Divergent Conversations Episode 110 (Season 2): Neurodivergent Wellness Tips That Backfire and How to Adapt Them
Typical wellness advice is often made to sound simple on the surface, but it can feel alienating, frustrating, or downright unhelpful in real life for many neurodivergent people. For many Autistic and ADHD adults, tips like “just relax,” “try meditation,” or “write in a gratitude journal” can miss the mark, complicating our efforts to find meaningful self-care and regulation.
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, ask their audience to join in on the worn-down and worthy #NotYourNeurotypicalWellness conversation, exploring why so much mainstream wellness advice doesn’t work for many neurodivergent folks. They invite their community’s feedback, break down common “wellness” suggestions that actually cause stress or shame, and offer authentic, adapted strategies that respect neurodivergent needs and differences. You’ll hear personal stories, practical alternatives for things like mindfulness and “positive thinking,” and relatable honesty about everything from sensory baths to the pitfalls of forced gratitude practice.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
- Discover why classic self-care advice—like meditation, yoga, or gratitude journals—so often backfires for Autistic and ADHD adults, and get expert-backed adaptations that actually make sense for neurodivergent bodies and minds.
- Learn how to reframe “don’t worry,” “just relax,” and other well-meaning but minimizing messages, with concrete scripts and possibility-focused responses that parents, clinicians, and peers can use right away.
- Connect with candid, compassionate stories from Patrick and Megan Anna as they share their lived experiences with sensory overload, masking, and shifting toward wellness practices rooted in real agency, accessibility, and joy.
If you’re tired of being told to “just be positive” or have struggled to find self-care practices that truly fit, this episode offers honest validation, community-sourced wisdom, and neurodivergent-friendly alternatives you can try today, as well as a refreshing take on what real, sustainable wellness can look like—on your own terms.
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Thanks to Our Sponsor: Jane
✨ 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: 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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💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground
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:
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
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