Sensory overload happens when your brain receives more sensory input than it can process. This can come from one overwhelming source – like a blaring alarm – or from multiple inputs at once, such as a crowded shopping centre with fluorescent lights, background music, and the buzz of conversations. When your brain struggles to filterContinueContinue reading “Sensory overload: How to navigate a world that feels too much”
Author Archives: Ali
Shame spiral? 6 ways neurodivergent minds can break free
Shame can hit hard, especially when you’re neurodivergent. One moment, you’re navigating life; the next, you’re drowning in self-doubt, overthinking every word, or feeling like you’ve failed in ways no one else seems to. Maybe a social misstep, sensory overload, or rejection – real, perceived or anticipated – set it off. Your nervous system goesContinueContinue reading “Shame spiral? 6 ways neurodivergent minds can break free”
How to manage your drinking and have happier holidays
The holiday season is often synonymous with joy, but for many of us, it can also bring added pressure—especially when it comes to managing our drinking. With festive gatherings and endless toasts, it can be tricky to navigate drinking in a way that feels good for you, without feeling overwhelmed or losing control. For some,ContinueContinue reading “How to manage your drinking and have happier holidays”
What’s a growth mindset and where can I get one?
A growth mindset is the belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, practice, and learning. Unlike a fixed mindset, which sees talent as something we’re born with, a growth mindset encourages us to embrace challenges and view setbacks as opportunities to improve. This concept was introduced by psychologist Carol Dweck, whoContinueContinue reading “What’s a growth mindset and where can I get one?”
Unconscious competence: what it is and how to get there
Unconscious competence is a powerful concept in personal growth and skill-building, describing the phase where you’re aware of what you know and can apply it with intention. This idea is part of the “four stages of competence,” a model developed by Noel Burch in the 1970s. The four stages of competence map our journey inContinueContinue reading “Unconscious competence: what it is and how to get there”
How to have happier holidays when you’re autistic
The holiday season can be especially challenging for autistic people, making it hard to have the happy holiday experience others seem to expect. From Thanksgiving and through Christmas to New Year’s, there’s a nonstop stream of holiday events, sensory overload, and social expectations, creating an environment that can feel overwhelming and exhausting. With a fewContinueContinue reading “How to have happier holidays when you’re autistic”
How to have happier holidays when you have ADHD
The holiday season can be particularly challenging for those of us with ADHD, leading to less than happier holidays. The pressures and expectations of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year come at us from all directions, with seemingly no break once Halloween has passed. That’s two months of holiday hype, filled with pressure to do everythingContinueContinue reading “How to have happier holidays when you have ADHD”
Don’t waste your life waiting for magic quitting beans
Spoiler alert, there’s no such thing as magic quitting beans! YOU have to do it. Yourself. But you don’t have to do it by yourself. You could hire me to help you. When I was looking to quit drinking, I joined an online group of maybe 4.5k people all looking to do, or having done,ContinueContinue reading “Don’t waste your life waiting for magic quitting beans”