Do you feel like you’re constantly low on spoons? Are even the things you want to do feeling like effort? Does working out what might help sound like another job you don’t have the energy for? You’re not alone. Hit play to sit with two friends who get it.
This week, Callie and Jayne talk about waking up with nothing in the tank, switching between professional and social roles, and making space for recovery when you still don’t feel recovered. From the background radiation of world events to financial stress and information overload, we explore the modern pressures that can leave neurodivergent brains entirely fried.
In this episode, you’ll find:
- We share things we personally find helpful, including noticing what we want less of, and choosing one manageable next step
- Low demand comforts, including rediscovering favourite music
- Basket date night…
- Dopamining – salt and vinegar Cheezels, house-system wins, and a particularly inappropriate suggestion for finding lost belongings
- Asking for professional and personal support when exhaustion persists.
We might get better. But today, we’re starting small.
Interested in having Jayne as your wedding celebrant? Email fthemfish@gmail.com, and we’ll connect you.
Timestamps
- 00:00 – Theme tune and welcome
- 02:50 – Do you feel constantly low on energy?
- 03:35 – Snack fixations and dopamining
- 05:39 – Can a timer keep us on track?
- 08:01 – Jayne’s new job, weddings, and the cost of switching roles
- 11:26 – Making time for recovery but still feeling depleted
- 13:36 – House systems that work for who you are – we might get better
- 16:54 – Basket date night: Unf*cking the household clutter together
- 18:05 – A very inappropriate lost-items strategy from Tom Cardy
- 19:44 – Feeling underwater and blurred vision
- 20:49 – When working out what you need feels like another job
- 22:56 – AuDHD Burnout and invisible effort
- 24:25 – World events, feeling unsafe, and the cost of living crisis
- 26:14 – Starting with what you don’t want
- 28:08 – Sleep, familiar music, and small comforts
- 29:39 – Finding just one manageable next step
- 31:16 – Time’s up: staying connected
- 32:37 – Producer’s note: seeking help and sharing the recovery load
Mentioned in this episode
- Tom Cardy — H.Y.C.Y.BH?: the lost-items song from our side quest. Explicit language.
- Find our earlier house-systems episode: in your podcast feed.
- Healthdirect: Fatigue: further information about persistent tiredness and seeking support.
Connect with us
We are a 100% independent podcast with no corporate backing or production company. If this episode felt like a warm hug, please follow, rate, or share it with another neurodivergent adult who needs to hear it
Email Us: Send your questions, stories, feedback, and small wins to fthemfish@gmail.com.
Socials: Search AuDHD for Grownups: F Them Fish on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube
Callie’s Info: Explore executive functioning coaching, keynotes, and workshops at Executive Functioning Leadership
Acknowledgement of Country
This podcast was created on the lands of the Ngunnawal, Wadawurrung, and Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise their continuing connections to Country, culture, and community.
Lived-experience note
We share personal experiences and general discussion, not medical or psychological advice. ‘Low spoons’ describes limited energy or capacity, it is not a diagnosis. Persistent exhaustion, difficulty recovering, or changes in vision deserve professional assessment rather than assumptions about their cause. As Callie’s closing note reminds us, you don’t have to manage recovery alone.
Contains occasional explicit language and adult humour.
Email: fthemfish@gmail.com
YouTube and Instagram at AuDHD for Grownups: F Them Fish
Callie’s Website: https://executivefunctioning.com.au/
LinkedIn: Callie: www.linkedin.com/in/callie-elward-barrett-263068142
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