Emotions from the Bottom-Up (Part 3 of 3)
ADHD in 5-Minutes: From Frustration to Understanding [#011]
In Parts 1 and 2, we established that emotions are a guidance system and, for ADHD brains, this system doesn’t always cooperate with other systems we use to navigate the World.
Recapping Parts 1 & 2
ADHDers are hypersensitive to changes in context because our brains struggle to filter out 'irrelevant’ information (what most people call a ‘distraction’). This is particularly important to note because changes in context often elicit changes in emotions.
Drawing from our definition in Part 1:
Emotions are contextually-constructed [] states that provides [] the necessary guidance and action potential to adaptively respond...
Because context is shifting more frequently for us, this means we’re more likely to be emotionally reactive. In short: more emotions = more “action potential." This energy then accumulates, so instead of it helping us respond to things, it builds up and leaks out; this is one way to understand classical symptoms like hyperactivity and impulsivity.
In Part 2 we zoomed in on the "hot" and "cold" executive circuits and looked at why ADHD brains get overwhelmed more easily. And, if this is left unchecked, the frequent overwhelm leads to avoiding anything that provokes negative emotions.
To wrap up this series, this last issue focuses on why traditional "think your way out of it" strategies fail for ADHDers, and we end with a few techniques to help regain clarity and control (when emotional guidance has gone haywire).
Different Temperatures for Different Needs
Part 2 of this series focused on the two different executive circuits: “hot” and “cold,” so let’s build on that knowledge:
Every brain (neurotypical or divergent) has a "hot" executive circuit responsible for making swift, emotionally-driven and involuntary decisions. This circuit is wired in such a way so that it has priority control over your attention and behaviors whenever it's predominantly active.
This is necessary for lots of reasons relating to survival, but it’s also the circuit that helps us take advantage of short-term opportunities.
Thinking too critically when something is chasing you (or you want to chase something) is a bad strategy.
However, in today's world, we tend to fixate on people's ability for "cold" circuit decision-making. Remember, the "cold" circuit is responsible for long-term planning, critical thinking, and logical decision-making. In essence, we value someone's ability to plan, prioritize and sequence their actions over long periods of time.
Even though we tend to value people's "cold" circuit, there are times when people's fast-acting, accurate responses are truly celebrated: think of the difference between describing someone as "calculated" versus "heroic."
Similarly, the difference between someone being described as "impulsive" versus "resourceful" is usually a matter of how well these two circuits are cooperating with each other. Unfortunately, for the ADHD brain, the circuits are often at odds with each other. One major reason for this is that the "hot" circuit turns on more easily, stays on for longer periods of time, and is not easily influenced by the “cold” circuit.
So what does this translate to?
It means emotions are more likely to guide our attention/behavior, and we’re less likely (or unable) to use thinking and logic to change course.
This is the main reason getting started on things can be so challenging and confusing: you know the logical, wise decision to make but you can't quite seem to take action…
Emotions (Usually) Don’t Listen to Thoughts
If you have ADHD, and you suddenly become aware of any uncomfortable emotions in the present moment, then two things are likely to be true:
You are far more dysregulated than you realize, and
your attention and behaviors are responding to your environment, not your thoughts.
If the emotionally-driven circuit has kicked the long-term planning circuit offline, then thinking has a remarkably low chance of changing your behavior.
You know those times when you are screaming in your head to just get up and do the thing, while you sink into your third hour of scrolling Instagram reels?
The reason for this is because you are not wired to think your way out of emotions.
For us, getting our executive circuits to play nicely will rarely, if ever, start with thinking or talking. This is why most well-meaning suggestions about how to overcome feeling overwhelmed don't have their intended effect:
"Focus on the facts, not your feelings."
"Just take a deep breath and tell yourself: 'You got this!'"
"Talk through the plan, step by step."
These statements are all examples of what we call top-down regulation strategies.
These strategies are carried out by our “thinking brain” which is roughly the front/top of your brain. These areas of the brain develop as we age and become more able to control our attention and behavior as they mature.
