Jessica McCabe's "How to ADHD" YouTube channel and debut book have enchanted and empowered millions. In this exclusive interview with ADDitude, she shares glimpses into her creative approach, including the ADHD strategies integral to her first writing process.It's been a year of new chapters for Jessica McCabe, the creator, writer, and star of the popular YouTube channel "How to ADHD." In January, she published her first book, How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) (#CommissionsEarned), which quickly became a New York Times bestseller. And in March, she became a new mom.McCabe has been called the "fairy godmother of ADHD" by the iconic Ned Hallowell, M.D. "The world has been waiting for this book," he says of her debut work.ADDitude had a candid conversation with McCabe just weeks before she gave birth. We talked about her experience and dedication to writing her book.

The Writing of "How to ADHD"

ADDitude: Jessica, I found your book to be incredibly thorough, helpful, and empowering. You synthesized the most important research and insights on ADHD, while also living with the executive function challenges that you were writing about. How did you do it?Jessica: It was my dream to write and finish this book. I am not somebody who finishes long-term projects. I dropped out of community college. I dropped out of massage school. I got distracted from, quit, or was fired from a ton of jobs.This is the first time I intentionally entered and completed a long-term project. It helped a lot that I already knew this information because I'd been learning about how my brain worked and where my challenges lay, and the strategies to support them.ADDitude: What strategies did you use to manage this project?Jessica: It was supposed to take me a year to write this book, but the first strategy I tried did not work at all. I asked the publisher in a meeting if I could get extra time because I knew I was going to need it. I got a lot of blank stares.My next strategy was one of my favorites: working backward. I plugged in everything I needed to do over the course of the year. I also know that I tend to hyperfocus, so I gave myself four weeks during that year to just not work on the book or the YouTube channel, so that I wouldn't die. I was like, "I don't know what will happen if I hyperfocus on a project for a full year, but I'm pretty sure it's not healthy. So let me give myself breaks."I also built in accountability. I told my editor, "I need you to be looking at each chapter as we go." So I met with her regularly, and that accountability helped a lot.I was still a few months late on the final project. But I just stayed in communication with my editor, letting her know, "I'm going to be a little bit late on this," or "I need more time to edit that." And she was really good about working with me and also letting me know, "We can't give you any more extensions. We need this to be done at this point."There was a lot of communication, accountability, and planning ahead. I'm still in shock that it got done.ADDitude: You have a whole chapter on hyperfocus. Can you tell us more about the breakthroughs and exhaustion that came from this common ADHD trait?Jessica: There's a lot in my life that I would not have accomplished if it were not for hyperfocus. I do see it as a potential strength. But it can also be a problem because we can neglect our needs. I try to set up my environment or my time in such a way that I can slip into hyperfocus and take advantage of that really deep flow, but at the same time, put guardrails around it so that I don't do permanent damage to myself. We know that a lot of people with ADHD end up with chronic pain and fibromyalgia [due to] neglecting our self-care, and part of that is because of hyper focus.ADDitude: You wrote in the book that, when you started creating your How to ADHD videos, your plan was to research the condition so you could learn how to overcome your own ADHD struggles and become the person you were supposed to be. But by the end of your book, you land in a really different place. Can you tell us about that journey?Jessica: At first, I thought, I can still have all these neurotypical goals and have this neurotypical life and have a clean house and a clean car and keep in touch with friends. I just have to do it in a way that's ADHD-friendly. I was willing to accept that if my brain works differently, I might have to do things differently. But I wasn't yet willing to accept the limits of using tools and strategies. No matter how many tools you have, the challenges are still there.I still don't have a clean car. I finally realized I need a housekeeper. I came to a place of acceptance, and it helped me be kinder to myself. I realized that I'm not going to be able to do everything that a neurotypical person can do, and that's okay. I can still live a fulfilling life and be successful in my own way.

Empowering the ADHD Community

ADDitude: Your book and channel have clearly resonated with so many people. What has that experience been like for you?Jessica: It's been incredibly meaningful and validating. I spent so much of my life feeling misunderstood, feeling broken, feeling like I was the only one struggling with these things. And then to have this community of people who get it, who see themselves in my experiences, who feel seen and heard and understood - that has been life-changing for me.I get messages every single day from people who say, "Your videos have changed my life" or "Your book has changed my life." That is incredibly humbling and also a huge responsibility. I want to make sure that I'm doing right by this community and that I'm continuing to create content and resources that are truly helpful.ADDitude: What's next for you?Jessica: I'm really excited about the future. I want to continue expanding the How to ADHD brand and creating more resources, whether that's books, courses, or other types of content. I also want to use my platform to advocate for better understanding and support for the ADHD community.And of course, I'm thrilled to be a new mom. I'm really curious to see how that experience will shape my perspective and the content I create going forward. I want to be able to share what I'm learning about navigating parenthood with ADHD.Overall, my goal is to keep using my voice and my platform to empower and uplift the ADHD community. We deserve to feel seen, heard, and supported. And I'm honored to be a part of that journey.