The Daily Reconnect podcast

[Regulation Practice] Temperature awareness, an accessible interoception practice - Wired Divergent: Nervous System Regulation & Mental Health for Neurodivergent Brains

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This is a five minute guided temperature awareness practice. Standard body scans ask you to find sensations that some neurodivergent people genuinely cannot locate, and that gap can make the whole exercise feel useless. Temperature gives you something concrete to work with. We move through the hands, feet, forehead, chest, and stomach, and at each region we check two things: whether the temperature is warm, cool, or neutral, and whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Neutral counts as a real answer, and noticing nothing counts too. The external regions like your hands and the air on your forehead are a legitimate place to stay, and a single check-in can build into more capacity with daily repetition.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Temperature is one of the most accessible interoceptive starting points when body scans give you nothing to work with.
  • At each body region you can notice two separate things: the temperature itself, and whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
  • Neutral is valid information, and noticing nothing at all is also valid information.
  • External sensations like the temperature of your hands or the air on your forehead are a legitimate entry point you can stay with for as long as you want.
  • Daily repetition is how one short check-in turns into more familiarity with your own signals over time.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro and safety reminder

00:53 What temperature awareness is and why it works for low interoception

01:23 Practice

04:59 Returning your attention to the room

05:45 Why external sensations are a legitimate place to stay

06:29 Where to find more resources

About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube and Spotify. The audio you are hearing in strategy episodes is taken from the video version, which is recorded both inside and outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

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About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

Crisis & Support Resources: https://jendehaan.com/mental-health-resources

Full Disclaimer: https://jendehaan.com/disclaimer



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

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