🌊 Wave Check: Here’s to Showing up Without Burning Out 🌊

When I first started The Wavy Brain, I knew I wanted to do things differently — not just in my work, but in how I show up in the world, as a mom, wife, community member, creative, and entrepreneur. I want to be a part of making the working world more accepting of all kinds of brains and ways of working; I want to help neurodivergent folks advocate for themselves, whether or not they have a diagnosis or if they're going to share that with the world. I want to show people, especially my kids, that the wavy path is OK - you don't have to do things like others do.

And yet, like many entrepreneurs, creatives, and coaches, I found myself getting pulled toward ALL the shoulds: You should be more visible. Post more. Create content. Grow an audience. Stay relevant. Post consistently. Constant comparison of what others are doing. Show your face. Know what's trending. Beat the algorithm! GAH!!!

Most of that advice was written for brains that don't work like mine (or many of you reading this). The irony is not lost on me that The Wavy Brain stands for all this bucking of the "boxes," yet here I am trying to figure out how to fit into a literal social media box to get my message out there and grow my business (insert face-melting emoji here).

But really, I don't love social media.
When it's used to spread good, grow small businesses, connect people, and share real learning? It can be an incredible tool.
But I don't want to be a "content creator" — not in the digital sense of the word anyway.
I'm absolutely a creative. I love to hobby-hop and dabble in all the projects. But there are already so many wonderful creators out there doing their thing — and honestly, they look like they're having way more fun. (Plus, it gives me great stuff to repost)

But frankly, forcing myself to perform for an algorithm makes my brain rebel harder than a toddler who missed naptime. Even more, I realized that being obsessed with said algorithm wasn't allowing me to show up in the world in ways that are important to me—as a present mom, an engaged wife, a thoughtful community member, and a growing entrepreneur.

What I do love is connection.
I love conversations.
I love messy, real, nonlinear humans.
I love curious conversations.
I love creating space where people feel seen and heard — especially people who are navigating life with brains that aren't always understood by the wider world.

That's the energy I want to bring to my work and the world.
And that's the energy behind a wave check.

Wave check? I don’t get it…

A check-in. A (digital) wave from me to you, fellow wavy human.
Sometimes short. Sometimes thoughtful.
Sometimes funny. Sometimes serious.
Sometimes… skipped entirely. (Because that's life.)

The idea came from a place of honoring the wave — the natural ebb and flow of energy, creativity, capacity, and motivation that's a real and valid part of being human, especially when you're neurodivergent.

Instead of fighting the wave, I'm trying to ride it.
Instead of pushing for constant output, I'm creating space for sustainable connection.

A wave check isn't a strategy. It's a permission slip (for me) - we ADHDers can have a hard time giving ourselves permission without the guilt and shame.
Permission to show up imperfectly.
Permission to move at the speed of real life.
Permission to value authenticity over consistency.
Permission to leave space for silence, rest, and not knowing.
Because life isn't built for perfect attendance.

Because for me (and for a lot of the people I work with), trying to force ourselves into rigid systems doesn't create more freedom. It creates burnout. And if I'm going to talk about honoring different brains, I need to live that too, not just preach it.

Let’s Ride the Wave

So here we go. Just a human, checking in.
I'll check in weekly (ish) on Instagram and LinkedIn and occasionally share some here and in email.
Some might resonate. Some might not.

But if even one post helps one brain feel more seen, awesome.
Thanks for riding the waves with me. 🌊

—
With Gratitude,
Lindsay

Photo by Nadia Cubedo on Unsplash