Yesterday I wrote about feeling sad and frustrated with myself after a tense day at work. Mostly I feel positive about my body and brain but unusually, yesterday, I felt less good about being neurodiverse.

As well as writing about how I felt I also tried to draw a map of my thoughts and feelings. I’ve carried on with this today, and I’ve created several very different drawings showing my tangled thoughts:

It’s been a surprise to me, though, that despite feeling despondent when I made them, the drawings don’t feel sad. In fact, looking at them afresh today I can see beauty and hope in them.

So once again writing and drawing have helped me navigate intense feelings.

Finding tools that work for you can be transformational. Not everyone will be helped by the same things but I’m glad I’ve kept experimenting with different approaches to managing complex situations and emotions.