Fast Brained Women
The podcast for women with ADHD, by women with ADHD.
Hosts Dani and Lorna chat with everyday legends about the real-life highs, lows, and WTFs of ADHD.
Expect connection, insight, and hope – plus zero shame, lots of laughs, and the reminder that you’re not alone.
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Fast Brained Women
Roller Derby, Real Talk & the ADHD Snow Globe with Jade Al Mulla
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Jade Al Mulla, leadership coach and Famiigo CEO, shares her journey of receiving an ADHD diagnosis as an adult and navigating the complex emotions of identity, success, and cultural expectations with compassion and humour. Half Emirati, half American, fully unforgettable.
- Meeting through roller derby, a full-contact sport on skates that became unlikely therapy for women in the UAE
- Receiving an ADHD diagnosis as an adult and the complex feelings of grief, relief, and identity questioning that followed
- The concept of the "hobby graveyard" – that collection of abandoned interests gathering dust in the closet
- Finding that success can be more terrifying than failure when it threatens connections to our past
- The "snow globe moment" when everything you thought you knew about yourself gets shaken up
- Cultural differences in approaching neurodiversity and how the UAE is making rapid progress
- Practical strategies like daily journaling and pattern recognition for managing ADHD
- Creating Famiigo, an app designed to help families find activities and make memories together
- The importance of doing one thing that scares you, like appearing on a podcast
Follow us on social @fastbrainedwomen and try Endel : http://endel.io/fastbrains
Welcome to Fast Brain Women
Speaker 1I realized that the failure was the easy part. Right, it was the success that terrified me, and I was like that sounds absurd. Who would be terrified of being successful? And then I thought, okay, and I had to really peel back the layers of that onion, okay, what's the worst that can happen?
Speaker 2Well, Okay, what's the worst that can happen? Well, roller derby, real talk and the ADHD snowblow. Today we've got the pleasure of meeting leadership coach and Femigo CEO, jade Almuller. She's half Emirati, half American and 100% lovable. Welcome to our first ever official episode of fast brain women. And we are joined today by a lovely friend, personal friend of mine and fellow fast brain woman, jade almala. So welcome to the fast brain women podcast. Thank you for having me. Ladies, beware chaos over oversharing, putting things out there, interrupting each other that that might happen, among many other things, I'm sure, exactly.
Speaker 3So let's start with how you two know each other, because you said you were friends before. How did you meet?
Roller Derby Connections
Speaker 2We met playing roller derby. All right, what is roller derby? It is full contact roller skating.
Speaker 3That sounds kind of aggressive.
Speaker 1I mean, yes, I will have to admit I think I actually got the the first um, I was the first one to bleed on the court not exactly.
Speaker 1Congratulations thank you, I am quite proud of that. It was not exactly what I had intended or how I envisioned it to happen, but and not nearly quite as glamorous either. But, having not put on roller skates for a number of years, I actually skated too fast during a drill into the fence and face-planted the fence effectively, and then my nose was bloody, which was a really, really wonderful battle scar later, but mildly embarrassing because it wasn't actually in the act of playing roller derby.
Speaker 2Oh, yeah, I was relieved to hear it wasn't danny's fault yeah, I mean we wouldn't be sat here if that was the case, I'm sure it's kind of my fault because I was the one that brought roller derby to the region, so I used to play in edinburgh before I moved here and I don't know, I didn't think that it was going to be something that the middle east was quite ready for. And then, I don't know, at one point we had like 50 mental feral women turning up to like literally beat each other up on skates and it was almost like a therapy, yes, for people, and like very alternative, very different. I think when I mentioned roller derby to you earlier you were like, yeah, that sounds like, that's like an interesting one you are starting to build a reputation of bringing unique therapies to to the UAE right now.
Speaker 3Between the morning, sober raves, roller derby. Is there any others I don't know about yet?
Speaker 2no, but I'm gonna add this to my LinkedIn profile definitely.
Speaker 3Oh my gosh, you're such a multi, what do you call it? Multi potentialite? Good ideas well about you, jay. Tell, tell me all about yourself, but what brings you to us today?
