Tag: sensory overload

Quietly Neurodivergent Fidget Tools

Small Fidgets and Comfort Objects for Neurodivergent Brains in Meetings

If you fidget constantly in meetings and worry it looks unprofessional, you’re not alone. For many autistic and ADHD people, small, quiet fidgets and discreet earplugs are genuine focus tools, not bad habits. This article looks at why they help, how to choose subtle options that work in your environment, and what to say if someone asks, “Are you paying attention?”

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Neurodivergent Meetings

Surviving Meetings When Your Brain Is Already Full

Meetings can look like “where the real work happens” from the outside and like sensory and cognitive overload from the inside. This article explores why meetings are so tiring for autistic and ADHD people, shares how I cope with agendas, notes, quiet fidgets and reset time, and offers small, realistic tweaks that can make your next meeting a little less overwhelming.

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Masking Neurodiversity

Masking, Burnout, and Quietly Falling Apart When You Get Home

From the outside you might look calm and capable; at home you’re collapsing on the sofa, forgetting to eat and avoiding people. This article explores how long-term masking can feed into autistic burnout, what “quietly falling apart” can look like in everyday life, and offers small, realistic ways to unmask safely and protect your limited energy.

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Ear Protection for Neurodiverse Individuals

Ear Protection for Neurodivergent Brains: When Sound Is Too Much and What You Can Do

Background noise doesn’t have to be painful to be exhausting. In this article I share how I use noise-reducing ear plugs and earbuds as an autistic adult in open-plan offices, at Beavers and in everyday life, and offer practical, safety-aware ideas you can adapt to find what works for your own sensory system.

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Passing as "fine" at work

Passing as “Fine” at Work (When You’re Quietly Falling Apart)

Many neurodivergent people look calm and capable at work while quietly falling apart afterwards. This article names that pattern of “passing as fine”, explores why autistic and ADHD adults so often do it, and offers small, realistic ways to make work 5–10% kinder to your brain.

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