Are you questioning if you're Neurodiverse (ND)?

Many people that I have worked with over the years have been misdiagnosed and misunderstood, often being told that they are too much, too sensitive or just feeling like they don't fit in. It can be particularly difficult for women because they are socialised to fit in and experience more pressure to be socially acceptable.

As a late diagnosed AuDHD woman myself I always just thought I was quirky and felt things deeply, but after having a child the strategies that were able to keep me functioning well started to work less when there was more on my plate.

Recently, there has been a huge amount of awareness raised about what it can look like to be ND, whether that is ADHD, Autistic or the combination AuDHD, and these can look very differently for different people.

I often work with ADHD people who feel like:

• “I forget things a lot, and lose things a lot”

• I have executive dysfunction, I struggle with prioritising important things before other things, for example, I do the washing when I actually need to urgently call back to book in an appointment with my GP”

• “I procrastinate!”

• “I can’t stop my brain, it won’t switch off, especially at night"

• “I struggle to get tasks started and will often lose myself doom scrolling”

• ‘I have a million tabs open, and a million screenshots on my phone that I plan to follow up on but never do”

• “I am very emotional. And I am often accused of being TOO emotional and not logical or rational”

• “I talk a lot and often over people, or finish their sentences.

• “It feels like my brain is working so fast, going 20 steps ahead”

• “I feel anxious often because my brain goes down a negative rabbit hole”

• “I struggle to stay on track, going from one topic to another (which confuses others but makes total sense to me).”

Does this sound like you?

One thing that might help procrastinating about a task would be to set an alarm on your phone for 8 minutes, and so you commit to doing the task for 8 minutes. Often, the hardest part is starting a task; once you have started it, it may be easier to continue. But if you want to stop after 8 minutes then at least you have completed 8 minutes of that boring task like washing the dishes.

Also, it is helpful to put on some music you like while doing the task, or a podcast, or even get someone to be your body double with you (keep you company while you do the task). Another helpful strategy may be to pair something you don't want to do, like going for a short walk, with a positive reward like getting a delicious coffee from your favourite place.

There are so many strategies, tips, and tricks that support your brain and its differences. There are more ways to treat ADHD other than or as well as medication, and we can work through this together to find out strategies that work specifically for you.