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In this engaging conversation, Sol Smith shares his journey of self-discovery as an autistic individual and the process of writing his book, 'The Autistic's Guide to Self-Discovery.' He discusses the misconceptions surrounding autism, the importance of community support, and the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in professional settings. Sol emphasizes the significance of unmasking one's true self and finding purpose in work, while also addressing the need for understanding and acceptance within society. The discussion highlights the power of storytelling and the role of entrepreneurship in creating fulfilling lives for neurodivergent individuals. Sol Smith's social links: TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@bettersol   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprofessorsol  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solsmith   YouTube: https://youtube.com/@professor_sol   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sol-smith-mfa-eds-ms-cas-7955364     Get the book here:  https://a.co/d/dO0dUh6    Join the community here:  https://neurospicycommunity.com/   Check out the new podcast website: www.myneurodivergentpodcast.com

Rick and Gabby explore the themes of self-soothing, self-regulation, and the impact of workplace culture on mental health. They discuss the importance of pets in providing comfort, the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in social and work environments, and the need for corporate cultures to adapt to support employee well-being. The conversation highlights personal anecdotes and insights into navigating daily life and work while managing mental health needs. self-soothing, pets, self-regulation, neurodivergent, workplace culture, mental health, corporate values, employee well-being, social anxiety, coping mechanisms

In this conversation, Rick MacIvor and Gabby Nistico explore the nuances of fidgeting behavior, its origins, and its implications in various settings such as education, the workplace, and parenting. They discuss the rise of fidget toys, the societal perceptions surrounding fidgeting, and how it can be both a coping mechanism and a tool for focus. The conversation also touches on gender differences in fidgeting behaviors and the connection between fidgeting and anxiety, ultimately leading to a discussion on meditation and the importance of movement in achieving focus.

In this conversation, Gabby Nistico and Rick MacIvor explore the complexities of sleep, discussing personal experiences, the impact of mental health and neurodivergence on sleep patterns, and the importance of sleep hygiene. They delve into the challenges of achieving quality sleep, the role of medication, and the connection between autoimmune disorders and insomnia. The discussion also touches on alternative sleep patterns, such as napping, and the necessity of finding individualized solutions for better sleep.   sleep, sleep hygiene, mental health, neurodivergence, autoimmune disorders, medication, sleep struggles, routines, sleep quality, napping

