20: ADHD Regulation: How Nervous System, Thoughts & Behavior Work Together
20: ADHD Regulation: How Nervous System, Thoughts & Behavior Work Together  
Podcast: ADHD with Jenna Free
Published On: Mon Aug 11 2025
Description: If your days swing between overwhelm and total shutdown, or you crash the moment you finally get moving, this episode names what's really happening underneath it. I'm breaking down ADHD regulation: what it actually is, why it's different from garden-variety emotional regulation, and why doing a little nervous system work never seems to stick. This is for anyone who's tried the breathing exercises, downloaded the apps, and still ends up back in the same burnout cycle. I trace ADHD fight-or-flight back to years of small pokes, not one big traumatic event, and explain why executive functioning tanks the moment your nervous system registers danger. I walk through the three types of ADHD regulation I teach (nervous system, thinking, behavior), why procrastination in ADHD so often traces back to overwhelm and crash instead of poor time management, and what it takes to break that go-go-go, then crash cycle. 00:00 – Understanding ADHD Regulation and Lasting Impact 04:36 – Emotional Dysregulation vs. Nervous System Regulation 12:56 – Impact of Dysregulation on Executive Function 18:24 – Escaping the ADHD Dysregulation Cycle 22:52 – Three Types of Regulation: Nervous System, Thoughts, Behavior Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-regulation-nervous-system-thoughts-behavior 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!