Mindful Mondays With Ashley Bentley: The Quiet Weight of December | Navigating Loneliness & Holiday Overwhelm

Summary

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The Neurodivergent Experience

Mindful Mondays With Ashley Bentley: The Quiet Weight of December | Navigating Loneliness & Holiday Overwhelm

Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Ashley Bentley (Mindful Mondays segment)
Podcast Hosts: Jordan James & Simon Scott

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Episode Overview

This special Mindful Mondays episode, hosted by Ashley Bentley, deeply explores the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals during December—often dubbed “the quiet weight of December.” With empathy and mindfulness, Ashley guides listeners through the heightened demands, sensory overload, and pronounced loneliness that can accompany the holiday season. The episode blends reflection, validation, practical reframing, and concludes with a soothing guided “winter cottage” meditation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Emotional "Weather" of December for Neurodivergent Folks

• Ashley introduces December as a month of intensified emotional experiences:
  • The world becomes “louder, brighter, busier, somehow more demanding.” (02:04)
  • Expectations rise while routines vanish, creating internal chaos.
  • “It’s a month where the nervous system feels like it is walking on thin ice, doing its very best to hold up.” (02:48)
• December’s paradox: “A season of light and a season of shadow, a season of belonging and a season of separation. A season of gathering and a season of deep internal retreat.” (03:40)

2. Unique Neurodivergent Experiences in December

• The demands of the holidays (socializing, gifting, financial pressures) often outpace neurodivergent capacity.
• Overstimulation is common; the neurodivergent nervous system “takes in more of the world… more sound, more light, more emotion, more nuance.” (05:07)
• The pressure to “perform joy” or participate in social traditions, even when feeling exhausted or out of sync.

Notable Quote:

“It’s like being asked to swim in deeper, darker water while everyone else is floating casually on the surface, wondering why you seem tired.”
— Ashley Bentley [06:53]

3. Loneliness & Internal Disconnect

• December's focus on togetherness often heightens feelings of loneliness.
• “Loneliness doesn’t necessarily mean being physically alone. You might be surrounded by people… and yet feel profoundly separate inside.” (07:56)
• There’s loneliness in masking or pretending, in “the distance between who you are and who you’re expected to be.” (08:14)
• “December loneliness is one of the most common experiences among neurodivergent adults. You are not alone in this feeling.” (09:42)

Notable Quote:

“That’s the loneliness most neurodivergent people know too well. The loneliness inside connection. The loneliness even in the presence of others.”
— Ashley Bentley [08:52]

4. Reframing Exhaustion and Overwhelm

• Exhaustion is not a personal failing but “a boundary… a signal, a form of communication. Your body is saying, I cannot process this much input. I need space, I need rest…” (11:01)
• Overwhelm arises from an accumulation of small demands, not a single big crisis.
• “Holiday overwhelm comes in layers: sensory, emotional, and expectational.” (12:27)
• Listeners are encouraged to notice and honor their capacity.

Notable Quote:

“Overwhelm is not a weakness. It is a physiological state. A state of too much, too fast, too soon, too loud, too bright, too pressured.”
— Ashley Bentley [13:04]

5. Mindful “Microdosing”: Shifting Internal Narratives

• Ashley suggests small reframes to replace harsh self-judgment:
  • Instead of “what is wrong with me this December?” try “what is my nervous system trying to tell me?”
  • Replace “everyone else seems fine” with “others may be performing, my body is telling the truth.”
  • Instead of “I should be coping better,” say “I am noticing my limits and that noticing is wisdom.” (14:04)
• “Small shifts can soften a whole season.” (14:43)

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Memorable Guided Meditation: "The Winter Cottage" (15:22–29:42)

• Imagery:

  • Listeners are guided through a quiet, snowy forest and into a warmly lit inner cottage.
  • The meditation uses evocative sensory details (“the soft crunch beneath your feet” [17:46], “the warmth radiates toward you with each step” [22:58]) to foster safety, comfort, and self-acceptance.

