Actually Trying

Welcome to Actually Trying. Same podcast, new name, new format.This week: have a lot of women got undiagnosed ADHD, or are we all just weird? I'm seeing a psychiatrist in two days. Old Ma thinks we should go back to the five original lunacies. She held that position for about ten minutes, until she found out there might be some legal speed in it for her.We cover:Why ADHD in girls gets missed entirelyObject permanence and forgetting your friends existWhether it's real or just Big Pharma cataloguing sweaty palmsGetting diagnosed as an adult: private assessment, five-year NHS waits, and what £200 online actually buys youAsk Guru & Granny: a secondary school teacher of 22 years wants to jack it in and become a florist. Is 48 too old to start again? We get into midlife career changes, side hustles, and why women over 50 are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs globally.Next time: I report back on whether I actually got diagnosed.Timestamps0:00 New name, new format3:20 Have we all got undiagnosed ADHD?3:50 The five original lunacies10:30 ADHD in boys vs girls12:00 Object permanence13:50 Eight signs of ADHD in women18:40 My missed diagnosis at school27:50 Ask Guru & Granny: teacher wants to be a florist39:20 Women over 50 and starting a business49:30 The £200 private diagnosisADHD in women, inattentive ADHD, ADHD symptoms in girls vs boys, object permanence, emotional dysregulation, private ADHD assessment, NHS waiting lists. I wrote that list for SEO, in case you didn't realise and just thought it was a random outburst.

A field report (and Guru & Granny) featuring Japanese walking, Hot Girl Walks, movement after meals, and using the Steppin app to earn screen time through steps.Click here to try the Steppin App - https://www.steppin.net/Timestamps0:00 Intro — reporting back on the walking experiment1:00 Step In app review & my tragic step count2:30 Why earning screen time through steps actually worked4:10 The psychological cost of doomscrolling4:45 Hostage-situation brand deals & choosing a secret code word6:20 Japanese walking results7:50 Why I abandoned the Japanese walking halfway through9:00 Looking unhinged in front of villagers10:00 Hot Girl Walks & mindset walking10:45 My recurring imaginary hostage scenario11:30 The gold eyeshadow plane defence plan15:00 Krav Maga, Buffy & survival fantasies16:30 Did Hot Girl Walks actually help?17:15 Movement after meals18:15 Finds & fails of the week19:00 Hay fever, wasps & wanting to flee England20:30 Guru & Granny: should you force a grown man to eat vegetables?24:00 “You are not responsible for his asshole”26:00 Tiny chopped vegetables vs letting nature take its course27:00 Would Old Ma want another child in the family?28:00 Final thoughts & term-time podcast plansAsk Guru & GrannySend your dilemmas, life problems and questionable decisions to:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.pod

This week I’m testing whether walking really is the closest thing we have to a magic pill - and whether I can get my steps up without becoming the sort of person pacing the kitchen at 10pm to hit 10,000.I’m trying:• Japanese interval walking• hot girl walks• walking/moving after meals• using SteppIn app to earn screen time through steps• taking antihistamines so pollen can stop ruining my lifeAlso: why 10,000 steps may be a marketing myth, why walking helps mood, and whether we’ve lost the plot with step counts.Click here to try the Steppin App - https://www.steppin.net/Timestamps0:00 Intro — this week’s walking experiment0:45 Step In: earning screen time with steps3:20 Why my step count has collapsed5:00 Is walking a magic pill?7:30 My current tragic step count8:45 The 10,000 steps myth10:00 Japanese walking explained12:30 Hot girl walks15:30 Walking after meals18:00 My actual plan for the week20:00 Hay fever, antihistamines and walking barriers22:30 Have We Lost the Plot? Step counts vs human history25:00 This week’s homeworkAsk Guru & GrannySend your dilemmas, life problems and questionable decisions to:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.pod

