In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat, I’m joined by Ellen Scherr—licensed therapist, midlife coach, and Substack writer whose work on midlife and people-pleasing has resonated with women around the world.

Ellen shares her midlife pivot from a successful career in sales to becoming a therapist, and how that transition reflects the deeper shifts many women experience in midlife. We explore how changes in neurochemistry and hormones affect emotional regulation, tolerance, and boundaries—and why people-pleasing often becomes unsustainable during this stage of life.

We also break down Ellen’s viral Substack article, which offers direct, practical guidance for anyone ready to stop over-explaining, over-giving, and prioritizing everyone else’s comfort over their own.

Ellen also previews her upcoming Midlife Clarity Assessment, designed to help women better understand where they are in midlife, what’s changing internally, and how to move forward with confidence and clarity.

✨ In this episode, we discuss:

• How midlife neurochemical changes impact boundaries and emotional tolerance
• Why people-pleasing is replaced by raw truth in midlife
• Career pivots, identity shifts, and redefining success in the second half of life
• Steps women can take at any age for more direct communication

Learn more about Ellen and her work at https://lifebranches.com, and watch for the launch of her Midlife Clarity Assessment.

Read the article that launched a movement here!

Drum Roll, Please...

In this Sunday Shortie, I’m sharing the results of my recent psychological assessment—and what the testing process revealed during midlife, when symptoms are often harder to untangle.

I talk candidly about the complexity of ADHD assessments, how long and mentally demanding the tests were, and how my mind wandered throughout the process—a detail that turned out to be important data, not a failure.

My official diagnoses: ADHD, predominantly inattentive type, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

This episode explores how midlife and menopause can blur the lines between anxiety, hormonal changes, burnout, and ADHD—especially for women who’ve spent decades coping, masking, and pushing through.

In this episode, we cover:

• What a comprehensive ADHD and anxiety assessment actually looks like
• Why distraction, fatigue, and wandering focus during testing matter
• How midlife and menopause can amplify cognitive and emotional symptoms
• Why many women receive an ADHD diagnosis later in life
• How receiving clarity can feel grounding—not defining

If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause and questioning what’s “hormonal” versus something deeper, this conversation offers perspective, validation, and steadiness.

Keywords / SEO tags:
adult ADHD diagnosis, inattentive ADHD, ADHD and menopause, perimenopause and ADHD, midlife mental health, women with ADHD, ADHD assessment, generalized anxiety disorder, GAD, late ADHD diagnosis

In my first full week of self-employment, I expected freedom… but instead I found myself wrestling with old habits: overworking, over-giving, and slipping right back into the hustle culture I thought I left behind. In this episode, I share the real, unpolished truth about resetting my relationship with time, learning to set boundaries without guilt, and figuring out what work looks like when I get to define it.

If you’re navigating a new chapter, letting go of burnout culture, or trying to unlearn years of “be productive at all costs” conditioning, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

We talk self-trust, slowing down, restructuring your days, and the messy middle of building a business without breaking yourself in the process.