Peter Shankman invited me to discuss yoga, ADHD and Flow State on his podcast Faster Than Normal, and this is it! In this episode we chat about Peter’s amusing meanderings with hot yoga, float tanks and getting in the zone, and my new project working with ADHDpreneurs to support them to get into flow state on demand and fun anecdotes along the way. Check it out!

Cat on the #1 ADHD Podcast: Faster Than Normal

Why ADHD Entrepreneurs Struggle with Focus—And How to Fix It..

For many ADHD entrepreneurs, the struggle to focus, manage energy, and avoid burnout is not only overwhelming but stops them showing up and getting their gifts out into the world! But what if your ADHD brain was actually designed for success? If only you knew how to work with it… In a recent podcast interview, I sat down with Peter Shankman on Faster than Normal – the number 1 ADHD podcast on Apple! We chatted about all sorts of fun things, including how yoga, neuroscience, and flow state science can help neurodivergent minds thrive.

Flow State: The ADHD Superpower

ADHD brains crave novelty, challenge, and deep engagement – exactly the ingredients needed to enter flow state! Flow is that magical zone where time disappears, focus sharpens, and creativity surges. But here’s the catch: ADHDers often struggle with self-regulation, making it hard to access flow on demand. The key? Learning to activate your nervous system intentionally through movement, breathwork, and visualisation, among other things.

In the podcast, I share how my own journey from music industry burnout to yoga and neuroscience led me to discover the Four Pillars of Happiness, a framework for self-mastery and inspired me to create Flux to Flow my current pilot project working specifically with ADHD entrepreneurs. By integrating yoga (not just the stretching part!) with brain-savvy, scienced backed coaching, I am working with ADHD entrepreneurs shift from constant overwhelm to laser-focused productivity – and fulfilment.

Side note: It’s the recovery piece that gets me really fired up.

Yoga Isn’t Just Poses, It’s a Mindset Shift

Peter freely admitted that his first experience with yoga left him feeling sweaty, frustrated and not so zen and peaceful. Many ADHDers struggle with stillness, but here’s the truth: yoga isn’t about being able to sit still for hours, it’s not about self punishment or whacking yourself over the head with the Vedas for not being spiritual enough! It’s about finding movement that soothes your nervous system, helps you get to know ‘you’ better, and feel more present and integrated. Flow state thrives on just the right amount of challenge to keep the brain engaged, it’s stimulating and yet easeful – it balances the effort and effortlessness that yoga speaks about throughout it’s philosophy.

Olympians, musicians, and high performers all use mental rehearsal techniques – a skill rooted in yoga’s visualisation practices. In my traditional Hatha yoga teacher training we practiced single point focus, and meditation to train the brain to practice, or dress rehearse a scenario mentally first, in order to open up possibility in our bodies, brains and beings to a different reality. In essence we were priming our brains for peak performance, as the pro’s do who break records and win medals for first tie ever achievements! When ADHDers learn to harness visualisation and breath control, they gain a powerful tool for managing hyperactivity, overcoming rejection sensitivity, and staying engaged without burning out.

Burnout Happens When You Skip Recovery

One of the biggest mistakes ADHD entrepreneurs make, not to mention everyone who lives in this burnout culture of toxic productivity? Forgetting to recover. And often not forgetting but just not prioritising it as a must. People see recovery as a nice to have. When in fact it is an essential ingredient to accessing states of high performance. Flow follows a cycle of 4 stages: struggle, deep focus, peak performance, and then… recovery. Without downtime, the nervous system crashes, leading to burnout.

Our societal work-centric culture is experiencing epidemic levels of depression, anxiety and burnout, the result of a long period of missing a key ingredient in the high performance recipe. Recovery is core to accessing flow state sustainably. Master recovery and we master high performance. Flow is reputed not only to boost productivity, but happiness and fulfilment in our relatonships, our inner world and our impact in the external world too. There is a ripple effect of implementing flow practices into our day to day rhythm. This has been a fascination of mine for years, and now – through becoming part of the The Flow Research Collective’s mastermind program – I’m infusing this work into my coaching in Flux to Flow.

In the podcast, we dive into dopamine regulation hacks that help ADHDers sustain energy, motivation, and focus. Learning how to balance high-intensity productivity with strategic rest is essential to long-term success. This isn’t just about avoiding burnout—it’s about optimizing your brain for sustainable peak performance.

Ready to Tap Into Your ADHD Flow?

Here’s how you can start shifting from chaos to clarity today:

1. Discover Your Flow Triggers – Download my Flow Hacks Action Pack to find out where to start on accessing flow on demand. Whether it’s cycling, yoga, or deep work sessions, identify what helps you hyperfocus effortlessly.

2. Use Visualisation to Prime Your Brain – Try mental rehearsal techniques like elite athletes to train your mind before tackling big tasks. i also have a download for this on my other blog pages.

3. Prioritise Recovery – Build intentional rest into your schedule to prevent burnout and sustain long-term success.

Cat is a coach, speaker, and wellbeing consultant and creator of Flux to Flow and the 4 Pillars of Happiness method. Cat’s work supports people and professionals move from burnout to brilliance, manage their mental health, and step into a state of flow.

She speaks as a catalyst for change and coaches people in peaceful practices that connect people and planet. Cat has worked with over 26,000 clients across 13 countries from speaking to hosting retreats to diving deeper with clients through her coaching course.  She lives in Bristol where she loves to explore wild nature with her dog Skye, partner dance with friends, and get involved with Acroyoga jams and circus skills for fun!