Calming Up: Beyond the Hype

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Feb 20, 2026

They explore why getting started feels harder than staying in motion and how that 'static friction' traps you. They walk through nervous system states and why thinking alone cannot fix panic. They share bottom-up tricks like temperature, movement, and tiny micro-steps to gently raise arousal. They explain optimal stimulation and how small, calm boosts beat last-minute hype.

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INSIGHT

Nervous System As A Regulation Ladder

Polyvagal theory frames our nervous states as a ladder from calm to shutdown, affecting connection and readiness.
When threatened, blood flow shifts from the prefrontal cortex to the amygdala, making logical thinking unreliable.

ANECDOTE

Hulk Smash Doesn’t Sustain Motion

William Curb compares starting tasks to needing a massive 'Hulk smash' to overcome static friction.
That explosion often leads to panic or overwhelm instead of sustainable doing.

ADVICE

Regulate From The Body First

Use bottom-up signals (temperature, movement, pressure) to change your state when thinking fails.
Try splashing cold water, using a weighted blanket, or humming to engage the vagus nerve and slow your heart rate.

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Hey Team!

In physics, there's a concept called "static friction"—it's the friction that exists between a stationary object and the surface on which it's resting. It's actually harder to get something moving than it is to keep it moving once it's already in motion. I think about this a lot when I'm staring at a pile of mail or a sink full of dishes. We often feel like we need a massive internal explosion to overcome that static friction, like we have to "hulk smash" our way into productivity just to get off the couch.

But that explosion often carries us too far, landing us right in the middle of a panic attack or total overwhelm. We're essentially trying to jump from zero to sixty in a car that isn't even idling yet. Today we're looking at a different approach: how we can gently increase our internal RPMs without redlining the engine. We're exploring the biology of our nervous system and how we can use "bottom-up" signals to tell our brains that it's time to move, without relying on the usual fuel of shame or last-minute panic.

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/274

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/y835cnrk

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HackingYourADHD

This Episode's Top Tips

1. Stop trying to "think" your way out of a shutdown or a panic. When your Prefrontal Cortex is offline, your brain isn't listening to logic; it's listening to your body. Use physical signals—like temperature or movement—to tell your brain you are safe or ready to move.
2. Understand that some stress is biologically necessary for ADHD focus. Instead of trying to be perfectly relaxed before a big task, aim for "optimal stimulation"—enough arousal to feel sharp, but not so much that you're jittery.
3. When you're stuck in a low-energy state, don't look for a massive "hype" session that might lead to overwhelm. Instead, "calm up" by using the smallest possible increments of arousal—like a single song or light stretching—to reach a "zen" state of doing.