<![CDATA[Wired Divergent: Nervous System Regulation & Self Trust for Neurodivergent Brains]]>36e18172-d845-5db3-9e54-4573711b4bb4Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:16:50 +0000Captivate.fmJen deHaan
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>https://artwork.captivate.fm/5a88c412-954d-4821-b9f6-acd2900019ce/Wired-Divergent-SHOW-ART-3000.jpgWired Divergent: Nervous System Regulation & Self Trust for Neurodivergent BrainsJen deHaanJen deHaanWired Divergent is a solo show about nervous system regulation for neurodivergent brains. Hosted by Jen deHaan, an autistic and ADHD Canadian who has spent close to 30 years working across creative technology, performance, fitness instruction, and podcast production. Most nervous system content assumes a neurotypical baseline. This show doesn't. Wired Divergent covers functional freeze, autistic burnout, sensory overload, ADHD paralysis, masking, interoception, and the somatic tools that actually work when your brain is wired differently. Episodes mix long form education with short, repeatable micro-rest and body double sessions you can use in real time for asyncronous support. The show is grounded in the Community Resilience Model (CRM), a skills-based, trauma-informed approach that treats regulation as something your body already knows how to do. Polyvagal theory gets discussed here too, but critically (basically, not as gospel but we'll take the pieces that work.) If you're a late-diagnosed or self-identified neurodivergent adult, an ADHD professional trying to get through your workday without crashing, a practitioner looking to make your somatic work more neuro-inclusive, or just someone who has given up on "just breathe" as advice, this show is for you. New episodes cover topics like: somatic exercises for ADHD, vagus nerve stimulation for sensory processing, the window of tolerance for neurodivergent adults, co-regulation techniques, stimming as a regulation tool, and why standard meditation fails neurodivergent brains. Created, written, and produced by Jen deHaan. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyhttps://jendehaan.com/falseepisodic23f67470-5a4a-11f1-b0f1-49dbdc6fda8fnopodcastAllostatic Load and the Neurodivergent Knowing-Doing GapAllostatic Load and the Neurodivergent Knowing-Doing GapYou can explain the biology of your neurodivergent nervous system, or at least you know it really well, and still not build a five minute daily practice. This episode goes through why that gap between knowing and doing exists for ADHD and Autistic humans, and why it has a structural cause for our neurodivergent brains.

A lot of us spend years reading about nervous system regulation and end up carrying a kind of shame when the information never turns into action. The reason has biology in it, because comprehension and habit formation run in different parts of the brain, and for autistic and ADHD systems the resources that change needs are often already depleted. This episode covers allostatic load, the prediction patterns that pull a regulated state back toward dysregulation, and the executive function loop that makes consistency so variable for brains like ours (and as such, the answers more complex).

CHAPTERS:

0:00 The shame of understanding your nervous system and still feeling stuck

1:33 Why naming the experience lowers self-blame and what really drives dysregulation

3:44 Allostatic load and the depleted resource pool habit change draws from

6:41 Executive function and the consistency loop neurodivergent brains get caught in

8:09 Why the knowing-doing gap is structural and what question to sit with

9:06 What Thursday's episode covers, plus coaching

RESOURCES & LINKS:


About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>You can explain the biology of your neurodivergent nervous system, or at least you know it really well, and still not build a five minute daily practice. This episode goes through why that gap between knowing and doing exists for ADHD and Autistic humans, and why it has a structural cause for our neurodivergent brains.

A lot of us spend years reading about nervous system regulation and end up carrying a kind of shame when the information never turns into action. The reason has biology in it, because comprehension and habit formation run in different parts of the brain, and for autistic and ADHD systems the resources that change needs are often already depleted. This episode covers allostatic load, the prediction patterns that pull a regulated state back toward dysregulation, and the executive function loop that makes consistency so variable for brains like ours (and as such, the answers more complex).

CHAPTERS:

0:00 The shame of understanding your nervous system and still feeling stuck

1:33 Why naming the experience lowers self-blame and what really drives dysregulation

3:44 Allostatic load and the depleted resource pool habit change draws from

6:41 Executive function and the consistency loop neurodivergent brains get caught in

8:09 Why the knowing-doing gap is structural and what question to sit with

9:06 What Thursday's episode covers, plus coaching

RESOURCES & LINKS:


About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>8484c0cf-1547-47b8-8706-b052547e6d6dTue, 09 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070010:05falsefull66Regulation That Starts Outside Your Body: Temperature, Sound, PressureRegulation That Starts Outside Your Body: Temperature, Sound, PressureIf you've sat through a body scan or regulation practice that didn't seem to work for you or your nervous system, or got asked to find an emotion in your chest and felt only nothing or experienced uncertainty or confusion or something similar to that, there are REASONS! And possible solutions, too. This is the what-to-do follow-up on interoception, and it walks through a body awareness practice that can start from a signal you can actually detect.

