Neurodivergent Brain

Does anyone have any tips?

-A weird nerotypical.

First of all thank you for interacting with my blog and sending in your thoughts!

I definitely see where you’re coming from. I think portrayals in media are extremely hard because some people do fit what is stereotypical but it’s vital that we have portrayals that aren’t stereotypical so we are acknowledging everyone. I think the media in their portrayals needs to acknowledge that being autistic is a lot more complex than just what is currently being shown. I also think media companies need to be working with more neurodivergent people especially when they are attempting to portray autism.

I also lowkey wish that there was a character that the audience has no idea that the character is autistic because they mask and then it’s just randomly mentioned once and that’s it. Like the character should very much have autistic traits and the struggles that come with that should be shown but it’s like not like their whole storyline and that’s all they are.

I’d be interested to hear other people’s thoughts on this?

Ok so I’ve started year 12 and it has been really stressful so I haven’t cleaned my room for like AGES

And so I’ve found some bathers and a towel from over a month ago and they are going mouldy….

Real bad I know! I’ve been wanting to clean them, I just couldn’t.

Now my parents have put their foot down and I’m cleaning my room.

But here are the bathers and towel!

Do I just try to wash them?

Do I just throw them out?

Or do I own up to my parents?

Like I know I probably should just tell them but it really just doesn’t fee worth getting in trouble and told to do better and told that I’m lazy.

Like yes I know I need to do better that’s why when I live by myself, I will set myself up so I don’t have this situation but I’m in this situation and there is nothing I can do now…

Is it wrong from me to just get rid of it and not tell them?

Do you feel like they would notice?

Like I’m thinking I just wash the bathers and throw out the towel cause the towel seems unsalable but I reckon I can get the bathers clean.

I’m always trying to be positive and trying to love myself but sometimes I can’t help but wish I wasn’t autistic.

Maybe people would accept if I wasn’t so different

Maybe i would be enough if I was able to just know what to do like everyone else

Maybe people would stay

DO NOT EXCUSE ELON MUSKS ACTIONS BECAUSE HE IS AUTISTIC!

Last I checked doing the nazi salute is not part of the diagnostic criteria!

He has not apologised for his insensitive action regardless of its intent, instead he made nazi jokes!

Prepare for the upcoming school year

I know that I will have drops in my motivation throughout the school year so I might as well get ahead while I have motivation

Some of the things I did to prepare was look through the key points in my subject’s study design

I aimed to get the book I need to finish for English read by the end of the holidays. Sometimes I found I couldn’t read if I was putting pressure on myself to write down quotes and other notes from the book so instead I reminded myself it’s better that I just read the book and do it the easiest way possible because it’s better to just read it rather than not reading it at all because I’m too stressed about having to make notes. I did end up just underlying any thing in the books I liked with a pen when I felt like it and write any thoughts I had that might be important

I also had a look over the key terms of some of the subjects I struggle most with and made a glossary if I felt like it.

I didn’t have any homework these holidays (my school for the first time ever has decided it’s better for our mental health to get a break which is really good!) but if you do have homework get it done early

Maybe catch up with a friend from school (preferably one you will actually get work done with) and work on it together.

Identify what you struggle most with at school and if possible, GET A HEAD START AT IT TO HELP YOU. For example I struggle to read the school book so that was my focus to do first. I also struggle with biology so I did some over view of what we were gonna learn and looked at the key terms so it would be easier for me later

Work out how you are going to be organised before you start school, such as systems to help you not forget stuff

Catching up with friends

I struggle with the pressure that I believe I should be catching up a lot with people on the holidays but YOU ACTUALLY DONT

Only go out as much as you want to, this is your break which also can mean your break from people. Good friends will understand that sometimes you just can’t do a lot of social stuff

When I did catch up with friends sometimes we would organise to do mundane everyday things together. For example I needed to walk my dog so my friend came and did it with me then she needed to go shopping for some basics but she gets really anxious going to the shops so I went with her. We also caught up and I cleaned my room while she sat on my bed and did homework. Not only are you bodydoubling and getting things done but also catching up with each other

Have a going out bag ready and packed. Sometimes having to get a bag ready is just one more extra task that can put you off going out so have a bag that’s filled with any and all necessary you might need so you know you are not going to forget anything.

If you are struggling to catch up with friends and they keep messaging you asking to hang out but you just can’t, let them know! Talk to them! Send them a message and say hey listen I really do want to see you but I don’t have the social battery/ I just mentally can’t do it right now/ whatever you are feeling. Communicate let’s them know what’s going on so they understand.

Do the same thing if you have organised something and are feeling anxious to go out. One of my friends often lets me know when she is having a bad day with anxiety and I am always happy to rearrange plans so it’s less stressful for her such as instead of going out we just go to one of our houses. I’ve also done this with some of my other friends especially when we have gone to the beach and I’m having a bad body image day, they are my friends so they understand and will often let me cling onto them as a safety person or if I feel like I need to wear a rash top to hide my body they will wear one with me so I feel like I’m not standing out. Talking to them will help! They want to know so they can help and support you!

At the end of the day tho if you don’t want to catch up, then don’t! I’ve spent more time in my room doing nothing than going out because it’s my holidays and this is my version of relaxing!

Looking after yourself (hygiene, mental health, staying on top of things)

I tend to lose routines on the school holidays which can often make eating, getting ready, taking medication, and keeping my room clean difficult.

For getting ready I try to make it as easy and fun as possible!

