Podcast

ADHD with Jenna Free

Education, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Self-Improvement

ADHD with Jenna Free is a podcast for adults with ADHD who are done surviving their symptoms and ready to start thriving with ADHD, without the endless tips, hacks, and workarounds that have never really fixed anything. It's also the show where therapists, coaches, and counselors come to deepen their understanding of treating ADHD in adults and learn what regulation-based care looks like in practice.

Hosted by Jenna Free, a Canadian Certified Counselor (CCC) and ADHD therapist, this show exists to give you a completely different way of understanding ADHD in adults. You're stuck, overwhelmed, and exhausted because your brain is running on fight-or-flight. Willpower was never the solution, and once you understand that, everything changes.

I'll answer questions like:
Do I have ADHD?
What is ADHD task paralysis, and how do I get unstuck?
Why is my ADHD getting worse in my 40s?
What do ADHD and perimenopause do to your brain?
How do I manage ADHD emotional dysregulation without medication alone?
Why do I procrastinate so much with ADHD?
Why don't ADHD tips and tricks ever work long-term?
What does it look like to thrive with ADHD?
What does nervous system regulation have to do with ADHD?
How do I stop feeling overwhelmed with ADHD?
How do I get trained to treat ADHD in adults using a regulation-based approach?
What does ADHD therapist training through a regulation framework actually cover?

This podcast covers the full experience of living with adult ADHD: the real science behind procrastination in ADHD and ADHD task paralysis, why ADHD and perimenopause collide in ways no one talks about, and the solution-focused conversations most ADHD podcasts aren't having. For practitioners, Jenna also gets into the clinical side: what nervous system regulation training looks like, how to apply a regulation framework with clients, and what ADHD coach certification and ADHD therapist training often omit. Jenna shares her own story throughout, what it looks like to go from chronically dysregulated to thriving, so whether you're living with ADHD or working with people who are, you can see what's possible.

This show gives adults with ADHD, newly navigating a late diagnosis, and clinicians seeking ADHD continuing education one thing: a clear path toward healing

If you're an adult with ADHD who's tired of the commiseration and ready for a show that believes your life can look completely different, or a practitioner who wants to understand ADHD at the nervous system level, you're in the right place.

Mental Health chart
#120
Episodes
82
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
24 min
On air since
2025
Latest episode
1 week ago

Episodes

82 episodes, newest first

  1. 81: Is AI Helping or Hurting ADHDers?

    Episode 81

    Show notes

    You use AI to get your swirling thoughts out of your head, so why do you still feel rushed and behind? If you've been handed one more tool for your ADHD and the overwhelm and rushing haven't eased, this episode on AI and ADHD is for you.

    Vacuums and computers were supposed to give us time back, and we ended up doing more. I think AI is headed the same way, which is a big part of why ADHD dysregulation grows when speed is the goal. What helps my nervous system regulate is slowing down on purpose, like using a paper calendar and a record player. I also share the questions I ask myself to tell whether AI supports me or fuels the rush.

    00:00 – Is AI Helping or Hurting ADHD Brains?

    01:19 – Using AI to Organize ADHD Thoughts

    12:17 – Process vs. Outcome: Fulfillment for ADHD

    16:14 – ADHD Coping Strategies: Paper, Records, and Routines

    21:54 – Rethinking ADHD Coping: Speed vs. Regulation

    Let's stay connected!

    Want to thrive with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    24 min
  2. 80: Why Is ADHD So Hard? What Regulation Can Change About Your Symptoms

    Episode 80

    Show notes

    You keep wondering why ADHD is so hard when everyone around you makes it look like a simple brain difference, and you're tired of wondering if you're just bad at life. If you've spent years blaming your executive functioning for the overwhelm, the procrastination, and the freeze, this episode is for you.

    I'm an ADHD therapist who has ADHD, and after working with well over 1,200 people, I've seen that much of what gets called ADHD is a nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight. I walk through how hypervigilance, defensiveness, people-pleasing, and ADHD paralysis all come from the same place, and what changes when your body finally feels safe enough to let your brain do its job.

