What is it? Autistic burnout, can be understood as a state of intense mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion experienced by many autistic individuals. It’s not simply stress or depression, but a distinct phenomenon rooted in the unique way autistic brains process and interact with the world, often exacerbated by the constant effort of navigating a neurotypical-centric society. Perspectives I think…
A Nervous System Take on Masking
A simple definition of masking, is a set of behaviours that we developed to camouflage ourselves as neurotypical people. It often begins at a very young age, when we have experiences that communicate our differences as not ok, as weird, confusing or unacceptable to others. That might be our peers, other kids, family members or teachers. It can also come…
ADHD & Emotion Regulation
ADHD and emotion regulation If you’re living with ADHD, you may already know that attention challenges are just one part of the picture. For many people, the most difficult and distressing symptoms are emotional. We may have big feelings that surge quickly, overwhelm easily, and linger longer. Whether it’s frustration that escalates into anger, sudden feelings of distress or hopelessness,…
A Tool For Mapping Our Needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – A tool for mapping Our Needs Abraham Maslow’s theory is one of the earliest and most well know theories that allow us to map and explore our human needs. It’s often shown as a triangle, or pyramid. Human needs are complex and this theory is just a framework we can sometimes use to begin to…
The Hand Model – Meltdowns & Trauma Triggers
The Neurobiology of “The Moment” – First, it is important to understand why our brains cannot solve problems, have complex thoughts, be reflective or use our language centers very well or at all, in the moment. Dan Siegel created the “hand model of the brain,” which visually shows how the prefrontal cortex (just behind your forehead) helps keep our emotional…
Managing our own and others distress
My thoughts at the moment are on being with my own and others distress. This isn’t really a very usual subject for a December blog, but its where my mind is at the moment. There’s a great deal going on in the world that can feel really difficult to be with. We may also be struggling with difficulties closer to…
Somatic Self Love Practice for Valentines
Valentines day can feel really money orientated and geared towards an ideal of romantic love, that is rarely very real. Many of us wont have someone to ‘do’ Valentines with and for those who do, it is often not a meaningful mirror of love, as it does or doesn’t show up in our real life relationships. The pressure on people…
VIDEO SERIES – Accessible Mindfulness
All videos in this 4 part series are accessible, inclusive mindfulness experiences. I use eye, hand, gentle body movement, breath, and other tools and hacks to settle the nervous system enough, so as to come into presence. Often we can find mindfulness meditation difficult to access, it might feel triggering, overwhelming, confusing, or just impossible to settle into on any…
VIDEO Self Care, Self Love – Mindfulness, Movement, Breathwork
A 45 minute live recorded workshop offering some movement with qigong, Feldenkrais and gentle yoga at the core, to move mindfully, offering kindness, gentleness and acceptance to your current state. The mindfulness is embedded throughout the session. Some gentle breathwork with a small counted guided breathing, a technique taught be Bessel Van Der Kolk. There is a short yoga nidra…
VIDEO Mindfulness, movement and breathwork session – pt 1 freeze response
This is the first part of a series of live recorded mindfulness, movement and breathwork sessions, dedicated to moving out of freeze response states in our bodies. Have a blanket and a pillow or two ready to get comfortable and enjoy getting to a place of calm in body and mind. No prior knowledge of mindfulness is required. Enjoy!
VIDEO Mindfulness, movement and breathwork session – pt 2 flight response
This is the second part of a series of live recorded mindfulness, movement and breathwork sessions, dedicated to moving out of flight response states in our bodies. Have a blanket and a pillow or two ready to get comfortable and enjoy getting to a place of calm in body and mind. No prior knowledge of mindfulness is required. Enjoy! If…
VIDEO Mindfulness, movement and breathwork session – pt 3 fight response
This is the third part of a series of live recorded mindfulness, movement and breathwork sessions. Today we are looking at how to respond to the fight response of your nervous system. Have a blanket and a pillow or two ready to get comfortable and enjoy replacing and resting your nervous system to get a to a peaceful place of…
Something a little bit different – Neuroscience informed ways to manage the stress of lockdown pt 1
Firstly let’s acknowledge reality. We are all being impacted by a global pandemic, it will be impacting us differently, but it will be impacting us.Being human, this will have an effect on us. That’s unavoidable, and if you’re feeling stressed, anxious, fearful, hopeless, bored, disconnected, angry, that’s all normal! We can’t change what’s happening out there in the world, and…
Something a little bit different – Neuroscience informed ways to manage the stress of lockdown pt 2
I’ve written previously on how we need to find ways to respond to how we feel, right now, not just squish prescriptive self care stuff onto ourselves, then wonder why it’s not working.I’d like to offer a few more suggestions. Some things we can do when the stress and distress of our shared global situation feels like it isn’t manageable…
Something a little bit different – Neuroscience informed ways to manage the stress of lockdown pt 3
So I’m writing again on stuff to do when stress and distress take hold. If it isn’t working it isn’t you, it’s the tool. Mindfulness, movement, breathwork and all that goes with that, is not built to help us all, all the time.What we need is state dependent. Sometimes sitting still is what we need most in the world, sometimes it…