Have you ever thought: "Why am I so tired all the time? Why do I feel disconnected, like I'm watching life happen but not really in it?" You probably thought something was wrong with you and didn't consider that it could be a nervous system thing. In this episode: what your nervous system actually does, what "regulation" really means (without cold plunges), and why feeling tired or foggy sometimes is normal even if it's not ideal. And how if you're neurodivergent, your nervous system may function in a more intense way. Get The Nervous System Workbook: by Deb Dana and get 20% off with this link while you support independent bookstores all over America by shopping on Bookshop dot org.

Show Notes:

• The Nervous System Workbook: Deb Dana (20% off with this link to Bookshop dot org)
• Click to Get Jen's Free Guide How To R.I.D.E Out Panic Attacks
• Jen's Monthly Action Club Just $19.99
• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• You Are A Lot Podcast Website & Blog
• Follow Jen's ADHD/AuDHD Tips on Pinterest
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• "You Are A Lot" Black Tote Bag
• "You Are A Lot" coffee mug & travel mug
• "You Are A Lot" black long-sleeved tee
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• Jen's Book Recommendations With 20% Off
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com

Sources Used:

• The Autistic & ADHD Nervous System: Article by Dr. Kristen Neff
• Heal Your Nervous System: Dr. Linnea Passaler (20% off with this link to Bookshop dot org )
• Polyvagal Prompts: Deb Dana (20% off with this link to Bookshop dot org )
• The Nervous System Workbook: Deb Dana (20% off with this link to Bookshop dot org )
• Glimmers Journal: Deb Dana (20% off with this link to Bookshop dot org )

Panic attacks and autistic meltdowns share some common symptoms but happen for different reasons. A panic attack is a short circuit in the nervous system and not a total sensory overload, while an autistic meltdown isn't out of nowhere — it's a total nervous system overload based on external triggers. If you are AuDHD and have panic attacks, being able to tell the difference between these two experiences is important because they need different responses. I talk about how to respond to both in this episode. If you want to learn how to handle panic attacks so that they no longer control your life, I'm teaching a three-session webinar in January 2026 about how to R.I.D.E. out panic attacks. Get on the waitlist so that you'll get the first chance to sign up at a huge discount. https://www.jenkirkman.com/waitlist/

SHOW NOTES

• Click to Get Jen's Free Guide How To R.I.D.E Out Panic Attacks
• Get on the Waitlist For Jen's How To R.I.D.E. Out Panic Course
• Jen's Monthly Action Club Just $19.99
• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• You Are A Lot Podcast Website
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• Follow Jen's ADHD/AuDHD Tips on Pinterest
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• Hope & Help For Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes 20% off this book
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com

SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:

• Coping With Panic Attacks
• Rula: Treating Anxiety Disorders
• Rula: Autism/Overstimulation
• Inertia, Meltdown, Autism - NIH
• Reduce Sensory Overstimulation - Science Direct
• Emotional Flashback Management - Pete Walker
• Hope & Help For Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes

Morning and night are the two times of day that do more to stabilize an ADHD brain than any productivity hack ever could. In this final Organize October episode, I talk about the science of how morning routines provide dopamine stabilization and evening routines need sensory cues to train our nervous system to power down. Get the ad-free and video version of this episode and more organize bonus episodes on Patreon - click here for a 7 day free trial.

Show Notes:

• Get On The Waitlist for Jen's Online Course "How To R.I.D.E Out Panic Attacks"
• Jen's Monthly Action Club Just $19.99
• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• You Are A Lot Podcast Website
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• Follow Jen's ADHD/AuDHD Tips on Pinterest
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• 15% Off HUGIMALS weighted stuffed animals with code JENKIRKMAN
• Jen's Book Recommendations With 20% Off
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com
• Self Care For People with ADHD - 20% Off This Book
• The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit - 20% Off This Book
• The Ultimate ADHD Workbook For Women - 20% Off This Book

Sources Used:

• Cortisol & Other Stress Responses in ADHD
• How Dopamine Influences ADHD Symptoms
• Taming The Molecule Of More - 20% Off This Book

In this Organize October episode, I talk about organizing how to clean your home in a way that hopefully works for you without having to "binge deep clean", how to think of cleaning as functional and make it fun, my new laundry system that helps with our impulsivity and my new obsession: the House Purse. Get the ad-free and video version of this episode and more organize bonus episodes on Patreon - click here for a 7 day free trial.

