"You Are A Lot" (an ADHD/AuDHD podcast)

In This Episode: It's an ADHD trait that people are starting to talk about as something uniquely part of our executive functioning difficulties. It refers to throwing out our DOOM (Didn't Organize, Only Moved) piles or any amount of clutter because starting or planning the large task of organizing is causing us to be too overwhelmed. Experts agree that this is not the best way to handle our clutte...

In This Episode: I talk about the constant cycle of burnout, clutter, and resentment that comes with our brain, from tossing bags on the table, leaving yesterday's project out, and then facing the chaos that feels like the FBI searched your home. I talk about why putting things away feels boring, impossible, or like it will take ten hours, and why I get mad at "Past Me" for leaving messes for "Fut...

In This Episode: I talk about how rest shows up differently for ADHD, autistic, and AuDHD brains, why typical advice doesn't always work, and how to stop treating rest like a reward. I walk through the difference between rest and isolation, how to rest with people, and offer 27 quick, micro break ideas. If rest makes you feel guilty, or restless, I hope this episode will help you rethink what rest...

In This Episode: If holiday gift-giving stresses you out, you need to listen to this one. In this episode, I talk about why gifting can be so overwhelming (executive dysfunction, decision fatigue, social pressure) and how to make it easier. I share simple ways to lower the mental load, like using gift categories, anchoring to one idea, and giving yourself permission to give late (or not at all). I...

In This Episode: Using shopping for a quick hit of dopamine is definitely an emotional regulation issue, and trying to fill any empty hole in our soul with stuff is a very deep situation. BUT that's not what this episode is about.  Sometimes, being organized about how we spend money can bring us into reality where we can clearly see how much we spend (if we overspend) or how quickly we make decisi...

In This Episode: Feeling drained, foggy, or emotionally tapped out during the holidays? You're not alone. You'll learn what empathic burnout is, how it shows up in your body, and why certain times like the holiday season can increase the risk due to higher emotional exposure, shifting routines, and layered relational dynamics. Whether you're neurodivergent, highly sensitive, or just carrying too m...

In This Episode: Have you ever thought: " Why am I so tired all the time? Why do I feel disconnected, like I'm watching life happen but not really in it? " You probably thought something was wrong with you and didn't consider that it could be a nervous system thing. In this episode: what your nervous system actually does, what "regulation" really means (without cold plunges), and why feeling tired...

In This Episode: Panic attacks and AuDHD meltdowns share some common symptoms but happen for different reasons. A panic attack is a short circuit in the nervous system and not a total sensory overload, while an autistic meltdown isn't out of nowhere — it's a total nervous system overload based on external triggers. If you are AuDHD and have panic attacks, being able to tell the difference between...

In This Episode: Morning and night are the two times of day that do more to stabilize an ADHD brain than any productivity hack ever could. In this final  Organize October episode, I talk about the science of how morning routines provide dopamine stabilization and evening routines need sensory cues to train our nervous system to power down. For ad-free episodes, video versions, transcripts, and a s...

In This Episode: It's Organize October and I talk about organizing how to clean your home in a way that hopefully works for you without having to "binge deep clean", how to think of cleaning as functional and make it fun, my new laundry system that helps with our impulsivity and my new obsession: the House Purse. For ad-free episodes, video versions, transcripts, and a second ad-free Patreon only...

In This Episode: It's Organize October here on the podcast! In this episode, I'm getting into the time management, scheduling & planning methods that I've finally figured out and that actually work for me. I'll be taking you through my notebook system, time tracking, index card daily and weekly planning, time blocking method, notes app organizing and idea capturing. It's a LOT. For ad-free episode...

In This Episode: I chat with my ADHD coach Paula Engebretson, host of the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast . T ake Paula's free quiz to find out your overwhelm response type! We talk about the realities of navigating ADHD through different "seasons of life," why rigid systems rarely work, and how values, energy levels, and self-understanding need to guide how we build routines. I share my own ADHD "...

This episode started with a simple question I asked on social media: " What's a weird habit of yours that you wonder if it's tied to your ADHD/AuDHD? " Hundreds of responses came in. This is part 3 of this three part series. In this episode the themes explored are systems and rituals around time tricks, sorting, and hyperfocus. For ad-free episodes, video versions, transcripts, and a second ad-fre...

