Nikki Butler, an auDHD advocate, is encouraging women to embrace being different through her new book, Permission To be Different, exploring her autism and ADHD diagnosis in her mid-forties.
Nikki Butler is on a mission to empower the next generation who have gone through their lives so far feeling as if they do not fit in. Having spent years pretending to be the same as everyone else, Nikki knows only too well how stressful this can be.
Writing from her personal experience of neurodivergent corporate burn-out and being undiagnosed until her forties, this book shows readers how to advocate for themselves, find a sense of calm, and achieve success on their own terms. It doesn’t matter if they are autistic, have ADHD or are just a bit different – the focus is on helping them understand themselves, and create a fulfilling, authentic life.
“It’s so important to me that neurodivergent women embrace their true selves and create a life full of happiness, balance and achievement,” she tells us. “Permission to be Different is my way of guiding and inspiring them on this journey, no matter what stage they are at. They need to know they can let go of the need to fit into societal expectations and fly just as they are, by giving themselves permission to be different.”
Nikki felt lonely and miserable trying to fit in and experienced corporate burn-out from the stress of doing so at the age of 36. Now, aged 48, she is running her own business as The Autistic Joyologist showing other women what is possible for them too. Her book provides a roadmap out of the cycle of overwhelm and burn-out into a life where balance and achievement exist. Permission to be Different is the book that Nikki wishes she had been able to read while she was on her journey.
In the chapters readers are guided through the important steps of accepting where they are, discovering their values and purpose and encouraged to embrace a positive mix of joy, calm and balance.
Permission to be Different is out now, published by Authors & Co. For more about Nikki’s work and to join her tribe, please visit The Autistic Joyologist and follow @autisticjoyologist on Instagram.
