Podcast
Navigating Adult ADHD
Hosted by Xena Jones · EN
Education, Support and Coaching for Adults with ADHD.
Combing science backed research and evidence based coaching tools to help you understand and work with your ADHD brain.
With a no BS approach, this Podcast will help you better understand your unique ADHD brain and how you can work with it to feel better, increase your self-confidence, improve your relationships and achieve your goals.
Empowering adults with ADHD to thrive.
**Xena Jones is not a medical professional. This podcast is not a substitute for medical advice.**
56episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
#173 ADHD & Anxiety: The Relationship Nobody Explained
6d ago00:37:06Tap to summarizeAnxiety is incredibly common for adults with ADHD & in this episode we are unpacking the messy, layered relationship between ADHD & anxiety.We cover:Why ADHD can create the perfect conditions for anxiety to thriveHow ADHD symptoms & anxiety symptoms can look almost identicalWhy anxiety may be a coping mechanism your brain developed to keep you safeThe difference between ADHD-driven anxiety & a separate anxiety disorderWhy so many women are diagnosed with anxiety before ADHDWhat can actually help, from brain dumps to emotional regulation tools & ADHD-informed supportThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they’re constantly bracing for something to go wrong, overthinking everything or swimming against a current they couldn’t explain.FOR MORE SUPPORT & OTHER GOOD SH*T:*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
Transcribe →
#172 ADHD & The Manual: The Invisible Expectations Destroying Your relationships
2w ago00:37:25Summary readyEver felt hurt because someone didn’t reply the “right” way, remember the thing, or show up how you hoped?In this episode, we’re talking about the manual - the invisible rule book we carry around for how other people should behave so we can feel loved, supported, or okay.We’ll explore:• What “the manual” is • Why ADHD brains can turn unmet expectations into rejection stories • The difference between making a request and trying to control someone • How to take back the emotional remote for your life • Why boundaries are not the same as manualsThis one is an absolute game changer for your relationships AND your emotional life! FOR MORE SUPPORT & OTHER GOOD SH*T:*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
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#171 ADHD & Friendships: Why It’s So Hard & What Actually Helps
3w ago00:46:57Summary readyIn this episode, we’re unpacking why friendships can feel so hard for ADHDers, from forgetting to reply & losing track of time, to rejection sensitivity, masking, emotional dysregulation & the dreaded doom spiral.We’ll explore:• Why caring about someone & initiating contact are not the same skill• How ADHD can make small friendship wobbles feel like full-blown rejection• Why your brain might turn one painful moment into “they don’t care about me”• The role of RSD, emotional dysregulation & masking in friendship struggles• Why not every friendship needs to be saved, but some may be worth repairing• Simple scripts for reconnecting, repairing & being honest without over-explainingThis episode is not about becoming a perfect friend. It’s about understanding your brain, checking the story before you act from it & remembering that one tiny honest message can reopen a door you thought was closed.Also check out episode #23 ADHD & friendships FOR MORE GOOD SH*T...*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
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#170 Weird things I do that support my ADHD
4w ago00:24:14Summary readyToday I’m sharing some of the “weird” things I do that actually support my ADHD brain.Because sometimes the things that look a little random from the outside are actually clever little accommodations in disguise.I’m talking about:Why I delay-send emails instead of trusting my brain has remembered everythingWearing activewear under my “real people clothes”Changing up my work environment for novelty, comfort & focusLetting myself task-switch without turning it into a moral failingDoing brain dumps when my mind feels like 47 browser tabs are openThis episode is a permission slip to stop judging the things that help you function & start seeing them for what they really are:ADHD-friendly support strategies.Weird? Maybe.Helpful? Absolutely.In this episode I mention the ETSY store I created with my friend Logan: NDHQ - come check it out.LINKS TO GOOD SH*T:*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
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#169 9 ADHD-Friendly Travel Hacks to Make Your Next Trip Way Easier
Jun 800:29:15Summary readyTravelling with ADHD is a whole experience.One minute your brain is screaming, “DOPAMINE! ADVENTURE! NEW SNACKS!” And the next minute you’re staring at your suitcase wondering if you need seven pairs of undies for a three-night trip.In this episode, I’m sharing 9 ADHD-friendly travel hacks to help make your next trip easier, calmer & far less chaotic.We’ll cover:why you need to check the rules around ADHD medication before you travelhow to reduce the pre-trip panic spiralthe magic of printing, screenshotting & pre-downloading everythingwhy an “empty day before” might be the best gift you give your future selfhow to build your own dopamine & regulation travel kitwhy the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard can be so helpful in airportsBecause travelling with ADHD isn’t about being perfectly organised.It’s about reducing friction, supporting your brain & having a few backup plans for when your brain decides to pack sunscreen but forget socks.Grab the free cheatsheet with all 9 tips here: www.navigatingadultadhd.com/cheatsheetYou can learn more about the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard here: https://hdsunflower.comLINKS TO GOOD SH*T FROM NAVIGATING ADULT ADHD:*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
