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Last episode, we challenged the myth that neurodivergent people simply need to "try harder." Now it's time to explore what actually helps.

In this Summer Series Toolkit episode, Steph introduces three practical strategies to help you protect your energy at work:

• 🥄 A neurodivergent-friendly take on Spoon Theory
• 🚦 The Red, Amber and Green task method
• 💬 How to communicate your capacity without guilt

If you've ever reached the end of the day wondering where all your energy went, this episode is for you.

This week's listener challenge: Choose ONE task today and label it Red, Amber or Green. Notice how thinking about your energy—not just your time—changes the way you approach your day.

Because thriving at work isn't about doing more—it's about using your energy wisely.

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Have you ever been told to "just try harder"?

It's one of the most common—and most damaging—myths that neurodivergent people hear. But what if the issue isn't effort at all?

In this episode of SEND it – Brains at Work, Steph explores why executive function challenges are so often mistaken for laziness, why working harder isn't always the answer, and how changing the environment can make a bigger difference than pushing yourself to burnout.

You'll also leave with a simple challenge to help quiet your inner critic and replace self-blame with self-compassion.

This week's listener challenge:
The next time you catch yourself thinking, "I should just try harder," pause and ask yourself:

"What would make this easier?"

Because different brains don't need more pressure—they need different strategies.

🎧 Listen now, and don't forget to follow, rate, and share the podcast to help us reach more people navigating life and work with different brains.

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In this second episode of the SEND IT Summer Series, Claire introduces a practical, neurodivergent‑friendly toolkit: The 3‑Step Communication Reset. Building on last week’s myth‑busting episode, she explores how small, intentional choices can make communication feel clearer, lighter, and far less overwhelming.

Claire breaks down the three steps — Clarify the Purpose, Choose the Channel, and Set Expectations — showing how each one reduces cognitive load and helps untangle the stress that often comes from unclear requests, instant‑reply culture, and chaotic messaging environments. She shares relatable examples, including her own preference for familiar tools (“Give me email or Teams anytime!”) and highlights how simple expectation‑setting phrases like “No rush to reply.” can instantly reduce pressure.

Listeners are invited to try just one of the steps today — a tiny, habit‑building micro‑reset that keeps the summer series light, supportive, and practical. A short, empowering episode reminding neurodivergent professionals that communication doesn’t have to be perfect — it just needs a reset.

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In this first episode of the SEND IT Summer Series, Claire tackles the myth that “neurodivergent people are bad at communication.” She explores how ND communication isn’t a deficit — it’s a different communication culture built on clarity, honesty, and directness. Claire shares her own experience of being told she was “too blunt” and the impact of shrinking herself to fit neurotypical expectations, noting: “I got smaller, I talked less, until I didn’t recognise myself.”

The episode breaks down the science behind communication differences, why workplaces often mislabel ND communication as “bad,” and how miscommunication is usually a mismatch — not a failure. Claire offers practical reframes, including sharing preferences openly (like adding them to a Teams status: “I have included this on my Teams status at work.”).

Listeners are invited to notice one moment this week where they communicated clearly in their own way — and celebrate it. A short, warm, myth‑busting episode reminding us that difference isn’t a deficit, and ND communication is brilliant, valid, and worth recognising.

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The summer holidays can be a time of fun, freedom, and family memories—but for neurodivergent individuals and families, they can also bring disruption, overwhelm, and exhaustion. In this episode of SEND it. Brains at Work, we explore the realities of navigating six weeks without the usual routines.

From managing sensory overload and emotional regulation to balancing work, childcare, expectations, and your own wellbeing, we share practical strategies, honest experiences, and simple ideas that can make the holidays feel more manageable. Whether you're autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, have Tourette's, or are supporting a neurodivergent child or loved one, this episode is packed with reassurance and realistic advice.

Join us for an honest conversation that reminds you there is no such thing as a perfect summer—only finding what works for your unique brain and your family.

Because surviving the summer doesn't mean doing it all—it means doing what works for you.

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Masking helps many neurodivergent people navigate workplaces, social situations and everyday life—but it comes at a cost. If you've ever got home feeling completely drained, overwhelmed, or like you've been "hit by a bus", you're not imagining it.

In this practical 10-minute episode, we explore why masking places such a heavy load on the brain and nervous system, and share a simple five-step recovery toolkit you can use after work, social events or any situation where you've had to perform.

We'll cover:
• Why masking is so mentally and physically exhausting
• How to regulate your nervous system after masking
• Sensory decompression techniques that really help
• Emotional unmasking without guilt
• Gentle ways to restore dopamine
• Creating a re-entry routine that helps you transition back to being yourself

Because recovery isn't a luxury—it's an essential part of protecting your wellbeing.

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As the days get longer and brighter, many of us feel happier, more energetic, and more social—but what's happening in the brain? In this episode, we explore the powerful role dopamine plays in shaping our behaviour during the summer months and how increased sunlight can influence our mood, motivation, and reward-seeking tendencies.

We take a closer look at the links between dopamine and food, alcohol, and drug use, examining why cravings and overindulgence can feel more tempting at this time of year. Most importantly, we share simple, practical strategies to help you enjoy the best of summer while staying balanced, mindful, and in control.

Whether you're curious about the science of pleasure or looking for ways to support your wellbeing this season, this episode offers valuable insights and actionable tips to help you make the most of the summer months.

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A single offhand comment can echo for years, and in workplaces it often hides in plain sight as “feedback”, “banter”, or “just how things are done”. We talk openly about how stigma shows up in real working life, from social stereotypes to internalised self-talk, and why micro stigma is so damaging. When you start making yourself smaller to fit in, that is not a personality flaw, it is a signal the environment is asking you to mask.

We also dig into the questions that cut through the noise: who is the workplace designed for, who has to mask to survive, and who gets labelled difficult. From there we tackle the strategy gap that so many organisations fall into, plenty of awareness and not enough follow-through. Neuroinclusion is not a shiny programme; it is everyday practice: clear communication, psychological safety, flexible work design, autonomy, and leadership that listens and then actually changes something.

Along the way, we share lived experiences of being told our natural communication is “too much”, “too blunt” or “too formal”, and how that can knock confidence and increase rejection sensitivity. We offer practical ways to rebuild your voice, including scripts like “I work best when…”, written agendas that make meetings safer, and manager questions that focus on removing blockers. We also zoom out to systems: redesigning processes with the people who use them, closing the feedback loop with “you said, we did”, embedding values through behaviour, and making sensory adjustments that stop punishing difference.

If you want neurodiversity and workplace inclusion to be more than posters on a wall, press play. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave us a review so more people find the conversation.

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