Living well with neurodivergence
Havering’s Neurodiversity Staff Forum have put together a list of top tips that help them to adapt their day to be more neurodivergent-friendly.
Sensitivity to light and / or noises
- For situations when you know you may be overwhelmed by noise, wear noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to block it out, e.g. Loop earplugs.
- If you have trouble sleeping because of your ears tuning into noises in your surroundings, put on a fan or white noise machine. This noise will stop your brain from tuning into all the little noises in the night that makes it hard for your brain to switch off.
- Dim the lights in rooms where you can.
- Bring sunglasses with you wherever you go in case you need them.
Find time for neurodivergent joy
- Give yourself time in the day to really enjoy your special interests and things that bring you autistic / neurodivergent joy.
- Find ways of being able to share the topics you love with others.
- Check out local community groups that share your interests! Its a great way to meet new friends who enjoy the same hobbies as you.
Use AI for help with wording messages
If you can come across blunt without meaning to, use AI, like ChatGPT, to write emails and text messages if you're worried about getting the tone right.
For those who crave daily routine
Try to think of a couple of key things in your routine that, even if your routine changes, you can keep the same no matter what happens each day.
This may be the time you wake up, when you have breakfast, or that you’re going to go for a walk every day.
This can be grounding in a day that doesn’t go the way you had planned.
Strong sense of social justice
You may want to lean into this and get involved by volunteering or supporting causes that interest you.
If you find this strong sense of justice really difficult for your mental health, you may want to schedule time away from reading the news, social media and other platforms where you see bad news all the time.
If you need to move / fidget to concentrate
Find some fidget toys to take and use for times when you need to sit still for long periods of time.
Talk to your boss at work, or teachers at school, and let them know that you struggle with sitting still for long periods of time. Let them know you would find it helpful to have the freedom to stand up, walk around or use fidget toys to concentrate.
Hyperfocusing
Hyperfocus is an unusual ADHD trait whereby ADHDers can fixate very intense on an activity, so much so that they lose track of time and can forget to eat, drink or go to the bathroom. It's the exact opposite of being easily distracted, which is also a common ADHD trait.
Setting alarms / using visual countdown timers is a great way to remind you to eat, have a break or to stop you missing appointments.
Procrastination
Some ADHDers find body doubling really helpful. It's proven that having someone in the room with you, or on a call with you, helps ADHDers to be more productive. That’s why some people prefer to go to a library to study, for example.
Related Services
Related services
Sycamore Trust support for autistic residents and their families
Sycamore Trust U.K. offers a range of services specifically designed to support autistic individuals and their families, and we aim to educate the community and empower individuals of all ages to flourish and be valued members of society.
Sycamore Trust Pre-Diagnostic Autism Support Group
Sycamore Trust runs pre-diagnostic groups for adults living in Havering who have been referred for an autism assessment.
ADDUP support group for children with ADHD
ADDUP stands for “Attention Deficit Disorders: Uniting Parents”. We are a registered charity, support and action group run by parents of children with ADHD We are a friendly group of parents and children from all walks of life who share a common thread… we all live with ADHD which is a disorder that effects the whole family framework and not just the individual with the diagnosis.
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