    Join my free workshop, Why Is My ADHD So Hard?, on October 20th. Grab your spot here. https://jennafree.com/free-workshop

    01:05 – Why ADHD Feels Overwhelming and Challenging

    11:01 – ADHD Paralysis Explained as Fight, Flight, or Freeze

    12:06 – Avoidance, Procrastination, and Stress in ADHD

    08:27 – People Pleasing, Boundaries, and the Fawn Response

    20:02 – The Benefits of Regulation for Executive Functioning

    Let's stay connected! Want to thrive with ADHD? Come hang out with me onInstagram! Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    25 min
  3. 79: 4 Reasons Behind ADHD People Pleasing

    Episode 79

    Show notes

    You keep saying yes when you mean no, then spend the rest of the day resentful about something you agreed to in the first place. If you've been told your ADHD people-pleasing is a boundaries problem, and that explanation hasn't actually changed anything, this episode is for you.

    I break down the four explanations coaches and therapists usually give for people-pleasing and ADHD: rejection sensitive dysphoria, the automatic yes, penance for old mistakes, and chasing a quick dopamine hit. None are wrong, and none go deep enough on their own. I walk through why the fawn response takes over before you're even aware you've said yes, and what nervous system regulation for ADHD actually has to do with finally being able to say no and mean it.

    If you're caught in that yes-then-resent cycle and want to work through it directly, I'm hosting a Healing People Pleasing workshop on October 9th.

    00:00 – Understanding People Pleasing and ADHD

    03:07 – People Pleasing as a Protective Shield Against Rejection

    04:56 – The Fawn Response: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn Explained

    07:20 – Digging Deeper: Rejection Sensitivity and the Nervous System

    21:15 – How Regulation Brings Freedom from People-Pleasing

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/4-reasons-behind-adhd-people-pleasing

    Let's stay connected!

    Want to thrive with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    24 min
  4. 78: How to Regulate with ADHD When Tips and Tricks Don't Work

    Episode 78

    Show notes

    You've been told to take a deep breath and get regulated, and it didn't stick, so you're stuck wondering what you're missing. If tips and tricks have stopped working, this episode is for you.

    I get into why nervous system regulation for ADHD isn't one action but three layers stacked together: the body, the mind, and behavior, and why skipping straight to behavior is where most people get stuck. I walk through the ADHD fight-or-flight response, whether meditation really helps, and what healing from chronic dysregulation requires when a single breath isn't enough.

    For therapists, counselors, psychologists, doctors, coaches, social workers, and occupational therapists working with ADHDers who have been leaning on coping tools and external strategies without seeing the shift stick. I'm hosting a free ADHD Regulation Method training on September 21st, where we'll dive into how to do this work with your clients.

    00:00 – What Does ADHD Regulation Really Mean?

    05:58 – True ADHD Regulation: Nervous System Retraining

    07:09 – Step 1: Teaching Your Body Safety

    03:35 – The Limits of Routines, Yoga, and Meditation

    22:14 – Recognizing Physical Signs of Dysregulation

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/how-to-regulate-with-adhd-when-tips-and-tricks-dont-work

    Let's stay connected!

    Want to thrive with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    27 min
  5. 77: ADHD Time Blindness: How to Stop Fighting the Clock

    Episode 77

    Show notes

    Your relationship with time feels broken, and you've probably filed it under ADHD time blindness and left it there. If rushing, scrambling, and never having enough time has started to feel permanent, this episode is for you.

    I get into why time blindness isn't one problem but two: the ADHD piece and the fight-or-flight piece stacked on top of it, and why that second layer changes more than people realize. I walk through the time scarcity mindset, why ADHD procrastination often starts with feeling like time already ran out, and my time container concept for how to manage time with ADHD without fighting the clock all day.

    For clinicians working with ADHDers who have been trying to help them time-block or use these external tools to get time under control. I'm hosting a free ADHD Regulation Method training on September 21st, where we'll dive into how to do this work with your clients.

