07/10/25– Issue #4
I have a confession: after months of doom-scrolling through TikToks about ADHD, I’m pretty sure I have ADHD. Every other video is someone describing symptoms that sound exactly like my daily struggles focusing, remembering tasks, or resisting distractions. I know I’m not alone.. it seems like everyone and their cousin thinks they might have a touch of ADHD or even autism these days.
With how constantly connected (and distracted) we are, who wouldn’t relate to at least a few ADHD traits? The reality is that ADHD content online has exploded – We (the average TikTok user) now spends over 45 minutes a day on the app, and ADHD videos rack up millions of views. The downside: not all that info is reliable (a study found over half of popular TikTok videos about ADHD were misleading). No wonder we are self-diagnosing and scratching our heads about what’s real and what’s not.
If you’re in the same boat, feeling seen by ADHD memes but unsure what to do? one thing that helped me was subscribing to a few newsletters. Instead of endless social media rabbit holes, I turned to ADHD experts and advocates who deliver actionable tips and trustworthy insights. I don’t know if you have an official diagnosis or just suspect you’re on the ADHD (or autism) spectrum, but these newsletters offer great guidance, support, and a sense of community. Below I’ve rounded up some of the best ADHD-focused newsletters (with a dash of autism-friendly advice) that have genuinely helped me. Each comes with an example of their wisdom in action and a memorable quote from one of their editions, so you can get a taste of how they might help you too.
Pick #1 — Extra Focus – ADHD Productivity with Jesse J. Anderson
If you’re looking for practical strategies to thrive with ADHD, Extra Focus is a goldmine. Author Jesse J. Anderson (who has ADHD himself) shares weekly tips on creativity, time management, and focus, drawn from personal experience and research. With over 69,000 subscribers, this newsletter has built a strong reputation in the ADHD community, even ADHD experts like Thom Hartmann praise it as “wonderful, timely, insightful info for people with ADHD!”.
Jesse’s approach is refreshingly honest and often counterintuitive (he’s the one who famously compared ADHD brains to having “too many browser tabs open”). One thing I love is how he encourages embracing “weird” hacks that actually work for ADHD brains. For example, he once revealed an unusual focusing trick:
“I had a special pair of shoes that I wore whenever I was trying to work on my book to help trigger my brain into thinking ‘it’s writing time’ - if you haven’t tried something like this, I recommend it!”
why I keep opening it
Field-tested hacks only. Jesse tries every tip on himself first.
Built-in body-doubling: open Zoom rooms & Discord focus sessions.
Weekly micro-challenges (one-sticky-note list, two-tab rule) I can apply in minutes.
Friendly humor that makes ADHD feel like a feature, not a flaw.
tiny drawbacks
One issue per week… great for avoiding overwhelm, but I wish for a mid-week booster. Occasional plug for his book or course, easy to skip.
my verdict
9 / 10 — clear, no-guilt guidance that actually sticks.
Pick #2 My Lady ADHD – Relatable Support for Women (Trina Haynes)
ADHD looks a bit different for everyone, and My Lady ADHD zeroes in on the often-overlooked female experience. Creator Trina Haynes writes a weekly newsletter for women with ADHD that’s “relatable, helpful content in an easy-to-read format”, covering topics like focus, procrastination, and burnout. Trina has built a community of over 9,000 subscribers by sharing her own stories and coping strategies as a late-diagnosed ADHDer. The tone is positive and dare I say empowering. You feel like you’re chatting with a supportive (and often funny) friend who gets it.
One of Trina’s top pieces, for instance, shared her favorite ADHD tips of the year, and they’re the kind of down-to-earth hacks anyone can try. Here’s one gem that stuck with me:
“Stop putting so many items on the to-do list… Instead, try 3 decent-sized tasks and anything else completed on top of that is just icing on the cake.”
