this is really random but it's so lovely seeing you writing with your journal at such an angle, people always said I was weird for doing this but it's so comfy 🥺
I always thought everyone did it until people started having a go at me in school for ‘drawing and writing on an angle’….having a notebook/sketchpad facing straight on feels so alien to me! It gives me all the sensory icks hahaha
Hi! I was the one who asked about the hyperfixations, and honestly, it really helps to simply hear the acceptance in how you talk about it. That it is just part of being neurodivergent, something that will always be there and that we have to work around rather than against. And how it ties into your earlier answer about resilience - I also suffer from migraines and had to learn to live with them, instead of adding more weight to it by stressing over it happening, when it already is bad by itself. There’s a buddhist story I think about a lot, about how in life we are struck by a first arrow we cannot escape - the actual thing that happens to us - and then there is a second arrow, which is our reaction to the first and the only one we can control. First sucks and is unavoidable, but a lot of pain is added on by the second, and I’ve started noticing in my life when that happens, when I am not simply accepting the first for what it is and shooting myself again, unneccessarily. I will continue trying out things, to establish more discipline as much as I am able to (gonna be lurking in these comments for possible tips hehe), but this acceptance of it is a huge part of it as well, so thank you! ❤ (and you’re right about hyperfocus being a very welcome distraction - it definitely increases in more stressful times in my life, and is a pretty non-harmful coping mechanism, so I would never want to lose it even if I could. It’s like self-care for our brain - we just have to make sure to balance it out with self-care for our body as well!)
I am 15 and have just been diagnosed on the autistic spectrum, I have been journaling and written diaries since I was 13. I have been so helped by the way you organize your stuff and I feel so comforted by the way I relate so much to you. I also have aphantasia and have a similar routine, I am screaming. It's nice to feel validated and listen to you talk, thank you for the amazing content.
Thank you for your vulnerability to talk about resilience, Megan. As someone desperately trying to build resilience, I really really appreciate hearing you talk about it. Also, looking forward to reading others comments about hyperfixations. Most of the time, I too embrace my hyperfocus/hyperfixations, but lately I can’t afford to let it take over to the extent that it is. Anyways. Hope you and Wednesday are doing well
ahh you’re very welcome, though im sorry i couldn’t offer something more actionable. i guess ultimately even just existing disabled or with chronic conditions is evidence of resilience. hopefully we might get some good advice for hyper fixations at least!
just spitballing here but almost feel like there's a cyclical nature to my hyperfixations and that how much attachment i form or how much i cling to them (if it seems like more of a crutch) also corresponds to my hormonal cycle, as if it's two seperate types of cycles that interlock maybe, like there's some sort of venn diagram at play? i try to detach a bit when i feel like i'm using my interests as that kind of timesink escape, while keeping in mind how bad i am doing, if my state "warrants" the amount of escapism maybe the amount of flooding is momentarily appropriate? when i'm at my worst i find that my interests can sour almost and mirror some of my fears for me, like they switch from alivening me to representing how my inner state is 'turning against me' (on a tricky day where self-compassion feels hard) that's also when i attempt to practice detachment with them or go for another one where that is not the case.
guess that hermit card almost gets at exactly what i mean: as long as i'm on top of my beloved sources, as long as it lifts me up we're good. but as soon as i pretend those books have wings on them and i strap em on my arms to lift me up and pretend they're gonna catch me when i fall without making any of my own efforts to lift myself back up they become a problem. one of my favorite hermit's i've seen!!! i try not to be a fool with it.
