From Chaos to Clarity: How ADHD Became My Compass
Not many people know this about me, but I’m neurodivergent, specifically ADHD. Deep down, I think I always knew, but never had the words to articulate it.
I spent decades trying to understand myself: how to function, focus, create, and thrive in a world that wasn’t built for my wiring. I had no diagnosis, no guidebook - just trial, error, adaptation, and sheer determination.
What I didn’t realise then, was that I was building a philosophy, a framework, and eventually a business.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably curious about what I do. I’m Carol-Anne, a mind-body coach. The way I learned to navigate my own mind and body has become the foundation of my work: helping people understand themselves as whole beings, not just from the neck up.
The lightning bolt moment
I’m ashamed to admit that I used to say, “I don’t think ADHD is a real thing.” I thought it was a label for people who couldn’t concentrate or sit still. How wrong and ignorant I was. I now understand that it’s a deeply complex and nuanced thing for every individual.
I can’t pinpoint exactly why I decided to get assessed. At some point, it just felt like the right thing to do. A culmination of events nudged me in that direction, and suddenly, everything clicked into place. It felt like boarding a train without a destination, yet knowing it was going exactly where I needed to.
Getting my ADHD diagnosis as an adult was like someone turned on all the lights. As if by a bolt of lightning, everything made sense: the unfinished projects, burnout cycles, bursts of brilliance followed by shutdowns, the intensity, sensitivity, and all-or-nothing energy. Not an excuse, but an explanation. And it changed me.
Relief came first, and then the grief. Grief for the younger me who tried so hard and thought she wasn’t disciplined, organised, or good enough. Grief for the years spent masking and hiding parts of myself. Grief for the “what could have been” and “if only I’d known sooner” moments.
Then after the grief came acceptance. The most profound insight from my diagnosis. Acceptance unlocked understanding, compassion, power, and pride.
Unmasking me
For most of my life, I managed by pushing, masking, and mimicking what looked like the “right” way to work. I could sustain it for a time, but eventually, my nervous system crashed. My body carried the cost of it all.
Over time, patterns emerged:
→ A nervous system that amps up quickly and drops even quicker
→ A brain leaping ahead, making massive connections in moments
→ Intolerance for boredom and constantly craving novelty
→ Floods of ideas with no starting point or system to create it
→ Feeling trapped in an invisible box
→ Erratic daily task execution leaving you exhausted and unfulfilled
These traits didn’t feel like superpowers, they felt like broken parts of myself. But I’m not broken, I simply live in a world that isn’t built for brains like mine (and maybe yours).
A real moment of realisation was when I noticed what I had already done to support myself: shaping beliefs and habits around my mental and physical health, creating enabling spaces, experimenting relentlessly, listening to my body, and building my own methods and systems, which continue to evolve now. All of it came from this unwavering need to understand myself better and make life feel a little less hard.
Nothing changed overnight, but clarity arrived. Acceptance allowed me to stop trying to be “neurotypical” and start designing a life that feels right for me. I stopped trying to be someone else, which brought a huge sense of relief to my exhausted mind and body.
Now, I work with my nervous system. I tune into the messages my body sends and base decisions on what it communicates. Every day, I ask: What is my body trying to tell me that my brain is busy ignoring?
Shaping my work
My coaching isn’t about performance or perfection. It’s about understanding yourself from the inside out. Listening to your body and tuning into your mind, so you can create meaningful change through aligned and intentional action.
While many of my clients are neurodivergent, this work benefits everyone. Neurodivergent wiring often amplifies the signals our bodies are sending: energy patterns, stress cues, and focus fluctuations, which makes learning to read and respond to those signals essential for creating change.
Neurotypical clients also benefit from understanding the mind-body connection: gaining clarity, easing overwhelm, understanding stress in the body and making choices based on how they truly feel and think.
Whatever your brain wiring, I help you notice patterns, interpret the signals your body is sending, and make decisions that feel aligned and sustainable.
When you learn to listen, your clarity improves, your nervous system settles, your energy flows naturally, and most importantly, you stop fighting yourself.
If you want to explore how I can help, you can book a call with me here.
