Pause Purpose Play

Have you ever wondered whether running is helping your mental health… or draining it? In this episode, we dig into the real relationship between running and wellbeing - when it is helpful and when it is less helpful, or even outright harmful, to push the body through running exercise and marathons. I’m joined by Counselling Psychologist and passionate runner Dr Chloe Bedford for an honest, compass...

Black Friday is basically engineered to hijack an ADHD brain.  Countdown timers, flashing banners, urgency emails — it’s the perfect storm for impulsive buying and dopamine-driven decisions. In this short solo episode, Clinical Psychologist and ADHD specialist Michaela Thomas shares three quick, compassionate strategies to help you navigate Black Friday with intention, self-trust, and calm, rather...

What happens when midlife hormones, ADHD traits, and the demands of running a business all collide? For many women, it’s the beginning of a powerful - and often messy - transformation and evolution. In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, Clinical Psychologist Michaela Thomas speaks with Candice Mason, founder of Mother Cuppa Tea, about the realities of female entrepreneurship, hormone...

What if the way you’ve been taught to succeed is the very thing burning you out? In a world that glorifies overwork, perfectionism and endless productivity, it can feel almost radical to rest, slow down, or say “no”. But that is where your business freedom lies.  In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, Clinical Psychologist Michaela Thomas speaks with Jo Hooper, founder of the Me First...

You can be passionate about your exercise or sport, and still burn out from it. Have you ever pushed yourself so hard to “do better” or beat a personal best, that the joy disappeared? For many perfectionistic or ADHD minds, exercise can be too much of a good thing, so how to balance that is exactly what this episode unpacks. In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, Clinical Psychologist...

(A compassionate nudge for busy, neurodivergent women and perfectionists) You know you should prioritise yourself — but what does that actually look like when you’re juggling ADHD, business, motherhood, and perfectionism? In this episode of Pause Purpose Play, Clinical Psychologist and ADHD specialist Michaela Thomas explores what real self-care looks like beyond bubble baths and quick fixes. She...

You’ve seen the posts - “If you’re not up at 4am journalling and hitting the gym, do you even want success?” Michaela says: that's the pressure of perfection coming from the patriarchy - let that stuff go. In this short solo episode, Clinical Psychologist and ADHD specialist Michaela Thomas shares why you don’t need to burn out to build something brilliant. She unpacks how hustle culture is ableis...

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, host Michaela Thomas discusses the importance of prioritizing self-care, especially for perfectionistic individuals and those with ADHD. She categorises her clients into three groups based on their progression in self-compassion and self-care and explains how each group can benefit from her Burn Bright program. Michaela provides real-life examples...

Ever swing between unstoppable energy and complete inertia - buzzing with ideas one day and paralysed by overwhelm the next? In this episode, Michaela explores two sides of the ADHD experience she calls the Meerkat and the Sloth. One can’t stop, the other can’t start - and both are trying to help you. You’ll learn why these shifts aren’t inconsistency or failure, but signs of an ADHD brain managin...

Are you “too well” to get help for ADHD? In this solo episode, I shine a light on one of the most overlooked faces of ADHD — the women who look like they’re “coping” but are really over-functioning themselves into burnout. You’ll hear why being told you’re “too well” or “not struggling badly enough” can be just as invalidating and harmful as being dismissed entirely, and why support is still essen...

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, host Michaela Thomas explores the concept of 'musturbation' and the harmful effects of forcing oneself to achieve goals out of obligation and fear. She highlights the importance of shifting from a mindset of 'should' to one of 'choose,' promoting self-compassion and conscious decision-making. Michaela encourages listeners to replace self-critical...

What if the very parts of you you’ve been trying to hide are the ones that make you most human - and most approachable?  In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, I explore the beauty of embracing imperfections and chaos, no longer hiding your true self, inspired by the K-Pop Demon Hunters movie and its powerful soundtrack. We live in a world that pressures us to appear perfect - polished...

In this episode, clinical psychologist Michaela Thomas explores the connection between rest and creativity, challenging the hustle culture notion that constant productivity leads to success. She emphasises that great ideas often come during moments of relaxation, not while grinding away at tasks. Michaela delves into the neurological basis for why rest enhances creativity, especially for neurodive...

