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My Neurodivergent Life

My Neurodivergent Life

Written by: Rick MacIvor
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 My Neurodivergent life Podcast is all about the Neurodivergent evolution of the careers, both entrepreneurial and corporate. We explore how diverse minds are changing things for the better.Copyright 2024 All rights reserved. Careers Economics Personal Success Science Self-Help Social Sciences Success
Episodes
  • The hardest thing to do is sleep - S2E6

    The hardest thing to do is sleep - S2E6
    Feb 21 2026

    In this conversation, Gabby Nistico and Rick MacIvor explore the complexities of sleep, discussing personal experiences, the impact of mental health and neurodivergence on sleep patterns, and the importance of sleep hygiene. They delve into the challenges of achieving quality sleep, the role of medication, and the connection between autoimmune disorders and insomnia. The discussion also touches on alternative sleep patterns, such as napping, and the necessity of finding individualized solutions for better sleep.

    sleep, sleep hygiene, mental health, neurodivergence, autoimmune disorders, medication, sleep struggles, routines, sleep quality, napping
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    30 mins
  • Let me just ask - Who made these rules?

    Let me just ask - Who made these rules?
    Feb 7 2026
    In this conversation, Rick MacIvor and Gabby Nistico explore the complexities of change, discussing how people often resist it and the mental hurdles that come with transitions. We share personal experiences of navigating significant life changes, such as shifting careers and overcoming feelings of being stuck. The discussion emphasizes the importance of finding momentum, embracing individuality, and innovating personal systems to enhance productivity and happiness. Ultimately, we encourage listeners to empower themselves through change and to break free from societal norms. Takeaways People generally dislike change, especially when it feels uncontrollable. Change can be overwhelming and lead to mental paralysis. Thoughts and fears about change often aren't based on facts. Personal transitions can create a sense of being stuck or frozen. Finding small ways to start can help overcome inertia. Putting oneself first is crucial during transitions. Innovating personal systems can lead to greater efficiency and happiness. It's important to challenge societal norms and expectations. Empowerment comes from embracing individuality and personal choices. ADHD can be harnessed as a strength in navigating change. Chapters 00:00 Embracing Change: The Struggle and the Journey 04:37 Navigating Personal Transitions: From Voice Acting to Therapy 08:53 Finding Momentum: Overcoming the Freeze 15:15 Innovating Life: Breaking Free from Norms 20:13 Empowerment Through Change: Making It Work for You Transcript: Gabby Nistico (01:00.566) boy. People, I mean people hate change no matter what. Like nobody likes change. Very few people like change. They might think they like change, but I mean ultimately I think the change that they enjoy is change that they have very strong control over and they're like ooh, cause they're excited about it. But change with variables. Yes. Debilitating. Good. Rick MacIvor (01:02.2) Things are changing. Rick MacIvor (01:21.677) Right. Or the idea of change. I like the idea of change. That sounds fun. But when it comes down to it, it's rough. It can be very rough. And I know just on the micro level, my little things about don't like, don't move my stuff. That's change. Right. Or if we have something planned and then plans change that micro thing that really Gabby Nistico (01:30.306) God. Gabby Nistico (01:38.523) Mm. Mm-hmm. Rick MacIvor (01:49.753) you know, is the cheese grater of my brain. I hate it. So I get it. Now I'm looking at a big change. Gabby Nistico (02:00.024) Well, we've talked and it's funny you said, cause we have, we've talked so much about the macro, but this, this really is, or the micro, this is, this is the macro. This is the big boy and. Rick MacIvor (02:04.805) Hmm. Gabby Nistico (02:13.646) Poof. It's even hard to quantify, you know? Like, I mean, because it brings up so many things. I know for me, it's utter hijacking of the normal thought processes. And everything becomes this slurry of what-ifs and what-abouts and trying to predict. outcomes in a way that is so obnoxiously time consuming that no change actually takes place. Rick MacIvor (02:50.423) That is, that is a real thing. Yeah. Gabby Nistico (02:52.532) Mm-hmm. Just it's a lot of thinking about the change but not in a productive way. Yeah Yeah, for sure Mm-hmm Rick MacIvor (02:59.362) God, it's more like ruminating on that kind of thing. Where, what if this and gosh, and how about and what if I get there and my God. And then seize the engine seizes. Pistons freeze up. Gabby Nistico (03:15.288) Yeah, it's a lot of time spent dealing with theoretical cause and effect that might not even manifest. Which is... yeesh. Rick MacIvor (03:23.492) Oh yeah, for 100%. It could probably everything, everything that I'm spinning on in my brain, there is a extremely low probability. However, sometimes thoughts aren't facts. Most of the times thoughts aren't facts. Gabby Nistico (03:29.429) Mm-hmm. Gabby Nistico (03:35.566) And yet we do it anyway. Gabby Nistico (03:44.936) Most of the, yeah, I mean, they're really not. They're just ideas. They're just possibilities. But we get obsessed with them. And it halts any kind of natural, logical movement towards the change. And for a lot of people, it actually backpedals them out of the change, right? because those variables become so intense that they're like, you know what, nevermind. I don't think I want to go down that road. I don't think I want to do that now because, right, it's terrifying. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Rick MacIvor (04:20.067) Yeah, you talk yourself out of it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. So I was telling you right before we started, I've locked, I've been in freeze the last couple of days and today was the first day I got out of it. And I got, I was in freeze because now that I've been accepted into this program and I'm really shifting gears, life gears, right? Career gears, from being a voice actor. Well, I'm still going to do that, but Gabby Nistico (04:...
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    20 mins
  • Navigating Academic Anxiety and Self-Doubt - S2E4

    Navigating Academic Anxiety and Self-Doubt - S2E4
    Nov 26 2025

    In this conversation, Rick MacIvor shares his journey into graduate school, discussing the emotional roller coaster of the application process, the unexpected challenges of interviews, and the anxiety that arose from competing with other prospective students. He reflects on past experiences that triggered feelings of inadequacy and shame, particularly in academic settings. The discussion delves into the impact of stress on ADHD symptoms, the importance of self-awareness, and strategies for challenging negative thoughts. The conversation highlights the complexities of mental health, particularly the nuances of shame and the internal voices that can hinder personal growth.

    KEYWORDS

    grad school, academic anxiety, ADHD, stress, shame, mental health, self-awareness, personal growth, triggers, negative thoughts
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    27 mins
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