<![CDATA[Wired Divergent: Unmasking and Confidence for Neurodivergent Adults]]>36e18172-d845-5db3-9e54-4573711b4bb4Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:15:20 +0000Captivate.fmJen deHaan
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy]]>https://artwork.captivate.fm/22aee556-d898-46b6-b517-af47639333cd/Wired-Divergent-SHOW-ART.jpgWired Divergent: Unmasking and Confidence for Neurodivergent AdultsJen deHaanJen deHaanWired Divergent is a show for neurodivergent adults who spent a long time performing a version of themselves that was never really them and understand how dysregulating this can be. Host Jen deHaan is a late-identified AuDHD coach, long-time improviser, and is certified in several nervous system regulation models. Masking is a scripted performance a lot of neurodivergent people learn young that leads to dysregulated nervous systems and burnout. Improv is the skill of staying present and honest without a script. This channel lives where those two meet: unmasking, and confidence and nervous systems that hold up when you stop performing for a world that keeps treating you as the problem. Expect masking and autistic burnout, late-identified life and self-trust, social confidence and getting out of your own head, and the shame that came from outside you. Some episodes go deep on why something happens, and other episodes hand you one easy improv move to try on your own. All of it comes from a neurodivergent person talking to neurodivergent people, with no pathologizing and no fixing. We will be unmasking and unraveling any remaining long-internalized shame together. New episodes released on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Thursday episodes offer a guided nervous system regulation practice (and is inclusive of those with limited interoception and/or alexithymia). If you want to work on this unmasking and confidence building alongside other people, Jen runs Off Script improv workshops about all of this (all levels, beginner friendly) and one-to-one coaching. Head to jendehaan.com for more information. About Jen: Jen deHaan is a late-identified autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) coach and improviser based in British Columbia, with a background in creative education. She has close to 30 years in creative work and over a decade teaching improv and performance. She coaches one to one and runs Off Script workshops for neurodivergent adults building confidence through improv. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyhttps://jendehaan.com/wired-divergentfalseepisodic23f67470-5a4a-11f1-b0f1-49dbdc6fda8fnopodcastNeurodivergent Confidence: How to Decide When to Speak UpNeurodivergent Confidence: How to Decide When to Speak UpSo many confidence videos tell you to take up space because you deserve it, and almost none of them mention that safety in doing that isn't the same for all of us. Which is so important for those of us who are part of marginalized populations (neurodivergent ones being one of them). Add any other, layer more on, and safety is even more of a thing to consider. In this episode I talk about how to decide when to speak up, when to pass, and why both of those can be confidence.

Your right to take up space is unconditional. Whether it's safe to use that right today, in that room, with those people, is a separate question, and it depends on things that have very little to do with whether you deserve it. I go through what blending in actually looks like for a lot of autistic and ADHD adults, including the small automatic behaviours you might not even count as masking, and where those behaviours got built through decades of being punished for being different. I separate low confidence from not wanting to be perceived, because they look identical from the outside and they need completely different things from you. Then I get into the questions I now run consciously before I decide to speak up, what to do with everything you chose to leave unsaid, and two things you can practise on your own where nobody's watching.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why staying silent in a room can be an act of confidence when you're the one who made the call
  • The difference between a chosen pass and disappearing, and how to tell which one you just did
  • The questions to run before you decide whether speaking up is worth it
  • What to do with the thing you saw clearly and decided not to say, so it doesn't turn into shame at 2am
  • Why the room itself is the hardest possible place to build this skill, and where to build it instead

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why the standard confidence advice skips something important

2:19 What blending in actually looks like

6:06 Where this got built, and who built it

8:04 My hypothesis on why it becomes muscle memory

9:57 Low confidence and not wanting to be perceived

12:48 The back line, and why it's an active position

14:52 How I decide whether to engage

18:05 The questions I run in my head now

22:17 The option that gets treated as invisible

25:05 What to do with everything you didn't say

29:26 The labour a space isn't owed

32:32 How to tell a chosen pass from disappearing

33:32 When you genuinely couldn't have spoken

34:17 Two things to try where the stakes are zero

RESOURCES:

Resources page for finding neuro-inclusive spaces and supports: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources/

Research on rates of bullying and social exclusion for autistic and ADHD people:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10486169/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26451871/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35382621/

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]]>So many confidence videos tell you to take up space because you deserve it, and almost none of them mention that safety in doing that isn't the same for all of us. Which is so important for those of us who are part of marginalized populations (neurodivergent ones being one of them). Add any other, layer more on, and safety is even more of a thing to consider. In this episode I talk about how to decide when to speak up, when to pass, and why both of those can be confidence.

