ADHD with Jenna Free

Episoder

• 68: ADHD and Relationships: How to Stay Regulated with the People You Love 13.07.2026 27min

  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://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!  
• 67: ADHD Task Switching: Why It's Hard and How to Make It Easier 06.07.2026 23min

  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 on Instagram! Get out of paralysis, be more productive, and enjoy your life again! Join an upcoming group!  
• 66: 5 Unexpected Benefits of ADHD Nervous System Regulation 29.06.2026 22min

  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!
• 65: Why ADHD Overwhelm Happens and How to Regulate It 22.06.2026 18min

  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!
• 64: The ADHD Regulation Method: What It Is and How It Works 15.06.2026 30min

  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!
• 63: How to Stop the ADHD Comparison Cycle for Good 08.06.2026 18min

  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!
• 62: Improve Your ADHD Working Memory Without Apps or Lists 01.06.2026 24min

  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!
• 61: How to Stop ADHD Revenge Bedtime Procrastination for Good 25.05.2026 28min

  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. 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 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!
• 60: Why ADHD Therapist Training Falls Short and What Clinicians Need 18.05.2026 30min

  You're a clinician who cares deeply about your ADHD clients. You're giving them solid strategies, and they're still not moving forward. It's not a compliance problem. It's a missing layer in how ADHD is being treated. I'm breaking down what that missing layer is, why most ADHD therapist training leaves practitioners without a clear clinical path, and what becomes possible when nervous system regulation becomes the foundation of your work. Grab the free clinical reference guide, How to See Dysregulation in Your ADHD Clients. 00:47 – Training Gaps in ADHD Therapist Education 05:10 – ADHD, Fight or Flight, and the Nervous System 11:13 – Why Skill-Building Fails Without Regulation First 16:00 – What Changes When Clients Get Regulated 24:59 – How to Spot Dysregulation in Your ADHD Clients 30:05 – A Vision for Making Regulation the Standard in ADHD Treatment Check out the full show notes and other resources at  https://jennafree.com/blog/why-adhd-therapist-training-falls-short 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 training 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
• 59: 5 Daily Habits to Stop ADHD Nervous System Dysregulation 11.05.2026 17min

  You're exhausted from holding your day together with caffeine, willpower, and good intentions, and it still falls apart. If your nervous system feels like it's always one step away from chaos, this episode is for you. Five ordinary things are probably fueling your ADHD nervous system dysregulation without you realizing it. I'm breaking them down one by one, explaining why they keep your system stuck in fight-or-flight mode and what to do instead. This isn't the deep internal work, but it's the best place to start. Grab Jenna's book, The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation, wherever books are sold. 00:00 – ADHD and the Nervous System Connection 01:16 – Caffeine, Stimulants, and Your Fight or Flight Response 04:27 – Why Skipping Meals Makes ADHD Symptoms Worse 07:44 – How Scrolling Soothes Dysregulation Without Healing It 09:22 – The Bathroom Break You Keep Skipping and Why It Matters 11:32 – Why a Lopsided Schedule Fuels the ADHD Burnout Cycle 15:19 – A Practical Recap of All Five External Regulation Tips 16:28 – Why Internal Work Is What Makes the External Stuff Stick Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-nervous-system-dysregulation-habits  
• 58: How to Break the ADHD Frantic Crash Cycle for Good 04.05.2026 19min

  You wake up already behind, spin into frantic mode, then crash. If that cycle feels like just who you are, it isn't, and this episode explains why. I'm breaking down the ADHD frantic crash cycle: what's driving it, why pushing through the frantic phase makes the crash worse, and what it looks like to start healing nervous system dysregulation instead of just coping with it. If you're tired of the roller coaster and ready to get off it for good, start here. And if you're ready to do the deeper work, Jenna's ADHD Groups program is open now for a limited time at https://www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups. 00:47 – The ADHD Frantic Crash Cycle Explained 02:53 – Why Intensity Leads to Burnout 04:35 – The Problem With "Ride Your High Energy" Advice 06:45 – ADHD Identity and Why Symptom Content Is Keeping You Stuck 13:21 – From Functional Freeze to a Regulated Life 15:09 – Simple Steps to Recognize and Interrupt Fight or Flight 16:54 – The Mindset Work Behind Long-Term ADHD Healing Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/how-to-break-adhd-frantic-crach-cycle 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!
• 57: Why ADHD Paralysis Keeps Coming Back And How to Heal It 27.04.2026 24min