Speaker 1well, I, I'm, I have the honor of, of being here today. I, uh, I don't know what brings me here today. A couple of different things, um, mostly I. I. Every year, I promised myself that I'm gonna do one thing that scares me, or a few things, and and this was definitely on the list. So is that? Hanging out with danny or, oh no, the podcast, although it's still early. So if she brings the skates out, then all bets are off oh yeah, I'll definitely be running.
Discovering ADHD Diagnosis
Speaker 2I can't skate for toffing I think this is like what we really just want to do is meet as many amazing women that have you know stories and history Really, to kind of show people the depth that's. You know being diagnosed or self-diagnosed with the fast brain, aka ADHD, so it brings the table. So I'd like to know how you stumbled across this diagnosis. Is that something that you came to in later life?
Speaker 1Yeah, actually was about a year ago and I still am trying to figure out how I feel about it. To see if I'm entirely honest In my day job I work in a team where we do executive coaching among many other things, and a colleague of mine who's been a clinical psychologist for a number of years kind of floated the idea to me and said actually, you are a little bit textbook. And I didn't know if that was a bad thing or a good thing. I don't think I had ever really considered myself textbook of anything up until that point, ever really considered myself textbook of anything up until that point. So, uh, thinking about it from that perspective, I thought, oh my gosh. And. But I, I did, I was very curious, and so I sought support, um, from a um psychiatrist to do the test.
Speaker 1Uh, I said, well, this could go one of two ways. I either do have ADHD or I don't, and if I do I've got to figure out how I feel about that. But then at least it gives me more information about myself and I think for people who have actually had a clinical diagnosis it's probably the scary. Well, I won't speak for the rest of the fast brain women or people, but at least for, I think, some small population, that idea of knowing is both terrifying and comforting all at the same time. You know, was it something you struggled with? Yeah, I think. When I figured it out, I realized that there was a lot of things that now made sense to me, that didn't make sense before. You know this burning desire to share information right when it comes into my head, which?
The Hobby Graveyard
Speaker 1is why I like now have a paper right next to me, because I've I've had enough clients where you can't. You know, if you are a person's coach you can't exactly kind of interject every single moment. You know, and these I like to call it the hobby graveyard. So I don't know if you have hobby graveyards, but mine is, very shamefully in my in the back of my closet.
Speaker 1Um, what does it entail? Give us a clue. Oh, there's lots of things. So I went through this um baking phase, so there's all sorts of you know, uh, piping nibs and all sorts of things.
Speaker 1Um, I also, uh, am currently in my calligraphy era, so you know absolutely okay, and I noticed that they're all uh hobbies, that are uh things that I would do with my nan, you know, and so part of it is, I think, just I quite enjoyed her company, you know, and so it makes me feel a bit comforted to just be reminded of her. But in other ways I just realized, I think, like 80 year old me is already kind of like emerging. You know, I'm okay with staying home and I'm I'm all right that I have like quite a few things of yarn and now I crochet apparently. So we fully support that, oh, that's good.
Speaker 2It's always a needlework at some point, isn't there? Yeah absolutely and then you realize it takes eight hours.
Speaker 2Yes, kind of fun once yeah yeah, now yeah, so talk to us a little bit more about the the scary side of starting to understand who you are. I think, um, we mentioned this in in the last episode when we were talking like the concept of healing from something coming back to your whole self but then finding out what. Who is my whole self? Who am I now? Am I, was it still Jade, or was it a different person? Like, how did that look for you growing up?
Speaker 1it's interesting because I actually I'm a big supporter and advocate for therapy.
Speaker 1I've done that for a number of years as well, and I said this to my therapist in a recent session and I said you know, the more I learn about ADHD, the more I really am trying to figure out how much of me is my ADHD and how much of me is me, and and I look at things that I've experienced during my childhood and early adolescence as well, and I think kind of the same way as well when I'm really trying to, I guess, figure myself out, you know, and so I think that's the scary part, you know, is I had this kind of I call it a snow globe moment, right, so if you have a snow globe and you shake it up, all the snow is everywhere, and then once you put everything right whatever that looks like for people it starts to settle.
