The Sensitivity Tax 💸
How HSPs Pay Mental, Physical & Financial Tolls Just To Exist
Hello, beautiful people.
Today I want to talk about the so-called sensitivity tax or neurodiversity tax.
You’ve likely heard of the “pink tax” and “motherhood penalty”, yes? Recently, I’ve been thinking about both of those issues in relation to making it as a neurodiverse person in a world that’s not built for us.
(Truth be told — I originally thought I was super clever and had coined the term “neurodiversity tax” but, nope, it’s already a thing! 🙃)
Here’s an overview of the term based on an AI search:
The “neurodiversity tax“ (or ADHD/autism tax) refers to the extra financial, emotional, and time-related costs neurodivergent individuals incur due to executive dysfunction, such as late fees, impulsive spending, forgotten subscriptions, and replacing lost items.
Making High Sensitivity Work Here on Substack
Before we get into it (as the kids on TikTok say), I want to mention a related topic. I’m pleased as punch to welcome every single subscriber (free and paid) here at Secrets from an HSP Copywriter — I know that our time is a currancy in itself. That said, I do have some paid subscribers and need to make sure they receive bonus content, workshops, and insights in exchange for their payment.
As such, for now, almost all of my archived posts will go behind a paywall after four or so weeks of being published. This is being done for a few reasons:
Ensure current paid subscribers receive value for money
Encourage potential paid subscribers to sign on
Be realistic about my time and energy as an HSP — I simply don’t have the energy to constantly create new content for paid subscribers
Note that I’m also going to insert a paywall in this article for the reasons mentioned above. We’ll see how all of this pans out! Thanks for understanding.
Being Neurodiverse in a World Meant for Neurotypicals
As anyone who feels “othered” knows, living and working in (at least) the Western world can be overwhelming, exhausting, and daunting.
Working in a corporate setting with florescent lights, little cubbies with lots of noise and chatting, prescribed breaks, etc. etc. is touuuughhhhh for many people and certainly for those of us who are Highly Sensitive.
Through much trial and error, I’ve been able to make a living for myself both in the corporate world and by freelancing — but it hasn’t been easy. In my 30-year career, I’ve…
been laid off,
quit,
cried,
felt lost,
asked the Universe to help me,
brainstormed new ways to make money,
taken unplanned time off,
had babies and went on maternity leave…
and much more.
Again, all of the above examples point to a “neurodiversity tax” — making less money and struggling because we’re not always able to make things work in a world that’s not built for us. However, I’ve discovered the following things to make life easier for myself.
