ADHD: Object Permanence... Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Manage episode 501658825 series 3673507
đ§ Unapologetically Imperfect
S2, Ep 8 â Functioning-ish: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Object permanence isnât just for babies. In ADHD brains, it messes with your memory, your relationships, and your ability to act on what you care about.
You bought the birthday card. You meant to text back. You love them. And stillâit doesnât happen.
In this episode, Jen dives deep into the ADHD phenomenon of object permanenceâwhy people, tasks, and even your most important relationships fall off your mental radar the second theyâre not in front of you. This isnât flakiness. Itâs executive dysfunction.
This episode gives you language, tools, and strategies to name whatâs happening and start building real bridges back to the people you loveâeven when your brain drops the thread.
đ Inside this episode:
- What object permanence actually means in an ADHD brain
- Why your brain forgets people, messages, and plansâwithout meaning to
- How executive dysfunction, emotional queuing, and working memory all collide
- The guilt spiral: how forgetting leads to shame, which leads to shutdown
- Real stories (like Jenâs lost friendship with âBillâ) that show what this looks like in life
- How to repair when youâve disappearedâand how to explain it without shame
đ§ ADHD-Smart Strategies Included:
- Relational Reminders â recurring name-based nudges tied to routines
- Visible Love Lists â post-its, pics, or digital cues to reconnect intentionally
- Message Hacks â low-pressure ways to stay connected when your brain is maxed
- Object Anchors â physical prompts that bridge thought to action
- Emotional Cueing â how to pair emotion + reminders so your brain notices
- Scripts to Explain It â how to share the real story behind the silence
đ„ Why This Matters:
This isnât just about memory. Itâs about preserving connection in a brain that doesnât naturally do it. If your friendships live in your heart but not your text thread, if you carry guilt about the people you love but havenât reached out toâthis episode will help you name it, normalize it, and start rebuilding with systems that support how your brain actually works.
đ Want to Rebuild Your Mornings Too?
Morning Reclaim is open now.
This is Jenâs ADHD-and perimenopause-friendly morning reset for smart, high-functioning women who need systems that work on real daysânot just perfect ones.
đ» Live sessions. No fluff. No shame. Just structure, rhythm, and tools that meet you where you are.
đ§ Great if your mornings feel like sabotageâor if you need a reset that sticks.
Rolling enrollment now. Join here
đ Links + Resources:
- Join the Balance Life Lab â low-cost, low-pressure community for women with ADHD, perimenopause, and real-life chaos
- Morning Reclaim â build a flexible morning rhythm that works
- Follow Jen on Facebook for more executive function + hormone-fueled truth bombs
đŹ Share the Love:
This episode is for the friend who disappears for weeks and comes back with love and guilt in equal measure.
If it helped you name a silent struggle, share it. Tag @jenleemorse.
Keep being unapologetically imperfect.
Let me know if you'd like this formatted for ConvertKit, as a blog teaser, or split into email + post versions.
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