DM me your Guru & Granny dilemmas:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.pod This week I tested three viral morning routines from an American wellness girl, a British productivity girl, and an aggressively glowing Australian woman.The result:• I gagged on expired coconut oil• got laughed at by my children while doing Chinese lymphatic movements• briefly became the kind of woman who makes her bed• and accidentally discovered a morning habit that might genuinely improve my life.Also:• why affirmations made me feel like I was gaslighting myself• the surprising psychological effect of making the bed• whether electrolytes are worth the hype• why “high-fiving yourself in the mirror” feels deeply threatening as an English person• and the moment I almost accidentally quit the podcast altogether.TIMESTAMPS00:00 — The field report begins01:00 — Why the podcast vanished for 3 weeks03:00 — Burnout, school holidays & trying to keep this running06:00 — Coconut oil pulling: immediate failure08:00 — Electrolytes: annoyingly effective08:45 — Rebounding on a Peppa Pig trampoline11:00 — Chinese lymphatic dance humiliation12:15 — The Mel Robbins 5-4-3-2-1 rule13:15 — Replacing doomscrolling with reading15:00 — Ice rolling & why children ruin wellness routines15:30 — High-fiving myself in the mirror17:00 — What I’m actually keeping from the experiment18:00 — Easter eggs, burnout & bizarre internet discoveriesIf you enjoyed this episode:• follow the show• send it to a friend who’s trying to become a functioning adult• or join the Actually Trying Book Club.DM me your Guru & Granny dilemmas:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.pod

Morning routines, productivity, wellness habits, dopamine, sunlight, gratitude, affirmations — do viral morning routines actually work?This week I tested 3 viral morning routines from an English woman, an American woman, and an Australian woman to see whether any of them could make me feel more energised, productive, and less like I’m running on fumes.The problem?I’m doing this with:a toddler who wakes up at 4:30ambroken sleepa massive family bedand a deep resistance to bouncing on a Peppa Pig trampoline with coconut oil in my mouthSo this is a very scientific experiment.In this episodemy current chaos-morning routineMel Robbins-style 5-4-3-2-1 habitsoil pulling, electrolytes and gratitudeChinese lymphatic movementsmaking the bed like a functional adultwhether morning routines are modern madness… or actually quite anthropologicalTimestamps (ish)0:00 Intro – today’s experiment1:00 My current morning reality7:00 The American morning routine10:30 The British morning routine17:30 The Australian “hot girl” morning routine25:00 Have We Lost the Plot? Morning routines through an anthropology lensJoin the book clubActually Trying Book Club:https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrialAsk Guru & GrannySend in your dilemmas, chaos, family drama and questionable life choices for Guru & Granny.DM me at:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.podComing FridayI’ll report back on which bits of these morning routines actually survived contact with real life.

Luteal phase, PMS, hormone hacks, mood swings — do internet remedies actually work?This week’s field report: I tested some of the internet’s favourite luteal phase advice.That meant eating a suspicious number of carrots and sweet potatoes, attempting to “rebalance” my hormones, and keeping a list of everything that annoyed me during PMS week.Some of the advice helped.Some of it involved heavily salted vegetables and blind optimism.Here’s the honest verdict.Timestamps0:00 Field report: testing internet luteal phase advice1:00 My accidental vegetable discovery2:00 The luteal phase irritation list3:00 The real household tension revealed5:00 Honest thoughts about the podcast and time pressure7:00 A possible PMS supplement experiment8:30 Ongoing trials: hormone hacks & brain headset9:00 Next week: morning routinesExperiments this weekluteal phase awarenessPMS mood trackingsweet potatoes & carrots for hormonesmagnesium & sleep supportComing nextNext week I’ll test morning routines — the topic you actually voted for.Follow alongInstagram:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.podJoin the book clubActually Trying Book Club:https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial

This week dives into the luteal phase (PMS) - what’s actually happening hormonally, why your mood drops, and how to cope without doing a crime.We cover:what the luteal phase actually iswhy you feel more sensitive, irritable, and withdrawnwhether it’s hormones… or your life being out of alignmentpractical ways to support your mood (from Instagram, obviously)and a slightly chaotic Guru & Granny segment involving vegans and king prawns⏱️ TIMESTAMPS (ish)00:00 Intro – why we’re ignoring the poll and talking PMS05:30 What the menstrual cycle actually does to your brain10:30 Why the luteal phase feels like low power mode12:30 Have We Lost the Plot? (evolutionary take)14:00 “You’re not moody, your life is out of alignment”16:00 Luteal phase survival tips (food, magnesium, sleep)19:00 Guru & Granny: vegan boyfriend chaos📩 ASK GURU & GRANNYGot a dilemma?Relationships, family chaos, existential crises…DM your questions to:👉 @rosehoneymorgan👉 @field.notes.pod(You can stay anonymous)📚 JOIN THE BOOK CLUBIf you want deeper dives, experiments & slightly more structure:👉 Join the Actually Trying Book Club:https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial🎧 IF YOU ENJOYED THISFollow the podcast, leave a review, or send this to someone who:becomes a different person before their periodhas ever thought “why is everything suddenly awful?”or needs a luteal phase survival plan

