Adaptive Goddess

  Thinking Traps are the WORST ! They make me scream when I realize I am caught in the thinking trap. They are so sneaky, unless we know what they are we don't know we are stuck in one, which causes a downward spiral of negative thinking. Like I wrote earlier, they are the absolute WORST. We have to snap our brain out of a thinking trap when we find ourselves in one.  The first thing to do is to identify the thinking trap you are in.  Fortune-Telling (Catastrophizing): Predicting that something bad will happen, without any evidence. “I never ride my bike, because if I did, a truck would run me over.” All or Nothing Thinking (Black and White Thinking ): Seeing things as only right or wrong, good or bad, perfect or terrible and often see a small mistake as a total failure. “I told myself I’d eat healthier, but I caved and ate pizza today. I am a failure. I might as well just binge out now…” Overgeneralization: Making sweeping negative conclusion that go far beyond the ...

  Masks are so important in today's society. I have seen so many people try and use their disability as a excuse to be a horrible person. Wearing a mask stops the spread of COVID -19 and keeps everyone you know and yourself safe. To only think of yourself in this time is selfish and borderline narcissistic  . We as a community need to work together to stop COVID. I understand that the sensation of a mask is uncomfortable. I don't like masks at all, I wish I did not have to wear one. But I do, in order to keep my self, my family, my boyfriend, my friends, my co-workers, my clients, and my community safe.  There are ways to help relieve the negative sensory stimulus that occur with a mask.  You can use essential oils on comfortable masks that help your brain cope with the negative sensory processing. This is a list of masks that I like: Hanes –  https://www.hanes.com/maskn2.html KEEN Masks –  https://www.rei.com/product/183220/keen-together-masks-package-of...

Finding a job can be hard. Saying you're on the Spectrum can be hit or miss: some employers don't really care, some find that kind of thinking to be a benefit to the workplace, and other's don't want Autism in their workforce.  I have only found that my disclosure of my diagnosis to be a benefit . I also work with children and teens who are on the spectrum, so it helps that my bosses understand that I know where these kids are coming from.  Check out my video on my experience in the workplace:   Workplace: Finding Belonging Disclosing your Spectrum Status is entirely up to you . If you need accommodations or you feel your Autism gives a perspective on the job that others don't have then tell your boss or interviewer. If you feel like your Autism is not going to affect your job performance or you are uncomfortable talking about it then don't tell them. The choice is up to you.  When you're in your job, make sure you are doing the best you can. Sometimes peo...

I personally love fireworks, the loudness and the vibration from the bang are things that my body really like. I also love to be in the front row at concerts and feel the music vibrate throughout my body.  However, I know not everyone can stand the sensory input of fireworks.  If you or someone you know does not like the sensory input from fireworks there are some things you can do, but it depends if the person wants to go out and see the fireworks or not.  If the person wants to go out  Bring some noise-canceling headphones: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=noise+cancelling+headphones+for+yardwork&crid=30MTK2DGTY1T9&sprefix=noise+cancelling+headphones+for+yard%2Caps%2C210&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_36 Be farther away from the fireworks.  If the person is not going  Watch the fireworks on the TV noise-canceling headphones for neighborhood celebrators.  Fireworks can be fun and loud and bright and awe-inspiring. But for some, fireworks can lead to sensory o...

In my work and personal life, I have come across a lot of confusion around whether a person or child who is neurodiverse is having a meltdown, tantrum, or a panic attack since they can look similar. As someone who cares for that person, it can be hard to watch and nerve-racking trying to figure out how to help.  I experienced all three growing up, and what to give some insight into these three emotional phenomena.  Since at the heart of these three events emotions lie at the center and cause these three phenomena to occur.  MELTDOWNS  Meltdowns occur when there is a flood of emotion that overwhelms all the systems in the body. They often appear as crying or breakdowns. It is the body trying to cope with the flooding of emotions and crying is often the only way it knows how to let out the excess emotions it cannot deal with. This phenomenon would occur during a highly emotional event, a breakup or a death, but it would occur when I would feel many emotions at once, du...

As we grow up we learn about the importance of our senses. They help us understand our world and how we connect to it. Our senses inform us and protect us.  The Five Senses are: Sight                                Sound Touch Taste                                          Smell    Each sense is processed in a different part of the brain.  For me, my brain processes the senses differently. I am like any others out there, who have a brain that processes the information from the senses in a different way. Sometimes my brain is hypersensitive to a certain sense, like sound. I can pick up the slightest change in the background noise, so if there is construction going on it is hard for me to focus on the task I am supposed to be doing. Or even sight, my eyes ca...