    00:00 – Understanding ADHD and Time Blindness

    01:20 – How Fight or Flight Distorts Time Perception

    03:47 – The Scarcity Mindset Around Time

    09:37 – Shifting from Task Lists to Time Containers

    18:38 – ADHD Clinician Training and Final Thoughts

    Related Episode

    75: Scarcity Mindset in ADHD: Why Nothing Feels Like Enough

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-time-blindness-stop-fighting-the-clock

    Let's stay connected!

    Want to thrive with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    20 min
  6. 76: 3 Reasons to Set Your ADHD Diagnosis Aside

    Episode 76

    Show notes

    You know the label. ADHD, anxiety, OCD, autism, whatever you have been diagnosed with. You know the symptom, and it still hasn't changed anything. If a diagnosis has started to feel like a wall instead of an answer, this episode is for you.

    I walk through why holding a diagnosis too close, ADHD or otherwise, can quietly stop the regulation work that helps. I get into what fight-or-flight does to executive functioning, why "that's just my ADHD" can shut down a search worth continuing, and how I use the hiking trail versus the hiker to explain what can shift and what can't.

    For therapists, coaches, and clinicians, learn more about this approach at the free ADHD Regulation Method training I'm hosting on September 21st.

    00:00 – Why Put Aside Your ADHD Diagnosis to Improve Symptoms

    02:47 – How Fight or Flight Worsens ADHD Symptoms

    07:34 – ADHD Overwhelm: Diagnoses vs. Dysregulation

    13:19 – Essential Tools and Supports for ADHD Regulation

    15:44 – The Regulation vs. Diagnosis Analogy: Hiking With ADHD

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/3-reasons-set-adhd-diagnosis-aside

    Let's stay connected!

    Want to thrive with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    19 min
  7. 75: Scarcity Mindset in ADHD: Why Nothing Feels Like Enough

    Episode 75

    Show notes

    You've screenshotted the same tip four times and still feel like you're behind. Or you finish the whole to-do list, and your brain zeroes in on the one thing left undone. If that constant sense of not enough is running the show, this episode names why.

    I break down the scarcity mindset, the survival response behind perfectionism, digital hoarding, and the endless learning-without-doing loop so many ADHD brains get stuck in. I walk through what's happening in the nervous system when fight or flight takes over, why external fixes only offer relief that fades, and what it takes to shift from managing symptoms to healing what's driving them. For therapists, coaches, and clinicians, this is a pattern worth spotting in your next client before it gets labeled as something else.

    00:00 – Understanding Scarcity Mindset in ADHD

    01:10 – ADHDers, Fight or Flight, and Survival Mode

    06:09 – Perfectionism and Inaction in ADHD

    07:02 – Time Scarcity: Rushing, Urgency, and Dysregulation

    12:17 – Digital Hoarding, Spending, and Coping Mechanisms

    If this pattern is one you keep seeing in clients, the ADHD Regulation Method certification was designed to give you the training to work with it. Enrollment opens at the end of September 2026, and the waitlist is open now.

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/scarcity-mindset-adhd-why-nothing-feels-like-enough

    Let's stay connected!

    Want to thrive more with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    17 min
  8. 74: Stop the Confusion Between ADHD Emotions and Reactivity

    Episode 74

    Show notes

    You've been calling it "being emotional" for years, and it's kept you stuck. Or you're a clinician who lumps every client reaction into the same emotional bucket without separating what's really driving it. Either way, there's a solution, and it starts with knowing the difference between the two. If you want to stop managing feelings that aren't really feelings, this episode is for you.

    I break down the two systems most people confuse: the connection system behind real emotion, and the fight-or-flight reactivity that gets mislabeled as being "too sensitive" or "too emotional." I walk through what each one feels like in the body, why rejection sensitivity dysphoria almost always belongs in the reactivity column, and the three-part approach I use to build nervous system regulation instead of just managing symptoms. For clinicians, this names a distinction worth bringing into your next session before your next client walks in.

    00:00 – ADHD Emotional Dysregulation: The Label That's Confusing Two Different Things

    02:05 – Connection vs Survival: The Two Systems Behind Every ADHD Feeling

    06:25 – How a Fight-or-Flight Response Hijacks ADHD Reactions

    10:32 – Emotional Dysregulation vs Nervous System Reactivity: Why the Words Matter

    13:11 – How to Regulate Your Nervous System, Not Just Your Emotions

    If what you just heard matches something you've been hearing in your own sessions, the ADHD Regulation Method certification was built to give you the training for it. Enrollment opens at the end of September 2026, and the waitlist is live right now.