Thank you Megan for answering my question about developing resilience and being so open about it. For sure it's something that develops gradually when one is living with various conditions and the challenges that come with them. It also requires a lot of mental and emotional strength to not feel bad about oneself, because when you fall into those spirals you just can't be there for yourself nor help yourself in any way. Seeing you sticking to your routines of writing in a book to take care of your life, memories etc. is just so inspiring and feels very comforting, so thank you for that. ☺
I basically have the same type of routine as you and it’s so comforting to hear that somebody else functions like I do. Every time people ask me what I do on days where I’m not at work I feel like I really struggle to answer because I feel like I just…exist. I feel like so many people have routines that centre around going out and doing particular activities, while everything else like meals are kind of inconsequential? While I feel like my routine is just waking up at the same times, eating at the same times, and then everything just kind of works around that. The most structure I have in the “other” category is more about how I feel like some things feel right to do in the morning while some are afternoon things, etc. Sorry for a bit of a braindump here 😅 I know this is a pretty old video but I just wanted to say your channel is such a safe space for me and I really enjoy your company
Is so damn sad that no one knows how to cope with hyper fixation. I wish I had an answer, but the truth is that I just force myself to do things, which makes me miserable in exchange… but I have to do it, so I do it. I have a regular job, so I have to hace a somewhat set schedule, but that’s it - I deal with it just because I just have no choice.
essentially the same for me- push through and deal with the (often extreme) discomfort, or fall into the fixation regardless of the cost. hopefully we’ll get some good advice!
As one with autism and ADHD it's our frontal lobe. We find doing a task that is so rewarding it becomes a hyperfocus for us. I think of it more of a super power for the others can't put that much focus do get something completed.
I try to make small deals with myself re: self care like, I will make myself something to eat if it’s been too long BUT I will let myself listen to something that relates to a fixation while I do that…I do the same with eating or trying to sleep. But in general I think it’s okay to go down those rabbit holes as long as the self-care routines are still in place. Also reframing the fixation itself as self care. We just have to remember to eat! 🙃
Can you please make a video chatting about your collection of books or this year reads or something like this? I really enjoy the segments where you talk about reading!
Oh I know so much what you mean about "hacking" your hyperfixations and finding a way to link your tasks to them!! When I was in school, it felt like suuuch a big hack once I realized if I find a way to connect my homework and assignments to my interests, I could suddenly do it with ease, after long years of forcing myself. I'll have to try and do this again.
Gosh I adore your videos!! ❤❤ Your thoughts on resilience ring very true to me. I've had stomach issues for the past 2 years and have had to reduce my food choices exponentially (I cannot order food from anywhere and I have been rotating between the same three boiled plain vegetables + plain rice or pasta for all my meals for the past two months :') ) And people always tell me "I don't know how you do it, I could never do that" and I'm not some kind of God who has all the answers to the world, I just have to do what I have to do to not end up in a worse place (which sometimes I do anyway 🤷♂️. It's not an easy life we're living, but I think those hardships make us some of the most powerful human beings there are (and if that statement is incorrect and I'm just romanticising my life as a disabled person, heck, sue me lol) Thank you for your transparency, Megan ❤
Thank you for answering my question about your Halloween experiences! As a halloween lover from Europe, unfortunately here, that tradition doesn't exist. But! I've also started handing out candy for kids that pass my house, and it's always a fun time to grow that expectation for them. Glad you have fun during that time as well. Take care, Megan 🖤
I loved this video , i understand the last part about living with something that you don't know what it is , i'm trying to get a diagnosis , and i'm very lost at this moment because i have no idea what it is , but i know that it will help for the future , kinda anxious but also glad that finally something will make sense . Thanks for the video btw always make me feel calm and excited to write on my journal too ❤
Aphantasia! Absolutely a thing I have and I was stunned to hear other people could... imagine a whole thing in their mind! It is neat to hear someone bring it up ❤ as always, love the vids!
Im happy to say I didn't see anything from Hobonichi that I was too crazy about (worried it would sell out). The Black Gingham I also like (on my list), but they call it 'Paper Series' so its a paper embossed with plaids reminiscent of gingham. I also like the Tomitaro Makino Yamazakura . And I'm still debating to get 'Take a Note' again (using as journal). These pre-sales gets to me, especially Take a Note b/c they do sell out. My mind is thinking worst case sinerio if i don't use it. Ill sell it 😅
I so get that. I looked at take a note it seemed basic and can use something else. I am happy none of the hobonichi caught my attention as an autistic person so won't have to stay down that 🐇 🕳️.
Thank you for answering questions, I always enjoy these! Your inserts look great, love to journal along with you. I have to ask - what is in your tea cup? I keep looking at it and wondering 😂🎉
hi! I'm currently watching your videos while I work bc atm my special interest is all kinds of journaling- taken over my life haha I was wondering how you make the polaroid frames for your pictures in the journals? I haven't noticed you answering this yet. Thanks!
I’m curious to know if you have ever tried digital planning or if you have any interest in it? Random question since you like doing digital art. Love your channel btw 💜💜
Hi Megan. Regarding your query around hyper-fixation, I wonder if you have a genetic variant that is slow at breaking down your 'thinking chemicals' of the brain. I'm a geneticist and biochemist and I work with all sorts of people (mostly executives across the world) on epigenetics and ensuring we get the best from their genetic code (and overcome their challenges). I do wonder how much that might be contributing so some of your issues. Just a thought. Happy to chat it through further.
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this is really random but it's so lovely seeing you writing with your journal at such an angle, people always said I was weird for doing this but it's so comfy 🥺
i also write at an angle, it just feels so much more comfortable 😭
@@yourstrulyalyssa it’s soooooo comfy!! 😍😍
I always thought everyone did it until people started having a go at me in school for ‘drawing and writing on an angle’….having a notebook/sketchpad facing straight on feels so alien to me! It gives me all the sensory icks hahaha
It felt weird for me growing up to write at an angle but now I feel seen and valid. thanks guys, thanks megan.
Hi! I was the one who asked about the hyperfixations, and honestly, it really helps to simply hear the acceptance in how you talk about it. That it is just part of being neurodivergent, something that will always be there and that we have to work around rather than against. And how it ties into your earlier answer about resilience - I also suffer from migraines and had to learn to live with them, instead of adding more weight to it by stressing over it happening, when it already is bad by itself. There’s a buddhist story I think about a lot, about how in life we are struck by a first arrow we cannot escape - the actual thing that happens to us - and then there is a second arrow, which is our reaction to the first and the only one we can control. First sucks and is unavoidable, but a lot of pain is added on by the second, and I’ve started noticing in my life when that happens, when I am not simply accepting the first for what it is and shooting myself again, unneccessarily.
I will continue trying out things, to establish more discipline as much as I am able to (gonna be lurking in these comments for possible tips hehe), but this acceptance of it is a huge part of it as well, so thank you! ❤
(and you’re right about hyperfocus being a very welcome distraction - it definitely increases in more stressful times in my life, and is a pretty non-harmful coping mechanism, so I would never want to lose it even if I could. It’s like self-care for our brain - we just have to make sure to balance it out with self-care for our body as well!)
I liked your Buddhist story.
I loved both your question and comment. Acceptance and integration…it’s a daily struggle! 🙏🏻💓
I am 15 and have just been diagnosed on the autistic spectrum, I have been journaling and written diaries since I was 13. I have been so helped by the way you organize your stuff and I feel so comforted by the way I relate so much to you. I also have aphantasia and have a similar routine, I am screaming. It's nice to feel validated and listen to you talk, thank you for the amazing content.
Thank you for your vulnerability to talk about resilience, Megan. As someone desperately trying to build resilience, I really really appreciate hearing you talk about it. Also, looking forward to reading others comments about hyperfixations. Most of the time, I too embrace my hyperfocus/hyperfixations, but lately I can’t afford to let it take over to the extent that it is. Anyways. Hope you and Wednesday are doing well
ahh you’re very welcome, though im sorry i couldn’t offer something more actionable. i guess ultimately even just existing disabled or with chronic conditions is evidence of resilience. hopefully we might get some good advice for hyper fixations at least!
