25/11/2025
If you’re NOT autistic, ADHD or whatever else…congratulations, your brain works like a pond!
All of the things you do each day are like lily pads, and they float close together on the surface.
So, for example, since the “chores” and “hobbies” lily pads are side by side,
once you’ve finally assembled that Lego set,
you can easily hop over to that pile of dirty dishes without falling in the water.
Unfortunately, if you ARE neurodivergent, your brain is a lake, not a pond.
In lake-brains, the lily pads are farther apart, meaning in order to switch tasks,
you need to cover more cognitive surface area.
You gotta:
▪️Notice when you’re done or are needing to be done.
▪️Mentally detach from the thoughts, momentum, and sensory input from the first task.
▪️Identify what’s next and what it requires
▪️And then get your body to actually initiate the process
Each of those steps uses mental energy (planning, redirecting attention, stopping one thought pattern and starting another.)
For neurotypical people, a lot of those steps happen in the background automatically.
But when you have a lake brain, every time you need to switch tasks, you’re mentally fighting to keep your head above water.
I wish I had a magic solution, but my overall point is, understanding this cognitive difference is the first step in giving yourself, and others, a bit more patience. 💚