Tuesday's episode (linked below) covered interoception, the nervous system's ability to read internal signals like heartbeat and hunger, along with alexithymia, the difficulty around identifying and describing emotions, both of which can run differently for a lot of neurodivergent people. Today is about what to do when your body doesn't hand over those signals in a usable form.

I explain why the standard "notice it, then name it" instruction doesn't work well for brains with low interoceptive accuracy, and I walk through Tracking, a skill from my CRM (Community Resilience Model) training that doesn't include emotion-labelling by default and asks only whether a sensation is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. I also cover how to adapt it to external signals like temperature, sound, and pressure when internal ones aren't available or arrive late.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 The body scan that comes up blank, and why

0:35 Recap: interoception and alexithymia from Tuesday

1:24 Today's question: what to do when signals aren't usable

1:43 What the standard instruction actually asks of you

2:55 Why the body scan stalls for a structural reason

3:43 The shift from CRM training: Tracking

4:33 Dropping the emotion label, noticing pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral

5:29 If this resonates, a different starting point

6:14 Adapting tracking: external signals, working inward, late signals

8:35 What still works when the inward route doesn't, and where coaching helps

9:22 A guided temperature version, plus practice coaching

RESOURCES & LINKS:


About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>If you've sat through a body scan or regulation practice that didn't seem to work for you or your nervous system, or got asked to find an emotion in your chest and felt only nothing or experienced uncertainty or confusion or something similar to that, there are REASONS! And possible solutions, too. This is the what-to-do follow-up on interoception, and it walks through a body awareness practice that can start from a signal you can actually detect.

Tuesday's episode (linked below) covered interoception, the nervous system's ability to read internal signals like heartbeat and hunger, along with alexithymia, the difficulty around identifying and describing emotions, both of which can run differently for a lot of neurodivergent people. Today is about what to do when your body doesn't hand over those signals in a usable form.

I explain why the standard "notice it, then name it" instruction doesn't work well for brains with low interoceptive accuracy, and I walk through Tracking, a skill from my CRM (Community Resilience Model) training that doesn't include emotion-labelling by default and asks only whether a sensation is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. I also cover how to adapt it to external signals like temperature, sound, and pressure when internal ones aren't available or arrive late.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 The body scan that comes up blank, and why

0:35 Recap: interoception and alexithymia from Tuesday

1:24 Today's question: what to do when signals aren't usable

1:43 What the standard instruction actually asks of you

2:55 Why the body scan stalls for a structural reason

3:43 The shift from CRM training: Tracking

4:33 Dropping the emotion label, noticing pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral

5:29 If this resonates, a different starting point

6:14 Adapting tracking: external signals, working inward, late signals

8:35 What still works when the inward route doesn't, and where coaching helps

9:22 A guided temperature version, plus practice coaching

RESOURCES & LINKS:


About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>49f1defc-512e-499f-a19c-d266db076da1Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070010:27falsefull55[Regulation Practice] Temperature awareness, an accessible interoception practice[Regulation Practice] Temperature awareness, an accessible interoception practiceThis is a five minute guided temperature awareness practice. Standard body scans ask you to find sensations that some neurodivergent people genuinely cannot locate, and that gap can make the whole exercise feel useless. Temperature gives you something concrete to work with. We move through the hands, feet, forehead, chest, and stomach, and at each region we check two things: whether the temperature is warm, cool, or neutral, and whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Neutral counts as a real answer, and noticing nothing counts too. The external regions like your hands and the air on your forehead are a legitimate place to stay, and a single check-in can build into more capacity with daily repetition.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Temperature is one of the most accessible interoceptive starting points when body scans give you nothing to work with.
  • At each body region you can notice two separate things: the temperature itself, and whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
  • Neutral is valid information, and noticing nothing at all is also valid information.
  • External sensations like the temperature of your hands or the air on your forehead are a legitimate entry point you can stay with for as long as you want.
  • Daily repetition is how one short check-in turns into more familiarity with your own signals over time.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro and safety reminder

