Episode 110 (Season 2): Neurodivergent Wellness Tips That Backfire and How to Adapt Them

Typical wellness advice is often made to sound simple on the surface, but it can feel alienating, frustrating, or downright unhelpful in real life for many neurodivergent people. For many Autistic and ADHD adults, tips like “just relax,” “try meditation,” or “write in a gratitude journal” can miss the mark, complicating our efforts to find meaningful self-care and regulation.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, ask their audience to join in on the worn-down and worthy #NotYourNeurotypicalWellness conversation, exploring why so much mainstream wellness advice doesn’t work for many neurodivergent folks. They invite their community’s feedback, break down common “wellness” suggestions that actually cause stress or shame, and offer authentic, adapted strategies that respect neurodivergent needs and differences. You’ll hear personal stories, practical alternatives for things like mindfulness and “positive thinking,” and relatable honesty about everything from sensory baths to the pitfalls of forced gratitude practice.

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟯 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲:
1. Discover why classic self-care advice—like meditation, yoga, or gratitude journals—so often backfires for Autistic and ADHD adults, and get expert-backed adaptations that actually make sense for neurodivergent bodies and minds.
2. Learn how to reframe “don’t worry,” “just relax,” and other well-meaning but minimizing messages, with concrete scripts and possibility-focused responses that parents, clinicians, and peers can use right away.
3. Connect with candid, compassionate stories from Patrick and Megan Anna as they share their lived experiences with sensory overload, masking, and shifting toward wellness practices rooted in real agency, accessibility, and joy.

If you’re tired of being told to “just be positive” or have struggled to find self-care practices that truly fit, this episode offers honest validation, community-sourced wisdom, and neurodivergent-friendly alternatives you can try today, as well as a refreshing take on what real, sustainable wellness can look like—on your own terms.

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𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 & 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

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✨ 𝙉𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨
If you want to supplement your learning on burnout, check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/bu...

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💬 𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝘿𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙
Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: https://divergentconversations.substa...

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🎧 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: https://www.divergentpod.com
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💻 𝗗𝗿. 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝗳𝗳’𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: https://neurodivergentinsights.com
💻 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: https://www.allthingspractice.com