For this year, I think the term Emotional Regulation covers the issues I touched on above. Here’s a list of things I know about myself that are related to emotional regulation:
- I know I spend a lot of time managing irritation and frustration with low quality work, or being subjected to it.
- I know that my bursts of productivity are highly dependent on feeling connected with other people who I feel are excited to work toward something cool, and this has been lacking.
- I have historically been anxious about being rejected or misunderstood as this is a common occurrence.
- I know now that there are significant cognitive differences that explain why it is difficult for me to relate with other people that process emotion and information differently.
Phrasing this more simply: I spend a lot of energy managing my emotional state so I can work. This is necessary overhead to keep my particular type of neurodivergent brain functional. What is UNNECESSARY is being angry and anxious all the time!
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