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.**
50episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
#167 When Your Body Joins the Chaos - ADHD, Chronic Pain, Headaches & Fibromyalgia
Yesterday00:25:26Summary 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
1w ago01:00:11Summary 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
2w ago00:14:47Summary 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)
2w ago00:37:16Summary 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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#164 ADHD & People Pleasing: Why It’s So Hard to Say No
3w ago00:22:47Summary readyAre you a people-pleaser… or just terrified of letting people down?Hi! I’m Xena & I am a recovering people-pleaser.I cared so much about what other people thought of me & would prioritise the needs & desires of my friends, family or colleagues, above my own. And by doing this I was telling myself that my needs & what I wanted weren’t as important... Further adding to my insecurities & lack of self-worth. Overtime I became a chameleon - I didn’t know who I was or what I really liked because I was always going along with everyone else. People pleasing is a pattern of thinking & doing things that prioritise what other people think over what we think - Sacrificing pleasing yourself in order to please others. In this episode you'll learn: Why ADHDers people pleaseHow this pattern of behaviour impacts our ADHD symptomsHow we've got the idea of "people pleasing" all wrongWhere people pleasing comes from in our brain & how to change it LINKS TO 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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#163 ADHD & Decision Fatigue: Why Choosing Feels So Hard
4w ago00:35:44Summary readyDo simple decisions leave you feeling weirdly exhausted?In this episode, I’m talking about ADHD & decision fatigue. From standing in the kitchen unable to decide what to eat, to freezing over work tasks, emails, housework, or social plans… decision-making can feel so much harder when you have ADHD.In this episode, you’ll learn:what decision fatigue actually iswhy ADHD can make decision-making more drainingwhat decision fatigue can look like in real lifehow shame, overwhelm & perfectionism can make choosing even harder6 Practical ways to support your brain & reduce decision fatigueIf you’ve ever felt frozen by too many choices or exhausted by “small” decisions, this episode is for you my friend!LOOKING FOR MORE SUPPORT?*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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#162 How I Manage My Calendar As Someone With ADHD
Apr 2000:29:28Summary readyManaging time with ADHD can feel like trying to hold water in your hands. You care, you’re trying & yet somehow time still disappears, tasks take longer than expected & your calendar can start to feel like the enemy.In this episode, I’m sharing why managing time can be so tricky for ADHDers, what this looks like in real life & some of the things I personally do to manage my calendar.We cover:ADHD time blindness & why time can feel slipperyPlanning, prioritising & working memory strugglesDopamine, distraction & hyperfocusHow I set up my calendar to reduce stressWhy white space & visual tools matterThe mindset piece of time management Other episodes mentioned: #58 ADHD & Time Management#151 ADHD & Time Blindness 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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#161 Is It ADHD, Autism… or Both? Why so many late-diagnosed adults are asking this question
Apr 1300:32:34Summary readyCheck out the ADHD Coach in your pocket! + the ADHD Goal Setting Workbook (life planner tool)If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether your sensory overwhelm, social struggles, need for routine, or masking goes beyond ADHD, this episode is for you. We’re unpacking the overlap between ADHD and autism, some key differences, why so many adults miss it, and how to reflect on this question without spiralling.In this episode we explore: Why ADHD and autism can look so similarCommon areas of overlap like sensory differences, emotional regulation, executive functioning & social strugglesHow novelty-seeking and routine can show up differentlyThe difference between fidgeting, hyperactivity & stimmingWhy so many late-diagnosed adults start asking this questionHow masking can make autism harder to spotQuestions to ask yourself 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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#160 Why ADHDers Stim: The Hidden Purpose Behind Repetitive Behaviours
Apr 600:26:46Summary readyDo you bounce your leg, chew your cheek, pick your skin, replay the same song on loop, or pace while you think? That might be stimming, and no, it’s not just an autism thing. Plenty of ADHDers stim too. In this episode, we’re unpacking what stimming actually is, why ADHD brains do it & why it may be serving a purpose rather than being “just a bad habit.” Inside this episode:what stimming is & what it can look like in adults with ADHDwhy stimming can help with focus, regulation, sensory input & overwhelmthe difference between stimming, fidgeting & habitshow to tell whether a stim is helpful or needs supportthe shame many of us carry from being told to “sit still” or “stop that”why all stimming behaviours serve a purposeIf you’ve ever felt weird, childish, or ashamed of the ways your body tries to cope, regulate, or focus, this episode is your reminder that you’re not broken & your nervous system may have been trying to help you all along. 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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#159 Sensory Differences: Why Noise, Lights, Textures & People Can Feel So Intense
Mar 3000:50:25Summary readyEver wondered why bright lights, loud spaces, scratchy clothes or strong smells make it impossible to focus?In this episode, I’m talking about sensory differences in adults with ADHD, why they matter so much & why this isn’t just about “being sensitive” or “bad at coping.”Inside this episode we explore:what sensory differences actually arethe different ways they can show up, including sensory-seeking, aversions & preferenceswhy sound, light, textures, smells, food, movement & internal body signals can feel so intenselesser-known senses like proprioception, vestibular awareness & interoception, which may surprise you!how sensory overload affects mood, focus, emotional regulation, relationships & burnoutpractical ways to better understand your sensory patterns & support your nervous systemTrust me when I say this episode is going to help you understand & support yourself a whole lot better! 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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