Change is always possible, part 2

In addition to being able to know what your strengths and weaknesses are once you realize you’re neurodivergent, there is another reason why change is possible at any age, regardless of how many times you have failed, or how many diagnoses you have. It’s called neuroplasticity.Neuroplasticity means that the brain is capable of being rewired. So even if you are neurodivergent, which means you were born with your brain wired differently, or your brain has changed due to head trauma or aging, it is still possible to rewire your brain so that you can function in a neurotypical world.It takes a lot of work, time, and commitment, but most of the steps are accessible to you. They are:

• Self-care
  • adequate sleep
  • healthy diet
  • movement
  • connection
  • pleasurable activities
  • a spiritual practice that focuses on connection with yourself, others, and something larger than yourself— like nature, the universe, or God (not necessarily religion, in which messages can be twisted by humans for evil purposes)
• Self-soothing
  • something that engages all 5 senses
  • sight: e.g., something pretty
  • smell: e.g., aromatherapy
  • sound: e.g., a playlist
  • touch: e.g., a hug
  • taste: e.g., a treat
  • mantras: e.g., I can do hard things. I want to practice gratitude (vs. I should be grateful).
  • gadgets: e.g., fidget spinners, stuffed animals, weighted blankets, heating pads, squishmallows
• Mindfulness
• Self-compassion
• Therapy (but make sure you feel a connection with them while choosing one)
• Medication (especially if you’re constantly in fight/flight/freeze/fake (mask), have low energy, sleep all the time, stop eating, feel apathetic, and/or have meltdowns or uncontrollable anger)
• Creativity (because we forget how to play, like children)
• Meaning and purpose (so we know that we have the power to make things happen)
• Surrounding yourself with people who exemplify the kind of person you want to be (perhaps starting with your therapist)

This is possible at any time, at any age, and at every reset. You just have to commit to it. Do these things, and first you will feel mentally stable. And then you will thrive.

And then you will fly.