00:53 What temperature awareness is and why it works for low interoception

01:23 Practice

04:59 Returning your attention to the room

05:45 Why external sensations are a legitimate place to stay

06:29 Where to find more resources

About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>This is a five minute guided temperature awareness practice. Standard body scans ask you to find sensations that some neurodivergent people genuinely cannot locate, and that gap can make the whole exercise feel useless. Temperature gives you something concrete to work with. We move through the hands, feet, forehead, chest, and stomach, and at each region we check two things: whether the temperature is warm, cool, or neutral, and whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Neutral counts as a real answer, and noticing nothing counts too. The external regions like your hands and the air on your forehead are a legitimate place to stay, and a single check-in can build into more capacity with daily repetition.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Temperature is one of the most accessible interoceptive starting points when body scans give you nothing to work with.
  • At each body region you can notice two separate things: the temperature itself, and whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
  • Neutral is valid information, and noticing nothing at all is also valid information.
  • External sensations like the temperature of your hands or the air on your forehead are a legitimate entry point you can stay with for as long as you want.
  • Daily repetition is how one short check-in turns into more familiarity with your own signals over time.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro and safety reminder

00:53 What temperature awareness is and why it works for low interoception

01:23 Practice

04:59 Returning your attention to the room

05:45 Why external sensations are a legitimate place to stay

06:29 Where to find more resources

About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>06f67b1b-6367-4610-807f-71c625f81f9aTue, 09 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070007:06falsefull44Listen to Your Body? What Interoception Looks Like for Autistic and ADHD BrainsListen to Your Body? What Interoception Looks Like for Autistic and ADHD BrainsBook with me! https://jendehaan.com/coaching

"Listen to your body" shows up everywhere in wellness advice, and for about half of autistic adults it asks for something the nervous system might not be delivering in a usable format. Elevated in the ADHD community too. This is a look at interoception, alexithymia, and why body awareness instructions can leave some of us feeling kinda left out.

I spent close to twenty years trying to feel what teachers, guides, and books kept describing, through meditation, yoga, mindfulness classes, and somatic workshops, and nothing transferred into a sensation I could locate or name. There's a reason for that, and it has a name.

Interoception is how the nervous system detects and interprets internal signals like heartbeat, hunger, thirst, temperature, and the physical sensations we sometimes label as emotions, and it can run quite differently for a lot of neurodivergent people. In this episode I walk through the three dimensions of interoception, where alexithymia fits, what some of the research suggests about autism and emotion, and one small entry point you can try if "notice what's happening in your chest" has never worked for you.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why "listen to your body" assumes something

0:33 Twenty years of trying to feel something

2:27 What interoception is and its three dimensions

4:59 How raw body data becomes emotion, and where alexithymia fits

7:47 A somatic class where I still couldn't do the thing

9:14 Why standard body awareness advice leaves some of us out

10:42 Seeing myself in the research, and what I can sense

12:48 An invitation to notice one signal you can detect

13:21 What's next, plus practice coaching

RESOURCES & LINKS:


About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>Book with me! https://jendehaan.com/coaching

"Listen to your body" shows up everywhere in wellness advice, and for about half of autistic adults it asks for something the nervous system might not be delivering in a usable format. Elevated in the ADHD community too. This is a look at interoception, alexithymia, and why body awareness instructions can leave some of us feeling kinda left out.

I spent close to twenty years trying to feel what teachers, guides, and books kept describing, through meditation, yoga, mindfulness classes, and somatic workshops, and nothing transferred into a sensation I could locate or name. There's a reason for that, and it has a name.

Interoception is how the nervous system detects and interprets internal signals like heartbeat, hunger, thirst, temperature, and the physical sensations we sometimes label as emotions, and it can run quite differently for a lot of neurodivergent people. In this episode I walk through the three dimensions of interoception, where alexithymia fits, what some of the research suggests about autism and emotion, and one small entry point you can try if "notice what's happening in your chest" has never worked for you.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why "listen to your body" assumes something

0:33 Twenty years of trying to feel something

2:27 What interoception is and its three dimensions

4:59 How raw body data becomes emotion, and where alexithymia fits

7:47 A somatic class where I still couldn't do the thing

9:14 Why standard body awareness advice leaves some of us out

10:42 Seeing myself in the research, and what I can sense

12:48 An invitation to notice one signal you can detect

13:21 What's next, plus practice coaching

RESOURCES & LINKS:


About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>77e797d7-1a0d-4c7f-8e66-704390af6d48Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070014:41falsefull33[Regulation Practice] Regulate Before You Engage: 5-Minute Guided Resourcing[Regulation Practice] Regulate Before You Engage: 5-Minute Guided ResourcingYour body is already bracing for a conversation that hasn't started yet. This 5-minute guided resourcing practice helps you regulate your nervous system before a meeting, phone call, or any interaction your body is anticipating. Resourcing is a skill from the Community Resilience Model (CRM) that uses a positive memory, person, place, or activity to shift your nervous system toward steadiness before you need it. In this guided practice, you'll ground yourself by noticing physical contact with surfaces around you, bring a resource to mind, track what happens in your body, and anchor that sensation so it's available to you during the conversation itself. No breathwork, no visualization, no sitting still with your eyes closed required.

This is an educational self-care practice. You know your body better than anyone, so modify or skip anything that doesn't work for you.

About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>Your body is already bracing for a conversation that hasn't started yet. This 5-minute guided resourcing practice helps you regulate your nervous system before a meeting, phone call, or any interaction your body is anticipating. Resourcing is a skill from the Community Resilience Model (CRM) that uses a positive memory, person, place, or activity to shift your nervous system toward steadiness before you need it. In this guided practice, you'll ground yourself by noticing physical contact with surfaces around you, bring a resource to mind, track what happens in your body, and anchor that sensation so it's available to you during the conversation itself. No breathwork, no visualization, no sitting still with your eyes closed required.

This is an educational self-care practice. You know your body better than anyone, so modify or skip anything that doesn't work for you.

About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>2a9c373f-6f7c-4ea8-8bcd-0edbc9c7d14cTue, 09 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070006:41falsefull22Functional Freeze or ADHD Paralysis? How to Tell Which One You're Actually InFunctional Freeze or ADHD Paralysis? How to Tell Which One You're Actually InFunctional freeze and ADHD paralysis look almost identical from the outside, but they involve completely different biological mechanisms, and fixing one the wrong way can make the other worse. This episode breaks down how to tell which kind of stuck you're actually in and what to try for each.

If you've ever googled "why can't I move" while lying in that same spot on the couch, you might already know that the standard advice (make a list, start small, go outside) doesn't seem to help. That's because functional freeze is a nervous system shutdown response driven by cumulative stress, while ADHD paralysis is an executive function overload in the prefrontal cortex. They feel different on the inside, they respond to different strategies, and applying the wrong one can actually increase the threat signal or starve your brain of the stimulation it needs.

This episode covers the biology behind each state, how interoception challenges make self-assessment harder for neurodivergent people, external markers you can use instead of internal check-ins, and specific approaches grounded in the Community Resilience Model (CRM) for each state. If you're AuDHD and experience both at the same time, that's covered too.

Also, the Polyvagal Theory often mentions these states, and this biology, but a lot of that has come into scientific scrutiny. The theory is also has significant problems around neuro-inclusivity. You can find out more information on that here: https://jendehaan.com/blog/is-polyvagal-theory-debunked-2026/

TIP: If this helps you, put this video on 1.5 or 2x speed using the toggle on the screen! I speak at a cadence where this video should still be legible at a faster speed.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 I thought being stuck was one problem

2:29 What is Wired Divergent

3:10 What actually happens during functional freeze

6:48 What ADHD paralysis looks like in the brain

10:18 Why the wrong strategy makes things worse

11:24 Interoception and why "check in with your body" can feel fake

13:06 External markers for telling the two states apart

14:41 When both states fire at the same time (AuDHD)

16:27 What to try when you can't tell which state you're in

18:40 CRM strategies for freeze

20:19 Strategies for ADHD paralysis

22:24 The question that might help you figure it out

CATS:

Short Stack & Dr. Crepes.

RESOURCES & LINKS:


About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>Functional freeze and ADHD paralysis look almost identical from the outside, but they involve completely different biological mechanisms, and fixing one the wrong way can make the other worse. This episode breaks down how to tell which kind of stuck you're actually in and what to try for each.

If you've ever googled "why can't I move" while lying in that same spot on the couch, you might already know that the standard advice (make a list, start small, go outside) doesn't seem to help. That's because functional freeze is a nervous system shutdown response driven by cumulative stress, while ADHD paralysis is an executive function overload in the prefrontal cortex. They feel different on the inside, they respond to different strategies, and applying the wrong one can actually increase the threat signal or starve your brain of the stimulation it needs.

This episode covers the biology behind each state, how interoception challenges make self-assessment harder for neurodivergent people, external markers you can use instead of internal check-ins, and specific approaches grounded in the Community Resilience Model (CRM) for each state. If you're AuDHD and experience both at the same time, that's covered too.

