What if the reason you or your child can’t “just do the thing” is not laziness, but a Wall of Awful built from repeated frustration, shame, anxiety, and failure? Brendan Mahan breaks down the hidden emotional barrier behind procrastination, avoidance, and shutdown - and shows how to actually get through it without burning out.
Debbie Reber welcomes Brendan back to unpack his new book, Overcoming the Wall of Awful: Why It’s Hard to Get Things Done with ADHD, Autism and Anxiety, and How to Do Them Anyway. Together they make this deceptively simple metaphor concrete, useful, and surprisingly validating for parents, educators, clinicians, and anyone who has ever stared at a task and felt their brain go sideways.
About Brendan Mahan
Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., MS., is the author of Overcoming the Wall of Awful™, and host of the ADHD Essentials Podcast. A sought-after speaker, and neurodivergent person himself, Brendan helps organizations and individuals manage neurodiverse challenges through education, collaborative problem-solving, compassion, and accountability.
He is on the board of the Men’s ADHD Support Group, Director of Professional Resources for Calmer Con Boston, and a former committee member of the International Conference on ADHD. He has featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, LinkedIn, Understood, How to ADHD, VeryWell Mind, and ADDitude.
Things you'll learn from this episode
How the Wall of Awful creates an emotional barrier that can make starting or completing tasks feel impossible
Why anxiety and adrenaline can sometimes help us climb the Wall of Awful while also taking a toll
How creating “doors” in the Wall can provide quicker paths to regulation and getting unstuck
Why making tasks interesting, meaningful, or connected to personal values can reduce avoidance
How rejection sensitive dysphoria can add another layer to the Wall of Awful and how parents can support kids through it
Why having shared language and practical tools for talking about Walls of Awful can help kids better understand and navigate their experience
Resources mentioned
Brendan Mahan’s website
Overcoming the Wall of Awful: Why It’s Hard to Get Things Done with ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety (and How to Do Them Anyway) by Brendan Mahan
The Wall of Awful
Brendan’s ADHD Essentials Community on Facebook
ADHD Essentials on Instagram
Brendan Mahan on LinkedIn
ADHD Essentials on Blue Sky
ADHD Essentials on X
Jessica McCabe How to ADHD YouTube channel
Wall of Awful on How to ADHD (YouTube videos)
The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don't Feel Like It - Undated ADHD Planner Alternative for Adults, Women & Teens, 100+ Productivity Strategies for Focus & Procrastination by Dani Donovan
Dani Donovan’s website
Dr. William Dodson
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