65: Why ADHD Overwhelm Happens and How to Regulate It

65: Why ADHD Overwhelm Happens and How to Regulate It

Too much to do, can't pick anything, can't move. The list is right there, the day is slipping, and somehow you end up frozen on the couch, wondering what is wrong with you. This episode is for the adult with ADHD who keeps hitting that wall and wants to understand what's actually happening in the brain when overwhelm takes over. I break down why ADHD overwhelm is a nervous system event, what the brain is doing in fight or flight that makes executive functioning disappear, and why your perception of how much you have to do is almost never accurate. Plus two visualizations you can use right away to retrain how your brain is processing time and tasks. 00:00 – ADHD Overwhelm and What the Brain Is Doing 01:28 – ADHD Fight or Flight and the Prefrontal Cortex 05:37 – How ADHD Cognitive Distortions Warp Your Perception of Time 08:30 – Naming the Feeling as an ADHD Regulation Tool 10:16 – The Dotted Line Visualization for ADHD Overwhelm 13:16 – The Brick Path Visualization for ADHD Paralysis Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-overwhelm-how-to-regulate [https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-overwhelm-how-to-regulate] Let's stay connected! Ready to help your ADHD clients heal at the nervous system level? Join the waitlist for the ADHD Regulation Method certification launching in September. [http://jennafree.com/adhdcertification] Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/adhdwithjennafree/] Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group! [https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups]

64: The ADHD Regulation Method: What It Is and How It Works

You are exhausted from swinging between frantic and frozen, and nothing you have tried seems to stick. This episode is for the ADHDer who is ready to understand why and finally have somewhere real to start. I am introducing the ADHD regulation method, the first A to Z approach built specifically for the ADHD brain. I break down why your nervous system being stuck in fight or flight is making your ADHD symptoms significantly harder than they need to be, why the tools and strategies have not been landing, and what it really looks like to build from a regulated foundation instead of managing the chaos one crisis at a time. 00:00 – What Is the ADHD Regulation Method 03:00 – The Frantic Crash Cycle and ADHD Survival Mode 06:19 – How ADHD and Fight or Flight Make Symptoms Worse 09:02 – ADHD Dysregulation Is Not Inevitable 13:49 – ADHD Nervous System Regulation in the Moment 20:44 – Behavior Regulation and All or Nothing Thinking With ADHD 27:18 – Getting Started With the ADHD Regulation Method Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-regulation-method [https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-regulation-method] Let's stay connected! Ready to help your ADHD clients heal at the nervous system level? Join the waitlist for the ADHD Regulation Method certification launching in September. [http://jennafree.com/adhdcertification] Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/adhdwithjennafree/] Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group! [https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups]

63: How to Stop the ADHD Comparison Cycle for Good

You scroll for five minutes, and suddenly everyone else seems to have it all figured out. You feel like you're not enough, and quietly panic that you're falling short of where you should be. This episode is for the adult with ADHD who's worn out from constantly measuring themselves against everyone else. I'm breaking down what's really happening with ADHD comparison, why your brain treats it as a fight or flight survival response, and why coming back to your own life, instead of trying to bring others down, is what finally calms the panic and helps you stop comparing yourself to others. 00:00 – Why ADHD Comparison Is a Fight or Flight Response 01:47 – Why Your Brain Compares to Keep You Safe 04:13 – How Comparison Drives ADHD Motivation Problems 06:44 – Comparing Yourself to Others on Social Media 08:58 – How Comparison Feeds ADHD and Low Self-Esteem 10:43 – How to Detach From Comparison and Regulate 13:12 – How to Stop Comparing Yourself With Others Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/stop-adhd-comparison-cycle-for-good [https://jennafree.com/blog/stop-adhd-comparison-cycle-for-good] Let's stay connected! Ready to help your ADHD clients heal at the nervous system level? Join the waitlist for the ADHD Regulation Method certification launching in September. [https://jennafree.com/adhdcertification] Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/adhdwithjennafree/] Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group! [https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups]

62: Improve Your ADHD Working Memory Without Apps or Lists

Your memory keeps failing you, and you can't figure out why. You forget why you walked into the room, lose your train of thought mid-sentence, and miss steps in tasks you've done a hundred times. This episode is for the adult with ADHD who's tired of feeling like their brain just won't cooperate. I'm breaking down what's really happening with ADHD working memory, why fight or flight and cortisol make it significantly worse, and why regulation, not another system or app, is where the real improvement comes from. Grab the free ADHD Regulation Guide [https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide] in the show notes and start there. 00:00 – What Is ADHD Working Memory? 02:36 – How Fight or Flight Makes ADHD Working Memory Worse 05:05 – Why Your Brain Prioritizes Some Things and Drops Others 08:23 – Working Memory, Stress, and the ADHD Nervous System 18:18 – All or Nothing Thinking and the Fear of Forgetting 22:50 – The Real Fix for Improving Working Memory in ADHD Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/improve-your-adhd-working-memory [https://jennafree.com/blog/improve-your-adhd-working-memory] Let's stay connected! Ready to help your ADHD clients heal at the nervous system level? Join the waitlist for the ADHD Regulation Method clinician certification launching in September. [http://jennafree.com/adhdcertification] Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/adhdwithjennafree/] Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group! [https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups]

61: How to Stop ADHD Revenge Bedtime Procrastination for Good

You already know you're staying up too late. You've tried going to bed earlier, and it hasn't stuck, and if you have ADHD, there's a real reason for that. This episode is for the ADHD adult who's exhausted but can't seem to stop hoarding the night away. I'm breaking down why revenge bedtime procrastination and ADHD are so deeply connected, what's driving it at the level of the nervous system, and why fixing your night routine won't help much if the real problem is happening during the day. Grab the free ADHD Regulation Guide [http://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide]. 00:00 – What Is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination? 02:29 – How ADHD Dysregulation Fuels Bedtime Procrastination 04:04 – Resentment, People Pleasing, and Saying No 14:20 – Radical Mindset Shift: "I Choose My Day" 23:37 – Easy Bedtime Routines for ADHD: Practical Tips Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/revenge-bedtime-procrastination-adhd [https://jennafree.com/blog/revenge-bedtime-procrastination-adhd] Let's stay connected! Ready to help your ADHD clients heal at the nervous system level? Join the waitlist for the ADHD Regulation Method clinician certification launching in September. [http://jennafree.com/adhdcertification] Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram! [https://www.instagram.com/adhdwithjennafree/] Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group! [https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups]