Feeling like you're different sux. I've had a few conversations this week regarding people who have been affected by neurodivergence of some kind, autism, ADHD, anxiety and depression and just how society fails people who experience life this way. One discussion was with a Mom of a person with ASD. Mom was expressing how difficult is for her daughter to live. The allocated funds were minimal and even if they were allocated, she had to first pay for the treatment then hold her breath while waiting to see if the therapy was covered. Often it was denied. Even though they'd been through all the hoops to prove the difficulties her daughter has with being overwhelmed. What kind of miscommunicated policy is that where you have to fight multiple times just to get crumbs of treatment.
Another discussion was with a friend who is a little like me, possible ADHD, definite depression and anxiety, who just wants to earn enough to live a normal life. But rents are high, and jobs that pay well, are too stressful and overwhelming. I find too, that I don't fit in to normal Corporate environments. It stresses me out and destroys my soul. Access to decent mental health services is costly and challenging. And knowing how we can get jobs that match with our skills without the crack of the monetary whip that supports sales, and performance in a very confined framework.
So what's the answer? As much as workplaces say they're inclusive, from what I've witnessed they're anything but. It would take a real paradigm shift to truly be so. Things are done for the perception that they're complying with laws that support neurodiversity and others, not actions towards actual inclusiveness. What would be actually inclusive is quiet rooms, meetings that were 10 minutes long instead of 60 +. What about morning mindfulness? Is 15 minutes of mindfulness really too much to take away from the work day? What about instead of "lunch and learn," do friday afternoon workshops on how to "practice grounding to prevent anxiety". All those skills are known, but what isn't done is the routine practice of them.
Now I could get all neurosciency on you but I'm not a scientist. However given what we know about the impact of trauma on the Salience Network, and the Default Mode Network in the brain (Bessel van der Kolk - The Body Keeps the Score) we know that engaging the Vagus Nerve (by breathing out for long breaths) can greatly reduce anxiety by switching on the parasympathetic rest / digest nervous system. Why isn't this practice mandatory in schools? What about emotion regulation or emotional intelligence techniques to get people in touch with their emotions?
Thanks for reading. Does anyone have great stories of true inclusion in the workplace? Let me know.
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