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-emotional-dysregulation-vs-reactions

    Let's stay connected!

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    25 min
  9. 73: 3 Mistakes in ADHD Therapy That Stall Progress

    Episode 73

    Show notes

    You've been seeing an ADHD therapist for months, and something's off, or you're the clinician sensing your ADHD clients aren't getting where they hoped to go. Either seat you're sitting in, the pattern is the same, and there is a solution. If you want ADHD therapy that produces real symptom improvement instead of another round of coping tools, this episode is for you.

    I break down three specific mistakes that stall progress in ADHD therapy. The clinician's beliefs about whether ADHD symptoms can really improve, over-focus on validation without ever moving into growth work, and the therapist's own dysregulation showing up in the room. For clients, I cover the questions to bring into your next session to figure out if you're in the right relationship. For therapists, this one names the patterns worth checking in your own practice before your next client walks in.

    00:00 – 3 Mistakes Your ADHD Therapist Might Be Making

    00:59 – ADHD Therapist Beliefs: Can ADHD Symptoms Really Improve

    06:11 – Validation vs Growth in ADHD Therapy

    16:16 – Why a Dysregulated Therapist Can't Teach Nervous System Regulation for ADHD

    21:01 – Questions to Ask Your ADHD Therapist Before Your Next Session

    If this episode named something you've been sensing in your own practice, the ADHD Regulation Method certification is the training built for it. Enrollment opens at the end of September 2026, and the waitlist is open now.

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/3-mistakes-in-adhd-therapy-that-stall-progress

    Let's stay connected!

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    23 min
  10. 72: Interrupt ADHD and Perfectionism Patterns for More Freedom

    Episode 72

    Show notes

    You spend three weeks fussing with a work project that was technically done two weeks ago. A two-line email took 40 minutes because you rewrote it 4 times. You can't start the errand list until you've mapped out the perfect route, so the errands never get done. If you're an adult with ADHD who's tired of being told perfectionism is just how you're wired, this episode is for you.

    I break down why ADHD and perfectionism is a nervous system defense mechanism, not a personality trait, and what shifts once you understand what's driving it. Perfect feels required because imperfect feels unsafe, and that shield quietly costs you your time, energy, and confidence. I cover how perfectionism fuels ADHD procrastination and avoidance, why it makes ADHD overwhelm heavier, plus a client story about the email habit that gave her back 90 minutes a day, and one place to practice imperfect action this week.

    00:00 – Why ADHD and Perfectionism Isn't Who You Are

    01:06 – How Perfectionism Triggers Procrastination, Overwhelm, and Lateness

    05:46 – Perfectionism as a Fight-or-Flight Response

    10:16 – Learning It's Safe to Be Imperfect

    14:28 – The Client Who Cut 90 Minutes a Day From Her Inbox

    ADHD regulation groups start tomorrow, Tuesday, August 11th. If perfectionism is the pattern you're ready to work on, this is your chance to get in. Grab your spot here.

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/interrupt-adhd-perfectionism-patterns

    19 min
  11. 71: How to Find Balance with ADHD All-or-Nothing Thinking

    Episode 71

    Show notes

    You either clean the whole house in one rampage or leave your clothes on the floor for a week. You go hard at the gym for a week, eat one cookie, and write off the whole month. You wait for a six-hour window to work on that project, and when it doesn't come, no progress happens at all. If you're an adult with ADHD who's tired of hearing that all-or-nothing thinking is just how your brain works, this episode is for you.

    I break down why ADHD all-or-nothing thinking is a dysregulation pattern, not a personality trait, and how it can shift once you understand what's actually driving it. Your nervous system swings you from one extreme to the other because the middle feels risky to a primal part of you. I cover what ADHD all-or-nothing thinking looks like across cleaning, work, fitness, and food, how the ADHD binge-restrict cycle is the same swing as going hard at the gym then quitting for a month, why ADHD perfectionism and avoidance are the same pattern dressed differently, what the ADHD burnout cycle does to your momentum, and how to identify one place you're pulling to the extreme this week so you can start softening it.

