Danielle SullivanI think one of the most common “symptoms” of neurodiversity is overwhelm. We’re all trying our best in a world and society that aren’t right for us. It’s really easy to feel like we’re constantly behind where everybody else is, especially as a young adult.
On Overwhelm and Neurodiversity
Let me tell you, you are doing okay! You are almost certainly doing better than you think you are.
We all have a tendency to remember negative emotions more than positive ones; that’s evolution. It’s supposed to protect you from lions by helping you remember how much being chased by a lion sucks.
It’s not supposed to cause you to tip over into a panic attack because you lost your grocery list again. But nowadays, that’s the threat, so that’s your threat response, and of course that’s what you remember later when you’re looking back at your day!
This is a form of cognitive distortion, a way that your brain convinces you of something that is not empirically true.
So when you are stuck later on how badly you feel the day went, please, take a second, and give yourself some grace. You are doing your best. You do not have to be perfect today, tomorrow, or the day after. You are taking steps to make your life better. It is okay to go slow.
Try to think of 3 things that went well today.
- Focus on your efforts and what worked.
- Don’t blame yourself for what didn’t go well.
You are not behind. You are doing wonderfully.
