Why body-based practices matter for late-diagnosed neurodivergent women

For many late-diagnosed neurodivergent women, life has been a constant cycle of overthinking, pushing through, and masking. By the time a diagnosis of ADHD, autism, or another neurodivergence finally arrives, the signs of burnout are often already deeply ingrained: exhaustion, overwhelm, anxiety and a sense of being disconnected from the body.

This is where body-based, or somatic practices, come in.

What somatic means for late diagnosed neurodivergent women (in plain English)

Somatic simply means body-focused. It’s about paying attention to the signals your body sends: tension, restlessness, shallow breath, or that tight knot in your stomach when stress takes over.

For neurodivergent women, these signals are often amplified by sensory sensitivities, emotional intensity, and years of pushing through situations that don’t feel safe. Somatic practices provide simple ways to notice, regulate and respond to these signals...so you’re not just “stuck in your head” but able to find calm and balance through the body.

Why the nervous system matters

Many late-diagnosed women live with a nervous system in constant fight, flight, or freeze.

This survival state shows up as:

• Racing thoughts or overthinking

• Feeling unable to relax, even when tired

• Sudden bursts of overwhelm or shutdown

• Emotional dysregulation, often labelled as “too much”

Somatic tools work directly with the nervous system. They can slow breathing, release physical tension, and create a sense of safety in the body. For neurodivergent adults who have often been told to “just calm down” or “think positive,” this approach finally offers something practical and compassionate.

Small daily practices make a difference

The power of somatic work isn’t in grand gestures, but in small, repeatable practices.

Examples include:

• A short body scan to notice where stress is held

• Grounding exercises like pressing feet firmly into the floor

• Gentle breathwork to slow racing thoughts

• Movement or stretching to release tension

• Using sensory anchors (a soft fabric, warm drink, or weighted blanket) to bring focus back to the body

These tools take only minutes but can shift the nervous system out of survival mode, creating a calmer, more regulated state.

Why this matters now

The number of women being diagnosed with ADHD and autism later in life is rising rapidly. For many, diagnosis explains years of exhaustion and feeling “different” (but it doesn’t provide a roadmap for how to move forward).

This is why body-based approaches are becoming so important. They go beyond traditional advice and give late-diagnosed neurodivergent women real, tangible tools to reduce stress, connect with themselves and build a healthier relationship with their bodies.

The next step

If you’ve been diagnosed later in life and recognise the cycle of overwhelm, burnout, and disconnection, know this: your body isn’t against you. It’s a messenger, and learning to listen to it is the first step to feeling safer, calmer, and more at home in yourself.

Somatic work offers a way forward...simple, practical, body-based practices that fit into daily life and gradually change how you experience stress and regulation. For late-diagnosed neurodivergent women, this is more than a practice can feel like a lifeline they've been searching for.