• Purpose:

  • To soothe loneliness and soften overwhelm.
  • To create an “inner home… where loneliness softens and exhaustion can rest.” (22:39)

• Affirmations:

  • “May I feel held in this season. May I find pockets of rest. May I know warmth even in winter.” (25:54–26:28)
  • “You are not required to perform anything. You are not required to be festive. You are not required to hold everything. Here you get to simply be.” (27:49–28:10)

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Standout Quotes & Reflections

• “Your nervous system is not misbehaving. It is responding truthfully.” — Ashley Bentley [07:30]
• “We don’t have to fix loneliness, we don’t have to escape it. We can simply acknowledge it, breathe with it, and hold it in loving awareness.” — Ashley Bentley [10:26]
• “Your exhaustion is real and it makes sense. Your loneliness is real and it is not a verdict. Your overwhelm is also real and it is not your fault.” — Ashley Bentley [31:08]

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Key Timestamps

• 01:31 — Start of Mindful Mondays with Ashley Bentley
• 05:07 — How neurodivergent people absorb more sensory/emotional input
• 06:53 — Processing events: the “swimming in deeper water” metaphor
• 07:30 — Reassurance that neurodivergent reactions are valid
• 08:52 — The loneliness inside connection
• 11:01 — Exhaustion and overwhelm as nervous system boundaries
• 12:27 — Layers of holiday overwhelm
• 14:04 — Mindful reframing suggestions
• 15:22 — Start of the winter cottage guided meditation
• 25:54–26:28 — Key self-blessing affirmations
• 27:49–28:10 — Release from seasonal pressure; permission to simply be
• 31:08 — Closing reassurances on exhaustion, loneliness, and overwhelm

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Looking Ahead

• Next week’s Mindful Mondays: “Reclaiming a sense of steadiness” and exploring the “circle of control.”
• Listeners are invited to explore more grounding practices on Ashley’s Insight Timer channel.

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Tone & Language

Ashley’s delivery is gentle, nurturing, and validating, addressing listeners directly as “dear friends.” She combines practical neurodivergent insight with mindfulness wisdom, drawing on both scientific understanding (“the nervous system takes in more of the world…”) and Buddhist teachings about suffering and acceptance.

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Summary For New Listeners

This Mindful Mondays episode is a compassionate guide through the emotional complexities and sensory overload neurodivergent people may feel during December. Through thoughtful reflection and a vivid guided meditation, Ashley Bentley validates these experiences, offering small, actionable reframes and the deep message: “You’re not alone. Your feelings make sense. Let’s find warmth together, even in winter.”

Transcript

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[Ashley Bentley]

Welcome, dear friends, to Mindful Mondays. I'm your host, Ashley Bentley, and this is your weekly pocket of peace, presence and gentle nervous system nourishment right here on the neurodivergent Experience podcast. So we've entered the heart of December now.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And if you're anything like me or.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Like so many people in our beautiful.

[Ashley Bentley]

Neurodivergent community, this is the month that carries a very particular kind of emotional weather.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

A month where the world becomes louder, brighter, busier, somehow more demanding.

[Ashley Bentley]

A month where expectations swell and routines.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Disappear, emotions sharpen and the air itself.

[Ashley Bentley]

Seems to hum with an unspoken pressure to be joyful together, organized, festive, present and capable. And yet, for so many of us.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

This is also a month of deep tiredness.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

A month of overstimulation.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

A month where loneliness becomes louder.

[Ashley Bentley]

A month where the nervous system feels like it is walking on thin ice, doing its very best to hold up.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Under the weight of too much.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

So today we're going to gently name that weight.

We're going to speak softly into the.

[Ashley Bentley]

Places that tighten this time of year.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

The exhaustion, the overwhelm, the expectations and.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

The ache of loneliness.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

We're Going to explore why December lands.

[Ashley Bentley]

So differently for neurodivergent nervous systems and.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Why it's so difficult to articulate the complexity of this month.

[Ashley Bentley]

And also how you can find pockets.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Of warmth inside yourself when the world.

[Ashley Bentley]

Feels cold, chaotic, or simply overstimulating.

Because December is paradoxical. It's a season of light and a.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Season of shadow, a season of belonging and a season of separation.

A season.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Of gathering and a season of deep internal retreat.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And if your experience of December doesn't.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Match the glittering imagery in the shop.

[Ashley Bentley]

Windows, you are not doing anything wrong.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Your nervous system is responding truthfully. And sometimes truth looks like tiredness. Sometimes it looks like wanting quiet.

Sometimes it looks like knowing how to feel joyful when everyone else seems to be performing joy.

Sometimes it looks like longing. Longing for rest, for simplicity, longing for.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Connection that feels safe and for warmth that feels real.

[Ashley Bentley]

And so today, we're going to make space for all of that.

So for many neurodivergent humans, December is.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Not simply a busy month. It's a month where demands of the world exceed the capacity of the body. And in episode 11, we talked about.

