EP. 32: The Belief That's Keeping You Stuck in Survival Mode (And How to Finally Let It Go) | ADHD with Jenna Free — ADHD with Jenna Free

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Dysregulation Quiz
01:00 Beliefs Are the Roots of the Tree
03:00 The "I'm Behind, I Need to Catch Up" Belief
05:00 What Are Belief Schemas?
07:00 Common ADHD Dysregulated Beliefs
09:00 Perfectionism as a Hidden Belief System
11:00 Step 1 - Name It, Don't Shame It
12:00 Step 2 - Connect Body and Belief Work
14:00 Step 3 - Update Your Schema Over Time
16:00 Bringing It Back to Reality vs. Potential
18:00 You're Rewriting Your Brain's Story
20:00 Noticing When Beliefs Don't Make Sense

Summary

In this episode, I dive into belief schemas - the deep, often subconscious belief systems that keep us dysregulated even when we're working on physical regulation. I explain how beliefs like "I'm behind, I need to catch up," "I can't trust myself," and "something bad will happen if I relax" were formed during childhood (often through the friction of being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world) and continue to trigger our nervous system into fight or flight. Using powerful examples like rushing to a massage appointment or dragging your child home from school for no logical reason, I demonstrate how these beliefs run like software in the background, keeping us stuck in panic, perfectionism, and avoidance. This episode teaches you the three steps to work with dysregulated beliefs: name it without shame, connect the body work with belief work, and update your schema to match your adult reality.

Action Step:

This week, notice when you feel rushed, panicked, or pressured. Pause and ask yourself: "What belief is underneath this feeling right now?" Look for thoughts like "I'm behind," "There's not enough time," "I should be further along," or "Something bad will happen if I stop." Simply bringing awareness to these beliefs is the first powerful step in changing them.

Takeaways

Regulation isn't just nervous system work - beliefs and thoughts need regulation too.
Belief schemas are the subconscious lens through which we interpret the world.
Many ADHD belief systems were formed in childhood from being misunderstood and constantly corrected.
Common dysregulated beliefs include: "I'm behind, I need to catch up," "I can't trust myself," "If I'm not achieving, I'm failing," and "Something bad will happen if I relax."
These beliefs trigger the nervous system into dysregulation, even when nothing dangerous is happening.
The belief "I'm behind" often creates paralysis rather than productivity - it backfires.
Perfectionism can be hidden - your life may look far from perfect, but the belief system is still running underneath.
The three steps: Name it (awareness), connect body and belief work together, and update your schema over time.
You have more autonomy as an adult than your internal system realizes - updating this is crucial.
Living in "potential" (shoulds, judgments) versus reality keeps you stuck and powerless.
There's never a logical reason to rush - notice when you're rushing for no reason at all.
Thought and belief regulation brings you back into your power and the present moment.

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