Every single day, our brains are processing countless pieces of input.

Notifications from five different apps.

The ping of incoming text messages

The microwave timer going off.

Emails piling up in your inbox.

The physical pile of letters & bills on your desk.

Phone calls & voicemails.

The to-do list that keeps growing.

🧠 Due to the sheer amount of stimulation around us, it can be hard for our brains to discern what is actually urgent vs. what seems urgent but is not a true emergency.

The original human brain – the one that developed before iPhones, social media, or 24/7 news coverage – was designed to work in a different way, and at a different pace, than what is being asked of our brains in this modern age.

The original human brain was focused on threats like bears, mountain lions, & fires (among other things).

These are the types of threats that trigger an adrenaline rush & prompt the nervous system to enter fight, flight, or freeze mode – whatever the situation calls for. This is a highly energy-consuming process, and it’s what our bodies are designed to do to keep us alive in life-or-death situations. It’s a brilliant survival mechanism.

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🔥 The problem is… when the nervous system reacts to everything as if it were a bear, mountain lion, or fire - and when it does this over & over again, without a break from the cycle - that can lead to chronic burnout & endless dysregulation.

The nervous system ends up living in fight-or-flight mode, instead of moving through it.

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​🌱 One way to take care of the nervous system is to remember that not everything is an emergency – even if the body perceives it as such. Not every stimulus requires an urgent, fight-or-flight response.

Of course, some things are emergencies, and some things are very urgent.

So I would much rather that we conserve energy where we can, & preserve energy for what matters most.

The next time you feel overwhelmed & panicked, as if you are being chased by a bear (even though you’re not):

See if you can pause for 3 seconds, and notice what is happening around you, in your immediate environment.

Then, notice what is happening inside you (in your body & your mind).

Then, make the discernment for yourself: is this a true emergency? Or is the nervous system being triggered by a false sense of urgency?

If it is a true emergency, your nervous system will know & continue moving toward safety.

If it is not a true emergency, your system can re-calibrate & take a deep breath.

This extra pause can mean the difference between staying stuck in fight-or-flight mode, vs. moving through it & remembering: there is no bear right now. In this moment, you are okay.

With care,

ON THE PODCAST | EP 16 ADHD Nervous System Regulation: Beyond the Usual “Hacks,” w/ Deema Al-Omar If the common “ADHD tips & tricks” don’t work for your ADHD brain, it might be time to slow down & tend to your nervous system in a different way. The truth is, ADHDers need more than planners, apps, & executive functioning “hacks” in order to move sustainably through this world. Though all these tools can absolutely be helpful, they address only one layer of the experience. What if we don’t need another hack - what if we need space to unlearn the rules that others decided for us, & build a kinder relationship with ourselves? Join me & Deema Al-Omar in an enlightening conversation that just might change the way you understand (& take care of) your ADHD nervous system. We cover: 💐 the neuroscience of the ADHD brain 💐 navigating the late-diagnosed ADHD experience 💐 why the struggles of ADHDers go deeper than executive functioning; it also comes down to a dysregulated nervous system 💐 how the ADHD experience is shaped by systems of oppression, rules of society, & cultural context 💐 Brainspotting therapy: a healing modality that goes deeper than talk therapy & can work well for ADHD brains LISTEN HERE (37 min) 🌻

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P.P.S. If you’re interested in working together, I’d love to support you.

🌻 For folks who are overwhelmed & burnt out, but too busy for weekly therapy, I offer Nervous System Healing Intensives​ — three 90-minute sessions, using brain-body modalities (Brainspotting, IFS, EMDR) that go deeper than talk therapy & help you feel better, sooner.

Intensives are a type of short-term, accelerated therapy — for folks who prefer a hyper-focused approach to healing; who need longer than 50-min sessions to warm up & process deeply.

👉🏽 If you want to get an Intensive on the books, click here to book an intro call.

I help highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults heal their nervous systems & connect with their authentic selves.

💗 Need a nervous system reset? —> Join me for a Calm Place meditation.
📚 Curious to learn about neurodiversity + holistic healing? —> Peek at my blog.
🗞️ Want to catch up on old newsletters? —> Check out the archive.

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