In this conversation, Rick MacIvor and Gabby Nistico explore the complexities of change, discussing how people often resist it and the mental hurdles that come with transitions. We share personal experiences of navigating significant life changes, such as shifting careers and overcoming feelings of being stuck. The discussion emphasizes the importance of finding momentum, embracing individuality, and innovating personal systems to enhance productivity and happiness. Ultimately, we encourage listeners to empower themselves through change and to break free from societal norms. Takeaways People generally dislike change, especially when it feels uncontrollable. Change can be overwhelming and lead to mental paralysis. Thoughts and fears about change often aren't based on facts. Personal transitions can create a sense of being stuck or frozen. Finding small ways to start can help overcome inertia. Putting oneself first is crucial during transitions. Innovating personal systems can lead to greater efficiency and happiness. It's important to challenge societal norms and expectations. Empowerment comes from embracing individuality and personal choices. ADHD can be harnessed as a strength in navigating change.     Chapters 00:00 Embracing Change: The Struggle and the Journey 04:37 Navigating Personal Transitions: From Voice Acting to Therapy 08:53 Finding Momentum: Overcoming the Freeze 15:15 Innovating Life: Breaking Free from Norms 20:13 Empowerment Through Change: Making It Work for You   Transcript:   Gabby Nistico (01:00.566) boy. People, I mean people hate change no matter what. Like nobody likes change. Very few people like change. They might think they like change, but I mean ultimately I think the change that they enjoy is change that they have very strong control over and they're like ooh, cause they're excited about it. But change with variables. Yes. Debilitating. Good. Rick MacIvor (01:02.2) Things are changing. Rick MacIvor (01:21.677) Right. Or the idea of change. I like the idea of change. That sounds fun. But when it comes down to it, it's rough. It can be very rough. And I know just on the micro level, my little things about don't like, don't move my stuff. That's change. Right. Or if we have something planned and then plans change that micro thing that really Gabby Nistico (01:30.306) God. Gabby Nistico (01:38.523) Mm. Mm-hmm. Rick MacIvor (01:49.753) you know, is the cheese grater of my brain. I hate it. So I get it. Now I'm looking at a big change. Gabby Nistico (02:00.024) Well, we've talked and it's funny you said, cause we have, we've talked so much about the macro, but this, this really is, or the micro, this is, this is the macro. This is the big boy and. Rick MacIvor (02:04.805) Hmm. Gabby Nistico (02:13.646) Poof. It's even hard to quantify, you know? Like, I mean, because it brings up so many things. I know for me, it's utter hijacking of the normal thought processes. And everything becomes this slurry of what-ifs and what-abouts and trying to predict. outcomes in a way that is so obnoxiously time consuming that no change actually takes place. Rick MacIvor (02:50.423) That is, that is a real thing. Yeah. Gabby Nistico (02:52.532) Mm-hmm. Just it's a lot of thinking about the change but not in a productive way. Yeah Yeah, for sure Mm-hmm Rick MacIvor (02:59.362) God, it's more like ruminating on that kind of thing. Where, what if this and gosh, and how about and what if I get there and my God. And then seize the engine seizes. Pistons freeze up. Gabby Nistico (03:15.288) Yeah, it's a lot of time spent dealing with theoretical cause and effect that might not even manifest. Which is... yeesh. Rick MacIvor (03:23.492) Oh yeah, for 100%. It could probably everything, everything that I'm spinning on in my brain, there is a extremely low probability. However, sometimes thoughts aren't facts. Most of the times thoughts aren't facts. Gabby Nistico (03:29.429) Mm-hmm. Gabby Nistico (03:35.566) And yet we do it anyway. Gabby Nistico (03:44.936) Most of the, yeah, I mean, they're really not. They're just ideas. They're just possibilities. But we get obsessed with them. And it halts any kind of natural, logical movement towards the change. And for a lot of people, it actually backpedals them out of the change, right? because those variables become so intense that they're like, you know what, nevermind. I don't think I want to go down that road. I don't think I want to do that now because, right, it's terrifying. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Rick MacIvor (04:20.067) Yeah, you talk yourself out of it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. So I was telling you right before we started, I've locked, I've been in freeze the last couple of days and today was the first day I got out of it. And I got, I was in freeze because now that I've been accepted into this program and I'm really shifting gears, life gears, right? Career gears, from being a voice actor. Well, I'm still going to do that, but Gabby Nistico (04:29.742) Okay. Rick MacIvor (04:49.067) running a video editing business and a voiceover business to being a student with the goal of being a therapist. That's, that's a big change. And so I've spent the last week ish telling my handful of clients, I am getting out of the business. Gabby Nistico (04:50.574) Mm-hmm. Gabby Nistico (05:01.624) Holy crap is that. Yeah. Gabby Nistico (05:09.294) Mmm. Rick MacIvor (05:17.707) And so I have one client. I have you. You're my last client. I will always edit for you. No matter what. But and the reasoning was I probably could have like tried to because it's night classes, right? I even put my schedule together already. It's Monday, Wednesday, Thursday classes and they go and for three to ten. Right. Gabby Nistico (05:20.75) Woo! Aww thanks. Gabby Nistico (05:31.662) Mm-hmm. Gabby Nistico (05:40.716) and it doesn't start for how many months? Rick MacIvor (05:46.549) I've not been ruminating at all. Gabby Nistico (05:46.572) All right. I mean, good job. mean, good progress, like that's okay. Continue. Rick MacIvor (05:50.563) Good point. Yeah, you don't start till January and now you've been sitting here putting all the bits in your calendar when you have to. Yep. Yep. I did. did that. Rabbit hole. So I've kind of shifted gears out of that. And so I let my clients go. so the last two days, I finished all the work for them. And now I'm kind of Gabby Nistico (06:00.792) home. Rick MacIvor (06:19.944) sat around staring out the window going, wait, what now? What am I, what are we? And today I said, okay, there are things that I wanna do for me. Like we do this podcast, I have episodes to edit and I wanna put video together to put out. I said, I'm gonna work on that. Because I got into that freeze mode of total lockup. Gabby Nistico (06:27.054) Mmm. Gabby Nistico (06:38.03) Okay. Gabby Nistico (06:41.324) Mm-hmm. Gabby Nistico (06:46.669) Yeah. Rick MacIvor (06:48.886) Even though I had some things to do, just it was weird and like the change kind of froze me. Gabby Nistico (06:54.222) Now, do you think that if, mean, again, hypothetically speaking, if there was someone who was able to say to you, okay, the next thing you need to do is this, would, do you think that that would have unstuck you from the freeze or? No. Wow. Rick MacIvor (07:13.024) No. I, cause I had a list. have a list. I have a list on a piece of paper and I have a digital list and I have a list on my whiteboard back there. have lists all over my damn house. So it's not that I didn't logically know that I need to do stuff. It's that I have to get started, but everything has is different and all the things I'm used to my routine again, it's the change. It just, I just went. Gabby Nistico (07:17.329) Mm. Mm. Gabby Nistico (07:24.386) The list has a list, Yeah, okay. Gabby Nistico (07:40.846) Hmm. Rick MacIvor (07:43.552) and just kind of deer in headlight kind of situation. So then I sat down this morning and I'm like, I'm just going to edit one video for me because I hadn't put that as, you know, it's one of those also those things like you don't put yourself at the top of the list for things to do for yourself because I have, I used to have all these other clients and they are much more important than I am. So I'm going to edit all their stuff first. And now that's different. And so you, Gabby Nistico (07:46.851) Wow. Gabby Nistico (07:53.443) Yeah. Gabby Nistico (08:11.618) And that's a huge part of it because that's exactly what you've done. You've put yourself at the top of the list and you've made these changes for you, but that means that you don't have anybody else to be accountable to right now. And whoa, yipes. Rick MacIvor (08:29.96) Right. And so I sat down this morning and I've started editing some videos from the podcast and wanting to put stuff out and I'm like, yeah, I like this. This is fun. And I had up to the two minutes before we started recording. I, I have been editing. I'm like, okay, this, I remember, yeah, I like this. I know why I did this now. Right. So it's just, it's a, like I was saying, it's a mindset shift because Gabby Nistico (08:47.896) Wow. Gabby Nistico (08:52.11) Hmm. Gabby Nistico (08:57.528) Yeah, for sure. Rick MacIvor (08:58.943) I'm putting myself and my stuff that I think is important for me in the front of the line. Because there's no more line. Yeah. Gabby Nistico (09:05.4) That's a lot. Gabby Nistico (09:09.582) That's such a, it's such an oddly, it should be a liberating feeling, but I find that it's not for many of us. It doesn't have that effect. It's not liberating the way we think it'll be. It actually creates so much more distress, just a distress of a different kind. Yeah. Rick MacIvor (09:16.021) Mm-hmm. Rick MacIvor (09:22.666) What do mean? Rick MacIvor (09:40.289) Yeah. Gabby Nistico (09:40.438) Wow. So in that process of unsticking yourself, okay, you said you just decided to sit down wit

In this conversation, Rick MacIvor shares his journey into graduate school, discussing the emotional roller coaster of the application process, the unexpected challenges of interviews, and the anxiety that arose from competing with other prospective students. He reflects on past experiences that triggered feelings of inadequacy and shame, particularly in academic settings. The discussion delves into the impact of stress on ADHD symptoms, the importance of self-awareness, and strategies for challenging negative thoughts. The conversation highlights the complexities of mental health, particularly the nuances of shame and the internal voices that can hinder personal growth.   KEYWORDS grad school, academic anxiety, ADHD, stress, shame, mental health, self-awareness, personal growth, triggers, negative thoughts

Welcome back electric meatballs, it’s time to get all up into My Neurodivergent Life.  Today Gabby and I are joined by Victoria Lininger.   Today’s conversation was a lot of fun. Victoria was just a hoot to talk with and choc full of information.  One of Victorias previous businesses was as a music therapist.  Lot’s of interesting info there.  We talk about audio processing disorder, using music to help kids learn, and how she runs her own business as someone who is neurodivergent herself.  Not to mention raising a gaggle of neurodivergent kids.    As always, This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes, it is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

Welcome back electric meatballs, it’s time to get all up into My Neurodivergent Life.  Today Gabby and tackle the conversation around neurodivergence health and body image.  And to do this we are very excited to be bringing in our first ever guest on the show, Mike Pridgen. Many years ago Mike was diagnosed with what was then called Asperger’s, now known as ASD.  We’ll hear him tell the story of his past eating habits, body image and how he lost 101 pounds, kept it off, and came to change his life to the point of becoming a wellness coach.  He’s all over the social medias as “mike needs a plan”, and he ends every conversation with “be kind to yourself”.  Which is what drew me to personally work with Mike.  Plus Mike is just fun to talk with.  As always, This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes, it is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