Identity Crisis After Diagnosis
Speaker 1But sometimes what you see is not what you remembered, and I'm at that space right now where I'm like what I'm figuring out is not at all what I had remembered of myself, that image that I created of myself or the story I told myself of who I was, or who I am or who I thought I was going to be. It's almost like a mini grieving process, and that was a scary part. You know where you start to think I'm not who I thought I was going to be. I don't know if I'll ever be that person, and I don't know if I'll ever be that person, and I don't know if I want to be that person, you know. And so this, the ambiguity, is okay, but then the to-do lists start right. Well, I got to figure it out.
Speaker 1Okay so what action, absolutely Immediately, right. So what do I got to do to figure it out? Right, insert new hobby here or you know, a new business venture or or whatever that may be, you know. So, yeah, and I think that's scary being a parent now, because you know you're trying to create stability for your family or for your children and modeling behavior that you want them to have, your children to have them being the children, um, and so I think that's scary because I don't know what that looks like or if I'll ever get there what?
Speaker 2what did little Jade envision then? What was it that you thought it was going to pan out and look?
Speaker 1like oh god, I mean, I still have that in my head. Uh, retired at 40. Definitely can't do that. Missed that vote. You know, white House, picket fence. You know, two and a half kids, the dog. Now I've got two dogs, two kids, no picket fence, but a house. So you know there's blessings nonetheless. You know, but it's who I thought I was going to be. That's very different.
Speaker 2So, like the personality side, versus like the haves or the material side. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1I mean, I thought I was going to be different you know I wanted to pick up on.
Speaker 3You know you talked about the children and I know they're of quite different ages. Yeah, how have you approached them about this? Have you talked to them about your ADHD? Not?
Speaker 1really so. My the eldest is 17 and she's my stepdaughter, and so when my husband and I first got together, she was very young and um so too young to understand you know, and I didn't know what my at the time myself.
Speaker 1To be honest, um a thing I'm fairly certain my three-year-old has it as well I can see signs of things that I recognized in myself as a younger person. Um, of course, I have very few memories of being that young, but you know, I do remember certain things. You know and um. So I just try to be mindful. You know, when I'm around the kids and if I need a minute because I'm feeling overwhelmed or just kind of like there's too much I have been known to say there's, I am overstimulated and that's just kind of universal I'm like I need to take a minute, you know and I think she's a language, doesn't it?
Speaker 1yeah, it really does, um, but also, I think having a three-year-old means that you have to find simple language. You know, yes and um. Something about that helps for me, you know, because then I don't have to over complicate things. It can just be what it is.
Speaker 3Yeah, you know mommy's tired okay I need a bit of quiet time now yes also mother.
Speaker 1Yeah, so three times respond to that usually he says but why, yeah, but I want to play with you. I'm like me, me too, buddy, me too another time.
Speaker 2Yes, and how kind of culturally, because I know you have, um, you know, sort of two, two kind of sides to your kind of cultural upbringing. How has that maybe played a role and how do you kind of see it, defining how you're justifying what your ADHD-ness means?
Speaker 1to you. I mean, that's an interesting one on its own If I think about it. You know, culturally it's not something that we would ever talk about, so for us it's not something that we would ever talk about. So for us it's not. It never used to be celebrated, you know, it was something where you would just kind of get on with it.
Speaker 1You know, um, my father's from a very kind of traditional and hard-working family and so was just kind of one of those things that you just, you know, if you had any kind of thing of those things that you just, you know, if you had any kind of thing that you struggled with, you just were expected to get on with it, you know. So I think, when I struggle with things, I find myself falling back into that pattern, and that makes it really hard, because then I feel like I have less compassion for myself and less acceptance for where I am and what I now understand about myself. Um, and it makes me really sad, you know, cause it's um, my friend who was the one who convinced me to to go get tested. Um had had said well, it's your superpower, Jade you know, and I'm like I don't feel like it's like my superpower.
Speaker 1I feel like it's your superpower, jade, you know, and I'm like I don't feel like it's like my superpower. I feel like it's like it's like a ball and chain pulling me back, you know, slowing me down, um, but really what I have come to realize is that it's the things around it, the stories that I have told myself about what that means. You know, about being different. You know, being different was never really kind of celebrated and you can kind of see that, you know, and how people you know being different was never really kind of celebrated and you can kind of see that, you know, and how people you know choose to dress or simple things, visible things, but it's the non-visible things that people don't really think about. And that's what you, that's what I stay up at night thinking about, you know.
