What does ADHD actually feel like in your body and mind?Shira Levine was diagnosed in the 1980s — and describes the moment medication helped her feel grounded for the first time.
Shira is a Silicon Valley–trained marketing and customer engagement strategist with decades of experience in retention, loyalty, and community-driven growth. Diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager in the 1980s, she brings a rare long-term perspective on neurodiversity, work, creativity, and self-acceptance.
Episode Highlights:00:06:30 — What ADHD feels like in the body Shira describes living with ADHD as walking on pavement covered by a thin layer of water — never fully grounded. Medication didn’t “fix” her, but helped her finally feel present and connected to the world.
00:17:20 — Productivity, dragons, and scope creep She explains how neurodivergent people often solve problems that aren’t theirs to solve. Learning when to say no became essential to doing meaningful work.
00:18:45 — Ruthless prioritization without shame Shira reframes prioritization not as discipline, but as protection against overwhelm. Seeing too much can be a strength — if boundaries exist.
00:29:00 — Why she rejects minimalism Minimalism and rigid productivity systems never worked for her ADHD brain. She gives explicit permission to reject trends that create more shame than clarity.
00:30:30 — Fidgets, movement, and regulation From shells to paper clips, Shira explains how keeping her hands busy helps her stay present. Regulation, not stillness, is the goal.
00:33:00 — Designing tools for real ADHD lives She describes the need for multidimensional timers that match how neurodivergent people actually multitask. ADHD isn’t a failure of focus — it’s a different operating system.
00:35:30 — Night routines and protecting sleep Putting her phone on another floor and reading fiction nightly helped Shira become a “gold medal sleeper.” Structure supports rest, not restriction.
00:38:00 — A simple mental exercise for racing thoughts Listing seven things seen and seven things done becomes a grounding practice when sleep feels impossible. Focus follows structure.
00:40:30 — Self-acceptance, obsession, and dialing it down Shira reflects on learning to work
with ADHD rather than against it. Obsession and intensity aren’t flaws — the work is knowing when to modulate them.
Connect with Shira:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/supershiralevine
Website: https://fanchismo.com/
Connect with Jeremy:
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nageljeremy
Email: jeremy@focusbear.io
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What is Focus and Chill - productivity tactics for AuDHDers and other neurodivergent folks ?
Welcome to the Focus and Chill podcast where we discuss productivity tactics that work for AuDHDers and other neurospicy people.
Every episode we interview guests with lived experience of neurodivergence who also have a solid productivity and habit game and pass the learnings on to you, our wise and benevolent audience.
Podcast sponsored by https://focusbear.io