Paying neurodiversity tax
Neurodiversity Tax is the additional intellectual, emotional and resource cost for life simply by being ADHD, Autistic, Dyslexic, Dyspraxic, Dyscalculia, or Tourettes.
It's blasted expensive being neurodivergent.
Earlier this week I had booked an appointment with a specialist I needed information from.
I chose my time. Paid my money. Even put it into my diary.
I went about my week quite happily. Until I went into a (different) meeting and got a ping "ready when you are"
Balls.
I'd put the wrong time into my diary- again.
This instance worked out okay. I was able to rearrange. Phew.
Today I went to meet a colleague in real life. So excited! Human interaction. In my mind I knew I was meeting them in a chain coffee shop. I had got it into my brain it was the one in town... got there... no sign of them.
Sinking feeling. checked the messages. nope, it was the one on the edge of town.
Balls.
Dropped a message, said I would be with them in 10 mins. Paid the £2.10 car parking and went on my way.
Nothing bad happened. I got there, had a mediocre coffee and all was well.
I got home to a letter saying a payment had not gone through on
an insurance policy.
Balls.
It seems I set up the payment from a debit card, which had then expired. I didn't think about this when I got the new card. So needed called to give new details.
The insurance was still valid. No-one died or got pregnant. yay!
However, this sort of shizzle consumes the energy biscuits.
Individually they shouldn't even bother a crumb.
But as they happen most days. it is tiring. it really is.
There is the hot panic as the realisation sets in "not again. sigh". Then there is the intellectual work to think about what the options are to get out of the conundrum. Followed by holding in or letting go of the shame as I fess up to messing up and rearrange, negotiate and co-ordinate.
Collectively and cumulatively. It is exhausting.
The additional work needed to be done to function, turn up, be on time, prepared and ready. To look like a functioning adult who is able to do adulty type adulting.
Yet I am thankful these things happened.
You see, I have been chipping away at these energy biscuit consumers.
nom nom nomo. One at a time.
Having these things happen shine a light on areas where the support and systems I have in place have holes... and as I am noticing, I can plug them.
One thing at a time.
And it is not a failure of me, or of my support team. It is iterating and adjusting to continuously get better.
And this is how I (as a profoundly neurodivergent business owner) increase my capacity. It is also how you as a business can shift to become neuro-inclusive.
There is no quick win.
There is no "try these strange 3 tips"
There is no "hack"
It is gradually, systematically and consciously listening and understanding frictions for your people. Asking (and answering) the question: what support do I need. (and here is the hard thing). Responding to the need.
So much as it was a total PIMA (pain in my a) for these things to happen. They are taking steps to living a frictionless life.
