This is a Soft Girl (& Guy) Summer: Stay hydrated and say “no” when you need to. Make joy bite-sized and accessible. Above all else, PROTECT YOUR PEACE!

This summer, I hope you choose safety, softness, and self-honesty. The world is heavy enough. Don’t carry the weight of unrealistic expectations too.

There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that comes with living in survival mode. The kind that keeps your body moving—going to work, responding to emails, showing up for family—but your mind? It’s frozen. Numb. Stuck. That’s what they call a functional freeze, and if you’re a neurodivergent Black woman like me, chances are, you know it all too well.

But here’s what I’ve learned: functional doesn’t equal well. And you can’t heal in survival mode.

As another inauguration unfolds, many of us feel a swirling mix of hope, anxiety, and even disappointment. For those who identify as Black women—and especially those of us who are neurodivergent—these feelings can run particularly deep. At the intersection of race, gender, and neurodiversity, we’re often on the front lines of systemic shifts and policy changes, bearing the weight of historical inequities and ongoing stigmas around mental health.