Many people miss the diagnosis because their family may all have similar traits and viewpoints which they consider standard and not autistic. If someone suggests a person in your family could be autistic, this is an opportunity to reflect on your family culture and learn about subtle signs of autism. Coming together in a neuroaffirming way is healing for everyone!
Why I didn't enjoy the latest season of "Love on the Spectrum"
I didn’t enjoy the latest season of “Love on the Spectrum”, although I really wanted to. It showed a subset of autistics with very visible and stereotypical traits. These folks were portrayed in a childlike fashion, with little capacity for self-reflection.
In real life, the autistics I work with have a lot going on internally- sensory issues, unique thought processes, a high degree of creativity.
Media representation like “Love on the Spectrum” contributes to what I call “unseen autism”- where people don’t think they or their loved ones can be autistic because they don’t identify with what they see in movies or on TV.
I work with late diagnosed/recognized autistics, including doctors, therapists, teachers, etc., all of whom report that they suffered needlessly for decades. Most were misdiagnosed and only treated for depression and social anxiety, which were secondary issues.
We need to broaden our representation of autism so it doesn’t continue to be overlooked.
Mindful Creative Therapy for Sleep- Journaling
If you're one of those many people who wake up in the middle of the night, it can be hard to get back to sleep sometimes. You might be feeling anxious or your might find that your mind is racing. Mindful creative therapy for sleep is a great way to spend some time in a relaxing way. As always, you don't have to do whatever craft i'm doing, but I like to introduce different things that I find helpful.
Mindful Creative Therapy for Sleep- Sewing
Many of us wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious and have a hard time getting back to sleep. I find that doing different crafting activities can be very helpful. As we move our hands we give them something to do. This can really help when our minds are racing, allowing us to unwind and fall back asleep.
Mindful Creative Therapy for Sleep- Calligraphy
Mindful Creative Therapy for Sleep- Zentangles
If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night feeling kind of anxious, this is a place where we can do some crafting together. As your hands are engaged, your mind slows down, your body slows down, and you can drift back to sleep.
Today i'm going to be talking a little bit about Zentangles. It's “tangling”, which is the doodling part, and “zen”, which is the meditation part.
I'm going to show you some examples from a helpful book a client of mine gave me. You can also find a lot of patterns at zentangles.com, where people are constantly creating and uploading new patterns with instructions.
It's so common for people to think either you're creative or you’re not but creativity is very much learned. You can learn to do these types of creative activities in a step-by-step manner that is very enjoyable and builds mastery. When I first looked at some of the more complicated Zentangle designs, I thought there was no way I was going to be able to do them. But part of the Zentangle message is that when you break a complicated task down into steps, you really can learn how to do it. The feeling of mastery is like none other.
Creating Zentangles can not only help you fall back to sleep but also be a great gift that you can give to someone. I always recommend that once you get into making some, try giving them away as a gift and see how much others enjoy them. People love handmade items, as they are so rare in this day and age, and Zentangles make perfect gift tags, cards, bookmarks, and postcards.
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Mindful Creative Therapy for Sleep- Intro
Mindful vs. "Mindless" Creativity
We hear the word “mindful” a lot these days- articles about mindfulness and meditation are everywhere. These words are used so frequently that many people I talk to are somewhat confused about what they really mean. Let’s explore what “mindful” means in the context of Mindful Creativity (since that’s what I use in my therapy practice) and how it differs from the equally important “mindless” creativity.
If you're one of those many people who wake up in the middle of the night, it can be hard to get back to sleep sometimes. You might be feeling anxious or your might find that your mind is racing. Mindful creative therapy for sleep is a great way to spend some time in a relaxing way. As always, you don't have to do whatever craft i'm doing, but I like to introduce different things that I find helpful.