Get It Together, Weirdo

The Magic of Rabbit Hole Productivity: Finding Focus Amid Distractions

• Sarah Bowser, That Weird Nerdy Mom • Episode 27

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Ever find yourself knee-deep in a Wikipedia spiral about haunted castles in Scotland when you were supposed to be finishing that work thing? 

Going down a rabbit hole can leave you shaming yourself for being unfocused and lazy. But what if rabbit holes weren’t the enemy? What if you could ditch the shame, tame your tangents, and use them as fuel? 

On this episode of Get It Together, Weirdo, get your shit together coach and host Sarah Bowser shares her hot take that tangents are actually secret paths to productivity. She discusses why rabbit holes happen, how they can fuel creativity and insight, and when to recognize whether a rabbit hole is helping or just helping you procrastinate.

For years, Sarah beat herself up over distractions and non-linear thinking, until she realized that reframing her so-called “chaos” not only helped her get her shit together but also made her brain feel less broken and more powerful.

Thanks for listening! You can find complete show notes for this episode on the podcast website:  getittogetherweirdo.com. While you’re there, sign up for weekly coworking on Mondays and hop on the email list to stay in the loop on new episodes, posts, and other tidbits Sarah shares.

Learn more about Sarah Bowser, That Weird, Nerdy Mom

Welcome to Get It Together, Weirdo, the podcast where we dive into ways to help you figure out how you can tackle your to-dos, keep track of your side quests, and manage your time in a way that works for your brain so you can focus on nerding out on the things that make you do a happy dance. I'm Sarah Bowser, your get-your-shit-together coach and resident weirdo here to guide you on your journey. So let's get it together, weirdo.

Hey there, my wonderfully weird friend. Welcome back to another episode of Get it Together Weirdo, the podcast where we embrace the beautiful chaos that is our brains and maybe, just maybe, stop feeling like complete disasters in the process.

Let's talk about rabbit holes. Those times when you're supposed to be helping your kiddo write a report or folding laundry or finishing that work thing, and suddenly you're seven layers deep into researching ancient Roman plumbing systems or watching videos of raccoons washing grapes, and before you know it, poof — two hours are gone, your to-do list is still untouched, and your shame and anxiety levels? Maxed out.

But what if — and stay with me here — what if rabbit holes weren't the enemy? What if they're actually a weird, twisty, slightly chaotic form of productivity? I know that sounds absolutely batshit when you first hear it. Like, seriously? You're seriously telling me that scrolling TikTok for 90 minutes while looking up ADHD hacks is productive? Yeah, yeah, I kind of am. Because here is the spicy take of the day: rabbit hole productivity is a real thing, and it might be the exact thing your brain needs to get shit done.

Rabbit holes have been a staple of my life for as long as I can remember. Honestly, even while writing this very episode, I've already gone down four or five of them — a mix of procrastination and an obsessive search for old notes I swore I had saved somewhere on my hard drive. Spoilers: apparently, I didn't save them on my hard drive. I did find a recipe for Gordon Ramsay’s shepherd's pie, though, which I now need to make.

For years, I would beat myself up for these rabbit holes. I would tell myself, You're not focused, you're lazy. Why can't you just do the thing like a normal person? Sounds familiar, right? Yeah. Welcome to the inner monologue of a neurodivergent brain living in a capitalistic hellscape while also under a fascist takeover.

But over time — and trust me, this was a whole journey with tears, therapy, and many, many unfinished planners — I stopped berating myself for falling down rabbit holes. Or at least I mostly stopped. Because honestly, that berating wasn't helping me get my shit together. It was just making me feel worse. Like somehow I was broken because I couldn't operate like the perfectly productive Pinterest moms or CEO bros in their matching blue suits and brown shoes with no socks. Seriously, why do you wear those uncomfortable shoes with no socks? It makes no sense and looks really gross

So screw all that mental nonsense. Today I want to show you how we can reframe rabbit holes, stop beating ourselves up for our beautifully nonlinear brains, and maybe even use those rabbit holes to our advantage. So let's go splunking, shall we?

What the heck is rabbit hole productivity anyway? Think of it like this: it's not about getting distracted. It's about following your curiosity and using those tangents as fuel. I also call it taming the tangent. We're not eliminating the rabbit holes — we're learning how to traverse them like a freaking side quest in a video game. And no, this is not the same as the toxic hustle culture BS that tells you you must monetize every hobby and have 24/7 laser focus or you're failing at life. Hard pass.

Here is what rabbit hole productivity isn't. It isn't about meeting society's definition of productivity. It isn't about turning every moment into a measurable result. And it definitely isn't about feeling like crap every time your brain takes a detour.

