What a year of ND BrainSpace has taught me about imposter syndrome, self-trust and the power of connection.
This month at ND BrainSpace, we're exploring our relationship with ourselves. How we see ourselves, how much we trust ourselves, and how our experiences shape who we think we are.
And it's got me thinking about my own journey over the past year.
A year ago, I had an idea...
When I started ND BrainSpace, I honestly had no idea whether anyone would even want to come along.
I knew I didn't have all the qualifications or expertise that some people have in neuroscience and neurodivergence. And yes, there was definitely a bit of imposter syndrome going on!
But I did know a few things.
I had lived experience. I cared deeply about people. And I've always been passionate about understanding our differences and recognising just how valuable those differences are.
I also knew that I learn and grow best through conversations, shared experiences and connecting with other people.
Not necessarily by sitting and reading a load of books (although there's obviously a place for that too!), but by talking things through, hearing different perspectives and making sense of things together.
And I wondered whether other people might benefit from that kind of space too.
So I gave it a go.
Turns out, I needed this too!
What's happened since has exceeded anything I could have imagined.
We've built regular groups, secured some funding and started creating a community of people who want to understand themselves and each other a little better.
Which is pretty bloody brilliant!
But what I hadn't anticipated was the impact it would have on me personally.
What started as an idea to support our local community has turned into one of the biggest journeys of self-discovery I've ever experienced.
My confidence has grown. My self-esteem has grown. I'm getting better at communicating, connecting with people and trusting myself.
And perhaps most importantly, I'm becoming more comfortable just being me.
Not some polished, perfectly confident version of myself. Just me, with all my differences, contradictions, strengths and struggles.
And a huge part of that is because of the people who've become part of ND BrainSpace.
By showing up, sharing their experiences, bringing different perspectives and simply being themselves, they've helped me feel more confident doing the same.
That's quite something, isn't it?
What if confidence isn't something we have to find on our own?
We often talk about confidence and self-esteem as though they're things we need to work on individually.
As if we should be able to go away, fix our self-doubt, learn to love ourselves and then come back ready to face the world.
But I'm not sure it works like that.
Especially when you've spent years feeling different, misunderstood or like you need to adapt yourself to fit in.
Sometimes we need to experience being accepted before we can really start accepting ourselves.
Sometimes we need to hear someone else describe an experience we've never quite had the words for.
Sometimes we need someone to say, "Oh my God, me too!"
And sometimes, just being around people who aren't expecting us to be anything other than ourselves can make an enormous difference.
I think that's one of the things I've experienced through ND BrainSpace.
We don't always find ourselves by looking inward. Sometimes we discover who we are through connecting with other people.
Our relationship with ourselves
This is why I'm particularly interested in our November topic: Relationship with Self – Self-Trust, Confidence & Social Anxiety.
Because how we see ourselves doesn't develop in isolation.
It's shaped by our experiences, the messages we've received, the people we've been around and the expectations we've learned to live with.
For many neurodivergent people, those experiences can include years of being told, directly or indirectly, that the way we think, feel, communicate or behave is somehow wrong.
And over time, that can have a real impact on how much we trust ourselves.
We might start questioning our own judgement, comparing ourselves with others, masking parts of who we are or worrying constantly about how we're being perceived.
And then wonder why we struggle with confidence!
But what happens when we start getting curious about those patterns instead of automatically criticising ourselves for them?
What happens when we begin to understand why we respond to things the way we do?
And what happens when we're given opportunities to connect with people who understand, or who are at least willing to try?
I think that's where some really meaningful change can happen.
Not by trying to turn ourselves into somebody else, but by learning to understand and work with who we already are.
Finding our tribes, rather than following the herd
Something else I've been thinking about is how important genuine connection and belonging are.
Not just being part of a group, but feeling able to be ourselves within it.
There's a difference between fitting in and belonging.
Fitting in can mean adapting ourselves to meet other people's expectations.
Belonging, to me, means finding people and spaces where our differences don't automatically become problems to solve.
Where we can be curious about each other, learn from different perspectives and recognise that we don't all have to think or experience the world in the same way.
I'd love to see us reconnect more as tribes, rather than herds.
Not groups where everyone has to be alike, but communities where people feel connected, valued and free to be individuals.
And I genuinely believe the world could do with a bit more of that.
So, thank you 💚
I started ND BrainSpace hoping I might be able to make a positive difference to other people's lives.
A year later, I can say with absolute certainty that it's made a huge difference to mine.
And from the conversations and feedback we share, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one experiencing that.
It's reminded me that we don't have to have everything figured out before we start something.
That lived experience, curiosity and genuine human connection have real value.
And that supporting other people doesn't mean we stop learning and growing ourselves.
So to everyone who's attended a group, shared their experiences, supported what we're doing, encouraged someone else to come along or simply followed our journey...
Thank you for helping me be more me.
And I hope, in some small way, we're helping you do the same.
Because I think there's something pretty powerful about that.
And I'm really excited to see where we take it next.
Hannah 💚
Come and be part of the conversation
Throughout November, ND BrainSpace is exploring Relationship with Self – Self-Trust, Confidence & Social Anxiety.
We're talking about masking, self-doubt, overthinking, worrying what others think, understanding our differences and finding ways to build confidence and trust in ourselves.
If any of that resonates, you're very welcome to join us.
Whether you're neurodivergent, questioning, exploring your own experiences or simply interested in understanding yourself and others better, there's space for you.
Find out more and connect with us:
You don't have to have it all figured out to belong. 💚