Hi and welcome to the first episode of season two of the My Neurodivergent Life podcast.  I’m Rick Macivor and I’m joined by Gabby Nistico.  Gabby and I both had very busy summers, Myself, I ventured on an eighteen day vacation to Scotland.  Wonderful trip, and I learned some really important things about myself and my ADHD while traveling.  So today we go through a few of those insights and even have a few best practices that might help you out if you’re looking to travel in the near future.  As always,this podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes, it is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

Hey there my electric meatball friends, you have arrived at the end of season one of the My Neurodivergent Life Podcast.  I’m a child that grew up on American sitcoms, and their seasons are usually 24 episodes, I can’t help but follow that rule.  Gabby and I reflect briefly on what we’ve learned this season, and I reveal something I never ever thought I would do again in a million years.  Really.  I do have a quick ask, if you have enjoyed this podcast please take a sec to rate us.  It’ll really help us reach more people.  Now, as always, This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes, it is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.   Please reach out via our contact page on our new website www.myneurodivergent.life we would love to hear your stories and feedback.   Keywords - neurodivergent, counseling, mental health, education, therapy, podcast, personal growth, adult education, acting, community     Summary   In this final episode of the first season of the My Neurodivergent Podcast, hosts Rick MacIvor and Gabby Nistico reflect on their journey, discussing the importance of understanding neurodivergence, the need for more neurodivergent counselors, and the challenges of adult education. They explore the intersection of acting and counseling, emphasizing the shared skills in understanding human behavior. The episode concludes with excitement for the future and the upcoming second season.     Takeaways   The podcast has been a great learning experience. Neurodivergence is not a trend; it's a long-standing reality. Every great mind in history has been neurodivergent. There is a significant shortage of counselors in the mental health field. Access to mental health professionals is a global issue. Only a few educational programs specialize in neurodivergence. The need for neurodivergent counselors is critical. Adult education systems can be outdated and cumbersome. The intersection of acting and counseling reveals shared skills. The hosts are excited for the future of the podcast.   Sound bites "It has been a great learning experience." "Why can't I just show up and learn?" "There's a lot of heavy gatekeeping."     Chapters 00:00 Reflections on Season One 02:50 The Journey to Counseling 05:52 The Need for Neurodivergent Counselors 08:51 Educational Gaps in Neurodivergent Therapy 11:47 The Challenges of Adult Education 14:44 The Intersection of Acting and Counseling 17:34 Looking Ahead to Season Two

Hey there my electric meatball friends, you have arrived at the My Neurodivergent Life Podcast.  I’m Rick Macivor and today Gabby and I talk about clutter. I learn all about something called goat trails, and the poop rule.  We dive into the why of stuff, is it just for sentimental reasons or is there more to it.  Oh and Gabby shares her tried and true method for de-cluttering. This one is a ride, so jump on! This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes, it is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

Ok meatballs, today’s story is positive and inspiring, mostly. Imagine a world where it’s ok to advocate for yourself at work. It’s ok to the people around you and to your customers to talk about what’s really going on, what you’re needs are, and to have the support of management, HR, leadership.  It’d be nice.  Well, today Gabby and I talk about an experience where that absolutely was the case.   This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes, it is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

This week on the My neurodivergent life podcast Gabby and I dive into bottom up vs top down.  No not if you are a bottom or a top, no. We talk about how neurodivergent folks tend to have sensory first experiences rather than situational first experiences.  Don’t worry it’ll make sense in the first 3 minutes.  Also how our sensory first view of the world can drive so many of our choices, and how we can also use that as a superpower.  So… As always I want to remind you This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes, it is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

“Why do I always feel like I’m in trouble?”  Is it a learned behavior or is it part of how our neurodivergent brains are wired?  It’s a chicken and egg scenario.  We dig into how neurodivergent negative patterns are formed and reinforced and how that affects us throughout our lives.

Today’s episode is all about pattern recognition.  Current events, music, geometry, relationships, all of these things have patterns in some form or another. Sometimes it’s a superpower, and other times, well, it can cause us a whole bunch of stress.  The trick is, when can you trust it and when might it be driven by fear?  An awareness is the first step.