I can organize my house. And you didn’t do it. You might’ve gotten like a cabinet, maybe a room. But I mean, like, I feel like if I could just have somebody come in and set up the system.

and give me a clear spot for everything. I’m fine. But I feel like when I’m left to create the systems on my own, I can’t focus long enough to come up with the system.

JoAnn Crohn (24:26)

Let’s talk about that. You mentioned, Robyn, that you have developed coping systems for ADHD. And I’m guessing you’re very specific coping systems. And I bet you have coping systems as well for organization.

Brie Tucker (24:39)

It’s called breaking down.

JoAnn Crohn (24:40)

That’s called breaking That’s not a coping system. Well, it kind of is.

Brie Tucker (24:46)

If I could pick up my camera and move it around and show you guys my desk today My desk is bugging the crap out of me because people have started dumping stuff on it this summer. Mm-hmm Okay, I’m trying not to be too angry about that. So that it’s called freaking out when things are too messy. That’s Brie’s motivational factor

JoAnn Crohn (25:03)

Well, I want you both to think about a coping system you have, really, really specific, and to share it. And I can go first because going along with your system, this triage, simplify, organize, and thrive, one of the things like I have to do on a daily basis is I take a lot of medication. I have ulcerative colitis. I have to take my pills. And I’m also on like some supplements and stuff to help with my mood, everything.

And it’s hard to remember when to take that medication. And so something I did recently, which is total life changing is I got one of those pill organizers from CVS and oh yes, right there. Those, but I have one in my nightstand. And so I have prepped it all because now I’m doing like hormone replacement therapy, know, pre-menopause, pre-menopause, great stuff. And I have to take specific things at night and specific times in the morning, specific things in the morning. So the things at night get prepped for the week.

They get put in my nightstand because I was getting the thing where I would forget to take my meds and then I would have to get out of bed to go take my meds and to go find my meds. So now all I do is I pull open the door, I dump that little day in my hand, take it with water, done. That is a coping strategy for my ADHD.

Robyn Buchanan (26:15)

That’s perfect. That’s an ex. That is like, yes, yes, that’s exactly. And just where you’re talking about like the problem. One of the things I do when we come up with the thrive is who, what, when, and how, right? So who is doing it? I always make it sound like it’s always me. It’s not always me, but who is doing it? What has to happen when, right? And that’s what you did is you were like, I have a problem. I’m like having to get up at night and go get my

JoAnn Crohn (26:16)

Yes!

Robyn Buchanan (26:44)

progesterone, right? Yeah. Taking it. know it. And so you’re like, like, what would solve this problem? Right? So very good. I love it.

JoAnn Crohn (26:46)

It’s progesterone, you got it.

What’s the strategy you have, Robyn? One hack for people.

Robyn Buchanan (27:01)

Well, my one hack is more business related and it was just that I was always feeling, I mean, you guys understand the long to do list and I had tried all of the time blocking and this and that and I had, I would have like 15 things on there and I would have a down to the 15 minute mark. And finally I was like, no, this is like horrible and unsustainable. So I have a triangle method.

where I have my business organized into my drive is organized because my Google drive used to be crazy. My downloads folder was a nightmare. I’d be looking for Canva graphics everywhere. So I have my drive nice and organized. There’s six master files and then in each of those there’s other files. And then I have a dashboard where I keep track of all of my things that like scripts that I’m writing, newsletters, all of that on Notion. And then I have my planner.

And it sounds like a lot, it isn’t because it’s all just so organized. And my planner is like, have the podcast today with Joanne and Brie, right? That’s like one of like two or three things. The other thing is I’m filming two videos. That’s it. I really keep like the big priorities on there. And then for home with the kids and stuff, because for me, I’m up in Canada and the end of school is next week. So we are in the crazy.

part right now. Yeah. And I’m like,

Brie Tucker (28:29)

I think they like yeah, even if it’s not me

Robyn Buchanan (28:31)

Yes,

yes. And we have, you know, I have a son graduating this year, so there’s so much happening. So I have like the home stuff there. And it’s just very simple, like where we have just a few priorities. So, for example, if I was starting a new habit, I would make sure that was on there, part of these new systems. And really, if you add things on bit by bit, it becomes a part of second nature and life gets so much better. Like you can’t stop time. Time is going to come. People are like, no.

I’ll never do it. It’s like time’s gonna go by anyway. You may as well just start.

JoAnn Crohn (29:06)

It’s true. And you don’t have to do it all at once. The best change comes in just little changes every day. Just tiny that you don’t even think matter. Bri, do you have a coping strategy to share?

Brie Tucker (29:17)

Girl, you know, I got a lot of coping strategies. come, they go. And that’s one thing I do think about the whole, once I understood about myself that I will always have the perfect right now solution and allowing myself to acknowledge that and move on. This system is working for me right now. Doesn’t mean it’s going to work for me in a year. Doesn’t mean it’s going to work for me in six months, but I’m happy with it right now.

It’s helping me focus. I’m going to allow myself to use this and to not degrade myself when it stops working. That’s like a thought process that has helped. But in terms of like actual actual tactics, besides the pill thing, which was fantastic life change. I know, right? I have a tactic that I do to make sure I don’t miss appointments because again, one of those lovely qualities is that I get into deep focus and I lose track of time.

JoAnn Crohn (29:58)

It’s life changing.