This advice from My Lady ADHD brilliantly tackles the overwhelm we often feel by simply doing less. Trina encourages celebrating a “DONE list” of what you accomplish, rather than beating yourself up for the 100 things you didn’t get. Other issues have covered embracing your strengths (not just obsessing over weaknesses) and letting go of shame around using tools like reminders and. The overall vibe is encouraging and practical. Reading it reminds you that you’re not lazy or crazy, and that small tweaks (like a shorter to-do list or daily “quiet time” to prevent burnout) can make a big difference. If you’re a woman who has felt misunderstood or “too much” your whole life, My Lady ADHD will feel like a weekly hug and a kick in the pants, all in one.
why I keep opening it
Theme-of-the-week fixes (“three-task days”) that kill overwhelm fast.
Done-for-you quiet-time and burnout-prevention routines.
Honest pep talks: celebrates wins and normalizes slip-ups.
Community vibes. Reader stories make you feel seen.
tiny drawbacks
Content leans female, so a few hormone or motherhood angles won’t apply to everyone. Small upsell to her paid coaching group appears now and then.
my verdict
8.5 / 10 - warm, practical, and confidence-boosting. Perfect if shame has been your biggest blocker.
Pick #3 - Adulting with ADHD – Late Diagnosis, Real Talk & Hacks (Rach Idowu)
Rach Idowu’s Adulting with ADHD newsletter has a special place in my heart. It’s one of those reads that makes you laugh, nod along, and learn something new every time. Rach was diagnosed in adulthood and has since become a prominent ADHD advocate (her work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, NatGeo… you name it). With over 11,000 subscribers, she shares candid personal stories and quirky “ADHD hacks” that have worked for her (or failed spectacularly, which she’ll also honestly discuss). The appeal of Rach’s writing is how real and unfiltered it is. You feel like you’re swapping tips with a friend who isn’t afraid to say, “Yep, I forgot to eat again, here’s what I’m trying to do about it.”
One Adulting with ADHD edition that went viral was Rach’s list of “10 Ridiculous ADHD Hacks” – unconventional tricks that sound crazy but actually help:
“I do this thing where I set myself a fake deadline, but it doesn’t stop there. I have to publicly announce or tell someone I’m going to do something by a specific time so I HAVE to keep my word.”
By dreaming up these imaginary deadlines and even tricking herself with pretend high-stakes scenarios, Rach leverages accountability (and adrenaline?) to get stuff done (she calls it “sickening, I know,” with tongue in cheek). It’s a perfect example of her outside-the-box approach. Another clever hack she’s shared: wearing shoes while working at home, because it “puts me into ‘focus’ mode and somehow chains me to my desk”. A simple sensory change that keeps her from wandering off mid-task. Reading Rach’s newsletter is both comforting (“you mean someone else does that too?!”) and motivating (she wants you to embrace your weird ways of coping). If you’re navigating life with a new ADHD diagnosis… or still figuring things out… Adulting with ADHD offers community and plenty of actionable ideas to make “adulting” a bit easier.
why I keep opening it
Late-diagnosed real talk. Successes and spectacular failures.
Ridiculously clever hacks (public fake deadlines, “focus shoes”) that work.
Links to tools, checklists, and research for deeper dives.
Spicy humor that makes me laugh instead of panic.
tiny drawbacks
Tone can be blunt. if you want calm clinical prose, look elsewhere. Frequency isn’t clockwork. Sometimes weekly, sometimes a gap.
my verdict
8.7 / 10 — creative, laugh-out-loud solutions that nudge me to experiment and actually finish stuff.
Founders Toolkit - Tools I found that add real value to my life.
This week’s pick: Brain.fm - AI-generated background music engineered to nudge your brain into focus mode in under 15 minutes.
Why I’m sold: My ADHD mind treats Spotify like a skip-button workout. Brain.fm locks in one science-tuned track that dampens chatter and keeps me from playlist hopping. I hit play, slip into a 30-minute “Deep Work” session, and surface shocked at how much I’ve knocked out. no caffeine spike required.
Try it: Fire up the free 5-session trial, choose the “Focus > Deep Work” setting, and tackle a task you’ve been dodging. If your brain doesn’t quiet down by the second session, delete the app. if it does, the $7 / month sub is cheaper than a latte habit and a lot kinder to your nervous system.
ps
Hit reply and tell me one newsletter you swear by right now, I’ll test it and share the best picks!