Wired Divergent: Nervous System Regulation & Self Trust for Neurodivergent Brains cover art

Wired Divergent: Nervous System Regulation & Self Trust for Neurodivergent Brains

Wired Divergent: Nervous System Regulation & Self Trust for Neurodivergent Brains

By: Jen deHaan
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Wired Divergent is a solo show about nervous system regulation for neurodivergent brains. Hosted by Jen deHaan, an autistic and ADHD Canadian who has spent close to 30 years working across creative technology, performance, fitness instruction, and podcast production. Most nervous system content assumes a neurotypical baseline. This show doesn't. Wired Divergent covers functional freeze, autistic burnout, sensory overload, ADHD paralysis, masking, interoception, and the somatic tools that actually work when your brain is wired differently. Episodes mix long form education with short, repeatable micro-rest and body double sessions you can use in real time for asyncronous support. The show is grounded in the Community Resilience Model (CRM), a skills-based, trauma-informed approach that treats regulation as something your body already knows how to do. Polyvagal theory gets discussed here too, but critically (basically, not as gospel but we'll take the pieces that work.) If you're a late-diagnosed or self-identified neurodivergent adult, an ADHD professional trying to get through your workday without crashing, a practitioner looking to make your somatic work more neuro-inclusive, or just someone who has given up on "just breathe" as advice, this show is for you. New episodes cover topics like: somatic exercises for ADHD, vagus nerve stimulation for sensory processing, the window of tolerance for neurodivergent adults, co-regulation techniques, stimming as a regulation tool, and why standard meditation fails neurodivergent brains. Created, written, and produced by Jen deHaan. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyCopyright 2026 Jen deHaan Biological Sciences Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science
Episodes
  • Allostatic Load and the Neurodivergent Knowing-Doing Gap

    Allostatic Load and the Neurodivergent Knowing-Doing Gap
    Jun 9 2026
    You can explain the biology of your neurodivergent nervous system, or at least you know it really well, and still not build a five minute daily practice. This episode goes through why that gap between knowing and doing exists for ADHD and Autistic humans, and why it has a structural cause for our neurodivergent brains.A lot of us spend years reading about nervous system regulation and end up carrying a kind of shame when the information never turns into action. The reason has biology in it, because comprehension and habit formation run in different parts of the brain, and for autistic and ADHD systems the resources that change needs are often already depleted. This episode covers allostatic load, the prediction patterns that pull a regulated state back toward dysregulation, and the executive function loop that makes consistency so variable for brains like ours (and as such, the answers more complex).CHAPTERS:0:00 The shame of understanding your nervous system and still feeling stuck1:33 Why naming the experience lowers self-blame and what really drives dysregulation3:44 Allostatic load and the depleted resource pool habit change draws from6:41 Executive function and the consistency loop neurodivergent brains get caught in8:09 Why the knowing-doing gap is structural and what question to sit with9:06 What Thursday's episode covers, plus coachingRESOURCES & LINKS:More on what I found in polyvagal theory: https://jendehaan.com/blog/is-polyvagal-theory-debunked-2026/Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coachingGroup Programs: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)Resources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.comPodcast version and regulation practice episodes: https://jendehaan.com/wired-divergentNewsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newslettersAbout Audio and VideoThis show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coachingGroup Programs: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)Newsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newslettersWired Divergent videos: https://youtube.com/@jendehaanResources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.comSupport the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.DISCLAIMER:Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resourcesFull Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimerThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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    10 mins
  • Regulation That Starts Outside Your Body: Temperature, Sound, Pressure

    Regulation That Starts Outside Your Body: Temperature, Sound, Pressure
    Jun 9 2026
    If you've sat through a body scan or regulation practice that didn't seem to work for you or your nervous system, or got asked to find an emotion in your chest and felt only nothing or experienced uncertainty or confusion or something similar to that, there are REASONS! And possible solutions, too. This is the what-to-do follow-up on interoception, and it walks through a body awareness practice that can start from a signal you can actually detect.Tuesday's episode (linked below) covered interoception, the nervous system's ability to read internal signals like heartbeat and hunger, along with alexithymia, the difficulty around identifying and describing emotions, both of which can run differently for a lot of neurodivergent people. Today is about what to do when your body doesn't hand over those signals in a usable form.I explain why the standard "notice it, then name it" instruction doesn't work well for brains with low interoceptive accuracy, and I walk through Tracking, a skill from my CRM (Community Resilience Model) training that doesn't include emotion-labelling by default and asks only whether a sensation is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. I also cover how to adapt it to external signals like temperature, sound, and pressure when internal ones aren't available or arrive late.CHAPTERS:0:00 The body scan that comes up blank, and why0:35 Recap: interoception and alexithymia from Tuesday1:24 Today's question: what to do when signals aren't usable1:43 What the standard instruction actually asks of you2:55 Why the body scan stalls for a structural reason3:43 The shift from CRM training: Tracking4:33 Dropping the emotion label, noticing pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral5:29 If this resonates, a different starting point6:14 Adapting tracking: external signals, working inward, late signals8:35 What still works when the inward route doesn't, and where coaching helps9:22 A guided temperature version, plus practice coachingRESOURCES & LINKS:Tuesday's episode on interoception and alexithymia (video) https://youtu.be/ZIVvkk6eMQIPractice coaching and booking link: https://jendehaan.com/coachingBlog posts: https://jendehaan.comWired Divergent podcast (guided temperature-based practice): https://jendehaan.com/wired-divergentNewsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newslettersAbout Audio and VideoThis show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coachingGroup Programs: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)Newsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newslettersWired Divergent videos: https://youtube.com/@jendehaanResources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.comSupport the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.DISCLAIMER:Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resourcesFull Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/...
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    10 mins
  • [Regulation Practice] Temperature awareness, an accessible interoception practice

    [Regulation Practice] Temperature awareness, an accessible interoception practice
    Jun 9 2026
    This is a five minute guided temperature awareness practice. Standard body scans ask you to find sensations that some neurodivergent people genuinely cannot locate, and that gap can make the whole exercise feel useless. Temperature gives you something concrete to work with. We move through the hands, feet, forehead, chest, and stomach, and at each region we check two things: whether the temperature is warm, cool, or neutral, and whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Neutral counts as a real answer, and noticing nothing counts too. The external regions like your hands and the air on your forehead are a legitimate place to stay, and a single check-in can build into more capacity with daily repetition.KEY TAKEAWAYS:Temperature is one of the most accessible interoceptive starting points when body scans give you nothing to work with.At each body region you can notice two separate things: the temperature itself, and whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.Neutral is valid information, and noticing nothing at all is also valid information.External sensations like the temperature of your hands or the air on your forehead are a legitimate entry point you can stay with for as long as you want.Daily repetition is how one short check-in turns into more familiarity with your own signals over time.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro and safety reminder00:53 What temperature awareness is and why it works for low interoception01:23 Practice04:59 Returning your attention to the room05:45 Why external sensations are a legitimate place to stay06:29 Where to find more resourcesAbout Audio and VideoThis show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.NEURODIVERGENT RESOURCES FROM JEN:Neurodivergent coaching (1:1): https://jendehaan.com/coachingGroup Programs: https://jendehaan.com/offscript/ (introductory program coming soon, check site for other options in future)Newsletter signup: https://jendehaan.com/newslettersWired Divergent videos: https://youtube.com/@jendehaanResources and blog posts: https://jendehaan.comSupport the showLike this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/supportWe love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytzWe have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8nddTranscriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqkSchedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZRAboutThis podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.DISCLAIMER:Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resourcesFull Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimerThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
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    7 mins
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