Connected Divergents

Okay, so we've heard of bare minimums, but what about bare maximums??? Do we even need bare maximums? When is it a good idea to use them? And is hyperfocus a bad thing??? Listen to this episode to learn more! And if you are looking for it, here's the link to sign up for my Neurodivergent Love Letters in your inbox! 

Do you ever feel guilty for not "resting enough" on the weekends? Or have you tried to make sure you're getting enough rest by taking naps, chilling on the couch, watching Netflix—and found yourself feeling bored AF? Here is my love letter to you: Rest doesn't *always* have to look like physical rest. It can!! And we love that!!! But rest for your brain can actually look highly active—especially with ADHD! Listen to learn more!

Do you have a hard time coming back into your routines after they've been disrupted? Maybe you went on vacation or traveled for work, maybe you had an unexpected chaotic life even happen (me + Hurricane Idalia), or maybe you just burned out. In this episode, I walk you through gentle approaches toward coming back to doing the things you want to do.

Why I think it's important for our brains to have experiences (through things like hobbies!) that reflect our values back at us. Not "shoulds," but true, authentic values for the people that we want to be, and the beliefs that feel like home in our brains and in our bodies.

Lately I've had a lot of people tell me, "Wow! You are so nice to your brain!!" But I have not always been so nice to my brain. My go-to default was beating myself up and shaming myself for not doing enough. I reflected on it a bit, and there are two tools in particular that I tend to utilize *a lot* when it comes to this particular form of brain-changing via neuroplasticity—using *new*, different neural networks and breaking away from those default patterns. I invite you to try these out and see how they feel for your brain! And also, if you have no idea what I'm talking about when I refer to neuroplasticity, I give some info about it on here! :) 

I have clients with chronic pain, chronic illness. I have clients who are in burnout, or just on the cusp of coming out of burnout. I have autistic clients with sensory overload and ADHD clients who take stimulants and find that no pharmacy can fill their prescriptions due to the shortage, leaving them in withdrawal.I have clients who have had MAJOR life crises. The loss of loved ones. Clients with the stress and challenge of moving, of new job transitions, of vacation transitions. This is what life looks like. A fully lived life. A tapestry with every color of thread. This is what humanity looks like, too. And amidst the bustle of humanity, the weaving of life's loom, some of my clients are working to deconstruct the belief that resculeding a session with me at the last minute is disrespectful. That it's rude. Inconsiderate. A waste of my time. What I have to say is this:There is never anything disrespectful about respecting your own humanity. Your capacity. Your needs. Your precious time.I want people to learn this to their core.I want people to carry the experience of being celebrated for rescheduling instead of reprimanded. So the next time they get hit with a $45 fee for forgetting their dentist appointment, they know with the utmost certainty: It doesn't always have to be like this. 

In this episode, I talk about my journey with disordered eating & finding my way to intuitive eating / anti-dieting... all before I ever even knew that I had ADHD! But of course, learning that I did have ADHD made this entire journey make SO MUCH more sense. Intuitive eating changed my life. I went from obsessing 24/7 about food, restricting food, and my weigh on the scale to recovering from my binge eating disorder and being able to totally change my relationship with food, to the point of being able to happily coexist with sweets and treats in the house without bingeing. I wanted to share my story in the hopes that it would help others who have experienced a challenging relationship with food & their bodies, and now know that they are neurodivergent. Resources:The Anti Diet by Christy HarrisonThe F*ck It Diet by Caroline DoonerIntuitive Eating by Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole

If you hear panting in the background, it's my dog Melody! :D Join me today for this episode about mindset downloads for your to-do list and how to use a to-do list as a support tool instead of having it be a fascist dictator that throws value-judgments at you for not being "good enough" if you don't get enough things done. 

Have you heard me talk about "following your dopamine" but struggle to feel what your intuitive pulls/calls/longings are? If following your dopamine feels challenging, that makes sense. This is a mental muscle, a spiritual skill, that we've often not been taught how to develop. It gets overcome by "shoulds" and shame. We were taught not to listen to our intuitive pulls because they're childish, immature, lazy, or wasteful. But the concept of "following your dopamine" is a critical skill when it comes to trusting ourselves and learning how to meet our needs. Learning how to answer the questions of, "What do I need right now?" "What does my brain need right now?" "What does my nervous system need right now to feel safe and supported?" Here's a quick and simple tool for learning how to follow your dopamine when it doesn't feel intuitive quite just yet. If it helps you, please share your results with me! I would love to hear it!

This episode is all about demand avoidance, my experiences around it and how I approach it in ways that are helpful for my brain (instead of harmful). Demand avoidance is something that I've struggled with since childhood. For me, the experience is an internal cringe combined with a teen-angsty feeling. Very often, demand avoidance for me causes emotional dysregulation and in extremes, meltdowns & shutdowns. Today I share about what strategies, mindsets, and approaches help me work with my demand-avoidant brain. I also briefly talk about how exercise, moving my body, and dieting/diet culture represented demands for much of my life.Show Notes:https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/what-is-pda-menu/what-is-demand-avoidance/