Your right to take up space is unconditional. Whether it's safe to use that right today, in that room, with those people, is a separate question, and it depends on things that have very little to do with whether you deserve it. I go through what blending in actually looks like for a lot of autistic and ADHD adults, including the small automatic behaviours you might not even count as masking, and where those behaviours got built through decades of being punished for being different. I separate low confidence from not wanting to be perceived, because they look identical from the outside and they need completely different things from you. Then I get into the questions I now run consciously before I decide to speak up, what to do with everything you chose to leave unsaid, and two things you can practise on your own where nobody's watching.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why staying silent in a room can be an act of confidence when you're the one who made the call
  • The difference between a chosen pass and disappearing, and how to tell which one you just did
  • The questions to run before you decide whether speaking up is worth it
  • What to do with the thing you saw clearly and decided not to say, so it doesn't turn into shame at 2am
  • Why the room itself is the hardest possible place to build this skill, and where to build it instead

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why the standard confidence advice skips something important

2:19 What blending in actually looks like

6:06 Where this got built, and who built it

8:04 My hypothesis on why it becomes muscle memory

9:57 Low confidence and not wanting to be perceived

12:48 The back line, and why it's an active position

14:52 How I decide whether to engage

18:05 The questions I run in my head now

22:17 The option that gets treated as invisible

25:05 What to do with everything you didn't say

29:26 The labour a space isn't owed

32:32 How to tell a chosen pass from disappearing

33:32 When you genuinely couldn't have spoken

34:17 Two things to try where the stakes are zero

RESOURCES:

Resources page for finding neuro-inclusive spaces and supports: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources/

Research on rates of bullying and social exclusion for autistic and ADHD people:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10486169/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26451871/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35382621/

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]]>47d63720-8f32-414a-bd52-fc84a700b9b9Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:15:00 -070039:50falsefull1818[Regulation Practice] Permission to move![Regulation Practice] Permission to move!In this week's Regulation Practice, I am guiding you through a short "permission to move" exercise designed for those times when you are feeling restless, or prickly with energy, or holding onto pent-up energy that you want to let go of. We will explore various stimming motions (like shaking your hands, rolling your shoulders, tapping, and rocking) to gently release that energy and help regulate your nervous system. Remember, there is no wrong way to do this, and you always have permission to let your body move exactly as it needs to.

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]]>In this week's Regulation Practice, I am guiding you through a short "permission to move" exercise designed for those times when you are feeling restless, or prickly with energy, or holding onto pent-up energy that you want to let go of. We will explore various stimming motions (like shaking your hands, rolling your shoulders, tapping, and rocking) to gently release that energy and help regulate your nervous system. Remember, there is no wrong way to do this, and you always have permission to let your body move exactly as it needs to.

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]]>49aad146-4358-42d8-98b9-aa1db149748aThu, 16 Jul 2026 00:15:00 -070010:13falsefull1717Neurodivergent Flow States: Adjustments That Actually Help Autistic & ADHD & AuDHD AdultsNeurodivergent Flow States: Adjustments That Actually Help Autistic & ADHD & AuDHD AdultsMonotropic flow can be one of the best parts of an autistic or ADHD or AuDHD brain, we are unmasked in JOY! Really ferocious joy. But it can also be the reason you come up for air hours later feeling wrecked. What?! In this episode I get into what monotropism actually is, why the monotropic split (something we experience in neuronormative "life") can push you toward burnout, and what I do about it in my own life.

Most days ask you to switch rapidly between your email, your errands, your appointments, and a bit of small talk in your head all at once, which runs against the way a monotropic brain wants to work. That single channel focus can be really regulating for a lot of autistic and ADHD people, so skipping it, or getting yanked out of it, has a real cost. It can also easily cause us to get deregulated, fast.

I go through the theory of monotropism (developed by autistic researchers, still a theory), what the attention tunnel is, and why you can't just decide to drop into flow on command no matter how firmly you tell yourself to. I also talk about the two costs I keep running into, which show up around transitions and around the slow drift toward burnout, and I share what my own monotropic setup looks like, including the very specific thing I do with music. Improv shows up near the end, because it turns out it asks your attention to behave in a way that a monotropic brain already likes.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • What monotropism is, and why the research on it is not as settled as it sometimes sounds online
  • How to tell you're in a beautiful unmasked neurodivergent flow state, when checking in with your body doesn't work for you
  • Why the monotropic split can be a route into burnout even when you enjoy everything on your list
  • What actually differs between the autistic version of this focus and the ADHD version
  • Where to start adjusting your life around your focus rather than fighting it

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why your brain isn't the problem here

1:30 What monotropic flow actually feels like

2:41 The theory of monotropism and the attention tunnel

4:35 Why you can't summon flow with willpower

6:34 Spotting flow when your interoception is low

10:10 The best part of having this kind of brain

11:16 The nervous system piece, kept light

14:11 The gotchas nobody warns you about

15:38 Why task switching after flow is so rough

16:58 The gradual road toward burnout

21:05 Is this an autism thing or an ADHD thing?

21:44 How the focus behaves differently in each

23:53 What actually helps once you know this about yourself

26:13 The improv connection

28:53 Where to take this next

RESOURCES:

2023 study that built a questionnaire for measuring monotropism https://osf.io/preprints/osf/ft73y_v1

My earlier episode on transitions https://youtu.be/P_FFXnt4YV8

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]]>Monotropic flow can be one of the best parts of an autistic or ADHD or AuDHD brain, we are unmasked in JOY! Really ferocious joy. But it can also be the reason you come up for air hours later feeling wrecked. What?! In this episode I get into what monotropism actually is, why the monotropic split (something we experience in neuronormative "life") can push you toward burnout, and what I do about it in my own life.