Show Notes:

• Get On The Waitlist for Jen's Online Course "How To R.I.D.E Out Panic Attacks"
• Jen's Monthly Action Club Just $19.99
• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• You Are A Lot Podcast Website
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• Follow Jen's ADHD/AuDHD Tips on Pinterest
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• 15% Off HUGIMALS weighted stuffed animals with code JENKIRKMAN
• Order From Chaos - 20% off this book
• How To Keep House While Drowning - 20% off this book
• Dirty Laundry - 20% off this book
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com

Sources Used:

• ADHD & Chores - The Mini ADHD Coach
• How To Keep House While Drowning - 20% off this book

It's Organize October here on the podcast! In this episode, I'm getting into the time management, scheduling & planning methods that I've finally figured out and that actually work for me. I'll be taking you through my notebook system, time tracking, index card daily and weekly planning, time blocking method, notes app organizing and idea capturing. It's a LOT. If you want to join the Patreon at 31% off an annual or monthly membership click here and use code: 14B85

Show Notes:

• 15% Off Appointed Notebooks/Planners/Pens use code JENKIRKMAN at checkout
• 20% off Fierce Self Compassion by Kristen Neff
• 20% off Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
• 20% off Essentialism by Greg McKeown
• 15% off Weighted Eye Mask from Kitsch
• Jen's Monthly Action Club Just $19.99
• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• You Are A Lot Podcast Website
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• Follow Jen's ADHD/AuDHD Tips on Pinterest
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com

Sources Used:

• ADHD Time Mgmt Tips - Exceptional Individuals
• Time Trackers For ADHD - Reddit
• Benefits of Time Tracking - Timing Blog
• Understanding The Science of Time - Ari Tuckman Video

In a special Patreon Only Episode of the podcast, I chat with my ADHD coach Paula Engebretson, host of the I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast.

To listen to or watch this episode ad-free and in full - jump on over to Patreon and with this link you can get a 7-day-free-trial. We talk about the realities of navigating ADHD through different "seasons of life," why rigid systems rarely work, and how values, energy levels, and self-understanding need to guide how we build routines. I share my own ADHD "rock bottom" and what shifted when I stopped chasing the "perfect planner" and instead worked with Paula to design flexible systems that actually fit my brain and my life. The conversation is equal parts personal insight and practical wisdom, offering you a candid look at why learning how your brain works is more powerful than any one productivity tool. Take Paula's What's Your Overwhelm Response Type? Quiz to find out what gets you in a state of overwhelm and how to help yourself out!

Show Notes:

• Jen's Membership the Monthly Action Club Just $19.99
• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• Follow Jen's ADHD/AuDHD Tips on Pinterest
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com
• 15% Off HUGIMALS weighted stuffed animals with code JENKIRKMAN
• Jen's Book Recommendations With 20% Off
• You Are A Lot Podcast Website

Guest Show Notes:

• Paula Engebretson I'm Busy Being Awesome Podcast
• Take Paula's Quiz "What's Your Overwhelm Response Type?"
• Take Paula's Course "Overwhelm To Action!"
• Paula's You Tube Channel

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

SHOW NOTES

• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com
• 15% Off HUGIMALS weighted stuffed animals with code JENKIRKMAN
• You Are A Lot Podcast Website

SOURCES USED:

• Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin 20% off
• Unmasking Autism by Devon Price 20% off
• Smart But Stuck by Dr. Thomas Brown 20% off
• Autism in Polyvagal Terms 20% off this book
• The ADHD Productivity Manual by Ari Tuckman 20% off this book
• Laziness Does Not Exist By Devon Price 20% off this book
• TLC Foundation For BFRB's
• Dr. Kieran Rose, autistic educator & advocate
• Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory
• Dr. Aimee Daramus, Clinical psychologist/specialist in neurodivergent sensory issues

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

SHOW NOTES

'This Is A Lot' Resources:

• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial

• You Are A Lot Podcast Website

• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"

• Call The "A Lot" Line at (347) 674-2201

• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com

More Neurodivergent Friendly Resources:

• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!

