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Neurodivergent Moms

A collection of 18 posts

Fresh start pressure and New Year demands that trigger pathological demand avoidance in neurodivergent adults

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

Why “Fresh Start” Energy Triggers PDA (And What to Do Instead)

New Year's pressure lands like a demand on your already overloaded nervous system. If you have PDA, that "fresh start" hype doesn't motivate—it repels. Here's why January feels like a threat, and the gentler ways to navigate it without internal war.

Black woman with curly hair smiling joyfully—accepting neurodivergent traits instead of trying to fix them for ADHD and autistic moms

Things I'm Not Fixing About Myself This Year

Some things aren't broken — they're just neurodivergent. Here's the list of traits you can stop trying to fix, improve, or optimize. Not everything about you needs to change, despite what wellness culture says.

Woman in winter coat holding snowball in falling snow—surviving January's sensory overload and cold weather as a neurodivergent ADHD mom

Why You're Allowed to Hate January (And What to Do About It)

Everyone's doing "new year energy" and you're out here just trying to survive. January is sensory hell, routine chaos, and pressure you didn't ask for. Here's how to get through it without pretending you're thriving.

Woman walking in pink sneakers outdoors—one sustainable movement goal instead of multiple failed resolutions for neurodivergent ADHD moms

Setting One Sustainable Goal vs. 10 That'll Fail by February

You know that list of 10 ambitious resolutions? Yeah, we're not doing that this year. Here's how to pick ONE goal your nervous system can actually handle — and why that's more powerful than a dozen you'll abandon by February.

Woman exercising at gym—neurodivergent alternative to rigid fitness goals that don't work for ADHD and autistic brains

The Neurodivergent Alternative to Goal Setting

Traditional goal setting assumes your brain works in straight lines. Ours don't. Here's how to plan for growth without the shame spiral when your executive function says "absolutely not" halfway through January.

Black woman making peace signs playfully—permission to keep life the same in 2026 without pressure to change or transform

Permission to Keep Your Life Exactly the Same in 2026

Not every year needs to be a transformation. Bb, if you survived 2025, that's more than enough. Here's why keeping your life exactly as it is might be the most radical act of self-preservation you can do right now.

Overwhelmed mother sitting on couch with hands covering her face, experiencing mental load exhaustion

Mental Load Featured

Mental Load Audit for ND Moms: The Complete Guide + Free Download

You're exhausted but can't explain why. Your partner asks "what's wrong?" and you want to cry because WHERE DO I START. The Mental Load Audit helps neurodivergent moms see the invisible labor they're carrying — the tracking, planning, emotional regulation, and mental tabs that won't close.

Overwhelmed neurodivergent woman at desk with hand on head, laptop open, capturing the feeling of waking up already overstimulated with conflicting autistic and ADHD needs

AuDHD Moms Featured

The AuDHD Overlap: When Your Brain is Actively Sabotaging Itself (And What to Actually Do)

Your brain is a reincarnated adventurer trapped simultaneously in two opposing isekai worlds. Welcome to the AuDHD internal civil war. Here’s the forensic breakdown of why your wiring fights itself and how to build "peace treaty" systems that actually work for both sides.

Overwhelmed mom sitting up in bed at sunrise, wrapped in a blanket and staring out a large window, feeling anxious before the day starts.

Sensory Regulation

Overstimulated Before Breakfast: Why You Wake Up Fried (And What to Actually Do)

You wake up and your nervous system is already at a six. No phone, no crying baby — just pure sensory overload hell before you're even vertical. Here is the forensic data on why AuDHD brains don't "reset" overnight and the triage steps to survive the morning.

Neurodivergent woman with glasses sits in bed with laptop and coffee, representing executive dysfunction and working from home in comfortable environment with yellow bedding

Executive Function

7 Executive Function Myths That Need to Die (Like, Yesterday)

Stop blaming yourself for executive dysfunction. These 7 myths about executive function keep neurodivergent moms stuck in shame spirals — when the real problem is trying to force your brain into systems that were never built for you. Here’s what’s actually true about ND executive function.

Woman in gray towel wrap and dark loungewear relaxing by window with soft natural light and plants, representing post-holiday rest and recovery for neurodivergent moms

The Post-Holiday Burnout Recovery Guide for ND Moms: What to Do When You’ve Hit Empty

The holidays ask more than your nervous system can give. By the time everyone’s gone, you feel hollowed out and weirdly buzzy. This guide helps you understand post-holiday autistic burnout and set up a low-demand January that respects your actual capacity as an ND mom.

A mother and child in Santa hats doing a simple Christmas craft at a table. Image promotes a holiday survival guide for neurodivergent moms who need low-effort, sensory-friendly ideas.

Holiday Gift Planning

20 Easy Kid-Made Christmas Gifts (Designed for Moms With Zero Craft Energy)

A realistic, low-demand guide to kid-made Christmas gifts your toddler can actually make—without you becoming Pinterest’s unpaid intern. Zero perfection, minimal mess, sensory-friendly, and built for moms whose December executive function has left the chat.

Exhausted mother lying face down on hardwood floor with young child in background - overwhelmed mom experiencing sensory overload and feeling touched out

Sensory Overload

Touched Out: A Sensory Ranking for Moms Who Are One Shriek Away From Transcending

Sometimes your baby does something innocent—like placing their damp mouth on your arm—and your entire nervous system screams. Being touched out isn't about love. It's about your sensory system reaching capacity. Here's my ranking of baby sensory experiences that make my autistic brain tap out.

Woman with glasses resting head on hand, looking exhausted on couch in messy living room - representing mom burnout and invisible mental load

Why Neurodivergent Mom Brain Feels Overloaded — Even on Days That Look “Easy”

Why does a “calm” day with your baby still leave you completely flattened? It’s not the visible work—it’s the invisible cognitive load your brain carries all day. Here’s what’s actually happening inside mom brain, why neurodivergent moms feel it more intensely, and how to start lightening it.

Person wrapping a red and white stripped Christmas present on a wooden table

Holiday Gift Planning

Gift Planning for ND Moms: Using AI When Executive Function Has Left the Building

Gift season is an executive function nightmare for neurodivergent moms: decision fatigue, time blindness, and too many choices. Here’s how I use AI as an “extra brain” to plan gifts, shrink options, and show care without burning out.

Hands typing on a laptop at a desk with an open planner to the right and a stack of books and a phone on top to the left of the hands

Neurodivergent Moms Featured

70 Ways Neurodivergent Moms Can Use AI to Make Life Easier (No Parenting Advice Required)

If your neurospicy mom brain is juggling six tasks, forgetting seven, and overwhelmed by the mental load, this guide is your shortcut. Here are 70 practical ways moms with ADHD or executive function challenges can use AI to stay organized, think clearly, and save energy.

Mom resting in bed with her eyes closed and with her newborn baby nuzzling her neck while asleep

How to Use AI to Track and Troubleshoot Newborn Sleep (Without the Expensive Apps)

I spent $47 on a baby sleep app before realizing I didn’t need another graph — I needed context. Here’s how to use AI and ChatGPT to understand what’s actually normal for newborn sleep, troubleshoot real issues, and stop stressing over meaningless data points.

Overwhelmed mom sitting on the floor leaning on a bed with a baby secured in her lap

Mom Brain Is Real — And It’s Not You, It’s Cognitive Overload

Mom brain isn’t forgetfulness—it’s cognitive overload. Working memory maxes out at ~4 items. Mothers handle 71% of mental load. Brain scans show hypervigilance even at rest. You’re not broken, you’re overloaded. Here’s the neuroscience and how AI can help.