I often struggle to go to my bathroom to brush my teeth when I’m not in a routine so instead I have a toothbrush, some toothpaste and a water bottle in my room to make it easier! A quick brush and then (yes I know it’s bad and probs gross!) I just swallow down the toothpaste with a gulp of water. Swallowing after brushing isn’t ideal but it gets the job done and hasn’t killed me!

Honestly my eating habits aren’t great as I often skip lunch but I always make sure I have some easy to grab food that will fuel my body efficiently like some yogurt or a banana.

Because I struggle with my eating and my meds don’t help, I sometimes have something like a “lady shake” as I find it easier to drink than eat and it will still help give me enough energy to get through the day. Have food that is just easy to grab and sometimes limiting your options helps as then having to choose doesn’t get in the way.

WHEN YOU WAKE UP, EAT SOMETHING! EVEN IF ITS SMALL!

Make it a habit that no matter what the time is you get up, you have something to eat and TAKE YOUR MEDICATION!

I kept not taking my adhd meds as I would wake up late in the day and decide I shouldn’t take it as it will effect my sleep, BUT I was waking up later because I was going to sleep later and that’s ok! I can still just take my meds at 12 pm (midday) because they will have worn off by the time I’m going to bed at like 12 am (midnight)

As I get closer to going back to school, I do make an effort to slowly shift my sleep schedule back to normal by forcing myself to get up earlier so I go to sleep earlier. This is important so your body doesn’t freak out at the sudden shift in your sleep cycle when you go back to school.

These holidays I’ve also been putting a lot of focus on my skin care and having fun with it. Because I’m not going out a lot there isn’t much point on spending hours doing some cool graphic linear that my friends won’t get to see and instead my sister is just gonna look at me weird for wearing it so instead I’ve been putting time into looking after my skin which means having fun doing masks and using oils. I’ve also been doing the same with my hair and nails. THIS MAKES TAKING CARE OF MY HYGIENE FUN!

Also speaking of hygiene, just cause you’re not going out doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do the basics, you have to put on deodorant everyday! You should also be aiming to shower everyday! If you do end up going to bed without a shower because you are just too damn tired then you got to make that effort to shower in the morning. Take care of yourself, you deserve to be and feel clean!

If you struggle to brush your hair everyday try putting it in a braid so it doesn’t get as knotted and just take it out each time you can be bothered to brush it.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH!

you have medication there to help you so take it

Book that session with a psych/councillor/therapist, they will help you keep onto of your mental health by helping you if you’re struggling, stopping you from spiraling further down that rabbit hole or simply just offer that reassurance that if they are there if you start struggling again.

Remember to practice some of those calming exercises!

Remember to remind yourself that you are more than enough!

Remember to be kind to yourself! Both physically, mentally, spiritually and in every other way.

Go do something that is fun! Go reward yourself with some ice cream! Or go eat some vegetables and do a workout because you know it will feel good! If you are religious then go do something that helps you in that area (I’m not so I don’t really know what helps and ik it definitely depends on what you believe in but whatever it is go reward yourself with it!)

KEEPING YOUR SPACE CLEAN IS HELPFUL

I once had a psych tell me that my room is a physical representation of my mind. Messy room = messy mind. I can have a messy mind and still be in a good headspace but if I go into a bad headspace where I just cannot clean up, it’s harder if it’s already messy. So keeping it clean helps work as a protective factor for my mental wellbeing.

I have a habit of just dropping things on the floor and that’s how things get messy QUICKLY

So I now have a big tub where anything and everything gets dumped into because at least then it’s not on my floor so I wont step on it and break it.

BOXES!!! OMG THEY HELP SO MUCH!

I don’t bother folding my clothes (purposely don’t get clothes that wrinkle because of this) but every thing had a draw or a box. I have also further organised my tops into my fancy, dressing up, cool, ones that I would wear out and then I have the draw for the ones I would wear just around the house or when I go to work. It means that all my tops don’t get pulled out just to try and find the ones that I actually wear when out with friends.

Having a bin in your room can be good BUT DO NOT PUT ANY SORT OF FOOD SCRAPS IN THERE! I personally struggle to empty it often enough so while it’s helpful when I have paper scraps or used makeup wipes, it’s better I do just make that extra effort to get up and go to the kitchen.

While u have time through the holidays, maybe try to get a bit of room organising down. Even if it’s just organising chaos!

Have boxes or draws for certain things that don’t need to have a lot of order in them because that’s too much effort to make just throwing things in a draw as an easy option when cleaning.

Throw some stuff out that you are ready to part with, but if you’re not ready to let go of it just yet cause maybe it holds some special memories. Put it in a special box so that you can later come back and evaluate how much you have actually used it and how important is it really? If the memories and the use it currently has worth the space is taking up? If you are holding onto something because you “might” use it, what are the chances that you could find something similar again or if you could actually do without it?

But don’t just get rid of your stuff just because you are getting older and “you need to grow up” 🙄

I’m turning 18 soon and still have a bunch of my barbies because they hold some very important memories. I’m afraid of being judged for having them so they are hidden away but I’ve actually had a friend come over who was upset she had to get rid of her barbies before she was ready and we actually ended up going through and dressing them up together for fun!

Holidays can be HARD! so pls pls pls just take care of yourself and make things easier for you!

Having stuff within easy reach of your bed can help massively! It’s all just about trying to get organised and make things as least stressful as possible.

I feel like some of these aren’t just for the holidays but oh well! If you guys could pls like, comment, reblog or/and even follow! That would be amazing as it is such a good feeling knowing that people actually read and like what I write.

-🦕