Brie Tucker (30:10)

So when I have something important that’s coming up, an appointment I have to go to, a podcast interview, a meeting, I not only have it on my Google calendar, which will pop up while I’m on my laptop, but I also set an Alexa reminder for like two to three minutes before it happens. Because I am famous for that 10 minute reminder that comes up on Google and going, ⁓ we have 10 minutes, I can do this, I can finish writing a book.

I don’t know, whatever it is, right? I try to pack a million things into 10 minutes because I have that weird warped sense of time. So that two minute timer on Alexa does get me to do a dead drop and get to where I need to be. And you know, it’s been working for me, Joanne, because I used to always be the last person to show up for everything. And now I’m, I’m on time more often than I’m not. is.

JoAnn Crohn (31:02)

It’s working. It is definitely working for you.

Robyn Buchanan (31:05)

Well, I do want to say one thing. Yeah. Yeah. that, and Brie, you reminded me. And one of the things I talk about a lot is perfectionism. And a lot of women in particular get really perfectionistic. So for even creating the system, they’ll be like, well, what’s the perfect system? What is the perfect this? What is the perfect that? And yes, like we just started.

Figure out something, start it, and then you can tweak it. Or you can be like, this isn’t working at all. Like throw it out the window. But perfectionism is a lie. It does not work ever. It is 100 % unattainable. So don’t even bother. ⁓

JoAnn Crohn (31:45)

Sage advice. So Robyn, we like to end every episode on a really positive note. What is something that you are excited about that’s coming up for you?

Robyn Buchanan (31:58)

I’m really excited about just playing more in my garden this summer. I really value my downtime and I love summer and the sun and yeah.

JoAnn Crohn (32:10)

That sounds lovely. I want to live in Vancouver.

Brie Tucker (32:14)

Like it’s currently, it’s supposed to be 112 this weekend here in Phoenix. So, and it’s June when we’re recording this. It’s not even July yet.

JoAnn Crohn (32:23)

Yeah, Hunker down season here. 

Robyn Buchanan (32:26)

People in Arizona hate summer. It is. Summer is our winter. people hate winter.

Brie Tucker (32:31)

Yeah, summer is our winter in Phoenix. Places close, like just to give you and all of our listeners, just one quick vision. Our zoo closes during the day in the summer. You can only go to the zoo before this only opens from like sunrise. I think it’s like five, five thirty or six in the morning until like eight. And then it closes and then it’s open after dark.

JoAnn Crohn (32:57)

Yeah, because it’s just too hot. It’s too hot. Well, Robyn, thank you so much for joining us today and giving us all of these systems. Thank you. Yes. And we’ll talk to you later.

Robyn Buchanan (33:05)

Thank you

JoAnn Crohn (33:11)

where I was talking about ADHD, we can call this the ADHD No Guilt Mom podcast because that’s what we do all the time. All the time. swear.

Brie Tucker (33:19)

If you’ve got any questionable, like you’re like, I wonder if I have ADHD. I wonder if I have perimenopause. I wonder.

JoAnn Crohn (33:25)

Trust me. You’ll figure got it covered. You’ll figure it out. But it’s like also like the people we attract. So if you find that, mean, shout out to our balance members, many of whom have multiple neurodiversities going on, which we embrace and love. Shout out to Lauren K. I won’t say her last name on here. She makes me laugh daily on Jo with Jo’s because of her ADHD and the things that she could bring up like out of nowhere.

Brie Tucker (33:51)

Yeah, there was like we we do it Joe Joe every morning and there was a post on there about like pictures and you’re like what?

JoAnn Crohn (33:58)

Lauren, I don’t know. And she’s like, no, and Lauren, by the way, is a doctor. It’s just so fun. It’s so fun. The people we attract into our community. So come join us in balance. If you’re looking for your people.

Brie Tucker (34:09)

You don’t have to wear your mask. Your mask is there to hang out with us. Nope. if you know what we’re talking about, then you are our people.

JoAnn Crohn (34:17)

Yes, yes, you don’t have to try to be someone you are not.

Brie Tucker (34:21)

Just as Robyn is one of our people. And I got to tell you guys, when Robyn and I connected about the podcast, her YouTube channel is freaking amazing, guys. She has so many great, quick, awesome tips that it’s just, you got to go check it out. There’s a link in the show notes down here to go to her, check out her YouTube channel. It is fantastic. She’s got so many resources for you, both for people that are just typical people trying to get your home functioning in a better way and you feel like you might have some distraction or some ADHD, but also for people starting businesses, which there’s so much of that right now.

JoAnn Crohn (35:01)

There is so much of that right now, for sure. Well, we hope you enjoyed this episode of the podcast. Please, guys, if you find you have like three minutes of time, can you go and leave us a review? It helps get the podcast out to more people. It helps the Apple podcast algorithm be like, people like it are commenting on this podcast. I’m going to show it to more people as a suggestion. This is always the game that we’re trying to play here. Same with Spotify. The more people that comment.

the more that Spotify is like, I’m gonna show this to more people as a suggestion. So you’re really, really helping us out by doing that. Yes, if you have three minutes, we would so love and appreciate you. We read every review and we’re just like, ⁓ they’re amazing.

Brie Tucker (35:39)

We really do read every single review as they come in. You know, we should go back to reading some of the reviews online. I think we’ll start doing that again for a little bit. So if you want to hear a shout out to you live on the podcast, leave us a review. We will read out all of the comments we get this summer. We’ll read them out live on every podcast report.

JoAnn Crohn (35:58)

Yeah. So until next time, remember the best mom is a happy mom. Take care of you. We’ll talk to you later.

Brie Tucker (36:03)

Thanks for stopping by.