  You're frozen, you finally panic into action, you crash. Then you do it all over again tomorrow. If that cycle feels impossible to break, this episode is for you. I'm breaking down why ADHD paralysis keeps coming back no matter how hard you try, why the fixes that seem to work are making things worse, and what healing it at the root looks like. Plus, grab a spot in the free live workshop, Get Unstuck for Good. 02:36 – Why Short-Term Fixes Make ADHD Symptoms Worse 05:38 – Common ADHD Productivity Strategies That Backfire 09:50 – Nervous System Regulation as the Real Key to Getting Unstuck 16:56 – The Long-Term Approach to Healing ADHD Paralysis Check out the full show notes and other resources at https://www.jennafree.com/blog/why-adhd-paralysis-keeps-coming-back Let's stay connected! April 29th: Get Unstuck for Good: Healing ADHD Paralysis at the Root Workshop 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!
• EP. 56: Productive Procrastination: How to get back to what matters 20.04.2026 16min

  What if productive procrastination isn't about seeking dopamine or being undisciplined? What if you're cleaning the kitchen before work because your nervous system thinks your work project is a bear you need to run from? In this episode, I break down why you avoid the important task and do everything else instead. It's not laziness. It's your system avoiding what feels dangerous. And every time you avoid, you're training your nervous system that the task is unsafe. Put on your regulation goggles. See yourself as an animal in dysregulation, not someone who's failing. Download the free ADHD Regulation Guide -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Join the free ADHD Regulation Workshop - Get Unstuck for Good (April 29th) -- www.jennafree.com/adhdworkshop Want to dive into this work to reduce symptoms and make life more enjoyable? Learn more about ADHD Groups here -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups Get "The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation" - www.jennafree.com/book Connect with Me Instagram TikTok
• EP. 55: Are you thriving or surviving with ADHD? 13.04.2026 25min

  What if your ADHD symptoms are being amplified because you're stuck in survival mode? What if the reason life feels so overwhelming is because your system thinks you're in danger when you're actually just... living? In this episode, I break down what's happening in your body when you're in survival mode vs. when you're regulated. It's not just a mindset. It's biological. When you're in fight or flight, your executive functioning goes down, your energy burns out fast, and you're stuck in freeze, scattered, or constant reaction. When you regulate, your capacity expands, symptoms lessen, and you can actually be present in your life. Download the free ADHD Regulation Guide -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Join the free ADHD Regulation Workshop - Get Unstuck for Good (April 29th) -- www.jennafree.com/adhdworkshop Want to dive into this work to reduce symptoms and make life more enjoyable? Learn more about ADHD Groups here -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups Get "The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation" - www.jennafree.com/book Connect with Me Instagram TikTok
• EP. 54: Spending, Hoarding or Avoiding: The Survival Mode Money Pattern ADHDers get stuck in 06.04.2026 14min

  What if your money problems aren't about being irresponsible or bad at planning? What if you're just stuck in survival mode... swinging between spending, hoarding, or avoiding? In this episode, I break down the four money patterns dysregulated ADHDers get stuck in. It's not about budgets or apps. It's about getting out of fight or flight. When you're regulated, you make conscious choices with money. When you're dysregulated, you're either impulsively spending, paralyzed by fear, avoiding your accounts, or obsessively checking them. Download the free ADHD Regulation Guide -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Ready to get back in the driver's seat with money? Join the ADHD and Money Workshop -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdmoney Want to dive into this work to reduce symptoms and make life more enjoyable? Learn more about ADHD Groups here -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups Get "The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation" - www.jennafree.com/book Connect with Me Instagram TikTok
• EP. 53: ADHD? Emotional Dysregulation Isn't the Problem 30.03.2026 22min