@@MeganRhiannon ❤️🩹❤️🩹
just spitballing here but almost feel like there's a cyclical nature to my hyperfixations and that how much attachment i form or how much i cling to them (if it seems like more of a crutch) also corresponds to my hormonal cycle, as if it's two seperate types of cycles that interlock maybe, like there's some sort of venn diagram at play? i try to detach a bit when i feel like i'm using my interests as that kind of timesink escape, while keeping in mind how bad i am doing, if my state "warrants" the amount of escapism maybe the amount of flooding is momentarily appropriate? when i'm at my worst i find that my interests can sour almost and mirror some of my fears for me, like they switch from alivening me to representing how my inner state is 'turning against me' (on a tricky day where self-compassion feels hard) that's also when i attempt to practice detachment with them or go for another one where that is not the case.
guess that hermit card almost gets at exactly what i mean: as long as i'm on top of my beloved sources, as long as it lifts me up we're good. but as soon as i pretend those books have wings on them and i strap em on my arms to lift me up and pretend they're gonna catch me when i fall without making any of my own efforts to lift myself back up they become a problem. one of my favorite hermit's i've seen!!! i try not to be a fool with it.
Thank you Megan for answering my question about developing resilience and being so open about it. For sure it's something that develops gradually when one is living with various conditions and the challenges that come with them. It also requires a lot of mental and emotional strength to not feel bad about oneself, because when you fall into those spirals you just can't be there for yourself nor help yourself in any way. Seeing you sticking to your routines of writing in a book to take care of your life, memories etc. is just so inspiring and feels very comforting, so thank you for that. ☺
thank you for asking it; we feel similarly when watching megan's videos ^_^
Your joy about trick or treatin' kiddos is adorable
My heart felt so warm after watching that section like :’)
Lol you’re a napper. Me too, there’s nothing like an afternoon nap aka a siesta. Insomnia is a torture.
I basically have the same type of routine as you and it’s so comforting to hear that somebody else functions like I do. Every time people ask me what I do on days where I’m not at work I feel like I really struggle to answer because I feel like I just…exist. I feel like so many people have routines that centre around going out and doing particular activities, while everything else like meals are kind of inconsequential? While I feel like my routine is just waking up at the same times, eating at the same times, and then everything just kind of works around that. The most structure I have in the “other” category is more about how I feel like some things feel right to do in the morning while some are afternoon things, etc. Sorry for a bit of a braindump here 😅 I know this is a pretty old video but I just wanted to say your channel is such a safe space for me and I really enjoy your company
Is so damn sad that no one knows how to cope with hyper fixation. I wish I had an answer, but the truth is that I just force myself to do things, which makes me miserable in exchange… but I have to do it, so I do it. I have a regular job, so I have to hace a somewhat set schedule, but that’s it - I deal with it just because I just have no choice.
essentially the same for me- push through and deal with the (often extreme) discomfort, or fall into the fixation regardless of the cost. hopefully we’ll get some good advice!
As one with autism and ADHD it's our frontal lobe. We find doing a task that is so rewarding it becomes a hyperfocus for us. I think of it more of a super power for the others can't put that much focus do get something completed.
I try to make small deals with myself re: self care like, I will make myself something to eat if it’s been too long BUT I will let myself listen to something that relates to a fixation while I do that…I do the same with eating or trying to sleep. But in general I think it’s okay to go down those rabbit holes as long as the self-care routines are still in place. Also reframing the fixation itself as self care. We just have to remember to eat! 🙃
Can you please make a video chatting about your collection of books or this year reads or something like this? I really enjoy the segments where you talk about reading!
love your video, as always
Oh I know so much what you mean about "hacking" your hyperfixations and finding a way to link your tasks to them!! When I was in school, it felt like suuuch a big hack once I realized if I find a way to connect my homework and assignments to my interests, I could suddenly do it with ease, after long years of forcing myself. I'll have to try and do this again.