When Success Is Scarier Than Failure
Speaker 1Do you think that was a product of the time? Yeah, I definitely do. I think that is a product of the time and I think now things have really changed. I mean, I know earlier, when we were sat out together, we were talking about all the changes that are happening in various industries where people who have needs can express them in other ways, whether that's a colorful lanyard that you know signifies that you need special assistance, or if you can make requests for things like that signifies that you need special assistance, or if you can make requests for things like that. So I think that there is definitely progress happening in that space. But I think in my parents generation, you know, I think, while there's support that is provided, I think that still mentalities or understanding around it still really hasn't necessarily caught up and I just don't know if that will change. You know. But provisions will be made, you know. So it's a strange place we find ourselves in, I think you know.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think explaining things to our parents' generation does come with intricacies. My husband's side of the family very medical, so doctor and nursing background and, um, I think more through how they sort of see my son interacts, it's very much. It's just a, you know, just a strong-willed boy. You know all, all children are like this. You, you know, saying to get, he, you know you will, you were like this, um, but it's those sort of moments behind closed doors, those moments or in your head that are happening, that aren't, you know, as explainable to people.
Speaker 2That is quite hard work to be able to get people on board with absolutely and I think you're.
Speaker 1I mean, and it's tough because I find and I don't know if you found this with with your in-laws when people are coming from a medical background, I think things in this space really aren't as known and therefore are not as understood. So people in their generation is absolutely right, that's how it was perceived, right, they've just got a lot of energy, yes, but that means that we need to work through things a little bit differently, you know and then, where's the space between it being very clinical diagnosis disorder?
Speaker 2you know, you know, an affliction um a curse you know, in some senses to a superpower, you know all these other kind of, and I said it for and I'll say again, I despise that term.
Speaker 3It like I think the phrase blessing and the curse comes in here right, yeah, you know that word will come up a lot. You know you've mentioned it, people have said it to you and it's it's always on the top of mind for everybody and I think that's it's a blessing and a curse, and I think, but yeah, I think we would have a bit of an allergy to the superpower Gives me the ick, gives you the ick.
Speaker 2It's a bit oversimplified. I have worn my pants on the outside of my trousers before, but I don't think it was in a superhero fashion.
Speaker 3Forget the lanyard, let's all put capes on. I'm totally down for that, especially if it's got diamantes on it. So down, and you're also from a multicultural household as well. So how did that influence your perception of you know, neuro differences growing up? Was it even something you know, discussed, talked about?
Speaker 1Not really. It's interesting. I mean, my mom growing up. We is a very good family friend and we used to hang out with their children and they had a neurodiverse child and so I was exposed to it, but that was the only occurrence of it. There wasn't any other kids at school, at least none that I was aware of and so, um, but my mom has always been a very, um, spiritual person and she's very much like I don't know this is this is going to sound, but I don't intend it in the way it comes out on.
Speaker 1This is insert oversharing here, you know, excellent, but she reminds me a little bit of like Goldie Hawn in some ways, where she's like very free spirited and she's very like, you know, into, like naturopath, you know options and things like that, which is wonderful and I appreciate that now as an adult, um, but I but I think that is where I'm kind of like okay, well, I understand now that this is okay and she's, she's always, I mean, bless her, she's out of the two of my parents, but dad just never talked about it, you know, but my mom was like you're special, you know, and the American one she is yeah, okay, yeah, um, and she's um and she's just kind of. I mean, she's sent me a very long uh whatsapp message the other day. I I suspect she also is has ADHD undiagnosed. But all the signs I mean. After I figured out I was like oh yeah, oh yeah, that makes sense that makes sense um, so I think that's also why you know, because she identifies that in in herself.
Speaker 1Maybe I don't know, you know, but, um, I just remember being a kid and we'd do something and then we'd be doing something else, and it would always be an adventure, you know, and that was just the way it was, you know, and so I never really, I suppose, thought anything different of it, you know. So from that perspective I felt like I fit right in, but it was only with with her and my family.
