The science behind the transformations
The transformations we have highlighted aren’t wild claims or obscure theories; they are based on the latest ADHD neuroscience research and translated into systems and toolkits that we have developed and tested at The ADHD Dojo™.
When you stabilise sleep, manage RSD, and moderate alcohol use, you’re directly addressing the neurological mechanisms that determine how ADHD traits function. Discover how our courses address each of our symptoms and repurpose them into a much more positive use of our unique wiring.
Scattered attention → Active listening
Sleep strategies: Sleep deprivation reduces prefrontal cortex working memory capacity. Better sleep restores the brain’s ability to hold one thread without losing it. Cognitive filtering systems function when the PFC has the resources to prioritise (Kasper et al., 2012; Sergeant, 2005).
RSD management: When threat detection is recalibrated, the nervous system can settle on a single input instead of scanning for danger. Silence and pauses stop registering as potential threats. Ventral vagal engagement (safety state) is required for social presence (Porges, 2011).
Dojo tools: Racing thought triage, dimmer switch method, 3am emergency reset, body’s early warning system, breath patterns
Oversharing → Self-expression
RSD management: Chronic nervous system activation collapses the gap between thought and speech. When the system isn’t holding a constant threat load, space for assessment returns. The pause between impulse and action becomes available again.
Alcohol moderation: Alcohol impairs prefrontal inhibitory control. Removing the depressant effect restores the brake between impulse and action, allowing timing and context assessment (Aron, 2007; Arnsten, 2009).
Dojo tools: Body’s early warning system, replacement menu, cold water protocol, craving interrupt protocol, social strategy toolkit
Rejection sensitivity → Empathy
Sleep strategies: Sleep stabilises dopamine baseline. Higher dopamine availability reduces negative interpretation bias. The brain can afford the processing cost of nuance instead of defaulting to threat (Dodson, 2022).
RSD management: This is the direct intervention. When threat detection is recalibrated, neutral social cues no longer register as hostile. The nervous system can access social engagement rather than remain in defence mode (Porges, 2011).
Alcohol moderation: Alcohol disrupts dopamine signalling. Removing the depressant cycle prevents the depletion that makes ambiguous information feel threatening.
Dojo tools: Sensory modulation, breath patterns, function identification worksheet, one-line reflection tracking, replacement reward system
Sudden anger → Passion and drive
Sleep strategies: Sleep increases autonomic capacity. The nervous system can hold more before reaching the breaking point. Small triggers stop becoming the last straw.
RSD management: When the system isn’t already holding chronic threat activation, emotional energy can move without exploding. The container for intensity expands.
Alcohol moderation: Alcohol impairs prefrontal control of limbic responses. Removing the impairment allows the system to channel intensity in a direction rather than dispersing it (Shaw et al., 2014).
Dojo tools: Body’s early warning system, breath patterns, cold water protocol, replacement menu, craving interrupt protocol
Irregular eating → Intuitive eating
Sleep strategies: Sleep restores interoceptive awareness. When cognitive load is reduced, internal signals register before they become urgent. The brain has the processing capacity to notice hunger (Strand et al., 2021).
RSD management: When the nervous system isn’t focused on external threats, internal cues become detectable. Attention can shift inward.
Alcohol moderation: Alcohol disrupts both dopamine function and autonomic signalling of hunger. Removing it restores appetite signalling and makes food feel rewarding rather than effortful (Volkow et al., 2011).
Dojo tools: Body’s early warning system, sensory modulation, environmental design, progress checklist
Chronic overwhelm → Capacity to respond
Sleep strategies: Sleep reduces cognitive load and increases working memory capacity. When the brain isn’t operating on a deficit, it can process multiple inputs without triggering shutdown. The PFC has the resources to sort and prioritise instead of collapsing under the volume (Kasper et al., 2012; Sergeant, 2005).
RSD management: When baseline nervous system activation is lower, the threshold for overwhelm increases. The system isn’t already holding chronic threat load, so it has the capacity to handle everyday demands without interpreting them as emergencies (Porges, 2011).
Alcohol moderation: Alcohol impairs the prefrontal cortex’s ability to sort, prioritise, and filter competing demands. Removing the depressant effect restores the executive function needed to manage multiple inputs simultaneously without the system shutting down.
Dojo tools: Racing thought triage, executive function sleep supports, body’s early warning system, breath patterns, environmental design, replacement menu
Couch-bound → Spontaneous action
Sleep strategies: Sleep restores dopamine baseline. When the fuel is available, the activation energy drops. The gap between intention and action narrows.
RSD management: When the system isn’t holding chronic activation, it has the resources to generate movement. The perceived effort cost of action decreases.
Alcohol moderation: Alcohol suppresses dopamine function. Removing the depressant cycle allows natural dopamine production to recover. Movement stops no longer requires justification (Salamone & Correa, 2012).
Dojo tools: Dimmer switch method, worst-night protocol, replacement reward system, environmental design, relapse response protocol
Numbing out → Present engagement
Sleep strategies: Sleep reduces cognitive load. When working memory has capacity, the brain doesn’t need to shut down non-essential processing. The circuit breaker doesn’t trip (Van der Kolk, 2014).
RSD management: When the nervous system isn’t constantly overwhelmed by threat signals, it can stay online during everyday interactions. Dorsal vagal shutdown (dissociation) becomes less frequent (Porges, 2011).
Dojo tools: Racing thought triage, RSD bedtime spirals protocol, sensory modulation, body’s early warning system, breath patterns
Recklessness → Innovation
Sleep strategies: Sleep stabilises dopamine enough to sustain the brake between idea and action. Risk assessment becomes functional when the PFC has the resources to operate.
RSD management: When the nervous system isn’t wound too tight or chasing stimulation to regulate itself, space for assessment returns without killing momentum.
Alcohol moderation: Alcohol impairs PFC function and inhibitory control. Removing it allows the system to evaluate cost while maintaining drive (Bari & Robbins, 2013).
Dojo tools: Executive function sleep supports, replacement menu, craving interrupt protocol, social strategy toolkit, identity and values alignment
Anxiety → Offbeat humour
Sleep strategies: Sleep reduces baseline arousal and hypervigilance. When the nervous system isn’t in constant scan mode, pattern recognition can explore connections instead of searching for threats (Reimherr et al., 2007).
RSD management: When threat detection is recalibrated, the same pattern recognition that drives anxiety can become playful. The brain can reappraise patterns flexibly.
Alcohol moderation: Alcohol initially appears anxiolytic, but increases anxiety during withdrawal and disrupts long-term regulation. Removing it stabilises dopamine availability, allowing flexible cognitive reappraisal and creative associations.
Dojo tools: Breath patterns, sensory modulation, light protocol, standing screen rule, replacement reward system
DISCLAIMER. Individual outcomes vary. These transformations describe what becomes possible when system conditions improve, not guaranteed results. The degree and timeline of change depend on your starting point, the consistency of your interventions, and other factors affecting your nervous system and brain chemistry. This framework is educational and not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.