🦋 ADHD, Hyperfocus, and Building Caterpillar Rising: Learning to Slow Down to Speed Up

Sometimes building a business feels like building a plane while already flying it. That’s exactly where I’ve found myself lately. My ADHD brain is buzzing with ideas, passion, and energy — but it’s also racing at 100 miles an hour, pulling me in a dozen directions at once.

The truth? I’ve had to take a step back and reorganise, because my ADHD got the better of me. I now have four half-written courses, half a website, and the beginnings of what could be a book or even a self-help toolkit. My brain wants to do everything right now. And yet, despite the chaos, I’m so excited about building Caterpillar Rising.

🌸 Why I’m Building Caterpillar Rising

Caterpillar Rising isn’t just a brand — it’s personal. I’m passionate about helping women who’ve been through domestic abuse, trauma, mental health struggles, and neurodiversity, because that’s my story too.

I’m a single parent, recently made redundant, juggling kids, pets, and a head full of dreams. I know what it feels like to rebuild from rock bottom. I know what it feels like to survive trauma while managing ADHD, and still want to thrive.

This is why I pour my energy into creating courses and resources. In just two weeks, I’ve had over 11,000 views on my content, which tells me I’m not alone. Women out there are craving support, understanding, and tools for change.

But my ADHD brain? It doesn’t like to go in a straight line. It wants to start ten things at once — a course, a blog, a freebie, a book, a toolkit — and then gets stuck trying to finish any of them.

🌿 What is Hyperfocus?

Most people think ADHD means you can’t focus. The reality is more complicated. ADHD is less about lack of focus and more about difficulty regulating focus.

Sometimes my brain refuses to lock onto anything. Other times, I fall into hyperfocus — an intense, laser-like state where hours vanish, meals are forgotten, and the rest of the world fades.

Neuroscience shows that this happens because dopamine (the brain’s “reward” chemical) works differently in ADHD brains. Instead of a steady flow, dopamine comes in uneven bursts. When something feels exciting or urgent, dopamine spikes — and the ADHD brain locks in like a heat-seeking missile (Volkow et al., 2009).

👉 This explains why I can pour energy into creating four half-written courses in a week, but struggle to send one simple email.

Hyperfocus is powerful — but unmanaged, it can be dangerous.

🌸 5 Signs You’re Dangerously Hyperfocused (or Overwhelmed)

1. Neglecting essentials – meals, sleep, even bathroom breaks go missing.

2. Too many projects – four half-written courses (hello, me 🙋‍♀️).

3. Tunnel vision – obsessing over tiny details while ignoring the big picture.

4. Emotional crash – from “unstoppable” to “burnt out” in one afternoon.

5. Executive function shutdown – struggling to organise or decide what to do first.

   
   

🌿 Executive Function and ADHD

Executive function is like the brain’s air traffic control system, based in the prefrontal cortex. It manages planning, prioritising, time management, and switching between tasks.

In ADHD, this system doesn’t run as efficiently. It’s like an airport with too many planes circling and not enough controllers. That’s why I can have brilliant ideas but feel paralysed when I try to decide what order to tackle them in.

📊 Research Insight: Barkley (2015) described ADHD as a disorder of “executive self-regulation” — meaning the issue isn’t intelligence or effort, but the brain’s difficulty with managing attention, memory, and planning.

🌸 My Strategies to Step Back and Refocus

I don’t want to stop creating. I can’t — this work fuels me. But I also don’t want to burn out or drown in chaos. So here’s what I’m learning to put in place:

1. 🕒 Timeboxing & Timetables

I’m building a weekly timetable where every task has a time slot. Timeboxing forces me to stop before hyperfocus drags me into all-nighters.

2. 📱 Social Media Limits

Instead of posting daily, I’m limiting myself to 3 posts a week. This keeps me consistent without exhausting me.

3. 🎓 Course + Blog + Freebie Rhythm

Each week, I’m committing to just one course, one blog, and one worksheet/freebie. That’s ambitious, but realistic — and it stops me scattering myself across ten unfinished projects.

4. 🏋️ Exercise, Slow and Steady

I know exercise helps ADHD brains by boosting dopamine and serotonin. But instead of chasing an “all or nothing” routine, I’m aiming for 3 gym sessions a week. Small, sustainable steps.

5. 🌿 Self-Compassion as Fuel

I’ve learned that shaming myself only makes things worse. Neuroscience shows that self-compassion activates the brain’s soothing system and reduces cortisol, the stress hormone (Rockliff et al., 2008). So when I slip up, instead of “I’m failing,” I try: “I’m learning to work with my brain, not against it.”

🌸 Quick Tips if You’re Overwhelmed

• Externalise time – Use timers or alarms. Don’t rely on memory.

• Write it down – Brain dumps clear the mental clutter.

• Micro-steps – Break “finish a course” into “write Module 1 intro.”

• Reward yourself – ADHD brains thrive on dopamine. Celebrate tiny wins.

• Protect rest – Schedule recovery like you schedule work.

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🦋 Closing Thoughts

I won’t pretend I’ve got it all figured out. My mind still races, my to-do list still overflows, and some days I feel like I’m chasing butterflies instead of catching them. But I also know this: ADHD is not a weakness. It’s a different brain, with different needs.

Hyperfocus can be a gift. Executive function challenges can be supported. And slowing down is not giving up — it’s a strategy.

Caterpillar Rising is about transformation. And right now, I’m transforming too: from chaos to structure, from overwhelm to focus, from surviving to thriving.

The plane might still be flying while I build it — but I know I’m learning how to keep it steady, one wing at a time. 🦋

✨ What about you? Do you ever find yourself pulled into too many projects at once, or stuck in hyperfocus? What helps you slow down and refocus?

Jamaine xxx