Have you considered whether you're ADHD or whether it's just parenting in modern life, or if it's the perimenopause? Maybe you're struggling because you are affected by all of the above! In this heartfelt episode of Pause Purpose Play, Clinical Psychologist Michaela Thomas welcomes journalist Georgina Fuller, writer of the Telegraph article featuring the ADHD assessment she had with Michaela earli...

Do you feel frazzled, fizzy, reactive, or on edge? Your nervous system might be dysregulated. In this episode of Pause Purpose Play, I talk about something I know so many of us struggle with – regulating our nervous systems. You’ve probably seen all the advice flying around on social media – ice baths, cold plunges, endless hacks – but a lot of it isn’t grounded in science, and even more important...

Ever felt weighed down by shame, self-criticism, or parenting guilt as a woman with ADHD? You’re not alone. In this vulnerable episode, Michaela welcomes Kristin Carder, host of the hit podcast “I Have ADHD,” for a frank and compassionate conversation about the hidden struggles of ambitious, neurodivergent women. Together, they discuss how ADHD shows up as internal chaos, why criticism and rejecti...

You want to be the best version of yourself for your kids. You want to do parenting “right.” But nobody told you about the pressure, the invisible comparisons, or the harsh self-talk that creeps in at the end of a long day. And no one ever told you it doesn’t have to be this way. In today’s episode, Michaela is joined by her friend and fellow clinical psychologist Dr. Tess Browne to get real about...

In this podcast episode, Ron, an author and business leader, shares his journey from a challenging academic-focused upbringing in Kenya and a transition to Canada to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Ron discusses his career path in finance and accounting, his evolution into a corporate leader, and his eventual shift to entrepreneurship. He delves into the motivations behind writing his book 'Lo...

Maybe no one saw the signs when you were a child. Maybe you didn’t either - not until the burnout hit, the wheels came off, and everything started to feel unmanageable with the school admin, your next big work deadline and the brain fog of perimenopause. This episode is for the women who have spent years masking, pushing through, and wondering why life still feels so hard. You got the grades. You...

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, host Michaela Thomas interviews Dr. Kara Davey, an award-winning clinical psychologist, discussing the complex relationship between ADHD and trauma. They explore how trauma is both common in ADHD and can be distinguished from it, emphasising the importance of a thorough assessment. Dr. Davey shares her own experiences with late ADHD diagnosis foll...

Ever felt like you can run a team, lead a business, or write a book - yet somehow can’t manage to return a library book or put your laundry away? In this episode of Pause Purpose Play, I’m digging into the hidden paradox so many women with ADHD face: outward success with chaos underneath the surface. You’ll hear personal reflections and real client stories that reveal how executive dysfunction can...

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, host Michaela Thomas welcomes the founders of the Evolve Journal, Sam and Freddie Titcombe. They discuss the development of the Evolve Journal, a tool designed to help people live with more intention, clarity, and consistency by focusing on manageable progress rather than perfection. Sam and Freddie share insights on building healthy journaling ha...

In this solo episode, Michaela explores the discomfort many of us feel when receiving compliments - especially when we’re wired for self-criticism, perfectionism, or modesty. Sharing a personal story from LinkedIn, she unpacks why our inner critics hate being seen and how we can respond with compassionate curiosity instead of avoidance. This episode is for anyone who’s ever cringed at being praise...

When You Can’t “Just Do It”: Motivation, Self-Discipline & Self-Compassion You want to do the thing. You care. You’ve got the vision, the list, the intention, and proof that you have done stuff like this before, because you DO achieve things. And still… nothing. You get stuck procrastafaffing with some irrelevant stuff until you've nearly run out of time. Maybe even feeling ashamed of how hard...

In this episode of the Pause Purpose Play podcast, host Michaela Thomas explores the themes of anxiety, permission, and growth, particularly for those navigating compassion, ADHD, and perfectionism. Michaela stresses the importance of honouring one’s energy and sensitivity while addressing anxiety gradually and compassionately. Using an example from Polly Lavarello's journey, Michaela illustrates...