Speaker 2You know, we're gonna take just a quick adhd friendly pause. And if you're listening to this while multitasking, then this is most definitely for you. So listen up. The endall app is, honestly, my secret weapon to getting things done. It's a sound wellness app that creates these personalized soundscapes designed to help your brain do what it's meant to be doing in that moment. I use it every single day and whether I'm locking in, focusing or just wanting to fall asleep at a human hour, it's Endel that gets me there.
Speaker 2These guys are such big supporters of the ADHD community and they're giving you a whole month to try it for free, so you can find the link in the description or send us a DM wherever on our socials if you can't the link in the description, or send us a dm wherever on our socials if you can't find it, and we will send it to you. And if you got distracted along the way, even during this little short break, we have gifted you a lovely five minute relaxing soundscape from endel at the end of this episode. So stick around and enjoy. Do you think that environment then kind of maybe sort of supported the sort of free spirit in you, that like free looseness of, of kind of fast brain life? You know, because a lot of time we are a bit of a product of our environment and, um, you know, even though dad's strong work ethic and get through it was still there, do you think that duality, um yeah, just provided a bit of cushioning.
Speaker 1I do, I do. And I think that when, when I got my official diagnosis I think that despite I mean I don't, I think day one I was completely in shock and then after that I was, I think I cried and then I told my mom and she said I rang her that day and I said, mom, I have ADHD. And she's like that's okay, I do too. And I was like, do you? She's like I'm pretty sure I do. She was like I haven't been to the doctor, but you know, my, my youngest sister, went and she was also diagnosed. So I mean, medically, then it would make sense, you know from what I understand, but I'm sorry, she, she said she's.
Speaker 1It just reminded me of a time when I was telling her that I was having like the worst stomach ache and I was just like what have you eaten? And I said, well, a bunch of cheese. And she's like, well, you're lactose intolerant. I was like thanks mom for telling me, right. So it was kind of one of those moments where I was like thanks mom for telling me. You know, like helpful information I could have used, like maybe in my awkward teen years. So you know, but yeah, it definitely helped you, you know, and I think that's part of the reason why her and I have a very similar sense of humor, and so I think that definitely helped me come back out of this there's something wrong with me mode and back into okay. Now I know what really has changed for me since, since two days ago when I found out nothing. I just have more information yeah, the.
Speaker 2I think that the parenting and now obviously we're parents, we get that right and how we can advocate within, you know, with the women and for children. I think it's like it's it's got to be a little bit of our purpose in there in order to kind of, you know, just just keep reminding people and and sharing information. There was um celeste barber oh, I love her the um sort of comedy skits.
Speaker 2There was a clip that came out today with her. I actually get emotional about this because I cried a lot today when I was watching it. Her mum was saying that when, when celeste got diagnosed I think she was like 18 and they were looking at options for medication her her mum said, said to the doctor just as long as it doesn't change her, I'm sorry. I've got a lot to do. I'm very I'm very hormonal.
Speaker 2But I just thought that's like, yes, yes, like we need more people that don't try and clip the wings, yes, and don't try and like dim the spirit. And this is like when I go to my son's school. I'm like like if you say something to him in a different way, like more positively, like you're going to get the best out of him and, as a result, it's very helpful. So I think that is our, our mission and anybody else's mission watching. Join in with us.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Just to help people to understand that actually with the right environment and right support.
Speaker 3Oh my god, yeah, we can thrive absolutely. Can you imagine? Oh?
Speaker 2my god, you talked about. You talked before about being scared of success. What does that look like?
Famigo: Creating Family Memories
Speaker 1because I know that you've got a lot of things cooking in your pot right, yeah, which is true to you know, true to being fast brains, welcome, yeah welcome to the podcast yeah, um, yeah, I mean, I, I uh, two years ago now, I I started a, an app, I built an app and I did it very slowly, on the side of my day job, and it started out as a hobby, right. So I was like taking that you know gratification box, this newness box, you know, and I was like, wonderful, I got myself a mentor, you know. I was like perfect, you know, more new information, give it to me, right. And um, it has been a very eye opening ride, to say the least. I, I had a coaching session of my own and I was talking about that and and I know we talked about this a little bit earlier but I realized that the failure was the easy part, right.
