My Neurodivergent Life

Rick and Gabby explore the themes of self-soothing, self-regulation, and the impact of workplace culture on mental health. They discuss the importance of pets in providing comfort, the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in social and work environments, and the need for corporate cultures to adapt to support employee well-being. The conversation highlights personal anecdotes and insights into navigating daily life and wo...

In this conversation, Rick MacIvor and Gabby Nistico explore the nuances of fidgeting behavior, its origins, and its implications in various settings such as education, the workplace, and parenting. They discuss the rise of fidget toys, the societal perceptions surrounding fidgeting, and how it can be both a coping mechanism and a tool for focus. The conversation also touches on gender differences in fidgeting behaviors and the con...

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 a...

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 ...

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 sym...

Welcome back electric meatballs, it’s time to get all up into My Neurodivergent Life.  Today Gabby and I are joined by Victoria Lininger.

Today’s conversation was a lot of fun. Victoria was just a hoot to talk with and choc full of information.  One of Victorias previous businesses was as a music therapist.  Lot’s of interesting info there.  We talk about audio processing disorder, using ...

Welcome back electric meatballs, it’s time to get all up into My Neurodivergent Life.  Today Gabby and tackle the conversation around neurodivergence health and body image.  And to do this we are very excited to be bringing in our first ever guest on the show, Mike Pridgen.

Many years ago Mike was diagnosed with what was then called Asperger’s, now known as ASD.  We’ll hear him tell the story of his past...

Hi and welcome to the first episode of season two of the My Neurodivergent Life podcast.  I’m Rick Macivor and I’m joined by Gabby Nistico. 

Gabby and I both had very busy summers, Myself, I ventured on an eighteen day vacation to Scotland.  Wonderful trip, and I learned some really important things about myself and my ADHD while traveling.  So today we go through a few of those insights and even have a ...

Hey there my electric meatball friends, you have arrived at the end of season one of the My Neurodivergent Life Podcast. 

I’m a child that grew up on American sitcoms, and their seasons are usually 24 episodes, I can’t help but follow that rule.  Gabby and I reflect briefly on what we’ve learned this season, and I reveal something I never ever thought I would do again in a million years.  Really. 

Hey there my electric meatball friends, you have arrived at the My Neurodivergent Life Podcast.  I’m Rick Macivor and today Gabby and I talk about clutter. I learn all about something called goat trails, and the poop rule.  We dive into the why of stuff, is it just for sentimental reasons or is there more to it.  Oh and Gabby shares her tried and true method for de-cluttering. This one is a ride, so jump on!

Ok meatballs, today’s story is positive and inspiring, mostly. Imagine a world where it’s ok to advocate for yourself at work. It’s ok to the people around you and to your customers to talk about what’s really going on, what you’re needs are, and to have the support of management, HR, leadership.  It’d be nice.  Well, today Gabby and I talk about an experience where that absolutely was the case.

This week on the My neurodivergent life podcast Gabby and I dive into bottom up vs top down.  No not if you are a bottom or a top, no. We talk about how neurodivergent folks tend to have sensory first experiences rather than situational first experiences.  Don’t worry it’ll make sense in the first 3 minutes.  Also how our sensory first view of the world can drive so many of our choices, and how we can also use that as...

Today, gabby Nistico and I pull apart how us neurodivergent folks relate to time.  What is time anyway?  How do we deal with the phenomenon of time blindness?  What’s behind that little quirk?  I know that when I hyper fixate I can easily lose hours in my day.  And sometimes, often times actually, I’m completely unaware it’s happening.  I do have a few strategies to deal with my time blindness that help me stay on tra...

Oh my dear meatballs have we got a doozy today.  Gabby and I unpack RFK Jr.’s diabolical attack on the neurodivergent community.  Specifically Autism.  He has held a series of press conferences full of disinformation, outlandish claims and poor methodology all centered around finding the cause of the disease of autism.  And all by September of 2025. So what about this crusade is so damaging?  What could be the harm in...

Today’s episode is all about college degrees. We talk about the current college experience, and what new graduates are experiencing when they leave and start looking for work.  Also, how college today is so expensive that it leaves little time to explore different subjects, varied interests, and some things that you might not even know you wanted to know.  What happens if you don’t get an undergraduate degree, or if y...