Most days ask you to switch rapidly between your email, your errands, your appointments, and a bit of small talk in your head all at once, which runs against the way a monotropic brain wants to work. That single channel focus can be really regulating for a lot of autistic and ADHD people, so skipping it, or getting yanked out of it, has a real cost. It can also easily cause us to get deregulated, fast.

I go through the theory of monotropism (developed by autistic researchers, still a theory), what the attention tunnel is, and why you can't just decide to drop into flow on command no matter how firmly you tell yourself to. I also talk about the two costs I keep running into, which show up around transitions and around the slow drift toward burnout, and I share what my own monotropic setup looks like, including the very specific thing I do with music. Improv shows up near the end, because it turns out it asks your attention to behave in a way that a monotropic brain already likes.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • What monotropism is, and why the research on it is not as settled as it sometimes sounds online
  • How to tell you're in a beautiful unmasked neurodivergent flow state, when checking in with your body doesn't work for you
  • Why the monotropic split can be a route into burnout even when you enjoy everything on your list
  • What actually differs between the autistic version of this focus and the ADHD version
  • Where to start adjusting your life around your focus rather than fighting it

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why your brain isn't the problem here

1:30 What monotropic flow actually feels like

2:41 The theory of monotropism and the attention tunnel

4:35 Why you can't summon flow with willpower

6:34 Spotting flow when your interoception is low

10:10 The best part of having this kind of brain

11:16 The nervous system piece, kept light

14:11 The gotchas nobody warns you about

15:38 Why task switching after flow is so rough

16:58 The gradual road toward burnout

21:05 Is this an autism thing or an ADHD thing?

21:44 How the focus behaves differently in each

23:53 What actually helps once you know this about yourself

26:13 The improv connection

28:53 Where to take this next

RESOURCES:

2023 study that built a questionnaire for measuring monotropism https://osf.io/preprints/osf/ft73y_v1

My earlier episode on transitions https://youtu.be/P_FFXnt4YV8

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]]>afd8945d-bb5b-4935-af01-64354d77f6e9Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:15:00 -070029:47falsefull1616[Regulation Practice] A guided sensory orientation reset for when things feel disconnected[Regulation Practice] A guided sensory orientation reset for when things feel disconnectedIn this episode, I guide you through a sensory orientation practice designed to act as a reset when life feels overwhelming. If you are experiencing that disconnected, far-away feeling where the space around you does not seem real, this practice uses your senses one at a time to help bring your attention back into the present room or space.

This is an educational self-care episode, not therapy or clinical treatment. If you feel unpleasant or activated at any point, you can return to a safe sensation or simply stop the activity. If you are driving or performing any task where it is unsafe to turn your attention inward, please save this episode for another time.

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]]>In this episode, I guide you through a sensory orientation practice designed to act as a reset when life feels overwhelming. If you are experiencing that disconnected, far-away feeling where the space around you does not seem real, this practice uses your senses one at a time to help bring your attention back into the present room or space.

This is an educational self-care episode, not therapy or clinical treatment. If you feel unpleasant or activated at any point, you can return to a safe sensation or simply stop the activity. If you are driving or performing any task where it is unsafe to turn your attention inward, please save this episode for another time.

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]]>c5eb1d44-43b7-42d4-acdd-dca71a42f4ebThu, 09 Jul 2026 00:15:00 -070012:07falsefull1515Why High-Masking ADHD & Autism Burnout Seems So Sudden (And What to Try to Start Unmasking)Why High-Masking ADHD & Autism Burnout Seems So Sudden (And What to Try to Start Unmasking)High masking autistic and ADHD burnout can show up like it arrived from nowhere, with no warning that you were heading there. Oof. In this episode I look at why that early signal often goes missing, and what low interoception has to do with it.

A lot of us run a constant neuro-normative performance, the masking, for most of our waking hours, often for safety. When your interoception runs low, the internal flag that is supposed to warn you before burnout can be faint, or it might not show up until you are already there. I talk through my own low interoception and a recent crisis where my body ran a full stress response while my head stayed calm and logical, and I get into why the common advice to just unmask is harder and more loaded than it sounds. Then I share the approach I actually use, borrowed from improv, for noticing when your body is handing you nothing to go on.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why high masking burnout can hit with no warning you could catch
  • What low interoception is, and how it can hide the run-up to burnout
  • Why "just unmask" is not the simple fix it gets sold as
  • When unmasking can carry real risk, and how to think about safer spaces
  • An improv move for noticing your state when your body goes quiet
  • The hey buddy pal flag

Off Script Workshops:

New Workshops: https://jendehaan.com/offscript

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Burnout that seems to arrive from nowhere

1:52 Masking as a constant neuro-normative performance

4:52 "You don't look autistic" and masking for safety

7:00 Low interoception and the signal you never get

8:09 When your body runs a stress response and your head misses it

12:40 How common this decoupling is across autistic and ADHD brains

14:20 The early-warning flag that shows up late or not at all

15:15 Why "just unmask" is not simple advice

16:40 Finding the mask is most of the work

21:25 When unmasking carries real risk

23:16 Borrowing an improv move to notice from outside your body

26:40 A simple way to practise it anywhere

30:30 A working theory: noticing can be enough on its own

32:47 Where the show goes from here

RESOURCES:

Separation between the body's stress response and conscious awareness in autistic people: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4303499/

Age masking often begins: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1750946723001320

Focused, logical functioning during crisis: https://www.additudemag.com/benefits-of-adhd-crisis

Research on repeated body check-ins being stressful and dysregulating: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11542822/

Interoception resources: https://youtu.be/VVzB0qQ9nmY and https://youtu.be/ZIVvkk6eMQI

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]]>High masking autistic and ADHD burnout can show up like it arrived from nowhere, with no warning that you were heading there. Oof. In this episode I look at why that early signal often goes missing, and what low interoception has to do with it.