Speaker 1Realized that the failure was the easy part, right, because in my mind, you know, when you're used to being so self-critical, it's it's very easy for you to say I'm going into this and the failure almost seems like, um, an expectation of sorts, you know, and it was the success that terrified me and I was like that sounds absurd. Who would be terrified of being successful? And then I thought, okay, and I had to really peel back the layers of that onion, okay, what's the worst that can happen? Well, I'll probably leave my job, okay. Well, what's the worst that can happen out of that? Well, I realized that part of what I really love about being at my job is now. I might cry. I'm sorry, we're going to need some tissues.
Speaker 2We need a tissue sponsor.
Speaker 4We can make a branded feed. We can make tissues. We need a tissue sponsor.
Speaker 1Yeah, what I really loved about my job is that I'm working in a place that my dad worked and, having lost my father a number of years ago now, it was really kind of a way for me to keep him alive. It was. It's such an incredible feeling to meet a new person and say, have them say to me, I used to work with your dad and he was amazing and let me tell you this great story about him, and so it was just this way of just kind of, you know, reminding myself of all of those things that I love about him, you know, and the idea of letting that go is terrifying, and so the success itself really meant this, you know, dealing with that grief and really, and then, once the grief is gone, then I felt like there was going to be this complete, massive vacuum. And then what am I going to put in that? Because, of course, you know, there's a space. Let's put something there Right Again, insert new hobby, you know, and yeah, and that's tough you know, so I don't have the answer for it.
Speaker 1I don't know what that's going to look like on the other side. I'm still kind of in the middle of it, Um, but um, it's been incredible the people that I've met along the way whilst doing this business and and and the things that I've learned about myself along the way. So, thankfully, I'm not the kind of person who's incredibly competitive, um, in some ways not always, but in some ways.
Speaker 2I remember you on roller skates.
Speaker 1Um, but you know the I suppose the good thing is that I feel like there's enough room for everybody and and what I'm offering is is different than than others that are out there and I think that everybody deserves a space and that's okay, you know.
Speaker 3And can you give us a 30 second overview of what it is you do? Let's not be cryptic here. Yeah, so you offer coaching.
Speaker 1Yeah, all right, what kind of coaching do you do? I do executive coaching for the company that I work for and it's most of it's kind of career based and some of it's just how to get on at work. You know, how do I get a, how do I move past things, how to move past disappointment, or you know kind of a little bit what I talked about earlier how do I move past the idea of what I thought was going to come to fruition not coming to fruition, and and how do I create something new for me and still get that same amount of joy? You know, so everybody's a little bit different, true that yeah.
Speaker 2I need more of that, yeah, everybody's a little bit different, true that yeah, I need more of that yeah.
Speaker 1Definitely. And my other thing, it's my app. It's called Famigo and it's your family fun finder wherever you go. So that's pretty much our tagline, and at present it's a party of one, but hopefully soon then I'll have lots of people coming to join the party as well. My intention is to help families like ours, uh find great places for them to go and make memories, take the stress out of trying to figure out what's best for you and your family's needs and make that process easier and the best thing about it is all user-generated content as well.
Speaker 3Right, so it's content you can trust, because there's so much available out there on the webs, but trying to consolidate that information is, you know we talked about this. I get down wormholes all the time, so especially in Dubai summers as well. Where to take the kids is the constant question.
Speaker 1Right now it's easy.
Speaker 3We take them to the park skate park, whatever summer. We need a bit of extra help that's the tough spot.
Speaker 1So, yes, please, please, do tune in or follow me, and I'd love to help yeah, I think as well.
Speaker 2Our fast brains do give us that ability. Um, you know, based out of you know, a need a gap, but actually the, the empathy and what you were just kind of saying and how you actually want to create experiences and, you know, bring families together yeah I think that is.
Speaker 1It's the good side, yeah, the good side of the fast brain, it's the memory making. You know, I, I think and I don't know, like what's your favorite childhood memory?
Speaker 3oh, we tried quick fire questions last week and I completely don't ask me any questions. I'm the co-host I want to say feeding the ducks. Okay, yeah, down by the park in, uh, sunny bolton. See there you go right. Who were you with?
