ADHD with Jenna Free

EP. 34: ADHD at Work: Putting Work in Its Place (The Severance Episode) | ADHD with Jenna Free


Listen Later

You can get your free ADHD Regulation Guide here - www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdguide Take the free Dysregulation Quiz here - https://adhdwithjennafree.typeform.com/adhdquiz Register for the ADHD at Work 2.0 Workshop - www.adhdwithjennafree.com/adhdwork

Chapters 00:00 Introduction: ADHD at Work and the Severance Episode 01:00 When the Mental Boundary Between Work and Life Disappears 03:00 Why Everything Feels Urgent When You're Dysregulated 05:00 You Can't Work Your Way to Peace 06:00 Signs You've Lost Your Work-Life Severance 08:00 Regulating Your Body at Work and at Home 10:00 The Beliefs Behind Your Urgency 13:00 Regulating Your Behavior: Finding Balance 16:00 My Personal Experience with Work Boundaries 19:00 What Regulation Actually Looks Like 21:00 ADHD at Work 2.0 Workshop Announcement

Summary In this episode, I talk about ADHD at work and how to actually put work in its place - not with better time management or productivity hacks, but with nervous system regulation. If you've ever been at your kid's soccer game and suddenly remembered an email you should have sent, and now your whole body feels uncomfortable until you send it, this is for you. I'm calling this "the Severance episode" after the TV show, because for ADHDers struggling with ADHD burnout and work-life balance, the mental boundary between work and life can completely disappear. I break down why ADHD makes it so hard to stop thinking about work, even when you desperately want to rest. When you're dysregulated, everything feels urgent - you can't stop thinking about work at home, but then when it's actually work time, you might be stuck in ADHD procrastination and overwhelm. It's the worst trap. I explain how working from dysregulation creates more dysregulation, so you'll never work yourself into peace. I also share the three types of regulation you need: body (slowing down, breathing, relaxing tension), mind (challenging beliefs like "if I don't stay on top of this, everything will fall apart"), and behavior (creating consistency instead of extreme work patterns). I share my own journey from obsessively thinking about work 24/7 to now having natural boundaries and actually feeling done at the end of the day. This episode will help you understand why ADHD at work feels so exhausting and what you can actually do about it.

Action Step This week, pick one area to start practicing regulation.

  • For your body: slow your walking between meetings or around your house, bring your shoulders down from your ears, and check if you're breathing or holding your breath.
  • For your mind: notice when you feel urgent and ask yourself "what belief is driving this urgency?" Is it "if I don't stay on top of this, everything will fall apart" or "if I'm not thinking about it, I'll forget something"?
  • For your behavior: set a quitting time and actually stop, regardless of how much you got done. Notice when you think "just one more email" - that's dysregulation trying to externally regulate. Start small with whichever feels most doable.

Takeaways

  • For dysregulated ADHD brains, the mental boundary between work and life can completely disappear
  • When you're dysregulated, everything feels urgent - this is why you can't stop thinking about work
  • You can't work your way to peace - working from dysregulation creates more dysregulation
  • Three types of regulation: body (slow down, breathe, relax tension), mind (challenge beliefs behind urgency), behavior (create consistency instead of extremes)
  • Regulation gives you the internal ability to turn work off when you want rest, and turn it on when you want to work - that's the real skill

Connect with Me

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

ADHD with Jenna FreeBy Jenna Free

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

61 ratings


More shows like ADHD with Jenna Free

View all
The One You Feed by Eric Zimmer

The One You Feed

2,561 Listeners

ADHD Experts Podcast by ADDitude

ADHD Experts Podcast

1,335 Listeners

ADHD reWired by Eric Tivers, LCSW, ADHD-CCSP

ADHD reWired

916 Listeners

Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast by TruStory FM

Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast

453 Listeners

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

2,509 Listeners

Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with ADHD, ADD by David A Greenwood

Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with ADHD, ADD

120 Listeners

It's The ADHD-Friendly Show | Personal Growth, Well-being and Productivity for Distractible Minds by Caren Magill

It's The ADHD-Friendly Show | Personal Growth, Well-being and Productivity for Distractible Minds

114 Listeners

ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka by Tracy Otsuka

ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

1,520 Listeners

I Have ADHD Podcast by Kristen Carder

I Have ADHD Podcast

2,892 Listeners

Hacking Your ADHD by William Curb

Hacking Your ADHD

709 Listeners

Women & ADHD by Katy Weber

Women & ADHD

622 Listeners

ADHD Aha! by Understood.org, Laura Key

ADHD Aha!

164 Listeners

ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast by Kate Moryoussef

ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast

171 Listeners

The ADHD Skills Lab by Skye Waterson

The ADHD Skills Lab

91 Listeners

MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel by Understood.org

MissUnderstood: The ADHD in Women Channel

76 Listeners