How to ADHD by Jessica McCabe Summary
Overview of How to ADHD
Jessica McCabe's "How to ADHD" revolutionizes neurodiversity with science-backed strategies from her million-subscriber YouTube channel. Beyond self-help, it's sparked global conversations about ADHD strengths, challenging disorder narratives while offering practical tools. What if your "quirks" are actually superpowers waiting to be harnessed?
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Key takeaways
When "Try Harder" Stops Working
What happens when you're simultaneously failing at basic life tasks while excelling at complex ones? When you can read at a college level in third grade but can't keep track of your belongings? For millions navigating life with ADHD, this isn't a riddle - it's daily reality. The world keeps insisting you have "so much potential," as if effort alone could bridge the gap between what your brain can do and what everyone expects it should do. But here's the truth nobody mentions: sometimes the harder you try, the worse things get. That exhausting treadmill of overcompensation, apology, and burnout isn't a character flaw. It's what happens when you're running the wrong operating system for the tasks at hand. People with ADHD live in a perpetual contradiction. They're told to "be yourself" while simultaneously being corrected for doing exactly that. This creates a maddening pattern: spectacular success in some areas, complete dysfunction in others, with no predictable rhyme or reason. A college student might design an innovative app but forget to attend class. An employee might revolutionize workplace systems but miss their own shifts. This inconsistency drives everyone crazy - especially the person with ADHD. They develop elaborate coping mechanisms: denying problems through anxious over-checking, apologizing reflexively for everything, begging for extensions and second chances, and most damagingly, simply trying harder. Understanding ADHD isn't about finding excuses - it's about finally getting the user's guide your brain desperately needs.
The Attention Paradox and Executive Function Crisis
When Organization Systems Collapse and Time Distorts
The Motivation Mystery and the Wall of Awful
Memory Paradoxes and the Encoding Problem
Relationships, Connection, and Social Navigation
Building a Life That Works With Your Brain
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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