    00:00 – Why ADHD All-or-Nothing Thinking Isn't Who You Are

    03:25 – What Dysregulation Looks Like in Your Behavior

    05:43 – The Pendulum Swing and Why It Kills Momentum

    07:27 – All-or-Nothing With Food and Exercise

    17:23 – Finding the Middle Ground With Perfectionism

    22:36 – One Place to Soften the Swing This Week

    Building habits with ADHD lives in the middle of the pendulum. Join my free call on August 5th, Is the Purpose of Life to Check Off To-Do Lists Till I Die?, to go deeper into what life can look like when you're not stuck rushing through it. https://www.jennafree.com/adhdcall

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/find-balance-with-adhd-all-or-nothing-thinking

    Let's stay connected!

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    25 min
  12. 70: ADHD Executive Dysfunction Isn't Permanent and Here's Why

    Episode 70

    Show notes

    You know exactly what you should be doing, and you still can't make yourself start. If you're an adult with ADHD who's tired of being told your executive function is just "how your brain is," this episode is for you.

    I make the case that ADHD executive dysfunction is not fixed at the level you're experiencing it right now. The reason it feels concrete is that your nervous system is stuck in fight or flight, and that state pulls blood flow away from the exact part of your brain that runs working memory, task initiation, planning, and follow-through. I cover what ADHD executive dysfunction actually is and why researchers call it the core deficit, how ADHD fight or flight and survival mode make every symptom look worse than your true baseline, why drilling one executive function skill at a time doesn't create lasting change, why ADHD paralysis has nothing to do with laziness, and two things you can start doing today to move out of survival mode.

    00:00 – Why ADHD Executive Dysfunction Isn't What You Think

    02:04 – The Brain's Management System and What Goes Wrong

    03:29 – The Narrative That Keeps ADHDers Stuck

    05:15 – Fight or Flight and the Missing Piece of ADHD Advice

    07:03 – What ADHD Survival Mode Looks Like Day to Day

    17:23 – Two Shifts You Can Start Today

    ADHD executive dysfunction changes when you're out of fight or flight. Join my free call on August 5th at 5pm Mountain to go deeper. https://www.jennafree.com/adhdcall

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-executive-dysfunction-isnt-permanent

    Let's stay connected!

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    23 min
  13. 69: Why ADHD Regulation Works Better Than Chasing Symptoms

    Episode 69

    Show notes

    You've tried fixing the symptoms one by one, and you're still spinning. This episode is for the adult with ADHD who's exhausted from chasing symptoms and not seeing real change.

    I make the case that ADHD nervous system dysregulation is the thread running through it all, and that working on regulation rather than individual symptoms is how things actually shift. I cover why ADHD symptom management that targets one problem at a time keeps you stuck, how fight-or-flight ADHD affects everything from executive functioning to appetite to relationships, what rejection sensitive dysphoria looks like in nervous system terms, why ADHD paralysis and overwhelm connect to the freeze response, and why depth work on one thing creates more change than spreading effort across 30.

    00:00 – Chasing ADHD Symptoms vs. Finding Real Regulation

    02:35 – Why Chasing ADHD Symptoms Feels Exhausting

    08:12 – Emotional Dysregulation vs. Nervous System Dysregulation

    09:23 – Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and ADHD

    19:19 – Overwhelm, Paralysis, and the Freeze Response in ADHD

    21:51 – Why Regulation, Not Band-Aids, is the Solution

    ADHD regulation groups are reopening! August 5th registration will open. Check out the details here.

    Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-regulation-vs-symptom-chasing

    Let's stay connected!

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    25 min
  14. 68: ADHD and Relationships: How to Stay Regulated with the People You Love

    Episode 68

    Show notes

    You hold it together all day, then walk in your front door, and everything comes out sideways. You're snappier with your partner, more defensive with your kids, and impatient with the people you really want to enjoy being with. This episode is for the adult with ADHD who's tired of the people they love the most getting the worst version of them.

