When you go to a garden centre to buy a plant, the first thing you do is look at the label to find out what environment that plant needs to thrive. That is similar to what neurodiversity coaching is. Understanding and loving your brain type helps you to know what environment you need and how to ask for it and put it in place.
It might include:
Sensory Environment
Sensory overload can feel a lot like anxiety, so check your sensory environment before worrying about what else might have caused the anxiety. You might be more sensitive to light, sounds, the feel of clothes, and touch. You might need more stimulation, such as music, compression clothing, a weighted hoodie/blanket, pleasant smells on your clothing to mask other smells, or spending time lying on the floor or inverted.
Boundaries
Many neurodivergent people, particularly those who mask a lot, spend their time trying to adapt to the expectations and needs of others. They either don’t realize they’re allowed boundaries or don’t know how to put them in place safely. There are many easy-to-read books that can help you work through this (e.g., Setting Boundaries Will Set You Free by Nancy Levin).
Advocating for Yourself
Many people don’t have the vocabulary or language to communicate about their brain type in a positive and affirming way and to ask for what they need. Be careful that any research you do into your brain type is neuro-affirming, i.e., it speaks about your brain type in a positive way instead of as a disorder or a problem. You can prepare some sentences that help you communicate about yourself with a neurodiversity coach or on your own so that you become comfortable asking for what you need in a positive way.
Masking
Everyone conforms to some degree to the people around them, but when you know that your brain type is different from other people around you, you are more likely to mask. Masking is where you hide your true self and deny your preferences or needs in order to appear more neurotypical. This is really exhausting and can impact your mental health. It’s not something that most people do consciously or that is easy to control. Instead, if you make sure your physical and social environment is comfortable for you, then you’re more likely to need to mask less.
Energy Levels
Looking after all the aspects above will help you manage your energy levels more effectively.