[Ashley Bentley]

How the neurodivergent nervous system takes in more of the world.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

More sound, more light, more emotion, more movement, more nuance. And in episode 12, we explored how.

[Ashley Bentley]

Our brain hemispheres create stories about who.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

We must be in certain environments.

[Ashley Bentley]

And December, more than any other month, activates those old stories. The story that says, I need to show up.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

I need to be cheerful, I need to be capable. I can't let anyone down.

[Ashley Bentley]

I should be able to handle this.

These stories create enormous pressure on a system already stretched very thin. And the truth is, the December environment itself is dysregulating. Shops are louder, lights are brighter, crowds are bigger and thicker, schedules are unpredictable, and routines fall apart. And sensory input multiplies, and social expectations skyrocket.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And even the emotional landscape shifts. Memories arise, grief resurfaces, comparisons sharpen, and.

[Ashley Bentley]

Old family patterns reappear the moment the calendar turns to December.

And on the neurodivergent Experience podcast, Jordan and Simon recently spoke about how even joyful gatherings can be laced with an undercurrent of exhaustion. Because neurodivergent people don't just attend an event. They process every micro detail of it.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Every sound and smell, facial expression, task.

[Ashley Bentley]

Sensory shift, emotional nuance, and social cue. It's like being asked to swim in deeper, darker water while everyone else is floating casually on the surface, wondering why you seem tired.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And so if you feel more exhausted this month, that makes Sense. If you feel more easily overwhelmed, that makes sense. And if you feel lonelier, that makes sense. If you feel out of step with the season around you, that makes sense.

[Ashley Bentley]

Your nervous system is not misbehaving. It is responding truthfully.

And loneliness in December carries a particular kind of sting.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

It's not just loneliness.

[Ashley Bentley]

It's loneliness in a month that expects togetherness. So for many, listening loneliness doesn't necessarily mean being physically alone.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

You might be surrounded by people, surrounded by noise, surrounded by activity, and yet feel profoundly separate inside.

Loneliness can be sensory. Loneliness can be emotional.

Loneliness can be the distance between who you are and who you're expected to be.

It can be the sense of being.

[Ashley Bentley]

The outsider in your own family, the one who is different.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Too intense, too sensitive, too quiet, too overwhelmed.

And loneliness can also arise when you're masking, when you're participating but not truly present, when your nervous system is so focused on managing input that you don't have the bandwidth to feel connected.

[Ashley Bentley]

That's the loneliness most neurodivergent people know too well.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

The loneliness inside connection. The loneliness even in the presence of others.

And layered on top of that is a second loneliness.

[Ashley Bentley]

The loneliness of believing you shouldn't feel lonely. The loneliness of shame.

The loneliness of.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Comparisons.

[Ashley Bentley]

The loneliness of thinking you're the only one struggling in a month, plastered with glittering images of families laughing, friends hugging, tables overflowing and hearts full. But I want you to know something very important.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

December loneliness is one of the most.

[Ashley Bentley]

Common experiences among neurodivergent adults. You are not alone in this feeling.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Even if the feeling itself tells you otherwise.

And this brings us to a tiny moment of bite sized Buddhism. In Buddhism, loneliness would be called a form of dukkha. Not dramatic suffering, but that subtle contraction of the heart, the ache of separation.

The tightness around longing.

And Buddhist teaching says suffering softens when we stop resisting the ache.

We don't have to fix loneliness, we don't have to escape it.

We can simply acknowledge it, breathe with it, and hold it in loving awareness.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

The way you would hold a fragile.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Winter leaf in your hand.

Knowing that.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

It won't stay forever.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

This alone creates a shift.

[Ashley Bentley]

And exhaustion in December is also not a character flawless. It's a boundary.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

It is a signal, a form of communication.

[Ashley Bentley]

Your body is saying, I cannot process this much input.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

I need space, I need rest, I.

[Ashley Bentley]

Need steadiness, I need less noise, I need fewer rolls.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And I need a slower rhythm.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And in episode 11, we talked about how the body whispers, then speaks, then shouts.

[Ashley Bentley]

And December is a Month of shouting. Because every demand of the season, the socializing, the shopping, the decision making, the cooking, the gifting, the hosting, the financial pressure, the constant interruption of routine, all.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Of that is cumulative.

[Ashley Bentley]

A neurodivergent burnout often arrives, not because of one big thing, but because of.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

A thousand small demands.

[Ashley Bentley]

And December is full of small demands. And the world does not teach us how to rest, Especially this month.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Which is why exhaustion feels like a personal failure. But exhaustion is not failure.