    I walk through what's happening in your nervous system when relationships and ADHD collide at home, why ADHD defensiveness, impatience, and controlling behavior show up strongest with the people closest to you, and what starts to shift when you work on nervous system regulation instead of gritting your teeth through dinner. If ADHD rejection sensitive dysphoria, mental rushing, or ADHD parenting dysregulation feel familiar, this one's worth your time.

    00:00 - Why Relationships and ADHD Get Complicated at Home

    02:53 - ADHD Defensiveness as a Fight or Flight Response

    09:54 - Vulnerability, Written Communication, and Retraining Your System

    10:27 - Impatience in Relationships and the Rushing You Can't Turn Off

    16:51 - ADHD Controlling Behavior and Why You Insert Yourself

    20:57 - Co-Regulation and Becoming the Calm in the Room

    Live workshop on July 15 called Calm is Contagious, on co-regulation, ADHD, and relationships. Get the details here

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://www.jennafree.com/blog/adhd-relationships-stay-regulated

    Let's stay connected!

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    27 min
  15. 67: ADHD Task Switching: Why It's Hard and How to Make It Easier

    Episode 67

    Show notes

    You've been calling yourself bad at task switching for so long it's started to feel like a fact. And the evidence keeps stacking up: the hyperfocus sessions that run three hours past when you need to stop, the transitions that take so much mental energy you'd rather just stay in one thing until it's done. This episode is for the adult with ADHD who suspects there's more going on beneath that label than a skill gap.

    I walk through what's driving ADHD task switching struggles, why the cycle of going hard until you crash is a nervous system pattern rather than a productivity problem, and what starts to shift when you work on regulation instead of just the behavior. If ADHD transitions, all-or-nothing thinking, or the boom-bust cycle feel familiar, this one's worth your time.

    00:00 - Why ADHD Task Switching Is a Nervous System Problem

    04:19 - The Internal State Change Nobody Talks About

    07:12 - All-or-Nothing Thinking and ADHD Dysregulation

    09:28 - Why Alternating Mental and Physical Tasks Helps Regulation

    13:01 - The Cause of ADHD Transition Struggles

    16:43 - A Practical Way to Start Shifting Task Switching Today

    Live workshop on July 15 on co-regulation, ADHD, and relationships. Get the details here

    Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-task-switching-made-easier

    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. Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me onInstagram! Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    23 min
  16. 66: 5 Unexpected Benefits of ADHD Nervous System Regulation

    Episode 66

    Show notes

    You lived in survival mode. The stress, the paralysis, the frantic crash cycle. And then something shifted. This episode is for the adult with ADHD who's curious what life looks like on the other side of nervous system regulation work.

    I'm sharing five things that changed after I got regulated, none of which were what I originally went in looking for. From how I handle criticism and rejection sensitive dysphoria, to patience with other people, to finally sticking with a hobby for more than three weeks. The changes didn't come from trying harder, but from the shift in operating conditions.

    00:00 - Unexpected Benefits of ADHD Nervous System Regulation

    01:53 - How Nervous System Regulation Changed Jenna's Relationship with Alcohol

    04:24 - ADHD Dysregulation and Caring What People Think

    06:45 - Kindness, Patience, and Living Outside Threat Mode

    12:38 - RSD and ADHD: Hearing Criticism Without Shutting Down

    16:26 - The ADHD Hobby Cycle and What Changes When You're Regulated

    Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/benefits-of-adhd-nervous-system-regulation

    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.

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    22 min
  17. 65: Why ADHD Overwhelm Happens and How to Regulate It

    Episode 65

    Show notes

    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

    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.

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    19 min
  18. 64: The ADHD Regulation Method: What It Is and How It Works

    Episode 64

    Show notes

    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

    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.

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    30 min
  19. 63: How to Stop the ADHD Comparison Cycle for Good

    Episode 63

    Show notes

    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

    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.

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    18 min
  20. 62: Improve Your ADHD Working Memory Without Apps or Lists

    Episode 62

    Show notes

    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 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

    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.

    Want more thriving with ADHD? Come hang out with me on Instagram!

    Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!

    25 min