Hey there Reader

Happy Wednesday, and happy almost-end-of-February!

I genuinely cannot tell you where this month went. January disappeared and somehow we blinked and February followed it...

Make it make sense.

But here we are, March is on us, Spring is creeping in (gingerly), and I can’t wait.

Which leads seamlessly into:

We talk a lot about neurodivergents struggling with transitions, and yes, sometimes that’s absolutely true.

But sometimes a transition is exactly what we need without knowing it.

Let me explain.

This month we looked at masking, and so many of you connected with it in ways that genuinely moved me:

• the weight of it
• the survival instincts wrapped up in it
• its relationship to burnout.

Some of you told me how it shows up in your professional life, your social life, your most intimate relationships. Watching you make those connections was something special. I hope you’re carrying some of that with you (in a healthy, non-heavy way of course!).

Next month, it’ll be boundaries.

A somewhat ironic theme perhaps given my current situation... I am writing this one-handed, by the way — the other hand is currently occupied giving my dog Aslan, the attention he has decided is non-negotiable.

He’d live inside my skin if the biology allowed for it. And I, apparently, would let him.

But I digress.

So. Boundaries. I know them intimately — mostly because they are things I can still struggle with.

Boundaries are the things that people-pleasers, perfectionists, and late-diagnosed neurodivergents tend to struggle with most quietly.

We don’t always name it as a boundary problem.

We call it being helpful, being flexible, being a good friend, not wanting to rock the boat.

We run ourselves into the ground and wonder why we’re exhausted.

We say yes to seek approval and wonder why we feel resentful.

We don't advocate for our own needs to avoid being labelled as 'difficult' and wonder why we feel voiceless.

Boundaries are what protect your time, your energy, your attention — all the resources that drain completely when you don't have them in place.

And if you noticed any threads between this month’s masking content and what’s coming next month, good. That’s intentional. These things are connected.

I can’t wait to get into it with you all.

Until Friday — take care of you. Genuinely.

Best and brightest love.

Beth X