Do schedule changes leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or even angry? You’re not alone, and you’re not overreacting. For neurodivergent individuals (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or a mix of it all), predictability is often key to feeling safe and regulated. So when plans change suddenly, our nervous systems can go into overdrive.
In this video, I share a simple and powerful tool I teach my coaching clients called SHIFT:
- S – Shift your mindset
- H – Handle your thoughts
- I – Inner calm (take a breath)
- F – Fresh start
- T – Try something new
I’m JoyGenea, International Neurodiversity Success Coach—helping different thinkers lead with their strengths.
Transcription:
Hey, if you’re someone who feels big emotions when your schedule changes—like anxiety, anger, well, complete overwhelm—I hear that a lot. You are not alone, and you’re not overreacting.
Neurodivergent brains, like those of people with ADHD, autism, or dyslexia—or hey, the whole grouping—often rely on predictability to feel safe and regulated. So when something shifts, boom, your nervous system reacts.
Here’s a quick tool I teach my coaching clients when this happens. It’s called SHIFT: S-H-I-F-T.
- S – Shift your mindset
- H – Handle your thoughts
- I – Inner calm (take a breath, take a moment)
- F – Fresh start
- T – Try something new
Like today—my husband asked if there was a 5 PM meeting still on. I kind of thought, “Well, that’s not a question.” I caught myself being maybe a little snarky when I said, “Well, why?”
Then I thought, “What would AI say?” Yes, that’s my trick for resetting my tone. And AI would have just said, “Yeah, there’s a meeting at 5.”
Schedule changes are gonna happen. The question is: how do you respond?
Drop your best tip in the comments. Let’s help each other out!
Follow me for more neurodivergent life and leadership coaching—
trip, trip, trip—tips. Haha, so funny.
I’m JoyGenea, International Neurodiversity Success Coach, helping different thinkers lead with their strengths. Bye now.