Episode 31: Releasing Expectations Around The Neurodivergent Holiday Experience

There are a lot of different opinions and feelings about the neurodivergent experience during the holiday season. The reality is that they will be vastly different for each individual, and there isn’t a right way to experience the holidays.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, dive into the complexities of navigating the holiday season as neurodivergent individuals, offering valuable strategies for managing stress, setting boundaries, and finding moments of connection.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Understand the challenges of masking or unmasking publicly and at holiday events, as well as the importance of setting boundaries to protect one's energy and sensory needs during gatherings.
2. Identify strategies for managing stress and anxiety during the holiday season, including ways to do self-care and prioritize value-based activities. 
3. Learn how to release expectations, find compromise, and create moments of joy and connection that result in more meaningful personal experiences in cross-neurotype relationships and prioritize well-being for every neurotype.

We all have different likes and dislikes, as well as perceptions and experiences, so do your best to release any expectations around how you should experience and feel about the holiday season, and try to create an environment and experience that honors your unique wants and needs. 

Resources:

One of Dr. Neff’s first blog posts ever written was on navigating their first holiday season after the discovery that they were Autistic, so if you want some more Autistic holiday musings here you go:

• Autism and the Holidays: Reflections: neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/neurodivergent-holiday-reflections

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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