Speaker 1my parents. Yeah right, and sometimes it's the simplest things.
Speaker 2It is danny uh, going to the cricket club so my dad played cricket and maybe in hindsight I realized that I was like dragged there with him, potentially against his will, but it was his, you know, and I don't think he actually really.
Practical Strategies and Journal Writing
Speaker 2You know, I was kind of looking after myself. But yeah, the people, um, yeah, the cricket match I miss like that kind of summers. I can smell the smells I love that, um, I'm allergic to grass, so I used to come out in a rash. I I got a sight screen run over my foot once and I broke all the bones in my feet so, oh, my gosh it was a good place yes, we're always putting ourselves in danger yeah so it's one more topic I really want to cover, um, and I think it's really important.
Speaker 3What's you know? There's many fantastic things about you, but what's super interesting is that you are half American, half Emirati, and you know we've discussed that. It's not something that's been discussed enough in the Emirati communities. What do you see is the the conversation around that now, and where do you see it evolving in the next sort of five to ten years?
Speaker 1honestly. I mean, I think right now people are starting to talk about it, particularly with my generation. I think that with different government initiatives, where people of determination are being highlighted and featured, not only in terms of supporting them, but in terms of how are businesses or organizations better supporting them and creating a space for them as well, you know, being aware of them at every single point of the employee journey, you know. So, I think, between government initiatives and families. Just actually talking about it, you know, I see things really changing for future generations where it's not, where I know it's an allergic term, but, yes, something akin to a superpower, but yeah, but it's what makes them special and unique.
Speaker 2You know, something to be celebrated I think everything that the middle east does, especially here in the uae, is that. What is that curve?
Speaker 3fast trajectory.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's like all out so I've been here for 16 years and I remember even you know the psychiatry clinics on like beach road there you know, there wasn't psychiatry clinic above. Yeah, they were all a little bit underground and you know, never really sort of spoken about. And then you look now and it's a lot more liberated, that whole kind of space, which is good. So I suppose I could. You can only think good things going to kind of come from that yeah, yeah and the focus on mental health.
Speaker 3We talked about the, the prevalence of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression and ADHD, and and now the UA is really investing into mental health, which you know helps so many people, but, yeah, particularly people with neurodivergence, who are more prone to these things.
Speaker 2So, yeah, absolutely a lot more fast-paced innovation distraction going on, though, so maybe we need to like balance that or get distracted by the lights, the shiny things, but I think it is good because it's. It's a place in the world where anything is possible, and if you have a brain, that also just naturally if you have a brain let me finish that sentence if you have a brain that naturally gravitates to you know everything being possible, then you can build.
Speaker 2You know family apps as your kind of side hustle. We can create podcasts like this and have you know our amazing fast brain.
Speaker 3Women community sharing memes that, uh right, the uae, the land of possibility. Yeah, we were meant to be here. Oh, I'm never leaving.
Speaker 2Well, I mean you know, yeah, bolton, isn't uh calling you back just yet. We're from the same hometown. I hadn't explained that to you before. We didn't know each other back then.
Speaker 3No, I feel like we're gonna see that every episode. We're from the same hometown but we didn't know each other. Is that the?
Speaker 2oversharing. Where we have to like, let people know all the information they feel at ease if we want to overshare.
Speaker 3I can probably go way deeper but not this week so let's talk about some practical strategies then. So you know we're trying to add value back to the community. What have been the three sort of resources, or habit hacks or you know things that have helped you handle life better, make you feel like you're closer to thriving?
Speaker 1That is a really good question. Well, I'm only a year in, so I mean, maybe if you bring me back this time next year, I'll have a better, longer list, but I think there are certain things that I have started to do. I actually this is my third notebook now and I use them until they're finished, and it's a thing.
Speaker 2It's quite impressive.
Speaker 3Very impressive.
Speaker 2Until they're finished. You won't keep them I know, I know and.