• 15% Off HUGIMALS weighted stuffed animals with code JENKIRKMAN

• Jen's Book Recommendations With 20% Off

Sources:

• Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin 20% off

• Unmasking Autism by Devon Price 20% off

• Smart But Stuck by Dr. Thomas Brown 20% off

• Autism in Polyvagal Terms 20% off this book

• The ADHD Productivity Manual by Ari Tuckman 20% off this book

• Laziness Does Not Exist By Devon Price 20% off this book

• TLC Foundation For BFRB's

• Dr. Kieran Rose, autistic educator & advocate

• Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory

• Dr. Aimee Daramus, Clinical psychologist/specialist in neurodivergent sensory issues

For the ad-free audio and video version of this episode - join me over on Patreon by clicking here for a 7-day-free trial. This episode started with a simple question I asked on social media: "What's a weird habit of yours that you wonder if it's tied to your ADHD/AuDHD?" Hundreds of responses came in. The traits or quirks that I read were hilarious, heartbreaking, and a lot were relatable to me. While these behaviors might sound random or odd, or overly specific to a neurotypical, they're loaded meaning once you understand how a neurodivergent brain works. This is part 1 of a three part series. In this episode the themes are having trouble with TV shows ending, wanting spoilers for books and movies, and an intolerance of awkward moments

'This Is A Lot' Resources:

• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• Follow Jen's ADHD/AuDHD Tips on Pinterest
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• You Are A Lot Podcast Website
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com

More Neurodivergent Friendly Resources:

• 15% Off HUGIMALS weighted stuffed animals with code JENKIRKMAN
• Jen's Book Recommendations With 20% Off

Sources:

• TLC Foundation For BFRB's
• Dr. Kieran Rose, autistic educator & advocate
• Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory
• Dr. Aimee Daramus, Clinical psychologist/specialist in neurodivergent sensory issues
• Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin
• Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price
• Smart But Stuck by Thomas E Brown, PhD

In this Patreon Only episode: I give advice (and information backed by neuroscience and trauma informed experts) to a Patreon subscriber who wrote a question in the chat community. The themes in this question are so relatable to us ADHD/AuDHD humans like; feeling overwhelmed when we finally have time to ourselves, freezing when it's time to make a decision, struggling to know what we actually want in the short-term and long-term; feeling ashamed about all of that, and having trouble asking for help.

SHOW NOTES:

• You Are A Lot Podcast On Patreon 7 Day Free Trial
• 30 FREE DAYS to BRAIN FM Wire Your Brain For Focus!
• Jen's Every 10 Day Newsletter: "This Is A Lot"
• Send an email to the podcast at alotadhdpod at gmail dot com
• 15% Off HUGIMALS weighted stuffed animals with code JENKIRKMAN
• Jen's Book Recommendations With 20% Off

SOURCES USED:

• Dr. Russell Barkley - ADHD researcher and author
• Pete Walker - CPTSD expert/psychologist
• Dr. Sharon Saline
• Leanne Maskell – ADHD coach and author
• Dr. William Dodson – Psychiatrist and ADHD expert
• Psychology Today: "Why Some People With ADHD Refuse To Ask For Help"
• 20% Off Book: Smart But Stuck by Dr. Thomas E. Brown
• 20% Off Book: The ADHD Productivity Manual, by Ari Tuckman
• 20% Off Book: The Joy Reset: 6 Ways Trauma Steals Happiness & How To Win It Back by Mary Catherine McDonald, PhD
• 20% Off Book: Self-Compassion by Kristen Neff, PhD
• 20% Off Book: Healing the Shame That Binds You, by John Bradshaw