Stephing Up

Here’s the truth:
Your brain isn’t broken… it’s just overwhelmed.
Whether you have ADHD or not, we’re all living in a world that’s busy, noisy, overstimulating—and expecting us to remember everything.
So instead of trying to “be better” or “get more disciplined”…what if you just made life easier?
In this episode, I’m walking you through the 8 weird (but wildly effective) systems I use daily to reduce overwhelm, stop forgetting everything, and actually function like a normal human.
From the “sock theory” to the “life pouch”… these are the small tweaks that remove friction and make your life work with your brain—not against it.
What you’ll learn:
Why your brain struggles to keep up (and why it’s not your fault)
How to reduce decision fatigue in your everyday life
Why “simple systems” are more powerful than motivation
How to work with your brain instead of constantly fighting it
Here’s what I break down in this episode:
Weekly Brain Dump
Get everything out of your head and onto paper (aka cognitive offloading)
The One-Type-of-Sock Rule
Eliminate unnecessary decisions (yes, socks matter more than you think)
Planner Always Open + Visible
Out of sight = out of mind (so don’t let it disappear)
Alarms for Starting (Not Just Leaving)
Stop being late by planning for getting ready, not just the event
The Launch Pad
A designated space for everything you need the next day
The “Life Pouch”
One small bag with all your essentials—no more losing everything
The 2-Step Rule
If it takes more than two steps… redesign it
Closing Shift Routine
Reset your home each night so future you isn’t overwhelmed
…
Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
…
Let’s Hang:
Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You don’t just wake up one day burnt out.
You don’t suddenly lose your spark.
It happens slowly. Quietly. While you’re still showing up… still getting things done… still functioning.
Until one day, you look at yourself and think: I don’t even recognise who I am anymore.
If you’ve been feeling flat, disconnected, or like you’re just going through the motions… this episode is for you.
In this episode I share:
The moment I realised I’d lost my spark—and the subtle, high-functioning burnout that got me there.
Why burnout doesn’t always look like “falling apart”, and how it shows up in daily life.
The real reason you ended up here (and the hard truth behind it).
Practical, doable steps to start feeling like you again.
Plus, I’ve created a free workbook to help you reset your routine and get your colour back. Grab yours here: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au/blogs/news/stephing-up-podcast-is-back
…
Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
…
Let’s Hang:
Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Your Kids Turn Feral After School (And the 6 Rules That Fixed It). After school meltdowns, the witching hour, and the 6 rules I rebuilt to stop our afternoons falling apart as a mum with ADHD.
This is for you if:
Your after school routine is non-existent and every afternoon ends in tears (yours or theirs)
You've ever been a snack bitch for 45 minutes straight and the kids still won't eat dinner
You've cried in the pantry and then come out pretending everything's fine
In this episode:
After school regulation: why I don't talk to my kids for 30 minutes after school (and the brain science behind why they lose it)
Screen time after school: the dopamine science that explains the meltdown when you take the iPad away
After school snack prep: the lazy plate hack that stopped me being on snack duty for 45 minutes
Evening lighting for kids sleep: why overhead lights after 6pm are suppressing your kid's melatonin (twice as much as adults)
PM reset routine: the closing shift concept... treating the house like a restaurant you're putting to bed
Revenge bedtime procrastination: the name for the 11pm scroll when your day wasn't yours (and why adult time fixes it)
The catchall basket hack: batching the mess so you're not doing 100 trips with Polly Pockets
Timestamps:
00:00 After school meltdowns: brains, dopamine, and a lit match
00:27 Why our after school routine fell apart
00:47 The witching hour: how did people in the 1800s do this?
01:36 "It stops me crying in the pantry as much"
02:28 ADHD and time blindness: "for me there's either now or not now"
04:05 The moment I realised my after school systems had slipped
05:16 RULE 1: After school regulation... regulate first, everything else second
07:05 What's happening in your kid's brain after school (the amygdala hijack)
10:10 The 30-minute decompression routine + calm corner ideas
12:50 RULE 2: Screen time rules... no TV until the after school checklist is done
14:49 Screen time and dopamine: why screens after school make meltdowns worse
17:35 RULE 3: After school snack prep (the lazy plate + protein hacks)
21:32 RULE 4: Evening lighting for kids sleep... no overhead lights after 6pm
23:37 RULE 5: The PM reset routine... putting the house to bed
25:14 The catchall basket: organising after school mess
27:00 RULE 6: Mum's adult time + revenge bedtime procrastination
27:45 Evening planner check: the routine that closes my day
28:15 Outro

Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
…
Let’s Hang:
Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're not bad at cleaning. You just don't have the systems.
When I was a kid, my room was so messy my mother hung a dolphin shower curtain across my shelves to hide it.
Like, a full shower curtain. With blue dolphins on it. On brand for me at the time. And it worked great until the mess behind it got so big the curtain couldn't hold it anymore.
I always thought I was incompetent. Turns out I just didn't have the systems. Here's how I tricked my ADHD brain into keeping a cleanish house.
This episode is for you if:
You've rewashed the same load three times because it smells like regret
Your kitchen bench regenerates clutter faster than you can clear it
You've genuinely considered moving house instead of cleaning the one you have
In this episode I share:
Why cleaning feels so hard (it's decision fatigue, not laziness)
Theme days: the alliteration brain hack
The cleaning playlist that tricks your brain
Catch-all baskets: batching the mess
The five-minute rule and why momentum builds dopamine
AM/PM resets: putting the house to bed
…
Your Messy Life Reset:
Now that you’re clear on how to work with your brain (and not against it)... go back and complete your Messy Life Reset. I’ll walk you through it step-by-step in Season 2, episodes 1 and 2.
Grab your free Messy Life Reset workbook here: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au/blogs/news/stephing-up-podcast-is-back
…
Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
…
Let’s Hang:
Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever noticed that starting new habits can feel like pulling teeth? You’ve set your goal. You want it with every fiber of your being… yet you're still met with so much resistance. You have every intention of going to bed early, but suddenly it's three o'clock in the morning and you're doing a ‘Which kitchen appliance am I’ quiz? Turns out, there is a good reason for that. (And I’m a toaster, thanks for asking).
Our brains see new habits as a threat because it doesn't know what's going to happen.
Read that again. Your brain wants you to stay with what's familiar because it knows the outcome. And when it can predict the outcome, it feels safe. Your brain relies on knowing exactly what's going to happen, so it continues to pull you back to what it knows.
So even if an existing habit is bad for you, like scrolling, overeating, staying in a job you hate or avoiding hard conversations, your brain thinks, “Well, I know how this ends and we survived it last time, so let's just do that again.” And it replays over and over again. Even if those habits make you unhappy. Even if they make you unhealthy. And even if they're keeping you stuck.
In this episode, I’m sharing all the things I WISH we were taught back in school, including:
The science behind why changing your habits is so hard.
The truth about lazy brains… and the autopilot trap.
The healthy habits cheatcode: Four steps you can take to ‘trick’ your brain into accepting a new habit.
Why you should finally stop comparing yourself to others.
…
Your Messy Life Reset:
Now that you’re clear on how to work with your brain (and not against it)... go back and complete your Messy Life Reset. I’ll walk you through it step-by-step in Season 2, episodes 1 and 2.
Grab your free Messy Life Reset workbook here: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au/blogs/news/stephing-up-podcast-is-back
…
Follow Stephing Up
I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.
New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.
…
Let’s Hang:
Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up
Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_
Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.
Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners
Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.