84. S7, Ep4: Direct communication: navigating social and personal relationships as a highly sensitive autistic woman

Janet Murray is a content strategist who lives near London in the UK. She was recently diagnosed autistic, after first getting a diagnosis of ADHD in 2020. A former journalist and PR coach, Janet has written for many national publications, is the host of the Courageous Content podcast and founder of the Courageous Content Live Event  - an annual content marketing event for creative businesses/brands - and is also a keynote speaker who has spoken on big stages all over the world.  She says that she has a strong desire for order and routine, but is also one of the most disorganised people on the planet, and puts her unlikely success down to creating easy-to-follow systems and processes to help her stay productive. In this episode Janet really goes into the everyday experience of being autistic, as we talk about: ➡ Feeling disconnected from peers and experiencing bullying as a child and an adult ➡ How her rule following and direct communication have caused her difficulties in her interactions with others ➡ Being emotional and highly sensitive, yet often being interpreted as rude, overly serious and cold. ➡ The challenges of navigating female friendships as a neurodivergent woman Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Website: https://www.janetmurray.co.uk  Podcast: https://courageous-content.captivate.fm/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janmurrayuk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetmurrayofficial TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janmurrayuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jan_murray  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-murray74/ https://janetmurray.co.uk/how-i-discovered-im-autistic-and-have-adhd/ https://janetmurray.co.uk/how-i-discovered-i-had-adhd-and-why-its-my-superpower-as-an-entrepreneur/   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vicki Temple, Victoria Routledge and Zephyrine Craster. If you’re enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast