Episode 111 (Season 2): Not Your Neurotypical Wellness: Adaptations and Reflections
Divergent Conversations
Navigating Meal Preparation Challenges
This chapter delves into the speakers' personal struggles with meal prep, emphasizing the role of smoothies as a nutritious solution for those facing chewing difficulties. They share experiences of societal expectations surrounding cooking, particularly for women, and the emotional impact of not being able to execute meal prep effectively. The conversation also explores meal service options and community resources that can make cooking and grocery shopping easier for neurodiverse individuals.
Navigating wellness advice as a neurodivergent person can often feel invalidating, overwhelming, or just plain inaccessible. So much of what’s recommended—from meal prep to journaling—assumes executive function, sensory profiles, or social fluency that simply aren’t universal. However, the right adaptations not only make wellness more achievable but also help us honor our genuine needs instead of internalizing shame or “shoulds.”
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, ask their audience and discuss the kinds of health and wellness advice that often fall flat for neurodivergent people, then share creative, compassionate alternatives that are more likely to work. Drawing on their clinical expertise and lived experience, they discuss executive functioning challenges, accessible food routines, setting up effective self-care practices, and the emotional impact of receiving (often unsolicited) advice. This collection-finale episode of the worn-down and worthy #NotYourNeurotypicalWellness series is a candid, practical, and validating deep dive into taking care of ourselves in ways that feel right, not just prescribed.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
- Learn specific, neurodivergent-friendly adaptations for wellness routines—like low-executive-function food prep, sensory-aware shopping tips, and realistic self-care strategies—that move far beyond generic advice.
- Get honest insights as Patrick and Megan Anna explore the emotional realities of shame, independence, attachment, and accepting help, with stories that will feel familiar and validating to many listeners.
- Discover actionable ways to create routines, boundaries, and community resources that fit your actual life, whether you’re navigating burnout, chronic illness, or just tired of toxic “positivity” culture.
If traditional wellness tips have ever left you feeling worn out or unseen, this episode is a resource for finding new ways to advocate for yourself, honor your needs, and reimagine what well-being looks like on your terms. Listen now for practical adaptations and heartening perspectives tailored for the neurodivergent community.
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Jane is a clinic management software and EMR designed to be an extra set of helping hands in your health and wellness business. Available online and on any device, Jane has branded online booking, scheduling, insurance billing, customizable documentation templates and online forms, integrated payments, telehealth, and more — wrapped up in one beautiful package that even your patients/clients will love. Backed by our unlimited human support available by phone, email, and chat (even on Saturdays!), Jane is here to help you get back to the work you love. Get 2 months off new Jane subscriptions when you use code DCPOD at signup. Visit: janesoftware.partnerlinks.io/divergentconversations
✨ The Autistic Burnout Workbook:
I'm Dr. Megan Anna Neff, owner of Neurodivergent Insights, and I'm excited to announce the release of my book, The Autistic Burnout Workbook. I'm running a special deal for those who support my work. After you order, you will get a coupon code that you can use toward our store for the same amount. For example, the workbook costs $18.99, so after purchase, you'd get a credit of $18.99 to use in our digital shop or in our Etsy shop, which gets you another digital workbook of your choosing for free. This is technically a pre-order promotion that was originally set to end on March 10th, but for listeners of the podcast, I'm going to extend this deal, so if you buy the book in the next month, you can also redeem this special. Thank you for supporting my work. It means so much to me and I hope that you will find this a helpful resource for you as you continue to build a life that is a bit more resilient to autistic burnout.
- Use the following link to grab this offer: neurodivergentinsights.notion.site/17ea17a4bb8b8034ab2bf9b03c560a64
- After this deal ends, you can use this link to purchase this workbook: simonandschuster.com/books/The-Autistic-Burnout-Workbook/Megan-Anna-Neff/9781507223062
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Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com
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Mentioned in this episode:
The Autistic Burnout Workbook
I'm Dr. Megan Anna Neff, owner of Neurodivergent Insights, and I'm excited to announce the release of my book, The Autistic Burnout Workbook. I'm running a special deal for those who support my work. After you order, you will get a coupon code that you can use toward our store for the same amount. For example, the workbook costs $18.99, so after purchase, you'd get a credit of $18.99 to use in our digital shop or in our Etsy shop, which gets you another digital workbook of your choosing for free. This is technically a pre-order promotion that was originally set to end on March 10th, but for listeners of the podcast, I'm going to extend this deal, so if you buy the book in the next month, you can also redeem this special. Thank you for supporting my work. It means so much to me and I hope that you will find this a helpful resource for you as you continue to build a life that is a bit more resilient to autistic burnout. Use the following link to grab this offer: https://neurodivergentinsights.notion.site/17ea17a4bb8b8034ab2bf9b03c560a64 After this deal ends, you can use this link to purchase this workbook: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Autistic-Burnout-Workbook/Megan-Anna-Neff/9781507223062
Jane
Jane is a clinic management software and EMR designed to be an extra set of helping hands in your health and wellness business. Available online and on any device, Jane has branded online booking, scheduling, insurance billing, customizable documentation templates and online forms, integrated payments, telehealth, and more — wrapped up in one beautiful package that even your patients/clients will love. Backed by our unlimited human support available by phone, email, and chat (even on Saturdays!), Jane is here to help you get back to the work you love. Get 2 months off new Jane subscriptions when you use code DCPOD at signup. Visit: https://janesoftware.partnerlinks.io/divergentconversations
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