Reinvention Diaries — "I Swear My Brain Didn't Use to Work Like This"

Michelle and Nicola dive into how their brains seem to be working differently these days — from procrastination and deadline panic to losing words and walking into rooms with no idea why. They explore how perimenopause may be reshaping their mental strategies, what ADHD actually looks like in women (it wasn't even recognized in women until 2018), and why so many women are receiving late diagnoses in midlife.

Topics covered:

• Recording at 3pm instead of 9am — when brains stop cooperating
• Michelle's business retreat in Corfu (not a holiday!) and a lightbulb moment about her photography business
• Transitioning away from wedding photography due to physical strain — "my back can't take it anymore"
• The "busy fool" feeling: knowing what needs doing but not doing it
• Tips from a neurodivergence/menopausal brain coach: identify the boring part of a task, and stop shaming yourself for last-minute work — lean into it and plan for it
• Masking: how fitting in to feel "normal" erodes your identity over time
• Different learning styles — "elephants can't climb trees, so why ask them to?"
• ADHD in women: hereditary, lifelong, and often masked until perimenopause shakes coping strategies apart
• Michelle's two children with ADHD and what she's learned about the wide range of symptoms — internal hyperactivity, avoidance, eye-wandering, fidgeting
• The debate: is a formal diagnosis worth it if you don't plan to medicate?
• Men's vs women's brains: linear thinking vs. mental plate-spinning — learned behaviour or biology? (They'd love to find an expert to weigh in)
• Random act of kindness: rescuing a stranger's dropped noodles in Lidl

Listener question: Has your brain been less helpful lately? Have you looked into ADHD or neurodivergence as a possible explanation? Would you get diagnosed, or skip it?

Get in touch:

• Email: studio@thereinventiondiaries.co.uk
• Instagram: @thereinventiondiariespodcast
• Website: thereinventiondiaries.co.uk, Nicolaaucklandphotography.co.uk, mrsstylewright.com
• Want to share your story on the show? Visit the website for info on becoming a guest.