EP 403: Why Your ADHD Brain Works Better Around Other People
EP 403: Why Your ADHD Brain Works Better Around Other People  
Podcast: ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka
Published On: Wed Sep 23 2026
Description: Need help actually getting started? Join the A-OK Hive and get things done alongside other ADHD women: https://tracyotsuka.com/hive____I’ve been doing this since college, and until I was diagnosed with ADHD, I just thought I was a little odd. I work better when other people are around. Not helping me, not talking to me, and definitely not asking me how it’s going. I just need them there, doing their own thing.In college, I couldn’t study in my quiet apartment, so I’d pack up my books and head to the noisiest floor of the library. My friends thought I was nuts. Decades later, when I had four months to write ADHD for Smart Ass Women, I ran into the same problem. I could spend an entire morning avoiding my manuscript at home, then walk into a coffee shop and write for hours.So why does the same brain struggle in one environment and work brilliantly in another?In this episode, I’m exploring why working around other people can help us get started, why silence isn’t always the answer for an ADHD brain, and what we might actually be borrowing from the environment around us. I’m also sharing how this led me to create the AOK Hive, a place where we can work alongside each other and get things done.Maybe we need to stop asking why we can’t make ourselves do something and start paying attention to where our brains actually work best.Send a Message: Your Name | Email | MessageExplore more from me:🐝 AOK Hive: https://tracyotsuka.com/hive  🧘 SHIFT: https://tracyotsuka.com/shift📚 Free resources: https://tracyotsuka.com/learn📖 Get the book, ADHD for Smart Ass Women: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book🧠 Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok🌐 Visit my website: https://tracyotsuka.com/ADHD isn’t a productivity problem. It’s an identity problem.That’s why most strategies don’t stick. They were not designed for how your brain actually works. If you’re ready to stop fighting your brain and start building a life that fits, start here: https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/sign-upConnect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsukaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsukaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/adhd-book