In this episode of Don’t Do Your Best, we talk about the realities of navigating everyday life as neurodivergent people, from the tasks we avoid to the accommodations we shouldn't have to fight for.

We get into mobile hygienists, side hustles, why we hate doing our taxes, and the Canadian Disability Tax Credit. We also unpack the ADHD tax, Steph’s creative approach to accountability (hello, fake deadlines), and how fidget tools somehow require an accommodation conversation ???

Katie shares her bingo card of avoided tasks, and we talk about advocating for your needs at the dentist.

In this episode:

00:00 – Intro
00:30 – Mobile hygienists
05:13 – Side hustles
09:45 – We hate doing our taxes
14:50 – The Canadian Disability Tax Credit
19:04 – The ADHD tax
20:36 – Steph keeping herself accountable with fake deadlines
22:15 – Fidget tools require an accommodation?
29:19 – Katie’s bingo card of all the tasks she’s been avoiding
43:03 – Advocating for your needs at the dentist
46:48 – wrap-up

In this episode, Steph shares a life update after quitting her job, and Katie catches us up on becoming a working gal again.

We chat about trying to beat the habit of always trying to do our best, and how receiving our diagnoses is changing the way we approach job changes and interviews.

We’re reflecting on what it means to navigate work, relationships, and everyday expectations with a better understanding of ourselves as Autistic people.

TimeStamps

00:00 — Intro

03:58 — Life Update from Steph After Quitting Her Job

07:52 — Examples of Our Habit of Doing Our Best

13:18 — Life Update from Katie (She’s a Working Gal!)

37:00 — Meeting Other Autistic People

44:33 — How We’re Approaching Job Changes and Interviews Post-Diagnosis

55:14 — Wrap-Up

Resources Mentioned

Neurodiversity Affirming Checklist

Yellow LadyBugs workplace guides:

⁠Finding the Right Work Fit - A Guide for autistic and AuDHD People (Part 1)⁠

⁠Looking for Work - A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 2)⁠

⁠Disclosure & Masking at Work – A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 3)⁠

⁠Workplace Adjustments & Supports – A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 4)⁠

⁠Sustaining Work & Avoiding Burnout – A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 5)

In Part 2 of this two-part episode, we continue the conversation about fluctuating capacity and what happens when you realize that something needs to change. This time, we’re talking about accommodations, advocating for your needs, and the challenges that can come with trying to get the support you actually need.

We share some of our own experiences seeking and using accommodations, including the gap that can sometimes exist between knowing what you need, communicating those needs, and actually having them met.

We also get into Steph quitting her job, self-employment, running away to the woods (because obviously), and navigating the job search.

In this episode:

00:00 Intro
01:06 Knowing When to Take a Step Back
13:09 Our Experiences Seeking & Using Accommodations
49:28 Steph Is Quitting Her Job
56:53 Self-Employment
1:00:40 Running Away to the Woods
1:02:30 Looking for Work
1:08:20 Wrap Up

Resources Mentioned:

Yellow LadyBugs workplace guides:

Finding the Right Work Fit - A Guide for autistic and AuDHD People (Part 1)

Looking for Work - A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 2)

Disclosure & Masking at Work – A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 3)

Workplace Adjustments & Supports – A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 4)

Sustaining Work & Avoiding Burnout – A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 5)

Accounts to follow mentioned:

Instagram: @retrophiliacart

We’d love to hear from you! What was something new you learned from this episode, or what would you like us to dive deeper into next?

How do you know when you’ve reached the point where pushing through just isn’t working anymore?

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, we talk about fluctuating capacity, Autistic burnout, functional changes, and the challenge of recognizing when it’s time to step back. We discuss changes in our functioning, learning to pay attention to what our capacity is actually telling us, and the factors that help us recognize when we need to take a step back.

And because we can never stick to one topic for too long, we also get into verbal shutdowns, anxiety and panic attacks, dyspraxia, and a completely necessary rant about left-handedness.

Part 2 continues the conversation with a focus on accommodations and the challenges that can come with trying to get your needs met.

In this episode:

00:00 Intro
11:03 Rant About Left-Handedness
15:51 Dyspraxia
19:35 Katie’s Decision to Take Medical Leave From Work
25:38 Verbal Shutdowns
32:30 Functional Changes, Fluctuating Capacity & Autistic Burnout
43:21 Anxiety & Panic Attacks
46:12 Wrap Up

We’d love to hear from you! What was something new you learned from this episode and what would you like us to dive deeper into next?

Check out our socials

Resources Mentioned: Autistic & ADHD Burnout Quick Guide⁠⁠

We mentioned this resource in the episode and wanted to share it here for anyone who wants to learn more. It was created by Sonny Jane Wise aka Lived Experience Educator.

🌐 Lived Experience Educator:

Visit their website

Browse their resources

In this episode, we talk about some of the challenges we experience and ways we try to set ourselves up for success.

We start with some general chit-chat about colouring, markers, and mini cameras, before getting into the challenges of following through on tasks and how changing our environment can help make things a little more doable.

We also discuss how we feel about meeting someone in person for the first time, finding work environments that actually works for our brains, and dental phobia.

In this episode:

00:00 — Intro

03:39 — General chit-chat

13:00 — Completing tasks & setting ourselves up for success

18:30 — Meeting people in person for the first time

24:53 — Finding the right work environment

34:54 — Dental Phobia

43:18 — Wrap-up

We want to hear from you!

What do you find challenging about going to the dentist? Have you found any strategies, accommodations, or things that make dental appointments easier for you?

As always, this episode is based on our own experiences. Our experiences aren't universal, and what works for us may not work for everyone.

Where to find us: ⁠https://lnk.bio/dont.doyourbest

Welcome back to the podcast!

In this episode, we chat about colouring, decision fatigue, having too many tasks, how we’re feeling after recording our first episode, Steph turning 30, and food and nutrition.

This conversation goes in a lot of directions, and that’s kind of the point!

Content warning: This episode includes a lot of discussion about food, diet, nutrition, and experiences related to eating.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:00) Colouring chatter

(05:40) Decision fatigue, burnout and having too many tasks

(09:40) Getting in our heads after recording the first episode

(13:40) Steph is 30!

(14:40) Diet talk and pursuing dietetics in another life

(19:04) Finding a dietitian

(23:03) Food and nutrition challenges and strategies

(39:59) The hobby of collecting partially used notebooks

(41:55) Wrapping up

Where to find us:

https://lnk.bio/dont.doyourbest

Welcome to the first episode of Don't Do Your Best: Navigating Life Through a Neurodivergent Lens!

In our very first episode, we're introducing ourselves, sharing why we started this podcast, and talking about our journeys to diagnosis.

In this podcast, we discuss our experiences as late-identified neurodivergent adults and our hope to create honest and nuanced conversations about autism, ADHD, mental health, and navigating a world that wasn't built with neurodivergent people in mind.

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicidal ideation.

Timestamps:

00:00 Who we are and why we started this podcast

07:52 Steph's journey

27:37 Katie's journey

45:00 Wrap up

Connect with us:

https://lnk.bio/dont.doyourbest