Monotropic Flow States: Adjustments That Actually Help Autistic & AuDHD Adults

Monotropic flow can be one of the best parts of an autistic or ADHD or AuDHD brain, we are unmasked in JOY! Really ferocious joy. But it can also be the reason you come up for air hours later feeling wrecked. What?! In this episode I get into what monotropism actually is, why the monotropic split (something we experience in neuronormative "life") can push you toward burnout, and what I do about it in my own life.

Most days ask you to switch rapidly between your email, your errands, your appointments, and a bit of small talk in your head all at once, which runs against the way a monotropic brain wants to work. That single channel focus can be really regulating for a lot of autistic and ADHD people, so skipping it, or getting yanked out of it, has a real cost. It can also easily cause us to get deregulated, fast.

I go through the theory of monotropism (developed by autistic researchers, still a theory), what the attention tunnel is, and why you can't just decide to drop into flow on command no matter how firmly you tell yourself to. I also talk about the two costs I keep running into, which show up around transitions and around the slow drift toward burnout, and I share what my own monotropic setup looks like, including the very specific thing I do with music. Improv shows up near the end, because it turns out it asks your attention to behave in a way that a monotropic brain already likes.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• What monotropism is, and why the research on it is not as settled as it sometimes sounds online
• How to tell you're in a beautiful unmasked neurodivergent flow state, when checking in with your body doesn't work for you
• Why the monotropic split can be a route into burnout even when you enjoy everything on your list
• What actually differs between the autistic version of this focus and the ADHD version
• Where to start adjusting your life around your focus rather than fighting it

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Why your brain isn't the problem here

1:30 What monotropic flow actually feels like

2:41 The theory of monotropism and the attention tunnel

4:35 Why you can't summon flow with willpower

6:34 Spotting flow when your interoception is low

10:10 The best part of having this kind of brain

11:16 The nervous system piece, kept light

14:11 The gotchas nobody warns you about

15:38 Why task switching after flow is so rough

16:58 The gradual road toward burnout

21:05 Is this an autism thing or an ADHD thing?

21:44 How the focus behaves differently in each

23:53 What actually helps once you know this about yourself

26:13 The improv connection

28:53 Where to take this next

RESOURCES:

2023 study that built a questionnaire for measuring monotropism https://osf.io/preprints/osf/ft73y_v1

My earlier episode on transitions https://youtu.be/P_FFXnt4YV8

About Audio and Video

This show is available as a video on YouTube. Some audio you are hearing is taken from the video versions that are recorded outside, and why there are some changes in the microphone quality.

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About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation, and she is a trauma-informed certified coach. She is working towards her board certified coach (BCC) credential, and has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was made in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.

I respectfully acknowledge that I live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, and honour the homelands of the Qualicum First Nation and the Snaw-naw-as First Nation, as well as the ties of the Snuneymuxw and K'ómoks First Nations. I would like to express gratitude to these and all First Nations for their continued stewardship of these lands and waters where I create these episodes.

DISCLAIMER:

Wired Divergent is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. If you're in crisis or need clinical support, please reach out to a qualified professional.

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