Why You Can’t Focus: The Truth About Distraction, Nervous System Dysregulation, and Reclaiming Your Attention in Midlife

Dr. Mindy Pelz
Mar 25
2 min read

EP332 with Dr. Zelana Montminy

If you've been blaming your hormones for every foggy, scattered, can't-finish-a-thought moment in midlife, this episode is going to change the way you see yourself.

Dr. Mindy sits down with psychologist and author Dr. Zelana Montminy to unpack what's really behind the focus crisis so many women are experiencing — and why the answer is simpler (and cheaper) than you think.

Dr. Montminy's new book, Finding Focus, reframes everything we've been told about distraction, brain fog, and burnout.

What looks like distraction is often dysregulation.

-Dr. Zelana Montminy

Here's what you'll learn Iin this episode:

Why focus is a biological state, not a character trait — and what's actually disrupting it
The concept of cognitive load stacking and why women in midlife are carrying an impossible weight
Why every task switch costs you 23 minutes of mental clarity (not seconds — minutes)
How your brain needs micro-recovery windows throughout the day, not just weekends
Why boredom is medicine — and why we've stopped allowing ourselves to experience it
The role of community and co-regulation in restoring your nervous system
A simple, zero-cost framework to start rebuilding focus from the ground up

Dr. Mindy and Dr. Zelana also get real about news consumption, social media, ultra-processed foods, and the invisible toll of other people's urgency — and what to actually do about all of it.

The bottom line: What looks like distraction is often dysregulation. And the path back doesn't start with a supplement or a gadget. It starts with returning to the basics of being human.

Resources Mentioned

Finding Focus by Dr. Zelana
Age Like a Girl
The Grandmother Hypothesis
The Lime Tree by Trevor Hall
Ultradian rhythms - 60-90 minute work/focus cycles

Meet the Guest

Dr. Zelana Montminy

Dr. Zelana Montminy is a positive psychologist, clinical researcher, and author of the new book Finding Focus. She has spent her career studying the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, and human performance, with a particular passion for helping women understand the biological and cultural roots of overwhelm, distraction, and burnout.

Dr. Zelana’s work challenges the myth that focus is simply a character trait, revealing it instead as a biological state shaped by nervous system regulation, cognitive load, and the conditions of modern life. She is also a vibrant community builder on Instagram (@dr.zelana), where her poetic, carousel-style posts on grief, resilience, and reclaiming attention have earned a deeply loyal following.

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