A lot of us run a constant neuro-normative performance, the masking, for most of our waking hours, often for safety. When your interoception runs low, the internal flag that is supposed to warn you before burnout can be faint, or it might not show up until you are already there. I talk through my own low interoception and a recent crisis where my body ran a full stress response while my head stayed calm and logical, and I get into why the common advice to just unmask is harder and more loaded than it sounds. Then I share the approach I actually use, borrowed from improv, for noticing when your body is handing you nothing to go on.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why high masking burnout can hit with no warning you could catch
  • What low interoception is, and how it can hide the run-up to burnout
  • Why "just unmask" is not the simple fix it gets sold as
  • When unmasking can carry real risk, and how to think about safer spaces
  • An improv move for noticing your state when your body goes quiet
  • The hey buddy pal flag

Off Script Workshops:

New Workshops: https://jendehaan.com/offscript

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Burnout that seems to arrive from nowhere

1:52 Masking as a constant neuro-normative performance

4:52 "You don't look autistic" and masking for safety

7:00 Low interoception and the signal you never get

8:09 When your body runs a stress response and your head misses it

12:40 How common this decoupling is across autistic and ADHD brains

14:20 The early-warning flag that shows up late or not at all

15:15 Why "just unmask" is not simple advice

16:40 Finding the mask is most of the work

21:25 When unmasking carries real risk

23:16 Borrowing an improv move to notice from outside your body

26:40 A simple way to practise it anywhere

30:30 A working theory: noticing can be enough on its own

32:47 Where the show goes from here

RESOURCES:

Separation between the body's stress response and conscious awareness in autistic people: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4303499/

Age masking often begins: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1750946723001320

Focused, logical functioning during crisis: https://www.additudemag.com/benefits-of-adhd-crisis

Research on repeated body check-ins being stressful and dysregulating: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11542822/

Interoception resources: https://youtu.be/VVzB0qQ9nmY and https://youtu.be/ZIVvkk6eMQI

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]]>9d3aad92-bba1-430b-ae44-6d04c85f260bTue, 07 Jul 2026 00:15:00 -070034:27falsefull1414[Regulation Practice] Bring One Good Thing to Mind: A Brief Resourcing Practice[Regulation Practice] Bring One Good Thing to Mind: A Brief Resourcing PracticeThis is a brief resourcing exercise based on the Community Resilience Model (CRM) concept of a "resource" for nervous system regulation. This educational self-care practice focuses on bringing a positive, steady resource to mind to help you gently refocus and reset your nervous system.

What to expect in this episode

  • Introduction to resourcing: A guided exercise to bring a positive person, place, pet, object, or activity to mind.
  • Sensory focus: Exploring a single visual, auditory, informational, or textural detail of your chosen resource.
  • Mind and body awareness: Observing pleasant or neutral shifts and responses in your body or mind.
  • Practical application: How to keep this simple resourcing tool available for difficult moments in your daily life.

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 brief resourcing exercise based on the Community Resilience Model (CRM) concept of a "resource" for nervous system regulation. This educational self-care practice focuses on bringing a positive, steady resource to mind to help you gently refocus and reset your nervous system.

What to expect in this episode

  • Introduction to resourcing: A guided exercise to bring a positive person, place, pet, object, or activity to mind.
  • Sensory focus: Exploring a single visual, auditory, informational, or textural detail of your chosen resource.
  • Mind and body awareness: Observing pleasant or neutral shifts and responses in your body or mind.
  • Practical application: How to keep this simple resourcing tool available for difficult moments in your daily life.

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]]>9e399b83-481c-40de-b8b9-b451327c72bbThu, 02 Jul 2026 00:15:00 -070006:41falsefull1313Your Nervous System and Making Transitions: How to Task Switch with InertiaYour Nervous System and Making Transitions: How to Task Switch with InertiaInertia makes task switching super difficult. You can see the thing you need to do, you actually want to do it, and your body responds like it's completely out of reach. In this episode I get into what's happening underneath autistic inertia, and what helps once you know which kind of stuck you're in making the transition (or task switching) difficult.

Plenty of us autistics named this thing in our own community years before researchers got around to it, despite a lot of people find it one of the most disabling parts of being autistic, mostly because of the shame that gets piled on top of this state. I walk through what autistic inertia is, the difference between not being able to start and not being able to stop, and why caring about the task on its own won't get you doing the thing. I get into the nervous system side of it, why some of the usual advice can make things worse for neurodivergent brains, and a set of options matched to the kind of stuck you're actually in.

