Backpacking Through ADHD

Episode 50: The Year of Reflection

2025 was my reflection year, the year Backpacking Through ADHD began, the year I found my voice, and the year everything changed.
In this special season finale, I’m closing out my very first year of the podcast by looking back on the journey that shaped it all. I reflect on why I started this show, what I learned about ADHD in myself and my son, how my parenting evolved, and how this community grew into something far bigger than I ever imagined.
This episode is honest, emotional, funny, and deeply personal. I talk about the realities of producing a weekly podcast while navigating ADHD, parenting, and life — and why, while I’m not going anywhere, 2026 may look a little different as I think intentionally about sustainability and alignment for the future.
And for the first time ever, I’m joined by my husband for a powerful closing conversation. Together, we reflect on what this year looked like behind the scenes, parenting an ADHD child, supporting each other through growth, and walking this trail as a family.
This episode is a thank-you.A reflection.A full-circle moment.
Thank you for being part of my first year on the trail.I can’t wait to see where we go next.
Listen now and keep backpacking through ADHD with me.

Episode 49: Joy, Dopamine and December

December can feel magical… and completely exhausting — especially for ADHD brains.
In this cozy, fireside-style episode of Backpacking Through ADHD, Tera Greenwood slows things down and gently explores why the end of the year hits ADHD adults and kids so hard. From the dopamine chase and burnout cycle to emotional overload and decision fatigue, this episode offers compassion, understanding, and practical ways to find real joy — not the forced, performative kind.
Together, we talk about:
Why December is uniquely overstimulating for ADHD brains
The dopamine spikes and crashes that leave us exhausted
How ADHD burnout shows up at the end of the year
What “micro-joys” actually are — and why they work
Simple ways to support ADHD kids when everything feels “too much”
Letting go of perfection and embracing softness, rest, and connection
This episode isn’t about doing more.It’s about noticing small sparks of joy, regulating your nervous system, and reminding yourself that you don’t have to earn rest or happiness.
 

Episode 48: The ADHD Gift Guide

December shopping with an ADHD brain is not for the faint of heart. You go in for one thing, come out with seven, forget two, and somehow still feel like you missed something important. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.
In this week’s episode of Backpacking Through ADHD, I’m wearing my “That’s a Terrible Idea, I’m In” hat and taking you on a fun, honest, story-filled journey through The ADHD Gift Guide,  the real one. Not the Pinterest-perfect version, but the kind of gifts that actually work for ADHD kids, adults, partners, teachers, coworkers, and yes… the gifts we accidentally buy for ourselves and pretend were intentional.
We talk about gifts that help regulate, gifts that spark joy without adding clutter, gifts that support movement, focus, and emotional balance, and why experience gifts often matter more than “stuff” for ADHD brains. This episode is full of laughter, personal stories, and those “oh my gosh, that is so me” moments that make the holidays feel a little lighter.
So grab a snack, settle in, and come hang out with me. This is your permission slip to shop with intention, embrace imperfection, and remember that ADHD brings creativity, magic, and connection to the holidays, even when things get a little chaotic.
Press play and let’s backpack through ADHD together.

Episode 47: Holiday Survival Guide

December is here… which means joy, chaos, glitter explosions, forgotten gifts, sensory overload, emotional intensification, and that magical moment where you decorate for 12 minutes and then mysteriously lose your entire holiday spirit. If you’re an ADHD adult, parent, or part of an ADHD family — you KNOW exactly what I’m talking about.
In this hilarious, heartfelt holiday special, we dive into the real ADHD December experience: the vibey bursts of motivation, the time-blindness, the emotional rollercoasters, the sensory overwhelm, the “I swear I bought tape” moments, and the surprising magic that happens when we finally embrace imperfection.
This episode is part comedy show, part hug, and part reminder that you are absolutely not alone. I’ll share personal stories (including my son Grayson’s iconic peppermint bark meltdown), research-backed insight into why ADHD brains feel holidays so intensely, and the quiet truth we all need this month:
You don’t need a perfect holiday. You just need moments that feel true.
We’ll explore:✨ Why ADHD brains experience “holiday intensification mode”✨ Time-blindness, wrapping chaos, and vibe windows✨ Parenting ADHD kids during the most overstimulating month of the year✨ How to take things off your plate—guilt-free✨ Letting go of perfection and embracing presence✨ How the “Take It Easy” mindset actually helps ADHD regulation✨ And the magic that shows up when we stop trying so hard to make everything “just right”
If December drains you and delights you all at the same time… this episode will feel like a deep breath and a warm laugh.
Pour your cocoa, lower your expectations, tilt your hat to “Take It Easy,” and let’s survive this beautiful, ridiculous season together.
Listen now and remember: you are doing enough. Truly.

