A new offering from Belong...we are neurokin
Keep moving on, things are going to get better
Dear neurokin,
One of my neurodivergent quirks is that I think in song lyrics.
I wake up with a song in my mind every day. Throughout the day, a musical ear worm is there for me, every step of the way.
I create playlists to accompany me in new activities, projects or books Iām writing.
To me everything has a feeling or a vibe associated with it.
Sometimes it feels like a film or tv or radio programme I love.
How do you think?
Some of you associate or see things in colour. You may feel days, months or years in different colours, tastes, shapes, textures, images.
Some distinctions in periods of life may even be associated with a label that makes total sense to you
āI think of 2019 as being orangeā said my son.
As Iāve grown into new acceptance that I need to be living my neurodivergent life, instead of treating it as an abstract concept, Iāve been considering what I need to adapt in how I work.
Considering how I can take care of my energy and wellbeing, Iāve been exploring how I can introduce more simplicity.
My soundtrack for simplicity has been dance music!
Itās waking me up, not with urgency, but with a āah, itās ok, letās have a little dance, shall we?ā (straight away I am now taken to The Streets, Lets push things forward)
And so, with thanks to Maggie Smith for her beautiful Pep talk this week and a nod to my mindās accompanying sound track Inaya Dayās Keep Pushinā
This newsletter comes to you today to tell you how Belongā¦we are neurokin is moving on and evolving.
Belongā¦we are neurokin new offering
EXPLORE - Free monthly newsletter Neurodiversity News providing information about the latest thinking on neurodiversity and insights on the positive shifts and interesting turns that are shaping the neurodiversity movement; the liberation and stigma of the label. This will always be available for Free subscribers
From October the following articles, experiences and resources will only be available to paid supporters of the community:
LEARN monthly learning experience to help you understand your neurodivergence.
For neurokin, By neurokin
Either me or a neurodivergent practitioner will facilitate an hour of learning on a topic that will help you learn more about your neurodivergence.
Or
The learning will come from listening in on a coaching conversation with a huge variety of women to learn from their stories, their lived experiences, of what helped them to accept their neurodivergence and find their own version of belonging
GROW monthly article and guided coaching session, activity or meditation that will focus on part of your growth in improved:
self:Ā understandingĀ |Ā compassion | acceptanceĀ |Ā confidenceĀ |
LEARN Experiences
Weāve had two great learning experiences so far with:
This week we had Supporting your hormones to nurture your neurodivergence with Sophie Cartledge - replay video to be shared for paid subscribers
LEARN experiences to come
What do you want to learn about to help you in your neurodivergent growth?
Iād love to hear what you want more of. Taking a couple of minutes to answer these three little questions will be of huge value.
Adapting Life to Your Neurodivergence
A question for you:
What do you know about times of the year when your energy is most depleted and restoring it with a break will make a BIG difference to you?
For me, I know that for all of August and mid December to mid January I need to fully switch off from work.
To prevent reoccurring patterns of burn out, I need to change my habits and give myself a break from being āonā .
At these times I need to retreat, rest and take the pressure off myself from generating or creating.
During these times Belongā¦we are neurokin content will be written in advance of my time off and will be light reads; round ups and listicles.
Valuing Belongā¦we are neurokin Contributors
Itās really important to me that the neurodivergent communities expertise is valued.
Too many times I have been asked if I can come and give my expertise for free. This does not value my expertise or acknowledge what it takes to share some difficult aspects of neurodivergent discovery.
I deeply value the contribution that neurokin guests, contributors and practitioners make to Belongā¦we are neurokin. I value all the expertise, knowledge and wisdom that they bring for us to learn and grow from.
Belong coaching conversations - Our neurokin guests are generously sharing their experiences with vulnerability and a whole heap of courage.
It takes a lot to share lived experiences of growing up without the knowledge of your neurodivergence.
Discovery of neurodivergence later in life is both liberating and it comes with a lot of grieving for past you and the pain you may have experienced.
When we hear stories that mirror ours, it brings comfort, validates our own experience and makes us feel seen and heard.
When neurodivergent experiences shared differ from our own it widens our perspectives and opens up new thinking.
Itās important to create safe environments for these stories to be heard and valued.
Guest writers, like the Belong Conversations we learn so much from hearing about other womenās lived experience and what their neurodivergence means for them in articles too. Our first guest writer Bam Hyland wrote this gorgeous article for us: From lost and confused to knowing Iām free to be me
Iād love to keep bringing in guest neurokin to write about their experiences here too
Neurokin Learning Practitioners A lot of effort goes into designing and facilitating a learning session.
Guest LEARN neurokin practitioners are paid for the sessions they contribute to this community
All contributors receive a complimentary annual subscription to Belongā¦we are neurokin, so they keep on learning within this community after they have contributed.
Your Support
Your support of this neurokin learning community means we can keep learning and growing together from all those who contribute.
It also makes it easier for me to live and write articles and create learning resources for Belongā¦we are neurokin sustainably.
With heartfelt thanks,
Andrea x