Exhaustion is a boundary you may not have chosen, but one that is protecting you.

So holiday overwhelm comes in layers. There's the sensory overwhelm. The lights, the noise, the crowds.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

There is the emotional overwhelm.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Grief, longing.

Comparison, old memories.

And there is expectational overwhelm, the silent belief that you should be able to.

[Ashley Bentley]

Hold it all together. Gracefully, cheerfully, endlessly. But overwhelm is not a weakness.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

It is a physiological state. A state of too much, too fast, too soon, too loud, too bright, too pressured.

And you may Remember in episode 10, we talked about the breath as a bridge between the voluntary and involuntary worlds. And December often collapses that bridge. The breath becomes shallow and the pace becomes rushed and the body becomes tense.

Overwhelm is the body's way of saying, this moment is exceeding my capacity. And capacity is not something we choose.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

It's something we honor.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

So how about a moment of microdosing?

[Ashley Bentley]

Meaning, I want to offer you a tiny reframe.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Just enough to shift the tone of the month inside you.

So instead of saying, what is wrong with me this December? You could try saying, what is my nervous system trying to tell me? Instead of thinking, everyone else seems fine, why don't you try saying to yourself, others may be performing, my body is telling the truth. And instead of saying to yourself, I should be coping better, why don't you try saying, I am noticing my limits and that noticing is wisdom?

These are small shifts, but small shifts.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Can soften a whole season.

[Ashley Bentley]

And in next week's Mindful Mondays, episode 15, we'll be talking about reclaiming a sense of steadiness. In December, we'll be exploring the circle of control.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

What is yours to carry and what is not yours to hold. And knowing the difference brings instant relief to the nervous system.

[Ashley Bentley]

So this episode, today's episode, is the emotional foundation. And next week will be the practical.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Structure you can lean on through the rest of December.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And so now let's take a journey together. A winter journey, a landscape meditation designed.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

To soothe loneliness and soften overwhelm.

[Ashley Bentley]

And bring your nervous system back to.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

A Place of gentle, grounded presence.

And if you are currently driving or.

[Ashley Bentley]

Operating heavy machinery, please ensure to pause.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

The recording until you can safely come back into stillness.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

So just find a comfortable position.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

You could be seated or lying down.

And ensure your body is warm.

And fully supported.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And allow the body to begin to.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Soften.

And allow a breath to slowly enter.

And slowly leave again.

And let's step together into a winter world.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Can you now.

Just imagine, only imagine.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Now, standing at the edge of a quiet forest at dusk.

And snow is falling very softly.

The kind of snow that absorbs sound rather than creates it.

And the world feels muted, gentle and softened around the edges.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And the air is cold, but not.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Harsh.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Just crisp enough to wake you.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And soft enough to hold you.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And you take one step into the.

[Ashley Bentley]

Snow.

And you hear the soft crunch beneath your feet.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And as you walk, you notice how.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Still everything is.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

How every branch seems coated in white.

How every sound is.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Softened by snow.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

How the world is.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Hushed.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

As if the forest itself has exhaled fully and settled into rest.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And can you imagine beginning to walk.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Along a narrow path.

A path that.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Winds between tall pines dusted with shimmering frost.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And the light is a soft winter blue glowing at the horizon.

And your breath forms a gentle cloud.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Of warmth in the air.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Rising like a tiny offering of heat to the cold world around you.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And as you walk, notice how the quiet begins to settle inside you.

There is something sacred about a winter forest.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

The stillness.

The purity.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

The simplicity.

It's a place where nothing demands anything.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Of you.

Where the world is pared down to its essentials.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And with each step.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

I want you to imagine that you are walking away from the noise.

The expectations.

The heaviness.

The emotional clutter of December.

[Ashley Bentley]

Leaving footprints behind you in the snow.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

As though you are gently releasing everything that has been weighing on your system.

Good.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

That's right.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Feel the forest drawing you inward.

Toward a small clearing ahead, where the snowfall softens even more.

And the air grows.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Warmer.

And the space feels like a.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Sanctuary carved out just for you.

And as you step into the clearing, you notice a small wooden cottage nestled beneath the trees.

[Ashley Bentley]

And warm, golden light spills from its.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Windows.

Casting a soft glow onto the snow around it.

And smoke curls gently from the chimney.

[Ashley Bentley]

Carrying the scent of firewood.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

That comforting.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Scent of warmth in winter.