Episode 46: Thankful, Grateful and Slightly Feral

This week on Backpacking Through ADHD, we’re leaning into the beautiful contradiction of being both wildly grateful and slightly chaotic. Because let’s be honest, gratitude with ADHD doesn’t always look calm and collected. Sometimes it’s loud, messy, and alive.
In this episode, Tera explores what it means to be thankful, grateful, and slightly feral, finding peace in imperfection, laughter in the chaos, and gratitude in the everyday moments that often slip by unnoticed. From family stories and “feral” parenting moments to practical ADHD-friendly gratitude practices (like the Victory Jar and the 10-Second Pause), this conversation reminds us that being grateful doesn’t require calm, it requires presence.
If your version of gratitude comes with cold coffee, tangled thoughts, and a full heart, this one’s for you.
Tune in, take a deep breath, and remember: you can be thankful, grateful, and slightly feral all at once, and that’s exactly enough.

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed.

This week on Backpacking Through ADHD, we’re slowing down and taking a deep breath to explore the power of intentional reflection. 🌿
So often, ADHD brains race toward what’s next—or replay what went wrong. But what happens when we pause to notice what’s right?
In this cozy, heart-forward episode, Tera dives into the real, messy, beautiful practice of gratitude for ADHD minds and families. You’ll learn how to:✨ Reframe ADHD “frustrations” as hidden blessings✨ Use gratitude journaling to retrain ADHD’s negativity bias✨ Create simple family rituals—like the “Victory Jar”—that build connection✨ Turn thankfulness into a powerful regulation tool
Whether you’re driving, walking, or curled up with your favorite blanket, this episode will help you find calm in the chaos and appreciation in the everyday.
Because even in the whirlwind of ADHD life, there’s always something to be thankful for, grateful for, and blessed by. 💛

Gratitude, Grace and Grit

What happens when ADHD meets the chaos of midlife? When emotional regulation collides with hormonal imbalance, and everything—focus, patience, even mental stability—feels like quicksand?
In this powerful, heart-forward episode, host Tera Greenwood explores three pillars that help ADHD minds survive and thrive through life’s hardest seasons:Grace — learning self-compassion when your brain and hormones feel like they’re working against you.Gratitude — how small, intentional moments of appreciation can rewire emotional regulation and ground an overstimulated mind.Grit — the quiet persistence that keeps us moving, even when motivation disappears and life feels heavy.
Tera shares candid stories from motherhood, leadership, and late-diagnosis ADHD, while weaving in current research on self-compassion, dopamine, and how menopause magnifies emotional dysregulation. It’s a raw, relatable conversation for anyone who’s ever wondered: “Why can’t I keep it together right now?”

Neurodiversity in Action – Lead Differently

This week, Tera Greenwood takes listeners behind two very different stages — the AZA Conference and the Colorado Neurodiverse Chamber of Commerce — to explore what it really means to Lead Differently. From stories of zookeepers, CEOs, and entrepreneurs to reflections on vulnerability and inclusion, this episode dives deep into how neurodiverse leadership is transforming workplaces — and hearts.
 

Love, Friendship, and the ADHD Connection

This week on Backpacking Through ADHD, we’re exploring the kind of love that steadies us — the friendships that regulate our ADHD brains and remind us we’re not alone. From heart-hat dinners with lifelong friends to working side-by-side with a best friend who celebrates nonlinear thinking, this episode dives deep into how connection shapes our focus, creativity, and sense of calm.
Tera shares how adult friendship can become one of the most powerful forms of emotional regulation — the way laughter can quiet anxiety, the way a simple “I get you” can reset a spiraling mind, and the way love doesn’t fix ADHD but gives us a softer place to land. She opens up about the friends who show up even when she goes quiet, the ones who understand that silence isn’t distance but exhaustion, and the rare gift of working with someone who not only knows your brain but loves how it works.
If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, stretched too thin, or guilty for not staying in touch, this episode is a reminder that real friendship doesn’t need constant communication to thrive — it needs grace, empathy, and presence. Because when we find the people who love us through our chaos, that connection becomes our greatest source of peace.
Listen now and take a moment to reach out to someone who grounds you, believes in you, and reminds you that your brain — and your heart — are worth celebrating.

Rising Above Labels: Defying Gravity with ADHD

After the “Fiesty” episode, a listener asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks:"What do you do with the weight that comes with owning who you are?"
That conversation inspired this week’s episode—Rising Above Labels: Defying Gravity with ADHD.
In this deeply personal episode, we’re talking about the emotional gravity that comes with ADHD—how labels, expectations, and self-doubt can quietly pull us down—and what it really means to rise anyway.
Join me as I share stories, reflections, and science on how to:
Release the weight of old labels and rewrite your own story
Understand the emotional “gravity” of ADHD and find your lift
 Model self-compassion and strength for ADHD kids
Transform shame into curiosity, creativity, and confidence
This week’s hat—Defy Gravity—reminds us that flight isn’t about ignoring the weight. It’s about learning how to rise with it.
So grab your backpack, take a breath, and let’s climb—one step, one story, one moment of lift at a time.