ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka EP. 383: It’s Not Your ADHD. It’s Your Nervous System with Liz Tenuto, The Workout Witch
12 snips
May 6, 2026 
Liz Tenuto, somatic movement teacher and author known as The Workout Witch, offers tiny body-based practices to calm the nervous system. She discusses trauma, CPTSD, ADHD and autism diagnoses, masking and sensory overwhelm. Short somatic movements, functional freeze, and building a low-effort regulation toolkit are highlighted as key ways to move from stuck to able to act.
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Motivation Problems Are Nervous System Problems
- Many ADHD struggles like procrastination and burnout are body-based survival patterns, not just mindset failures.
- Liz Tenuto reframes motivation issues as chronic nervous-system dysregulation tied to trauma, ADHD, autism, and sensory overload.
Liz's Diagnosis Shift From CPTSD To ADHD And Autism
- Liz was first diagnosed with CPTSD after an abusive marriage, then later reassessed and diagnosed with ADHD and autism.
- Healing CPTSD via talk therapy, EMDR, and somatic work revealed lifelong sensory traits that matched neurodivergence.
Somatics Fixed Years Of Sleep Problems Fast
- After trying somatics, Liz's sleep improved dramatically within four lessons, unlike prior acupuncture, yoga, or medication attempts.
- She cried after the first class and cured years of chronic sleep issues with tiny body-based practices.