Top-down regulation uses thinking and selective attention as a way to calm lower parts of your brain.
When emotions are stirred up and you try a top-down strategy, in some ways you are pleading with the “hot” circuit to give up its grip on the controls. Unfortunately, the problem here, especially for ADHDers, is that the “hot” circuit doesn't respond to thinking when it’s overactive.
From the “hot” circuit’s perspective, it is way more important to keep you safe and vigilant than to consider the future.
If the “cold” circuit is completely offline or ineffective at regaining control, then the “hot” circuit knows what to do: focus on the present, forget about and sacrifice the future. It says: “Tomorrow isn’t real! Something significant is happening here, now!”
From the Bottom-Up
Instead of coming from the top-down to get these circuits collaborating again, ADHDers need to come from the bottom-up.
Bottom-up regulation strategies work by calming your nervous system through voluntary bodily actions.
By using movement, balance and sensory input, these strategies leverage other parts of the brain that are still online so they can restore power and communication to the parts that were overwhelmed and shut down.
As overstated and cliche as it sounds, living with ADHD means learning what approaches actually work for your brain.
Knowing what pathways to take is crucial if you want to go somewhere.
This last statement may sound metaphorical, but it's actually quite literal: you need different strategies to navigate the world because your brain's pathways (i.e., wiring) differ enough from those of practically everyone else.
Ready for a dose of hard truth that you already intuitively know?
Some pathways in life (and in your brain) will never be, and never were, open for you.
Even though it may be painful, accepting this fact does not mean you have to give up on your goals; rather, it simply means that your path and the tools you use will be different.
The Most Effective Path to a Cooperative Brain
Outside of medication, the most well-documented and effective intervention for ADHD is regular exercise.
And, studies have shown that regular exercise has the biggest impact on ADHDers' ability to manage their symptoms, particularly executive dysfunction!
The reasons for this are multi-faceted, but one of them is that exercise, particularly balance exercises, restore ‘power’ to our executive centers and reestablish cooperative communication between our “hot” and “cold” executive circuits.
In the past, the cerebellum (the lower, back part of your brain) was thought to be purely associated with motor control, coordination and balance. But we now know that the cerebellum actually has major communication pathways to your executive centers.
The data is pretty clear: if you did nothing else except find accessible, regular, affordable and enjoyable ways to move your body, then you will increase the effectiveness of almost every other strategy to help overcome obstacles associated with ADHD.
Finally, in summary: movement is the best way to regulate your emotions and return power to your thinking brain.
Bottom-Up Strategies for ADHD Brains
Ok, let’s walk through the top 3 bottom-up strategies that can be done immediately and most places.
But first, some things to keep firmly in mind:
Please, be safe: Ensure you can safely fall if needed, and always assess what risks are around you before trying any of these strategies.
Do not push through pain (especially sharp pains). If something is painful, or feels “weird,” listen to those feelings and try something simpler or easier to do.
Start with shorter durations. Do 10-15 seconds or less, then slowly increase to 20 or 30+ seconds.
Use a wall or sturdy object to assist if needed. Or, lean on a friend!
1. Balance Exercises & Postures
What it does:
Activates your cerebellum, which has extensive connections to your executive centers! Balancing the body requires your brain to integrate sensory information, motor control and coordination, which helps restore executive function (while discharging built-up energy)…a true double win for ADHDers!
Here are some examples of balance exercises:
One-leg stands: Stand on one foot for 30 seconds, raising your other leg comfortably off the ground, then switch feet. Progress by closing your eyes or standing on an unstable surface
Tree Pose variations: From the Yoga posture, but hold for shorter periods (10-30 seconds) and switch legs when one is tired. Not familiar with tree poses? Place the sole of one foot on the inside of your other leg (i.e. on the calf muscle or inner thigh), making sure to avoid putting pressure on your knee joint. And if this is too hard, do one-leg stands instead!