This week I tested 4 anxiety techniques…two from a Harvard-trained life coach and two from Old Ma.The methods:• orgasm (did not happen)• contemplating death (surprisingly helpful)• building a “sanity quilt” (tiny habits that actually regulate you)• visualising your perfect day (emotionally risky)Some worked. Some absolutely did not.Main takeaway:👉 You don’t fix anxiety with one big breakthrough👉 You fix it with small daily things that make life slightly more bearableAlso:• no one is thinking about you as much as you think• you will be forgotten (freeing, not depressing)• and stroking your dog is genuinely medicinalIf you feel constantly slightly on edge, overwhelmed, or like your brain is doing too much…this episode is for you.🧠 What you’ll get:• realistic anxiety coping strategies• small daily habits that actually help• a brutally honest test of popular techniques• a reminder that your life doesn’t need to be perfect to be good⏱️ Chapters00:00 Testing 4 anxiety techniques01:00 Why orgasm didn’t make the list02:00 Thinking about death (and why it helps)04:30 The “life in weeks” reality check05:00 The sanity quilt (best one)08:00 Tiny habits that improve your day10:00 The perfect day exercise (spiral warning)11:30 Final thoughts + what actually worked📲 Follow me on Instagram:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.pod🔔 Subscribe for more:Weekly experiments in:• anxiety• self-improvement (without the cringe)• modern life• and trying to function like a normal person

If you live with that constant background hum of anxiety, you’ll understand the feeling of trying everything — therapy, routines, productivity hacks — and still feeling slightly on edge.So today we’re trying something different.This is a Mother’s Day anxiety special, featuring:• two anxiety techniques from my mother (Old Ma)• two techniques from a Harvard-trained life coach• and a conversation that includes orgasms, existential philosophy, and a surprisingly detailed death plan.In other words: a fairly normal episode.The Four Anxiety TechniquesIn this episode we explore four very different ways of dealing with anxiety:1️⃣ Old Ma’s technique #1: orgasm as emotional regulation2️⃣ Old Ma’s technique #2: contemplating death (memento mori)3️⃣ The “Sanity Quilt” method from Martha Beck4️⃣ The Perfect Day exerciseSome of these are more sensible than others.The Sanity QuiltThe Sanity Quilt idea comes from Martha Beck.Imagine a patchwork blanket where each square is a small activity that reliably calms your nervous system.Not big life changes.Just tiny stabilisers you can rely on when things feel overwhelming.Examples might include:• a quick walk outside• dancing to one song in the kitchen• lighting a candle• listening to music• texting a friend• reading a few pages of a book• making a cup of tea• eating a tiny cheeseboard (personal favourite)The idea is to build a toolkit of small things that help you regulate before you spiral.The Perfect Day ExerciseThe Perfect Day exercise asks a different question:Instead of chasing big life goals, what does a good ordinary Tuesday actually look like for you?You imagine a realistic ideal day — from when you wake up to when you go to bed.Not a fantasy billionaire life.Just the kind of day your nervous system would actually enjoy living in.Because life is basically thousands of Tuesdays in a row.Also in this episode• how worrying brains invent problems that never happen• why modern life might be fuelling anxiety• why remembering death can sometimes make life easier• Old Ma’s surprisingly detailed end-of-life planAsk Guru & GrannyIf you want Old Ma and I to attempt to solve your life problems, send us your dilemmas.Relationship chaos, family drama, existential crises — we’ll take it all.DM your questions to:@rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.podYou can remain anonymous if you like.If you enjoyed this episodePlease follow the show, leave a review, or share it with someone who:• worries about things that never happen• enjoys slightly unhinged mother–daughter conversations• or might benefit from a sanity quilt and a small cheeseboard