  What if emotional dysregulation isn't the problem? What if trying to control your emotions is why you're still stuck? In this episode, I break down why emotional regulation is just a symptom. The real problem is nervous system dysregulation. Your emotions aren't proof you're failing. They're proof your nervous system feels unsafe. When you stop trying to control the emotion and start regulating your nervous system, everything changes. Download the free ADHD Regulation Guide -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Want to dive into this work to reduce symptoms and make life more enjoyable? Learn more about ADHD Groups here -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups Get "The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation" - www.jennafree.com/book Connect with Me Instagram TikTok
• EP. 52: Why ADHD Self-Awareness Still Leaves You Stuck 23.03.2026 14min

  What if being "too self-aware" isn't actually the problem? What if you're just aware of the symptom but not the mechanism creating it? In this episode, I break down why ADHD self-awareness still leaves you stuck. You know you rush, procrastinate, and avoid. But knowing the behavior doesn't change it because awareness at the surface level isn't deep enough. True awareness isn't knowing what you're doing. It's understanding why it's happening. When you understand the thoughts, beliefs, and nervous system patterns driving the behavior, that's when real change begins. Download the free ADHD Regulation Guide -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Want to dive into this work to reduce symptoms and make life more enjoyable? Learn more about ADHD Groups here -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups Get "The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation" - www.jennafree.com/book Connect with Me Instagram TikTok
• EP. 51: Is this ADHD, Anxiety or both? 16.03.2026 20min

  What if your anxiety isn't a separate diagnosis you need to manage on top of your ADHD? What if it's just your nervous system stuck in fight or flight... doing exactly what it thinks it's supposed to do? In this episode, I break down the connection between ADHD and anxiety and why I put them in the same bucket: dysregulation. Your brain isn't broken and it's not against you. It's just confused about whether you're actually in danger. When you understand that, the anxiety starts to make a lot more sense, and it becomes a lot easier to soften. Download the free ADHD Regulation Guide -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Want to dive into this work to reduce symptoms and make life more enjoyable? ADHD Groups is where we dive in -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups Pre-order "The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation" - www.jennafree.com/book Pre-purchased The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation? Join our free book club -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/bookclub Connect with Me Instagram TikTok
• EP. 50: How to Work with ADHD Clients: What Therapists and Clients Need to Know 09.03.2026 12min

  What if your ADHD therapy is accidentally keeping you stuck? What if focusing on strategies and systems alone is missing the most important piece? In this episode, I break down what both therapists and clients need to know about working with ADHD. Good therapy should help you feel more regulated, not just more self-aware. When therapy focuses on external tools without addressing your internal dysregulated state, you stay stuck in the same cycles. Regulation expands your capacity. Strategies just help you cope within your current limits. Download the free ADHD Regulation Guide -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Want to dive into this work to reduce symptoms and make life more enjoyable? ADHD Groups are now open -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups Pre-order "The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation" -- www.jennafree.com/book Pre-purchased The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation? Join our free book club -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/bookclub Connect with Me Instagram TikTok
• EP. 49: Why You Can't Start Tasks and The Fight or Flight Response That's Really Running the Show 02.03.2026 24min

  What if task initiation isn't actually an ADHD brain problem? What if the reason you can't start tasks is because your brain is stuck in fight or flight? In this episode, I break down why task initiation struggles are really about dysregulation, not dopamine deficiency or executive dysfunction. When you're in survival mode, your brain needs urgency, novelty, challenge, or interest just to get moving. When you regulate, you can just decide to do things. Download the free ADHD Regulation Guide -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Want to dive into this work to reduce symptoms and make life more enjoyable? ADHD Groups are now open -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/groups Pre-order "The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation" - www.jennafree.com/book Pre-purchased The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation? Join our free book club -- www.adhdwithjennafree.com/bookclub Connect with Me Instagram TikTok