Navigating Adult ADHD

In this conversation we’re unpacking dopamine: what it actually is, how it works differently in ADHD brains & why not all dopamine is created equal. You’ll learn the crucial difference between fast dopamine (quick hits that spike & crash) & slow dopamine (the kind that actually supports your motivation, mood & long-term goals).

We’ll chat about:
What dopamine really is (in simple, ADHD-friendly language)
How ADHD brains are wired differently when it comes to reward & motivation
Why we’re living in a “dopamine saturated” world (hello, smartphones, sugar & streaming)
The difference between fast dopamine vs slow dopamine in everyday life
How fast dopamine spikes can worsen ADHD symptoms including emotional dysregulation
Practical ideas for adding more slow dopamine into your day so you feel more focused, motivated & regulated

By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of why you reach for certain things on autopilot & how to start working with your dopamine system instead of feeling like it constantly runs the show.

Episode mentioned: 
#149 Dopamine Layering: The hidden reason you feel anxious & numb

LINKS TO OTHER GOOD SH*T:
*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain
*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! 
*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD
*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List
*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena
*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community 
*Come hang out with me on Instagram!

Inside the episode, we explore:
What emotional regulation actually is (in real-life, human terms - not textbook jargon)
What emotional dysregulation looks like in everyday ADHD life: snapping, spiralling, shutting down or numbing out
Why ADHD brains feel emotions more intensely & struggle to “come back down”
How Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) & interoception challenges feed into big, fast emotions
The 4 R’s of emotional response: Resist, React, Reject & Receive
How emotions secretly drive our actions (or inaction), including procrastination
Simple reflection questions to help you start noticing your patterns with compassion, not shame

Related episodes to go deeper...
If this episode hits home, you might also love:
🎧 #76 ADHD & Interoception - Why we have difficulties with self-regulation
🎧 #77 RSD - Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria 

Want structured support with emotional regulation?
If you’re thinking, “Cool, I get it… but how do I actually do this in real life?” I’ve got you.
⭐ Emotional Regulation for Adults with ADHD (online course)
A practical, ADHD-friendly course where I walk you through:
Understanding emotional dysregulation & your nervous system
How to spot dysregulation sooner (before the explosion or shutdown)
My PASS tool for processing emotions
Real-life tools to shift & soothe big feelings
⭐ Adulting with ADHD Program
If you want coaching, community & a toolkit for all things ADHD life (not just emotions), this is where we go deeper together. You’ll get access to ongoing support, classes, tools, & a community of ADHDers who actually get it.

LINKS TO OTHER GOOD SH*T:
*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! 
*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD
*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List
*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena
*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community 
*Come hang out with me on Instagram!
*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain

If you’ve been told your whole life that you’re disorganised, unreliable or bad at time management, this episode will help you see what’s really going on in your ADHD brain & give you tools to work with it instead of beating yourself up.

Inside the episode, we cover:
What time blindness actually is for ADHD brains
How it shows up in real life, from late fees to missed bedtime to “oops, I forgot that Zoom call”
Why our executive functions (working memory, planning & prioritising) make it hard to feel time
The role of dopamine & why “feel good now” keeps winning over Future You
5 practical ways to support time blindness & improve your relationship with time

LINKS TO MORE GOOD SH*T:
*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain
*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! 
*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD
*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List
*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena
*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community 
*Come hang out with me on Instagram!

Grab the free Wall of Awful worksheets to go along with this episode *here*

Why is it so hard to reply to that email, book the appointment or drop off the charity bag that’s been in your car for weeks?
In this episode, we’re talking about the Wall of Awful... It's the emotional wall between you & the task. In theory the task is simple. But emotionally, it feels HUGE. That “too much” feeling is your wall of awful.

Inside the episode, we explore:
What the Wall of Awful is & why ADHDers get such big walls
How each “brick” is made from past criticism, shame, failure & fear
Why that stuck, heavy, guilty feeling before a task is not laziness
How emotions drive actions (and why that matters way more than “motivation”)
3 ADHD-friendly ways to get to the other side of the wall
How self-judgement quietly adds more bricks… And how self-compassion starts taking them out

Grab the free Wall of Awful worksheets to go along with this episode:
👉 https://www.navigatingadultadhd.com/wallofawful
Map out your own wall & identify your bricks.

LINKS TO GOOD SH*T:
*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain
*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! 
*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD
*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List
*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena
*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community 
*Come hang out with me on Instagram!

Ever noticed that the more you “treat yourself” with Netflix, snacks, scrolling or online shopping… the more anxious, restless or flat you feel afterwards?

You’re not imagining it, my friend. In this episode we’re talking about dopamine layering – stacking multiple feel-good hits at once & how that cocktail can quietly crank up anxiety & numbness, especially in ADHD brains.

We’ll unpack what’s actually going on in your brain using Dr Anna Lembke’s work (Dopamine Nation), plus my very real Christmas break story where I accidentally turned my nervous system into a dopamine sh*t storm.

Inside the episode, we explore:
What dopamine layering is & how it shows up in everyday life
Why ADHD brains are extra sensitive to dopamine spikes & crashes
How “treat yourself” habits can secretly fuel anxiety & emotional numbness
Fast vs slow dopamine, explained in simple ADHD-friendly language
How to do a gentle “dopamine audit” without shame or self-judgment
Practical ways to un-layer your dopamine so you feel calmer & more present
Mini dopamine resets & how to build your own “slow dopamine menu”

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why do I feel so anxious & empty unless I’m watching something, eating something or scrolling something?” this episode will help you see your experience through a whole new lens.

LINKS TO GOOD SH*T:
*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain
*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! 
*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD
*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List
*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena
*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community 
*Come hang out with me on Instagram!