There were no catastriphic accidents. And a crowd of mocking neighbours did not appear. As feeble as it may sound, it was my small victory for the day. This occurred over a week ago; I've been basking in the glory ever since 😊
Perfectionism and self-recrimination make tasks like this even more troubling. I fear ending up with below-par results that I'll beat myself up about for weeks on end. On this occasion, however, I cut myself some slack (as well as the lawn!).
Will I ruin the lawn? Will I even be able to turn on the mower? Will it explode, causing a fire that spreads to our house? Will I have an accident that causes me to lose a few fingers? Worst of all, will the neighbours laugh at my shoddy work?
A photo of me mowing the back garden. The sun is shining and I am wearing a Manchester United shirt
For the first time in my life, I mowed the lawn! This may be a straightforward task for most people, but when you are plagued by self-doubt and anxiety, even simple things like this can be daunting...
#neurodivergent #AuDHD #anxiety #ADHD #overthinking #ActuallyAutistic #neurospicy
Although there is still a lot of work to do to truly make it our own, we already feel at home. We are happy and optimistic about the future. I'm surprised by how quickly we have settled in; emerging from 'sleep mode' has taken longer, but I'm finally ready to engage with the world again 😊
Photo of my wife and me stood in front of our new house. I am holding the keys.
It has been a month since we moved into our new home. The process took 11 months, which was filled with uncertainty, anxiety & stress. I partially shut down, only focusing on the task at hand and the associated issues. Everything else was neglected.
#neurodivergent #anxiety #burnout
#AuDHD #adhd
Collage: one photo is my wife and me stood in front of a Christmas tree. Another is me wearing a Christmas jumper. In the smaller photos along the bottom row, I am sat in a sleigh, have a Father Christmas filter on, I am being embraced by The Grinch, and one features a nutcracker
Happy Birthday to me and Merry Christmas to you! 🎉🎂🎁🎅
This year, I feel more grateful than ever to have a wonderful wife and a fantastic family who not only offer kindness and support every day, but also accept me and love me just as I am ❤️
#happybirthday #merrychristmas #neurodivergent #AuDHD
A photo of me stood in front of Stafford Castle. The sky is overcast, and it has been raining. I am wearing waterproof trousers and I am holding an umbrella
A change of scenery can be good for the mind 💚
On Thursday, it rained non-stop, but I enjoyed a day out in Stafford. It was a chance to escape the daily routine and have a chat with someone who has a brain that is wired in a similar way to mine.
#neurodivergent #AuDHD #adhd #mentalhealth #anxiety
A photo of me holding a bag of the blood that I had just donated
On Mad Friday, I only managed one pint! 🩸
Despite being short-staffed, the NHS Blood Donation team was friendly and professional. As always, it was a positive experience 🅰️➕️
#giveblood #blooddonor #givebloodnhs #givebloodsavelives #blooddonation
This sense of limbo is akin to what my mental state has been like for most of the year. I have been unable to make plans or firm decisions, and I've not allowed myself to relax. Hopefully, the finishing line is in sight.
But only half the task has been completed! We still have to finalise the purchase of our new house. While we stay with my sister-in-law, who has kindly taken us in, the majority of our possessions are in storage...
It has been the most serious and consequential process that I have ever had to endure. Eight months of forcing myself to make phone calls, studying documents, and dealing with all manner of unforeseen problems has taken its toll, but the elation of completing the sale has made it all worthwhile...
I have been even less productive than usual, my creativity has suffered and my hobbies have been discarded. Reading is one of my favourite activities, but I've been unable to concentrate on this for longer than a few pages at a time...
I struggle with task paralysis at the best of times, but moving home has taken this to another level!
This year, I feel like I've barely been able to do anything other than worrying about every possible scenario that could have led to the collapse of our house sale...
#neurodivergent #AuDHD #adhd
I'm hoping that my hat will deter people from inviting me to join in!
If I wear it like this, I can at least reduce the amount of eye contact and small talk that I'm subjected to over the next few weeks!
A photo of me wearing a beanie hat that has the words "Socially Awkward" on the front. I have pulled it low, so it covers my eyes
I'm mentally preparing myself for the chaos of the festive season!
Everywhere we go, there will invariably be large crowds, dazzling lights, loud and jarring noises competing against each other, and the expectation that everyone must be jolly because it's Christmas
#neurodivergent #AuDHD #anxiety
To avoid the trick-or-treaters, we left our house as soon as my wife returned from work and stayed at the home of my sister-in-law, who answered the door more than twenty times to approximately fifty children. Thank goodness I didn't have to do that! 😳
I survived another Halloween! Constantly fearing a knock on the door and having to interact with strangers (even if they are just little kids) is agonising for someone with a mind like mine. It leaves me unable to relax all evening...
#halloween #anxiety #neurodivergent #AuDHD #ActuallyAutistic
My wife and sister-in-law were highly amused by the sight of us sat next to each other on this bench during our recent holiday in Mallorca 🇪🇸
Maybe I have reached the point in my life where I choose comfort over style. Or perhaps I just dress like an octogenarian! 👴🏻
A photo of me and my father-in-law. We are both wearing baseball caps, dark hoodie, khaki shorts, sandals and cross bags!
In a surprising turn of events, it would appear that I am starting to dress like my father-in-law! 😳
#gettingold #oldman #family #mallorca #old #comfort
There were not many significant landmarks or things to do, but I was just happy to amble around in the sunshine. Anyway, I prefer peace and quiet rather than "lively". I can appreciate my surroundings more when I don't have to worry about sensory overload 🧠😎
A photo of me stood in front of some boats moored at Port d'Andratx
We spent an enjoyable few hours in Port d'Andratx 🇪🇸⛵️ It is regarded as one of the most picturesque places in Mallorca, and one that is favoured by celebrities...
#mallorca #andraxt #travel #holiday #neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #adhd #AuDHD #anxiety #neurospicy
Although we are not all together tonight, we are thankful for what we have, and we wish everyone good health and happiness ❤️
Traditionally, we gather for a big family meal. This year, however, we are scattered across the globe: my wife and I are in Mallorca with her father and sister, my mum is in Hong Kong with friends and family, my auntie is in Canada, and most of my family is in the UK...
A photo of my wife and me stood in front of a hotel swimming pool in Mallorca, with a decorative frame and the words: "Wishing you a joyful Mid-Autumn Festival".
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 🥮
This is, of course, one of the most important celebrations in Chinese culture. The full moon on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunisolar calendar coincides with the mid-Autumn harvest...
#midautumnfestival #family #happymidautumnfestival #fullmoon #mooncake
The final challenge required two teams of three to push a large trolley towards a plane and then transport it up the stairs before taking your seats...
No doubt a result of earlier having read about the running of the bulls in Pamplona, one of the challenges was to outrun hundreds of chickens that were released on the street behind us 😆 I was not only upset about losing the race, but also annoyed at myself for taking part in act of animal cruelty..
My brain must have decided that I had it a bit too easy yesterday, as overnight it subjected me to some bizarre dreams. One of them involved me taking part in a series of team-based tasks...
Otherwise, there would be the temptation to constantly chase or enhance this feeling. I'll stick to my one or two drinks a week! Apart from when I'm on holiday, though. This photo captures my first tipple of the trip — a pint of shandy. A proper manly beverage to bring out the one-pint version of me
These things still affect me, but to a lesser degree. The edge is taken off.
Thankfully, I only feel the benefits after consuming one drink; it's all downhill from there! 😆
Cont...