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#168 How ADHD Impacts Your Relationship with Food
Jun 100:33:53Summary readyDo you forget to eat… until you’re suddenly hangry and shaky?Or eat past full & wonder “why did I do that?”If food feels chaotic, confusing, or all-or-nothing - you are not alone.In this episode, we’re unpacking how ADHD impacts your relationship with food - from missed hunger cues and hyperfocus, to dopamine-seeking, emotional eating, & food noise.We cover:Why ADHDers forget to eat (and then it becomes urgent)The role of interoception, time blindness & medicationWhy overeating happens (and why it makes sense)Food noise, sensory “icks” & hyperfixation foodsHow executive dysfunction makes eating harder than it “should”ADHD, diet culture & all-or-nothing patternsPlus simple, ADHD-friendly supports to help improve your relationship with food & eatingIf you’ve ever felt like you’re “bad with food”… This episode will help.LINKS TO OTHER GOOD SH*T:*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
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#167 When Your Body Joins the Chaos - ADHD, Chronic Pain, Headaches & Fibromyalgia
May 2500:25:26Summary readyIn this episode, we’re unpacking the very real (and often overlooked) connection between ADHD, your nervous system, and chronic pain - including why so many ADHDers feel things more intensely… In this episode, you’ll learn:Why ADHDers are more likely to experience chronic pain, headaches & fibromyalgiaWhat’s actually happening in your nervous system (and why it feels so intense)The link between ADHD, anxiety, depression & pain amplificationWhy headaches and migraines are so common with ADHD (it’s a perfect storm)The overlap between ADHD brain fog & “fibro fog”Simple, ADHD-friendly ways to better understand & support your bodyThis episode is part education, part validation, and part “ohhhh… that explains a lot.LINKS TO MORE GOOD SH*T:*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
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#166 From Rock Bottom to a Neurodiversity Revolution with Freddie Bennett
May 1801:00:11Summary readyFreddie Bennett spent decades not knowing why his brain worked differently. Inattentive at school, masking his way through life, and by adulthood - stressed, depressed, and addicted. It wasn't laziness. It wasn't stupidity. It was undiagnosed ADHD.Getting that diagnosis in his mid-30s changed everything. But when his son then spent two years stuck on a public waitlist - Freddie decided enough was enough and Bay Paediatrics was built.Bay Paediatrics gives neurodiverse children and their families the fast answers, real support, and confidence they deserve to thrive. And Freddie is on a mission to establish New Zealand as a world leader in ADHD assessment and treatment. In this episode, Freddie gets real about what it actually feels like to be a late-diagnosed adult raising a child with ADHD. The shame. The masking. The dark years before the lightbulb moment. And how leaning into his neurodiversity is what took him from rock bottom to the Arctic, the Sahara Desert, a Guinness World Record - and now, to building a neurodiversity revolution in Aotearoa.This one's for every adult who spent their whole life being told they weren't enough.Connect with Freddie: Bay Paediatrics: https://baypaediatrics.com/Freddie on Instagram and FacebookLINKS TO OTHER GOOD SH*T:*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Check out Courses & Coaching with Xena*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
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BONUS: My Story + something I want to share
May 1400:14:47Summary readyThis is a little bonus episode… and a personal one.From losing my brother young, to being diagnosed at 36, to a moment at 28 that completely changed the direction of my life… this episode connects the dots of how I went from feeling lost, overwhelmed & “WTF is wrong with me?”… to building something I wish existed years ago.Because here’s the truth:Getting diagnosed with ADHD explains a lot…But it doesn’t teach you how to actually live with it.In this episode, I share:What my life looked like before I understood my brainThe moment that changed everything for meWhy diagnosis alone isn’t enough The gap I kept seeing… and couldn’t ignoreHow Adulting with ADHD was created (and who it’s really for)And yes - Adulting with ADHD is on sale till midnight 23 May, so I also walk you through what’s inside and how to join if it feels like your time.https://www.navigatingadultadhd.com/awa
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#165: What IS ADHD, really? (Let's go back to basics)
May 1100:37:16Summary readyADHD isn't just distraction. It's not laziness. It's not "everyone feels like that sometimes."It's crying over a text message. Needing a nap after replying to three emails. Avoiding something for three weeks that takes seven minutes.In this episode, we go back to basics…What ADHD actually isHow it shows up in the brainExecutive function explained in a way that finally makes senseThe emotional side nobody talks about enough And why inconsistency isn't a character flawYou weren't doing it wrong. You just had the wrong manual my friend.🧠 Adulting with ADHD is on sale until 23 May - $388 NZD (usually $777) www.navigatingadultadhd.com/awaLINKS TO OTHER GOOD SH*T:*Get our ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)*12 Things I wished my Doctor had told me about Adult ADHD*Find out if you might be living with ADHD - Download Symptoms List*Join Adulting with ADHD your ADHD toolbox & everything you need to work with your brain*Learn, Inspire, Share & Connect inside our Facebook Community *Come hang out with me on Instagram!
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