Inhale. Exhale. Settle: A Quick Nervous System Tune-Up for the Wired and Tired Artwork

Hidden in Plain Sight - ADHD, ASD, and OCD - The Often Missed Diagnoses Driving Overthinking, People Pleasing, Perfectionism, Self-Doubt, and Burnout

Let's see if this fits for you. You’re overwhelmed and tired, mentally, emotionally, maybe even physically. You overthink everything, feel like you're never doing enough, and constantly worry about what others think. You're often stuck in cycles of procrastination, perfectionism, or people-pleasing. Social situations can feel draining, and even rest doesn’t feel restful.

You’re the one who holds it together. You care deeply and try so hard to be good and helpful, while quietly unraveling inside. You get things done, but you never feel done. You never feel rested. You never feel right.

You find yourself endlessly scrolling, withdrawing from others, or struggling to feel motivated. If this sounds familiar, you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. You’ve just been hidden in plain sight.

Hidden in Plain Sight is a podcast for people-pleasing, perfectionistic, over-giving women who can't seem to find relief. Hosted by psychologist Dr. Lauren Schaefer, this show explores the often-missed diagnoses behind lifelong anxiety, burnout, and shame in women who’ve spent years masking often-missed diagnoses that are often labeled as "just anxiety." This is a podcast for the women who’ve been called too sensitive, too anxious, too intense, or too much, when really, they’ve just been misunderstood.

We’ll talk about the perfectionism you've developed to hide your ADHD. Obsessive-compulsive personality traits that were mistaken for a “strong work ethic.” Autism that’s camouflaged by emotional intelligence, people pleasing, and hypervigilant masking.

Here you’ll find language for your exhaustion, compassion for your coping, and a mirror that finally reflects the truth: You were never too much. You were just unseen. This is a place to unmask, unravel, and understand the real reasons it’s always felt harder than it looked.

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Hidden in Plain Sight - ADHD, ASD, and OCD - The Often Missed Diagnoses Driving Overthinking, People Pleasing, Perfectionism, Self-Doubt, and Burnout

Inhale. Exhale. Settle: A Quick Nervous System Tune-Up for the Wired and Tired

July 22, 2025 • Dr. Lauren Schaefer • Season 1 • Episode 2

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In this calming episode of Hidden in Plain Sight, we slow everything down. If you've been feeling overstimulated, anxious, burnt out, or like your body is buzzing but your brain can’t settle, this one’s for you.

Join Dr. Lauren Schaefer for a guided nervous system regulation practice designed especially for sensitive, neurodivergent, anxious, and perfectionistic minds. Through breathwork, grounding, mindfulness, and simple somatic tools, you’ll learn how to soothe the overwhelm, reconnect with your body, and come home to yourself.

You’ll be gently guided through techniques like the physiological sigh, rainbow spotting, vagus nerve stimulation, and mindful presence. There is no pressure to “get it right,” just small steps toward safety and calm.

Whether you listen in bed, on a walk, or in between back-to-back tasks, this episode is here to remind you that you can bring yourself back to a sense of calm and ease in a matter of minutes. Your body and mind will thank you.

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With warmth,

Dr. Lauren Schaefer