This is your inner home.

Your winter sanctuary.

The part of you untouched by overwhelm.

The place inside you where loneliness softens and exhaustion can rest.

And walking toward the cottage now.

Slowly.

Noticing the warmth that radiates toward you with each step.

And when you reach the door.

[Ashley Bentley]

It opens easily.

As though the cottage has been expecting you.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And you step inside.

And the warmth wraps around you instantly.

[Ashley Bentley]

There is a fire crackling softly in a stone fireplace.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

A thick blanket is draped across a wooden chair.

And a small table holds.

[Ashley Bentley]

A steaming mug of something warm and fragrant.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And the room is lit with a golden glow.

Soft, gentle, soothing.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

And you take a seat in the.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Chair by the fire.

And feel the heat seep into your body.

Warming your hands, your feet, your chest.

The exhaustion that has lived in your bones begins to loosen.

The loneliness in your heart begins to.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Thaw.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And the overwhelm begins to dissolve into the soft crackle of the fire.

This cottage is yours.

This stillness is your.

This warmth is yours to return to whenever you need it.

And now.

Place a hand over your.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Heart.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And breathe gently into the warmth there.

And silently offer yourself this phrase, a simple blessing to meet you where you are.

May I feel held in this season.

[Ashley Bentley]

May I find pockets of rest.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

May I know warmth even in winter.

Say it again internally.

Slow, spacious and kind.

May I feel held in this season.

May I find pockets of rest.

May I know warmth even in winter.

And let the warmth of the fire mingle with the warmth of your touch.

Let the cottage hold you.

Let the winter forest protect you.

And let the quiet be your companion.

And now imagine that outside this cup cottage, snowfall continues.

Gentle, steady, unhurried.

Wrapping the world in white.

Like a soft winter blank.

You are safe here.

You are not required to perform anything.

You are not required to be festive.

You are not required to hold everything.

Here you get to simply be.

[Ashley Bentley]

And just stay with the warmth for.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

A few more breaths.

And when you're ready.

You can imagine.

[Ashley Bentley]

Slowly standing up.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Walking back to the door.

And stepping again into the snowy clearing.

The forest is quiet.

The world is soft.

And the path home lies ahead of you.

But you now carry the warmth of the cottage inside your chest.

You are held.

You are softened.

You are warmed.

You can begin to gently return to the room that you're in.

And bring a slow breath into your lungs.

And exhale softly.

Feeling the support beneath you.

And whenever you're ready.

[Ashley Bentley]

And not a.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Moment before.

You can feel free to gently open your eyes.

Thank you so much for joining me.

[Ashley Bentley]

This week on Mindful Mondays.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

And if this meditation brought you relief.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

Or helped to soften something inside.

I.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Want to remind you that there is so much more support waiting for you on my Insight Timer channel.

[Ashley Bentley]

Just search for Ashley Bentley.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

You'll find short grounding practices for moments.

[Ashley Bentley]

Of overwhelm.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Yoga Nidras for deep rest.

Different loving kindness meditations and bedtime alchemy stories.

[Ashley Bentley]

And there's more coming soon.

[Ashley Bentley (continuation)]

You do not have to carry this month alone.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Thank you so much for joining me today and for showing up for yourself.

[Ashley Bentley]

In a season that can be so demanding.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

Remember.

Your exhaustion is real and it makes sense. Your loneliness is real and it is not a verdict. Your overwhelm is also real and it is not your fault. And make sure to tune into this.

[Ashley Bentley]

Week'S neurodivergent Experience podcast where Jordan, Simon and I discuss Christmas Overwhelm and expectations in more depth. And next week here on Mindful Mondays, we'll explore the circle of control in.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

A gentle, empowering way to reclaim your energy, your boundaries, and your inner steadiness through the rest of December.

[Ashley Bentley]

Until then, may you move gently, may.

[Ashley Bentley (guided meditation voice)]

You meet yourself with kindness, and may you remember that even in winter there is a warmth inside you. And as always, we're just walking each other home.

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No one in their right mind would be out here, which makes it the perfect place to kill someone.

[Hot and Deadly Narrator]

Introducing Hot and Deadly from id, your podcast for classic American true crime, served with a side of biscuits and gravy. On each episode, you'll hear some of ID's most shocking stories of murder and betrayal, from the mystery of a preacher shot and killed by a bow and arrow to a former pro prom queen gone missing and found murder. Listen to Hot and Deadly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[ACAST Announcer]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast. Com.