Navigating Hyperfocus and Neurodivergence

Welcome to episode #67 We’re thrilled to be joined by Dr. Megan Anna Neff today. 

Dr. Neff is a neurodivergent Psychologist and founder of Neurodivergent Insights where she creates education and wellness resources for neurodivergent adults. Dr. Neff is the author of Self-Care for Autistic People. Additionally, she has published in several peer-reviewed journals. Passionate about distilling complex research into visually accessible formats, she translates research into visual pixels which you can find on her website, Instagram, and digital workbooks. Beyond her visual endeavors, she co-hosts the "Divergent Conversations" podcast and spearheads a vibrant learning community tailored for neurodivergent adults.

Welcome to the show Dr. Neff!

Questions

1. Can you tell us about your experience with neurodiversity?
   1. When did you realize that you weren’t neurotypical? 
      1. 3 years ago (2021)
         1. Started exploring for oldest child
      2. Was surprising / Wasn’t covered in training
      3. Autism discovery came first, then ADHD.
   2. What challenges did you face? 
      1. Feeling
         1. Like observer in life
         2. Can’t be content
         3. Struggling to be present (because of dissociation from sensory overload).
      2. A lot of this is because of the sensory overload
         1. Specific sensory challenges
            1. The rate of work: 15 patients per day.
            2. In a room with 5 people simultaneously
      3. Mental dialog
         1. Preparing conversations
         2. Metaphors
      4. Autistic burnout
         1. Long COVID
         2. Explained 4-5 long depression episodes
   3. What changes have come post-diagnosis?
      1. Many of the challenges above, but lean into the underlying values that are driving it
         1. E.g. going to a bustling, overstimulating party can be manageable if connecting to the family aspect behind it.
      2. More accepting of how they can show up (e.g. if it’s a crowded area, accepting that they may be less present).
   4. What challenges do you still face now?
      1. Executive functioning
         1. Organization
            1. Missing details
            2. Scheduling
      2. Sensory
         1. Restructured work
            1. Closed private practice
            2. More space for flow states
      3. Autistic burnout/managing energy levels
   5. What neuro-exceptional strengths are you leaning into now?
      1. Hyperfocus/monotropism
      2. Special interests - “Aspie” quiz showed interest 
2. What "work" projects are you concentrating on?
   1. Working on several books
      1. Self-care for autistic people
      2. Autistic burnout
      3. ND affirming therapy
      4. Cross neurotype interactions
   2. Created 25+ workbooks
      1. On Examples:
         1. RSD
         2. Interoception
      2. Create graphics based on concepts
      3. Converting them into video courses
   3. Community
   4. Social media posts
3. How about the rest of the time? What do you enjoy doing in your off time?
   1. Doesn’t relax well
      1. Chandra Rhymes? With kids
      2. Actively looking for habits
      3. Self-diagnosed workaholism
4. Productivity tips 
   1. What do you do to optimize productivity during your working hours? 
      1. Learning things her way - standard learning styles didn’t work
      2. Leaning into rhythms
         1. Different buckets of work for different energy levels
         2. Bucket A: writing/creativity
            1. High energy
            2. Fulfilling
         3. Bucket B: admin
            1. Low energy/low brainpower
            2. Background shows to boost dopamine
      3. Interest-based nervous system - Dr Dodson
         1. As opposed to the importance of based nervous system
         2. Passion/meaning/play/novelty/urgency/challenge
         3. Operationalizing it
            1. Let herself chase her interests
            2. Structured spontaneity
   2. What is some unhelpful productivity advice that doesn’t work for you?
      1. “Normal” Scheduling
         1. E.g. content calendar
         2. Hard to figure out what to do for the next 6 months - can’t predict what 
5. BREAK
6. What does your morning routine look like and how has it evolved over time?
   1. Morning ritual
      1. Cup of coffee every day
      2. Sit in sunlight
      3. 15-30 minutes
   2. Which projects to move on today
7. How is your sleep? How do you switch off at night?
   1. Tactics for 
   2. Free association/shamanic/cognitive shuffling
      1. Free assoc
      2. Shamanic ritual
      3. Cognitive shuffling - intentionally shuffle thoughts (e.g. combining garden, find all the words starting with each letter of garden)
         1. It prevents rumination and mimics the early stages of sleep.
   3. Play solitaire in bed
8. Where can people connect with you or find your work?
   1. Website: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/
   2. Free resources on the blog: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog
   3. Newsletter: https://newsletter.neurodivergentinsights.com/resource-vault
   4. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-anna-neff/
9. Do you have any final words or asks for our audience?
   1. Start paying attention to your rhythms - “Detective of your own experience”
   2. Work with them, not against them

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