In This Episode: It all started with a simple question I asked on social media: " What's a weird habit of yours that you wonder if it's tied to your ADHD/AuDHD? " Hundreds of responses came in. This is part 2 of this three part series. In this episode the theme is the body-based side of ADHD and AuDHD—the textures we can't stand, the stims that keep us grounded, rituals around food, the need for s...

In This Episode: It all started with a simple question I asked on social media: " What's a weird habit of yours that you wonder if it's tied to your ADHD/AuDHD? " Hundreds of responses came in. The traits or quirks that I read were hilarious, heartbreaking, and a lot were relatable to me. While these behaviors might sound random or odd, or overly specific to a neurotypical, they're loaded meaning...

In This Episode: I give advice (and information backed by neuroscience and trauma informed experts) to a Patreon subscriber who wrote a question in the chat community. The themes in this question are so relatable to us ADHD/AuDHD humans like; feeling overwhelmed when we finally have time to ourselves, freezing when it's time to make a decision, struggling to know what we actually want in the short...

In this episode: I am talking about an article in Psychology Today called Why Autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD Students Are Stressed at School that shines a light on a new study that shows that schools place double emotional burdens on neurodivergent students. I talk about how so many of us were overlooked for diagnosis as kids and how our emotional needs weren't being met and how we carried that emotion...

In This Episode: Until today this episode was Patreon only. I'm talking about the AuDHD and Autistic tendency to not be motivated by social climbing and not wanting to cooperate with workplace hierarchies. For ad-free episodes, video versions, transcripts, and a second ad-free Patreon only episode every Friday - support Jen by subscribing to Patreon at just $7.99/mo or get 15% off if you pay annua...

In this episode: It's all about letting go of self-esteem as a goal. It's vague, unmeasurable, and often just makes things worse, especially for people with ADHD/AuDHD. But self-efficacy is EVERYTHING. Simply put: it's the realistic belief that you have the skills to do a task or handle a situation. Your self-efficacy can be improved (thanks to neuroplasticity) and there is irrefutable science and...

In this episode: Most people don't associate ADHD with hope — but they should. This episode explores the science behind hope as a cognitive process. Drawing on research I look at how hope is built, how it functions in the brain, and how it can get eroded by chronic adversity, especially for people with ADHD and AuDHD. If you've been struggling with follow-through, feeling stuck, or wondering why t...

In This Episode: Exhaustion during the day, racing thoughts at night, sleep problems, anxiety, and unexplained inflammation can all be signs of a nervous system stuck in high-alert mode. While dopamine gets most of the attention in ADHD conversations, cortisol (the body's primary stress hormone) plays a major role in how energy, focus, and fatigue are regulated. High cortisol, not low, is often be...

In This Episode: Permission to rant? Thank you. On this Little Pod which is available to Tier #1 and Tier #2, I'm criticizing the TV show "And Just Like That" for its bizarre portrayal of the ADHD medication shortage and how to handle a troubled teenager with ADHD. For ad-free episodes, video versions, transcripts, and a second ad-free Patreon only episode every Friday - support Jen by subscribing...

In This Episode: I explain a thought-provoking concept I recently learned, the difference between having a real plan of action for a life goal versus being stuck in a future fantasy about that goal. I walk you through how being in a future fantasy is a habitual way to regulate our emotions, while actually making a plan would require being present, which can trigger dysregulation. So we avoid it. M...

In this episode: I unpack (get it?) what it means to travel as a neurodivergent person, especially when you've internalized a bunch of rigid "rules" about what travel is  supposed to look like. For a long time, I thought travel had to mean a picture-perfect vacation, and I put pressure on myself to pack light, leave comforts behind, and plan for an idealized version of my destination, rather than...

In this episode : Have you ever felt completely frozen, staring at your project, knowing exactly what needs to get done but physically unable to begin? It's ADHD Paralysis and there are three kinds: mental paralysis, analysis paralysis, and task paralysis, all of which can lead to shutdowns. It's a neurological issue (executive functions not functioning) as well as an emotional one (a trauma respo...