If you're ADHD or AuDHD, a lot of this will probably resonate too.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why wanting to do the task doesn't get you into the transition or task switching, even when you value it
  • What's going on in your nervous system when you can't start, and when you can't stop
  • How to tell which kind of autistic inertia you're in without having to read your body on cue
  • Why the standard advice (start small, make a list, push through) tends to not work for many of us

CHAPTERS:

0:00 What autistic inertia actually is

1:42 The two kinds of stuck, and the crash that follows

4:32 Why hyperfocus comes from the same place as not starting

8:07 The gap between wanting to and doing it, and the shame that gets added

11:10 What's happening in the nervous system underneath

18:51 How to tell which kind of stuck you're in

21:45 Why the usual advice backfires for some of us

24:41 What to try when you can't start

31:52 What to try when you can't stop

34:03 A move that's safe when you can't tell which one you're in

35:50 Building your own version, and the one thing I'd want you to take away

RESOURCES:

Interoception resources: https://youtu.be/VVzB0qQ9nmY and https://youtu.be/ZIVvkk6eMQI

Monotropism, the autistic-developed model of attention https://monotropism.org/

A 2024 study of autistic adults on the "living in extremes" experience https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11067417/

Look for [Regulation Practice] in this podcast feed!

Asynchronous body doubling YouTube examples: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=body+doubling+%22work+with+me%22

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]]>Inertia makes task switching super difficult. You can see the thing you need to do, you actually want to do it, and your body responds like it's completely out of reach. In this episode I get into what's happening underneath autistic inertia, and what helps once you know which kind of stuck you're in making the transition (or task switching) difficult.

Plenty of us autistics named this thing in our own community years before researchers got around to it, despite a lot of people find it one of the most disabling parts of being autistic, mostly because of the shame that gets piled on top of this state. I walk through what autistic inertia is, the difference between not being able to start and not being able to stop, and why caring about the task on its own won't get you doing the thing. I get into the nervous system side of it, why some of the usual advice can make things worse for neurodivergent brains, and a set of options matched to the kind of stuck you're actually in.

If you're ADHD or AuDHD, a lot of this will probably resonate too.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why wanting to do the task doesn't get you into the transition or task switching, even when you value it
  • What's going on in your nervous system when you can't start, and when you can't stop
  • How to tell which kind of autistic inertia you're in without having to read your body on cue
  • Why the standard advice (start small, make a list, push through) tends to not work for many of us

CHAPTERS:

0:00 What autistic inertia actually is

1:42 The two kinds of stuck, and the crash that follows

4:32 Why hyperfocus comes from the same place as not starting

8:07 The gap between wanting to and doing it, and the shame that gets added

11:10 What's happening in the nervous system underneath

18:51 How to tell which kind of stuck you're in

21:45 Why the usual advice backfires for some of us

24:41 What to try when you can't start

31:52 What to try when you can't stop

34:03 A move that's safe when you can't tell which one you're in

35:50 Building your own version, and the one thing I'd want you to take away

RESOURCES:

Interoception resources: https://youtu.be/VVzB0qQ9nmY and https://youtu.be/ZIVvkk6eMQI

Monotropism, the autistic-developed model of attention https://monotropism.org/

A 2024 study of autistic adults on the "living in extremes" experience https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11067417/

Look for [Regulation Practice] in this podcast feed!

Asynchronous body doubling YouTube examples: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=body+doubling+%22work+with+me%22

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]]>b054c73b-4abb-4cdf-a3f3-0251a0c7ede1Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070037:55falsefull1212[Regulation Practice] Neurodivergent practice for when you feel nothing during a body check-in[Regulation Practice] Neurodivergent practice for when you feel nothing during a body check-inI cover a guided neurodivergent somatic practice designed specifically for when you cannot read your internal body signals. I offer alternatives to emotional labeling by using external temperature, physical pressure, and neutral feedback. I walk through a short self-care exercise that avoids the demand to identify complex emotions. I explain how to use your hands, jaw, chest, and feet and other methods (external or internal) to gather simple sensation data without the pressure to feel something specific.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Introduction to the self-care practice

0:53 Who this check-in is designed for

1:34 Starting practice by finding a comfortable starting position

9:25 Connecting to the companion strategy episode

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]]>I cover a guided neurodivergent somatic practice designed specifically for when you cannot read your internal body signals. I offer alternatives to emotional labeling by using external temperature, physical pressure, and neutral feedback. I walk through a short self-care exercise that avoids the demand to identify complex emotions. I explain how to use your hands, jaw, chest, and feet and other methods (external or internal) to gather simple sensation data without the pressure to feel something specific.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Introduction to the self-care practice

0:53 Who this check-in is designed for

1:34 Starting practice by finding a comfortable starting position

9:25 Connecting to the companion strategy episode

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]]>baa71a4c-dc6f-4b79-9760-3a0ea1fd1ed8Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070010:19falsefull1111Alexithymia & ADHD & Autism: When Feeling Your Feelings Doesn't WorkAlexithymia & ADHD & Autism: When Feeling Your Feelings Doesn't WorkI cover why standard somatic advice fails some neurodivergent brains and explain interoceptive confusion, emotions, feelings, and explore how to regulate when you genuinely cannot process emotions using sensations from your body. This can affect nearly half of all autistic, and around 40% of ADHD brains to some extent, and for some of us to a great extent.

Many standard therapies, models, and general wellness advice assumes everyone can locate specific feelings as clear physical sensations. And easily apply what emotion that sensation might involve. I discuss how alexithymia changes the link between an emotion and the body for autistic adults and those with ADHD. I share what the research says about having faint or absent internal signals (interoception). I also cover what actually helps when you check in with yourself and find absolutely nothing. All content across my channels revolves around these distinct episodes rather than general videos.

And an important note: alexithymia, interoception differences, and so on does NOT mean that we do not have emotions or feelings or sensations. It means that it works differently for us. We have emotions, often strong ones, but have differences in processing them.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why asking where you feel an emotion causes distress
  • How the brain constructs feelings using missing internal data
  • What to track when your body returns a blank or neutral signal
  • How external markers provide reliable regulation information

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why body check-ins fail

1:13 Interoceptive confusion defined

2:42 The somatic instruction problem

4:14 The missing signal experience

7:07 How alexithymia changes emotional mapping

9:24 The way brains build emotions

12:30 The gap between physical signals and awareness

15:38 Alternative tracking for absent sensations

18:48 The danger of standard somatic advice

20:03 Tracking options beyond emotional labels

23:52 Concrete external data strategies

27:01 Rejecting shame around blank signals

LEARN MORE:

Just a general note that scientific literature often (and often incorrectly) uses deficit-based descriptions and language that can be frustrating or angering to read, including the studies below.

Study on alexithymia and interoceptive awareness https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945216300594

2024 study on interoceptive confusion and attention https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11542822/

Earlier episode on interoception: https://youtu.be/ZIVvkk6eMQI

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coaching

Group practice: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)

Resources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.com

Podcast version and regulation practice episodes: https://jendehaan.com/wired-divergent

Newsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newsletters

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]]>I cover why standard somatic advice fails some neurodivergent brains and explain interoceptive confusion, emotions, feelings, and explore how to regulate when you genuinely cannot process emotions using sensations from your body. This can affect nearly half of all autistic, and around 40% of ADHD brains to some extent, and for some of us to a great extent.

Many standard therapies, models, and general wellness advice assumes everyone can locate specific feelings as clear physical sensations. And easily apply what emotion that sensation might involve. I discuss how alexithymia changes the link between an emotion and the body for autistic adults and those with ADHD. I share what the research says about having faint or absent internal signals (interoception). I also cover what actually helps when you check in with yourself and find absolutely nothing. All content across my channels revolves around these distinct episodes rather than general videos.

And an important note: alexithymia, interoception differences, and so on does NOT mean that we do not have emotions or feelings or sensations. It means that it works differently for us. We have emotions, often strong ones, but have differences in processing them.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • Why asking where you feel an emotion causes distress
  • How the brain constructs feelings using missing internal data
  • What to track when your body returns a blank or neutral signal
  • How external markers provide reliable regulation information

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why body check-ins fail

1:13 Interoceptive confusion defined

2:42 The somatic instruction problem

4:14 The missing signal experience

7:07 How alexithymia changes emotional mapping

9:24 The way brains build emotions

12:30 The gap between physical signals and awareness

15:38 Alternative tracking for absent sensations

18:48 The danger of standard somatic advice

20:03 Tracking options beyond emotional labels

23:52 Concrete external data strategies

27:01 Rejecting shame around blank signals

LEARN MORE:

Just a general note that scientific literature often (and often incorrectly) uses deficit-based descriptions and language that can be frustrating or angering to read, including the studies below.

Study on alexithymia and interoceptive awareness https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945216300594

2024 study on interoceptive confusion and attention https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11542822/

Earlier episode on interoception: https://youtu.be/ZIVvkk6eMQI

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coaching

Group practice: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)

Resources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.com

Podcast version and regulation practice episodes: https://jendehaan.com/wired-divergent

Newsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newsletters

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]]>c5ea989f-0b2e-459a-a906-0c1edd2e5818Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070030:46falsefull1010[Regulation Practice] 5-Minute Nervous System Regulation for the Middle of a Workday[Regulation Practice] 5-Minute Nervous System Regulation for the Middle of a WorkdayThis is a five-minute nervous system reset you can do at your desk, in a bathroom, in a meeting room you ducked into, outdoors, wherever you happen to be during your workday. Everything here can be done from this regulation practice without anyone around you noticing.

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 nervous system reset you can do at your desk, in a bathroom, in a meeting room you ducked into, outdoors, wherever you happen to be during your workday. Everything here can be done from this regulation practice without anyone around you noticing.

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]]>d8808a01-94a2-4b9d-a5b5-c2d67eac237cThu, 18 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070007:45falsefull99Autistic Burnout and Neurodivergent Masking: Nervous System Tools That HelpAutistic Burnout and Neurodivergent Masking: Nervous System Tools That HelpIf you are neurodivergent and you socialize, which you probably do, you probablly get hit with the social tax of social masking (or camouflaging) on an almost daily basis. It can lead to meltdown, shutdown, autistic burnout, and more because it is really hard on our nervous systems and body. Most conversations about autistic masking stay on the psychology, or in that "you shouldn't mask" or "hey, just unmask!") territory, so in this episode I cover the body side of things.

We should be able to "just unmask". Sure, it would be so great! But the reality is we live in a world that still forces us to do this for safety or need. So until we can just unmask, this episode helps with things you can do in the moment in social situations, because sometimes we can't afford to not mask (for safety, for access, because of various marginalizations, etc).

Social masking asks the autonomic nervous system to run a sustained performance for hours, and for a lot of neurodivergent people that load does not clear with a single good night's sleep. I walk through what happens physiologically when masking runs too long, and how it connects to allostatic load and what some autistic communities call masking debt. I also get into why the collapse that follows can feel so far out of proportion to the day, and why low interoception and alexithymia make the cost so hard to notice while it builds.

Then I cover two nervous system tools, that I adapted for neurodivergent brains, that give you something concrete to do in the moment.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • How to tell when masking has pushed you past what your nervous system can recover from
  • Why standard advice like "just unmask" or "give yourself permission to rest" does not reach the real load
  • The body signals that show the cost is building before you hit collapse
  • How two CRM skills, reworked to be inclusive for neurodivergent bodies, fit into a heavy masking day
  • Why this load can be difficult if you also code-switch or face dismissal in medical settings

CHAPTERS:

0:00 The post-social collapse most masking talk skips

1:27 Why this one is personal

3:45 What social masking does to the nervous system

7:54 Why "just unmask" misses the actual problem

12:37 Allostatic load and the idea of masking debt

16:37 The body signals that show the cost is building

23:24 Why "give yourself permission to rest" rarely lands

25:00 Two CRM skills, adapted for neurodivergent brains

30:03 Building a masking-recovery practice that fits you

31:53 Coaching, newsletter, and where to go next

SCIENCE:

Studies on the costs of autistic camouflaging and masking:

https://docs.autismresearchcentre.com/papers/2017_Hull_Putting-on-my-best-normal.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6483965/

https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/socwork_fac/378/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1750946723001320

On why science doesn't support the biology claims of Polyvagal Theory, and why it is harmful for neurodivergent people (supported with science): https://jendehaan.com/blog/is-polyvagal-theory-debunked-2026/

and

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051123001060

Community Resilience Model (CRM), Trauma Resource Institute: https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/crm

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coaching

Group practice: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)

Resources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.com

Podcast version and regulation practice episodes: https://jendehaan.com/wired-divergent

Newsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newsletters

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 are neurodivergent and you socialize, which you probably do, you probablly get hit with the social tax of social masking (or camouflaging) on an almost daily basis. It can lead to meltdown, shutdown, autistic burnout, and more because it is really hard on our nervous systems and body. Most conversations about autistic masking stay on the psychology, or in that "you shouldn't mask" or "hey, just unmask!") territory, so in this episode I cover the body side of things.

We should be able to "just unmask". Sure, it would be so great! But the reality is we live in a world that still forces us to do this for safety or need. So until we can just unmask, this episode helps with things you can do in the moment in social situations, because sometimes we can't afford to not mask (for safety, for access, because of various marginalizations, etc).

Social masking asks the autonomic nervous system to run a sustained performance for hours, and for a lot of neurodivergent people that load does not clear with a single good night's sleep. I walk through what happens physiologically when masking runs too long, and how it connects to allostatic load and what some autistic communities call masking debt. I also get into why the collapse that follows can feel so far out of proportion to the day, and why low interoception and alexithymia make the cost so hard to notice while it builds.

Then I cover two nervous system tools, that I adapted for neurodivergent brains, that give you something concrete to do in the moment.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

  • How to tell when masking has pushed you past what your nervous system can recover from
  • Why standard advice like "just unmask" or "give yourself permission to rest" does not reach the real load
  • The body signals that show the cost is building before you hit collapse
  • How two CRM skills, reworked to be inclusive for neurodivergent bodies, fit into a heavy masking day
  • Why this load can be difficult if you also code-switch or face dismissal in medical settings

CHAPTERS:

0:00 The post-social collapse most masking talk skips

1:27 Why this one is personal

3:45 What social masking does to the nervous system

7:54 Why "just unmask" misses the actual problem

12:37 Allostatic load and the idea of masking debt

16:37 The body signals that show the cost is building

23:24 Why "give yourself permission to rest" rarely lands

25:00 Two CRM skills, adapted for neurodivergent brains

30:03 Building a masking-recovery practice that fits you

31:53 Coaching, newsletter, and where to go next

SCIENCE:

Studies on the costs of autistic camouflaging and masking:

https://docs.autismresearchcentre.com/papers/2017_Hull_Putting-on-my-best-normal.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6483965/

https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/socwork_fac/378/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1750946723001320

On why science doesn't support the biology claims of Polyvagal Theory, and why it is harmful for neurodivergent people (supported with science): https://jendehaan.com/blog/is-polyvagal-theory-debunked-2026/

and

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051123001060

Community Resilience Model (CRM), Trauma Resource Institute: https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/crm

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coaching

Group practice: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)

Resources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.com

Podcast version and regulation practice episodes: https://jendehaan.com/wired-divergent

Newsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newsletters

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]]>47d06bd5-5436-4632-a6f0-e5cc997d71d9Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070032:55falsefull88[Regulation Practice] A grounding practice for shutdown and overwhelm[Regulation Practice] A grounding practice for shutdown and overwhelmThis is a grounding practice built for shutdown, the offline and quiet state where everything has become a lot and even small routine things feel impossible. The practice asks for almost nothing from you. You can stay lying down, seated, standing at a desk, or wherever you already are, with your eyes open or closed. Nothing has to change, and you can stay exactly as you are the whole time.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • This practice is for shutdown states, when your system has gone offline and small tasks feel impossible.
  • There is nothing you have to do, and you can stay in whatever position you're already in.
  • The air on your skin, its temperature, and the texture of the surface under you are accessible exteroceptive starting points.
  • If your body wants more input, pushing your palms into a wall, a doorframe, or your own lap adds pressure you can adjust as you go.
  • Your nervous system was doing something the whole time, even when nothing felt like it shifted.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro and safety reminder

00:53 Who this practice is for: shutdown and overwhelm

01:19 Practice

05:50 Returning your attention to the room

06:26 Closing reflection on what your nervous system was doing

06:37 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 grounding practice built for shutdown, the offline and quiet state where everything has become a lot and even small routine things feel impossible. The practice asks for almost nothing from you. You can stay lying down, seated, standing at a desk, or wherever you already are, with your eyes open or closed. Nothing has to change, and you can stay exactly as you are the whole time.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • This practice is for shutdown states, when your system has gone offline and small tasks feel impossible.
  • There is nothing you have to do, and you can stay in whatever position you're already in.
  • The air on your skin, its temperature, and the texture of the surface under you are accessible exteroceptive starting points.
  • If your body wants more input, pushing your palms into a wall, a doorframe, or your own lap adds pressure you can adjust as you go.
  • Your nervous system was doing something the whole time, even when nothing felt like it shifted.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro and safety reminder

00:53 Who this practice is for: shutdown and overwhelm

01:19 Practice

05:50 Returning your attention to the room

06:26 Closing reflection on what your nervous system was doing

06:37 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]]>9d7c2f5c-96a6-4f90-a823-13a3f180af0cWed, 10 Jun 2026 00:15:00 -070007:12falsefull77Allostatic Load and the Impact on Neurodivergent Daily Practice & HabitsAllostatic Load and the Impact on Neurodivergent Daily Practice & HabitsIf you understand your neurodivergent nervous system better than most people you know and still can't make a daily practice or a new habit stick, there are still elements from your life that you can adjust to work with how your brain is wired. This episode breaks down why understanding alone doesn't change neurodivergent nervous system patterns, and some ideas that can lead to a personal system that actually helps.

However... for late-diagnosed autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD adults, the problem is rarely a shortage of information.

Allostatic load, predictive processing, and variable executive function all play into why it's hard to get something new to repeat day to day. I get into why a regulated state can feel wrong to a nervous system used to dysregulation, why conventional advice like "just do it every day" doesn't work for many of us, and how attaching a new practice to something your body already does can potentially make a difference for certain things. I also cover external scaffolding, body doubling, co-regulation, and the social baseline research behind why a safer person in the room changes how the nervous system regulates.

CHAPTERS:

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why understanding your nervous system isn't enough

0:23 How naming the experience lowers self-blame

1:56 Allostatic load and the depleted resource pool

3:51 Why feeling regulated can register as wrong

5:20 Executive function as an unreliable daily resource

6:45 What helps, and why a few minutes daily beats one hour a week

8:00 The resilient zone

9:46 The water canteen experiment

12:14 Attaching practices to routines you already have

14:10 External scaffolding and relational support

17:31 Building this into your own life and where coaching fits

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 understand your neurodivergent nervous system better than most people you know and still can't make a daily practice or a new habit stick, there are still elements from your life that you can adjust to work with how your brain is wired. This episode breaks down why understanding alone doesn't change neurodivergent nervous system patterns, and some ideas that can lead to a personal system that actually helps.

However... for late-diagnosed autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD adults, the problem is rarely a shortage of information.

Allostatic load, predictive processing, and variable executive function all play into why it's hard to get something new to repeat day to day. I get into why a regulated state can feel wrong to a nervous system used to dysregulation, why conventional advice like "just do it every day" doesn't work for many of us, and how attaching a new practice to something your body already does can potentially make a difference for certain things. I also cover external scaffolding, body doubling, co-regulation, and the social baseline research behind why a safer person in the room changes how the nervous system regulates.

CHAPTERS:

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why understanding your nervous system isn't enough

0:23 How naming the experience lowers self-blame

1:56 Allostatic load and the depleted resource pool

3:51 Why feeling regulated can register as wrong

5:20 Executive function as an unreliable daily resource

6:45 What helps, and why a few minutes daily beats one hour a week

8:00 The resilient zone

9:46 The water canteen experiment

12:14 Attaching practices to routines you already have

14:10 External scaffolding and relational support

17:31 Building this into your own life and where coaching fits

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 00:36:00 -070018:37falsefull66Regulation 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 00:33:00 -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 00:32:00 -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 00:31:00 -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 00:30:00 -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