Gosh I adore your videos!! ❤❤
Your thoughts on resilience ring very true to me. I've had stomach issues for the past 2 years and have had to reduce my food choices exponentially (I cannot order food from anywhere and I have been rotating between the same three boiled plain vegetables + plain rice or pasta for all my meals for the past two months :') ) And people always tell me "I don't know how you do it, I could never do that" and I'm not some kind of God who has all the answers to the world, I just have to do what I have to do to not end up in a worse place (which sometimes I do anyway 🤷♂️.
It's not an easy life we're living, but I think those hardships make us some of the most powerful human beings there are (and if that statement is incorrect and I'm just romanticising my life as a disabled person, heck, sue me lol)
Thank you for your transparency, Megan ❤
I had a rough week, so this really made my day 🤍
May you have a better week.
My favourite time of the week 💖💖💖
Thank you for answering my question about your Halloween experiences! As a halloween lover from Europe, unfortunately here, that tradition doesn't exist. But! I've also started handing out candy for kids that pass my house, and it's always a fun time to grow that expectation for them. Glad you have fun during that time as well. Take care, Megan 🖤
I loved this video , i understand the last part about living with something that you don't know what it is , i'm trying to get a diagnosis , and i'm very lost at this moment because i have no idea what it is , but i know that it will help for the future , kinda anxious but also glad that finally something will make sense . Thanks for the video btw always make me feel calm and excited to write on my journal too ❤
Yay a new video! Thanks for the open chat/answering the questions. I love these type of video's ❤
glad you liked it!
Aphantasia! Absolutely a thing I have and I was stunned to hear other people could... imagine a whole thing in their mind! It is neat to hear someone bring it up ❤ as always, love the vids!
aww i’m sure you’re creating so many happy halloween memories for the kids in your area ❤❤
I love the flip throughs so much!! Thank you for uploading. I enjoy your content so much!!
Im happy to say I didn't see anything from Hobonichi that I was too crazy about (worried it would sell out). The Black Gingham I also like (on my list), but they call it 'Paper Series' so its a paper embossed with plaids reminiscent of gingham. I also like the Tomitaro Makino Yamazakura . And I'm still debating to get 'Take a Note' again (using as journal). These pre-sales gets to me, especially Take a Note b/c they do sell out. My mind is thinking worst case sinerio if i don't use it. Ill sell it 😅
I so get that. I looked at take a note it seemed basic and can use something else. I am happy none of the hobonichi caught my attention as an autistic person so won't have to stay down that 🐇 🕳️.
I've had that same problem with pumpkins rotting, I simply put a plate underneath
Thank you for answering questions, I always enjoy these! Your inserts look great, love to journal along with you. I have to ask - what is in your tea cup? I keep looking at it and wondering 😂🎉
hi! I'm currently watching your videos while I work bc atm my special interest is all kinds of journaling- taken over my life haha I was wondering how you make the polaroid frames for your pictures in the journals? I haven't noticed you answering this yet. Thanks!
I really love to journal with you
Thank you so much for sharing Megan 🤍 Could I ask will you have Halloween stickers/packs this year on your website? Thank you x
This might be so random, but where did you get the Hermit bookmark/card from? :o
💞🦋🦋🦋
I’m curious to know if you have ever tried digital planning or if you have any interest in it? Random question since you like doing digital art. Love your channel btw 💜💜
hi Megan! i'm an avid follower of yours for a long time now, and it makes me so happy when you post
What pen are you using?
Hi Megan. Regarding your query around hyper-fixation, I wonder if you have a genetic variant that is slow at breaking down your 'thinking chemicals' of the brain. I'm a geneticist and biochemist and I work with all sorts of people (mostly executives across the world) on epigenetics and ensuring we get the best from their genetic code (and overcome their challenges). I do wonder how much that might be contributing so some of your issues. Just a thought. Happy to chat it through further.