Also, the Polyvagal Theory often mentions these states, and this biology, but a lot of that has come into scientific scrutiny. The theory is also has significant problems around neuro-inclusivity. You can find out more information on that here: https://jendehaan.com/blog/is-polyvagal-theory-debunked-2026/

TIP: If this helps you, put this video on 1.5 or 2x speed using the toggle on the screen! I speak at a cadence where this video should still be legible at a faster speed.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 I thought being stuck was one problem

2:29 What is Wired Divergent

3:10 What actually happens during functional freeze

6:48 What ADHD paralysis looks like in the brain

10:18 Why the wrong strategy makes things worse

11:24 Interoception and why "check in with your body" can feel fake

13:06 External markers for telling the two states apart

14:41 When both states fire at the same time (AuDHD)

16:27 What to try when you can't tell which state you're in

18:40 CRM strategies for freeze

20:19 Strategies for ADHD paralysis

22:24 The question that might help you figure it out

CATS:

Short Stack & Dr. Crepes.

RESOURCES & LINKS:


About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:


Support the show


About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>3bb6239c-0d7c-4583-9711-d55a163fb4afTue, 09 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070023:28falsefull11Wired Divergent: nervous system regulation for neurodivergent brains (trailer)Wired Divergent: nervous system regulation for neurodivergent brains (trailer)Wired Divergent is a show about nervous system regulation built specifically for neurodivergent brains. If you've ever been told to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and check in with where you feel emotions in your body, and it made you feel worse instead of better, this show is about why that happens and what you might want to try instead. Jen deHaan is autistic and ADHD, and she's spent years studying and certifying in nervous system regulation, the Community Resilience Model, and neurodivergent somatics. The thing she kept running into was how many of the tools and frameworks in this space were designed for nervous systems that work differently from hers. The show covers functional freeze, autistic burnout, sensory overload, and the exhaustion that comes from a full day of pretending to be wired like everyone else, along with exercises designed for people who can't always sit still, close their eyes, or label their emotions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Many standard nervous system regulation tools were designed for neurotypes that process differently from autistic and ADHD brains.
  • Wired Divergent covers what the research supports and also what the research doesn't support.
  • Episodes include follow-along exercises built for people who struggle with stillness, eye closure, or emotion labelling.
  • The show covers functional freeze, autistic burnout, sensory overload, and masking exhaustion.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 When "check in with your body" makes things worse

00:27 What Wired Divergent is about

00:53 Topics the show covers

01:15 What the exercises are designed for

01:36 How to subscribe and find transcripts

RESOURCES: Community Resilience Model (CRM): https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/ Full show with transcripts and companion articles: jendehaan.com

DISCLAIMER: Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional. Crisis & Support Resources | Full Disclaimer. qmBDnlNXU6ek3mtbRMUu



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>Wired Divergent is a show about nervous system regulation built specifically for neurodivergent brains. If you've ever been told to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and check in with where you feel emotions in your body, and it made you feel worse instead of better, this show is about why that happens and what you might want to try instead. Jen deHaan is autistic and ADHD, and she's spent years studying and certifying in nervous system regulation, the Community Resilience Model, and neurodivergent somatics. The thing she kept running into was how many of the tools and frameworks in this space were designed for nervous systems that work differently from hers. The show covers functional freeze, autistic burnout, sensory overload, and the exhaustion that comes from a full day of pretending to be wired like everyone else, along with exercises designed for people who can't always sit still, close their eyes, or label their emotions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Many standard nervous system regulation tools were designed for neurotypes that process differently from autistic and ADHD brains.
  • Wired Divergent covers what the research supports and also what the research doesn't support.
  • Episodes include follow-along exercises built for people who struggle with stillness, eye closure, or emotion labelling.
  • The show covers functional freeze, autistic burnout, sensory overload, and masking exhaustion.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 When "check in with your body" makes things worse

00:27 What Wired Divergent is about

00:53 Topics the show covers

01:15 What the exercises are designed for

01:36 How to subscribe and find transcripts

RESOURCES: Community Resilience Model (CRM): https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/ Full show with transcripts and companion articles: jendehaan.com

DISCLAIMER: Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional. Crisis & Support Resources | Full Disclaimer. qmBDnlNXU6ek3mtbRMUu



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>7f5235da-6798-43d9-9c06-fb9fa44d2103Mon, 25 May 2026 04:45:00 -070001:57falsetrailer