Speaker 1I never used to, but you know what it was. So in one of my coaching sessions, actually and I said this to my coach I misplaced which is also not uncommon I misplaced my journal and I thought to myself, somebody out there is reading my personal, private thoughts and I'm like, oh God, I'm like this person at work. I'm like, oh, my God, you know so, of course, all these horrific thoughts. So I've been more mindful about my language. Now, however, not any less candid, um, but what I do is I I write down for at least five minutes a day right First thing in the morning, and I start work at 6 am, so I got there for half five and it sounds absolutely mental.
Speaker 1Wait, you start work at 6 am I know it's crazy, but it's the only way I function, because I'm already up, that's a choice, absolutely Okay.
Speaker 3Yes, I'm like these leaders are very demanding.
Speaker 1I know no, absolutely yes, I'm like these leaders are very demanding. I know no, it actually is most definitely a choice, but it works perfectly for me, because then what that means is I get five minutes, and sometimes most often I take longer and I do a download and at the end of the week, what I've started to do is I've started to read what I have written, and what makes that powerful for me is that I notice how often, or infrequently, I feature in the writing. Do I talk about myself more or am I narrating it like a 13 year old's journal? I saw Bobby today and he was so mad at me and he said this right. So am I just observing what happened on the surface or am I talking about things that are kind of deep and meaningful, you know? Do I notice a pattern? Is it more people, certain people rather than others?
Speaker 1And then I sit there with that, you know, and I think that has maybe been the most powerful thing, because, particularly when, in times of struggle, I notice I write about that a lot and I don't write about my experience of it, but I write about what happened, and I noticed that, for me at least, it's a way of disassociating myself from it.
Speaker 1So if I talk about it like an inanimate object which in this case it is like my ADHD or how I'm responding to situations as a result, then I feel less connected to it, you know. And so for me that's been really helpful. I did, a few weeks ago, start walking as well for an hour. That didn't last, but you know I'm hoping to pull that out of the hobby graveyard. Yeah, exactly, I try to do one thing for my mind and one thing for my body, and that's really kind of the principle that I I leave myself with and I try not to force myself into a box, because that doesn't usually work for me so I love the simplicity of that yeah also one thing that scares you.
Speaker 2It brings us right full circle back to how you're doing up here today absolutely yeah, embrace the anxiety exactly yeah, it's a place of growth when I said to Jade, I was like, hey, this might be the last minute, but do you fancy joining us? We were on whatsapp, there's no tone, but you could definitely between the pauses.
Speaker 3I just need to check timing.
Speaker 2I'm just going to let it. I could, we were on WhatsApp, right, so there's no tone. But you could definitely like between the pauses, I just need to check timing and this and I was like I'm just going to let, just going to let it be, maybe you might have journaled about it.
Speaker 1Yeah, I did actually. I was like I'm terrified.
Speaker 3I would read it to you, but there's too many people that might read the rest of it. Oh my God, I love that Cause of it. So, oh my god, I love that, because I also messaged someone, said it's last minute and they're like, well, that's very short notice. And I just said, say yes, and they did try their best. But, um, yeah, that's fun, we'll bank for a future week. Already in the schedule got lots of exciting guests coming up. You've been incredible. Thank you, what a wonderful first guest. It's so nice to get to know you. I mean, to me it's the first time meeting you and I could just see how full of warmth and excitement and life you are. I mean, what a pleasure. Thank you, danny for, and thank you universe for bringing crazy roller skating wild jade that was the best.
Speaker 3Any final thoughts you want to leave us in the audience with today?
Speaker 1um, I just wanted to say what a pleasure it's been and thank you so much. I'm incredibly honored to be part of this space and share this with yourselves and with everybody else, and I am very excited to hear what everybody takes away.
Speaker 3Brilliant. Well, hopefully people will let us know and, yeah, we'll keep you updated on the feedback. Thanks, amazing, thank you.
Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts
Speaker 2Make sure you subscribe to the podcast and follow us on social media at fast brain women, and we'll be back with another episode very shortly. So stay tuned. And that's a wrap. Thanks for hanging out with us today. Before you dive back into the chaos, we've got a five minute relaxing end, all soundscape, to help unwind or just stare into space guilt-free. If you loved this episode, it would mean the absolute world to us and also ease our rejection sensitivity. If you hit subscribe, share it with a Fast Brain friend or, if you loved it, no-transcript so I'm sorry, thank you.
