It’s National Inclusion Week … and I have to share my thoughts as we’re a long way off where we should be!
I have a special interest in the impact of neurodiversity on women’s wellbeing, in particular around ADHD and autism, having been diagnosed at 49 and 51 respectively. I now fully understand why neurodivergent women can have an even more challenging life journey and stronger impact on their hormonal wellbeing, and why so many (like me) are diagnosed later in life, because oestrogen gives you super masking skills.
True inclusion means recognising that women aren’t linear – we are cyclical. Our hormones, our rhythms, our neurodivergence are not flaws to be fixed but strengths to be understood.
Hormonal changes can have a profound impact on how neurodivergent traits such as sensory sensitivities, challenges with emotional regulation, and difficulties with executive functioning manifest. These challenges often intersect with hormonal fluctuations in ways that many women are just beginning to recognise. My lived experience of neurodiversity and menopause and my expertise can help you understand and manage the changes you’re going through alongside your unique mind.
My coaching sessions can support women in many ways. I’ll help you better understand your unique experience of your hormones (and maybe your neurodiversity) and together we’ll find ways for you to learn to live your best life. I’ll support you to manage the symptoms and the health risks of hormonal changes with strategies that really work, covering activity/exercise, nutrition, sleep, mindfulness techniques for stress and anxiety, and much more.
Inclusion isn’t just about a seat at the table, it’s about making sure the table is built for all of us.
Women’s biology and the recognition of female neurodivergence has been overlooked for too long. When we are able to understand and embrace these differences, women don’t just ‘fit in’ – we thrive – and so do the communities we are part of – at home and at work.
Photo by Miles Peacock on Unsplash