It is about embracing how your mind naturally works and learning to work with it, not against it. Rabbit holes don't mean you're broken. They mean your brain is curious, creative, exploratory. And when we understand our brains, and when we understand our rabbit holes and our tangents, we can turn them into side quests that lead us to the main objective with more insight, energy, and clarity.

Now let's talk about navigating distractions. Distractions show up for a reason. Sometimes it's procrastination. Sometimes it's boredom. Sometimes it's a spark of inspiration that takes you down a Wikipedia black hole about haunted castles in Scotland. No judgment — and I've been there.

But how do we know when a rabbit hole is helping us, or it's just an elaborate form of avoidance? Here are a few quick questions you can ask yourself the next time you find yourself five tabs deep and wondering where your afternoon went:

  • What kicked this off? What was the spark — a question, a TikTok, a weird dream?
  • What were you hoping to find out? Were you researching something relevant, avoiding a task, chasing dopamine?
  • What did you actually learn? Did you get any insight, idea, or momentum that could connect back to what you were originally working on?

Then ask yourself: Can this rabbit hole become its own mini-goal, like a bonus level, a detour that actually builds the bridge to your bigger picture? Or is this just procrastination station, and I need to either set a boundary or rethink the task entirely? Because here's your permission slip: maybe the original task sucks. Maybe it's not aligned. Maybe your brain's resistance is trying to tell you something.

Which then brings us to our core values. Rabbit holes aren't just distractions. Sometimes they're signs from your intuition. If you've been spinning out on a tangent and can't figure out why, try checking in with your gut. Does the rabbit hole feel aligned with your values? Is it lighting you up in a way your current task doesn't? Is it nudging you towards something more you, even if it doesn't make logical sense?

Remember, you're not a robot. You're not Spock. You're not a to-do list logical machine. You are a complex, magical, weird-as-fuck human being with thoughts and ideas and actual feelings. And if your values and your curiosity are pulling you in a new direction, maybe it's time to follow it. Or at least explore it.

Now, once you've checked in with your gut, it's time to unleash your inner explorer. Let's say you do want to experiment with your rabbit hole. Maybe you're thinking, Okay, this might actually be useful. Here's what you can do: turn your rabbit hole into a working hypothesis. Ask, If I follow this curiosity, how might it loop back to help me with my original goal? Make it a test, an experiment, not a commitment. Play with different tools. Combine your rabbit hole topic with your current task, or ditch the task completely and follow the rabbit hole to see where it leads. See if it opens up a better, easier, more aligned way of doing what you originally set out to do. Because sometimes the weird, twisty path is the right one.

Finally, let's talk about reflection. Because this is where the real magic happens. After you've wandered through your rabbit holes — whether they led to gold or just a pile of random trivia — take a break. Take a beat. Reflect. Ask yourself: How did I feel during the rabbit hole? Was I energized? Curious? Avoidant? Guilty? What did I discover, if anything? Did I treat myself with kindness? Or did I start spiraling into shame and self-loathing? And most importantly, did this serve me in some way?

This isn't about being perfect, it's about getting curious about yourself. Because every time you reflect, you learn more about what makes your brain tick. And the more you know, the more empowered you are to work with your brain instead of constantly fighting against it.

So here's your weird little challenge for the week: Find one rabbit hole you've recently gone down — just one. And instead of beating yourself up for it, take 10 minutes to ask yourself: Why did I go down this rabbit hole? What did I discover? And can I use it, even just a piece of it, to help me move forward? Then share your thoughts. Seriously. DM me, email me, join us for Monday co-working. You are absolutely not the only weirdo out here wrestling with distraction, curiosity, guilt, and ambition all at the same time.

And if you want some help sorting through those rabbit holes and finding your own map through the chaos, come hang out with us on Monday co-working calls. Hop on my email list or stay tuned for the Tame the Tangent Lab, which is coming soon.

Let's stop pretending that the only way to be productive is to be perfectly focused, perfectly structured, and perfectly boring. You're allowed to be weird, you're allowed to be non-linear, and you're allowed to find magic in the rabbit holes.

So until next time, my lovely weirdo, stay weird, stay curious, stay kind to that beautiful brain of yours. 

Thanks so much for listening today. You can find complete show notes, links to resources mentioned, as well as a link to our co-working community on our website getittogetherweirdo.com. Be sure to leave a rating or review and check me out on Instagram @getittogetherweirdo. Feel free to shoot me a DM. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time, my wonderful weirdo, you've got this. Bring out your weird.