It's time for a candid talk about where the podcast has been and where it's headed. While we're still holding true to our core values and goals we are also overhauling some things about the podcast, so we'll be taking off the month of July so that we can reset, recalibrate, and make some important changes happen. Thanks for being here and supporting us and we'll see you in August!

Join us for a romp and a rant through the five senses and explore with us all of the various ways we can become overloaded by our sensory experience of the world. If you’ve ever felt sensorily overstimulated into a state of rage, tearfulness, or catatonia you’re not alone. If you’ve ever been treated like a crazy person for feeling overwhelmed by sights, sounds, and textures that other people don’t even seem to notice then this is the episode for you.

If you’re enjoying the podcast we’d love it if you could help us spread the word by telling your friends, subscribing to the podcast, and leaving a rating or review. If you’d like to support us on Patreon we are at www.patreon.com/differentfunctional Thanks so much for listening and remember, different does not mean defective.

How often do you hear that “exercise is important”, and that you should “get more active” or “work on your relationship with movement”? If you had a penny for each time you’ve heard those kinds of phrases from social media influencers, magazine covers, doctors, family, or friends you could probably for a year’s worth of gym membership fees up front. I mean, thanks for the super vague advice but what does that really mean? Even if you want to get more physically active, how do you get started? What’s classified as exercise? Do you need to go to the gym? Why is increasing activity even so important to begin with? Is the adage “no pain, no gain” true when it comes to improving your fitness?

Join us as we discuss some answers to these, and many other, questions; and explore a few different types of exercise, along with their various benefits and warning labels. If you’ve ever been overwhelmed, confused, or possibly even triggered by the mere idea of exercise, we’re here to help make it all a little less daunting.

If you’re enjoying the podcast we’d love it if you could help us spread the word by telling your friends, subscribing to the podcast, and leaving a rating or review. If you’d like to support us on Patreon we are at www.patreon.com/differentfunctional Thanks so much for listening and remember, different does not mean defective.

Spring is here for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, and as the weather starts to warm up it becomes uncomfortably obvious just how extra dependent we were on our digital devices to get us through the cold, winter months. Honestly, regardless of the time of year, most of us are probably on our devices too much; it’s hard not to be when nearly everything we use is now digital, from our forms of entertainment to our work to the many tools we use to keep our daily lives running smoothly.

We don’t want to villainize all technology, but we do still need to admit that there are some real downsides to being constantly barraged by screens at every turn. So how do we pull back a little from our digital dependency? Join us as we discuss some realistic tips and tricks that will enable you to find more balance and engage more actively with the people and world around you.

If you’re enjoying the podcast we’d love it if you could help us spread the word by telling your friends, subscribing to the podcast, and leaving a rating or review. If you’d like to support us on Patreon we are at www.patreon.com/differentfunctional

There’s a lot of talk right now about autism. Unfortunately, we’re seeing a resurgence of people pathologizing the autistic experience and reinforcing social stigmas and negative stereotypes. Yes, autism comes with its challenges but to demonize it is complete and utter nonsense; it’s simple fear mongering from people who have clearly never truly known or loved an autistic person. Join us for this episode as we explore some social and experiential theories around autism.

As we always say, different does not mean defective. One of us is autistic and the other has known and loved more autistic people than she can count. Neurodivergence can be challenging and often isolating, but neurodivergent people are also brilliantly loveable, unconventional thinkers who have so much to offer. We see you and we stand with all of you who are feeling even more stigmatized and unappreciated right now.

If you’re enjoying the podcast we’d love it if you could help us spread the word by telling your friends, subscribing to the podcast, and leaving a rating or review. If you’d like to support us on Patreon we are at www.patreon.com/differentfunctional

We’re back again with another installment of Futile or Functional, where we explore the usefulness of the internet’s suggestions for our mental health. This time we’re diving into some ADHD life hacks. Since Autumn isn’t ADHD, we’ve welcomed Jake back for another episode to give his feedback on these suggestions. So join us as Ivy and Jake try to determine whether these hacks are futile or functional, and hear Autumn’s amusing observations as an outsider looking in on some common ADHD conundrums.

If you’re enjoying the podcast we’d love it if you could help us spread the word by telling your friends, subscribing to the podcast, and leaving a rating or review. If you’d like to support us on Patreon we are at www.patreon.com/differentfunctional As always, thank you for listening and remember: Different does not mean defective.

We’ve all heard some iteration of the serenity prayer, but what does that actually look like? What does it mean to accept the things you can’t change and work toward changing the things you can? How do you even decide what to change and what to accept? Join us as we discuss how living by the serenity prayer can positively impact your life.

If you’re enjoying the podcast we’d love it if you could help us spread the word by telling your friends, subscribing to the podcast, and leaving a rating or review. If you’d like to support us on Patreon we are at www.patreon.com/differentfunctional As always, thank you for listening and remember: Different does not mean defective.

The times are tumultuous and uncertain and, let’s be honest, it’s not exactly bringing out the best in most people. So, let’s take a stroll down memory lane, get a blast from the past, and live for a brief, blissful moment in the delusion that we’re back in the 90s. The 90s may not have been perfect either (we certainly had more than our fair share of family trauma from our childhood) but when it comes to music or music videos, we’d argue it was quite possibly the best decade of all time.

Yes, there was a lot of fun, fluffy pop music like any other decade, but the 90s also produced a lot of deeply meaningful and often cathartic songs. For those of us who grew up in the 90s, the music of that era made us feel seen and understood; it got us through hard times; and it built the people we’ve become. Maybe it’s time to revisit these songs and let them bolster our strength again for the challenges ahead.

If you’re enjoying the podcast we’d love it if you could help us spread the word by telling your friends, subscribing to the podcast, and leaving a rating or review. If you’d like to support us on Patreon we are at www.patreon.com/differentfunctional As always, thank you for listening and remember: Different does not mean defective.