Alive Not Just Breathing

This is a big one to recognise about how often we all get overwhelmed in various ways, burnt out and how that affects our nervous system in society and the world today.

This is ten times easier to happen and worse to deal with when you're neurodiverse, but I also feel so many neurotypical people are living this way without even realising too.

We have to find ways to get out of living in survival mode and to calm our nervous system before it keeps manifesting into physical issues along with mental & emotional struggles.

So many of us have become masters of avoiding feelings (especially painful ones) and we live in a time where there's SO many distractions available and things that want your energy & focus.

These feelings don't go away, they fester under the surface, quietly affecting your behaviour and your energy...bubbling away until they eventually burst out in some way.

We're human beings, we need to allow ourselves to feel the full spectrum of emotions, and that can't be wanting the good but avoiding the bad. It's all or nothing, and nothing is a miserable existence.

My experience showed where my mind had sneaky ways of trying to keep me away from feeling to supposedly 'protect' me, but thankfully my body highlighted it this time.

Do you recognise anything similar?

When we've grown and changed so much we often presume old habits, thoughts, patterns etc will stop altogether, so we punish ourselves for not being far enough along when they crop up.

Growth isn't linear, and it's transitioning between the old you and the new you. Of course remnants of old you will appear at times...

Don't beat yourself up or throw in the towel when you're in that zone. It keeps getting better and there are ways to recognise it as nothing but background noise rather than something to engage with and act on.

We sometimes assume that once we get more confident or improve our mental health, that negative voice in our mind which keeps criticising us will stop talking...

However, that can take a very long time or may not even be the case. Rather than waiting for it to stop, here's a couple of techniques I've learned which make all the difference.

One thing I can't get my head around Is dating nowadays, especially online dating.

Why is it such a terrible experience? Is it due to certain things I touch on about society today here? Does anyone find similar issues?

Let me know!

We so ofren lose so much of what we have that matters to things which don't, and continually get influenced to do so.

These things I discuss during the episode all play various parts in that overall scenario and can easily be missed.

Also apologies for the lower quality recording this time around, but this was me walking & talking in real life, and I felt the content was too good & authentic to lose.

We so often feel like things will never change or dont even notice all the little options and choices floating around which so easily lead to massive changes or opportunities.

So many things we overlook or dismiss as nothing much now can actually change everything in the long run.

It took me a very long time to understand and get comfortable with my sexuality before eventually coming out as bisexual recently.

The main fear I always had most was my masculinity being judged and diminished by those with small minds in society.

As I know so many more men are bi in some way but choose to remain well and truly hidden because of similar fears, this is part of my story and why I no longer have those cares or fears as an openly bisexual man.

Bit of a different style episode today, as I touch on some of my current neurodiverse traits and experiences, but also lead that onto this discussion I go back and forth with...

So many times we completely ignore and override our body and then wonder why our health eventually suffers.

Not only can we do this physically, but also mentally & emotionally too, suppressing things and ignoring overwhelm because we're told to "push through" which does not work well in the long run.

Learn to listen...