Beam Walking: Use a curb, line on the ground, or a balance beam to walk by placing one foot in front of the other, touching toe to heel, toe to heel as you move forward (or backwards).
2. Asymmetrical Movement
What it does:
Disrupts automatic movement patterns and forces your brain to create new neural pathways. This novel motor coordination calms your nervous system while giving your brain something engaging to focus on.
How to do it:
Gait change: Walk backwards, sideways, or in zigzags down a hallway or around the perimeter of a room or park
Animal mimicry: Bear crawl, penguin waddle, crab walk, frog jump, or any other animal movement for 30-60 seconds
Dance breaks: Put on a favorite song and move in any way that feels good
ADHD modifications (especially for what’s been recommended here):
Set a timer for short bursts (1-3 minutes) to avoid getting carried away
Use music with a strong beat to help with timing and engagement
Do it privately if you're self-conscious, or recruit a friend!
Make it functional. Need to get to the kitchen? Well, a penguin-waddle will get you there too
3. Squeeze-Lean-Push
What it does:
Increases interoceptive awareness (your ability to sense what's happening inside your body) by providing voluntary sensory input. This pressure helps your nervous system become aware of where you are in time/space, allowing you to notice there is likely nothing threatening in the here-and-now.
How to do it:
Wall push-ups: Stand arm's length from a wall, place palms flat against it, and do slow push-ups for 30-60 seconds
Self-hugs: Wrap your arms around yourself and squeeze firmly for 10-15 seconds, release, repeat
Doorway stretches: Stand on one side of a (open) doorway, place forearms against the frame, and lean forward through the doorway
Hand squeezes: Interlace fingers and press palms together firmly, hold for 10 seconds, release, repeat
Wall lean: Place your back against a wall and press your whole body into it for 15-30 seconds
Lift & Pass: Pick up something between 1 to 5 lbs nearby (e.g. books, laundry basket, water bottle) and pass & flip the object around, from hand to hand, for 1-2 minutes
Your brain is quite literally perfectly unique.
While the larger patterns of growth and development are the same as other people, the specific pathways in your ADHD brain exist nowhere else in existence.
Because of that, lots of testing new strategies and learning what works is necessary.
So, when your emotional guidance has taken over and has gone a little haywire, and you can’t seem to talk/think yourself into doing what you need or want to do, then try these bottom-up regulation strategies.
After a bit of movement or balance, you might notice your emotions are less intense, and talking (or thinking) to yourself may spark a bit of motivation.
Also, here’s a little known factoid. The word emotion is comprised of approximately 85% of the following letters: M O T I O N.
If you are feeling some sort-of-way, and nothing seems to be helping, then…
move.
Phew…this series only took me a 5 weeks to complete, but over these three parts, we've covered:
Part 1: How to define emotions; which are a contextually-constructed guidance systems that provide action potential to meet your needs.
Part 2: How emotions are actually a massive component of ADHD symptoms. Basically, our two executive circuits, that help us respond to present and future opportunities, stop cooperating, leading to emotionally-driven attention and behavior.
Part 3: How movement can help regulate and calm our brains. These bottom-up regulation strategies leverage open, reliable pathways in the ADHD brain so we can keep moving in the direction we want or need to go.
The big insight? Emotions are a guidance system. They are trying to help you, but need to cooperate with other guidance systems (i.e. long-term planning and thinking). And movement, specifically balance exercises, can get your emotions to listen to thoughts again.
You are trying to get your emotions to loosen their grip on the controls…not let go of them entirely…
In some ways, we are building a better relationship between body and mind, because they are stuck together, for as long as you live. And now you know some ways to get them to play nicely together.
Cheers,
Michael
P.S. I am sending a downloadable guide for bottom-up strategies by next Friday (September 12)—so if you haven’t subscribed yet… 🤸♀️ — EDIT 09-25-2025: I did not know this, but apparently you can subscribe and still get access to the chat threads in the past…so join the conversation, grab the guide, stick around for a while!