This week on the Embracing Intensity podcast, I’m thrilled to welcome back the always thoughtful and illuminating Brendan Mahan, founder of ADHD Essentials and creator of the Wall of Awful. In this free-flowing and deeply relatable conversation, we dive into the realities of ADHD burnout, navigating screen time, and what it really means to rest. Brendan and I both share personally about our own experiences with burnout and recovery, and how we’re learning to work with our neurodivergent brains instead of against them.
Brendan Mahan is a speaker, coach, and host of the ADHD Essentials Podcast. He specializes in helping families, educators, and individuals better understand ADHD through metaphor, structure, and compassion. Brendan is known for his "Wall of Awful" model—a powerful visual metaphor that helps people identify and move through the emotional blocks that make motivation so hard for those with ADHD. He’s currently working on a book titled Overcoming the Wall of Awful, expected to release in 2026.
The difference between hard fascination and soft fascination, and why the latter is key for real rest
What the Default Mode Network is and how it affects neurodivergent minds
How screen time mimics rest but often leads to hard fascination and further mental exhaustion
The origins of the Wall of Awful and how it helps people understand motivation challenges
Tools Brendan uses to access soft fascination, from walks in the woods to weighted pressure
The idea of contaminated time and how it sabotages meaningful rest
Navigating professional transitions and creative burnout
Letting go of transactional relationships and leaning into transformational connection
Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to intentionally rebuild from burnout
How embracing your values and regulating sensory input can be powerful tools for recovery
Reframing burnout as a “season” and holding onto hope that things can and do change
🎧 Tune in to hear a heartfelt, relatable conversation on burnout, ADHD, and the power of slowing down with intention. Whether you're deep in burnout or on the road to recovery, this episode offers compassionate insights and practical tools to help you find your way back to balance.
In this inspiring episode of Embracing Intensity, I’m joined by the vibrant and insightful Fizzah Zaidi, a psychotherapist based in Chicago who works with adults with ADHD, especially those navigating high-pressure environments like tech and finance. We originally connected at an ADHD conference over boots and breakfast, and I’m so excited to bring her energy and wisdom to the podcast!
Fizzah shares her journey from a creative career in animation to becoming a mental health professional, her passion for social justice, and how she uses her intensity to empower her clients. Together, we explore what it means to navigate neurodivergence with curiosity, creativity, and self-compassion.
Fizzah is a psychotherapist and former animator who brings her creative flair and social justice focus into her therapeutic practice. Working primarily with high-achieving adults in the finance and tech sectors, she specializes in supporting ADHD and twice-exceptional individuals as they navigate complex challenges in both personal and professional settings. Her approach is multimodal, trauma-informed, and deeply rooted in empathy, humor, and the belief that everyone deserves someone who truly believes in them.
How Fizzah uses creativity and multimodal therapy to connect with clients
The role of social justice in her personal and professional intensity
Navigating cultural stigma around mental health and emotional expression
Toning down to survive: childhood masking and fear of judgment
Channeling intensity into advocacy: challenging grad school policies while pregnant
Why “being kind to yourself” means embracing your human moments
The power of curiosity and education in making sense of your neurodivergent brain
Executive function myths: the difference between lacking skills vs. activation
Building community care, challenging black-and-white thinking, and supporting clients in discovering their fire
Fizzah reminds us that intensity can be a powerful force for justice, healing, and growth when it’s supported and expressed authentically. Her story highlights the importance of giving ourselves permission to feel, question, and grow in our own unique ways—and supporting others as they do the same. Whether you’re navigating neurodivergence, embracing your emotional depth, or looking for ways to channel your fire, this episode will leave you feeling seen and inspired.
🎧 Tune in now and discover how you, too, can embrace your intensity and turn it into your greatest strength.
Fizzah Zaidi Psychotherapy Website: fzpsychotherapy.com
Connect with Fizzah via Email: Available through her website
Located in Chicago? Reach out and grab coffee with Fizzah!
PowerZone Toolkit Challenge (Free & Evergreen): embracingintensity.com/toolkit
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