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Beany Brain #110: ADHD = Hypercuriosity? + Experts' Ideas for Living Well with Neurodivergencies

Author

Abigail Munday
September 08, 2026

 

Beany Brain: loving our jumping-bean brains!

Welcome to this issue of the Beany Brain! I hope today’s newsletter will bounce us up as we contemplate the upsides and challenges of being neurodivergent, a little beauty, some creativity, and just general yeehawesomeness.

Table of Contents

Photo by Abigail Munday

ADHD = Hypercuriosity?

Is ADHD a negative or a positive?

Maybe both?

Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a researcher at King’s College London, was kicked out of school for what she calls “creative mischief.”

What if ADHD isn’t a deficit of attention, but an intensified curiosity?

She was diagnosed recently as ADHD, and her work is now focused on “hypercuriosity” as “an intensified impulsive desire to know and explore.”

Le Cunff says:

Traditional education rewards sustained attention to predetermined tasks. The result is that many hypercurious kids feel miserable suppressing their natural curiosity rather than learning how to leverage it. Hypercurious minds deserve better systems and better stories.

Better systems and better stories. Can I get an amen?

(Ooooh, I need to go look up the etymology of “amen” again. I wonder how many languages use that word just as it is without changing it? I know it’s in Japanese. I’m suddenly feeling hypercurious about it.)

Ha Ha Haiku

A funny haiku for you every week in every newsletter, whether it’s one of my own or one I curate for you. HA. Ha. Haiku.

Hot homemade fish pie

Meant for tired friends; Oh no!

Swimming on the floor

(Abigail Munday)

Photo by Abigail Munday

Experts’ Ideas for Living Well with Neurodivergencies

This article in the Guardian (which my husband and sons call the Grauniad from an old Private Eye joke) has this to share with us: “A GP, psychologist, nutritionist and fitness instructor give their advice on how to live healthily and happily with ADHD and autism.”

So without further ado:

  1. The GP, Dr. Heidi Phillips, a clinical advisor on neurodiversity for the Royal College of GPs and person who has ADHD, says to “Celebrate your achievements and forgive yourself when you can’t do it all” and “Neurodivergence is not a deficit, a disease or a disorder” and “My advice is to embrace your neurodivergence as part of your identity.”

  2. Dr. Alice Nicholls is a clinical psychologist and is autistic (and I get her email newsletters, which are very good). She says that to avoid autistic burnout you need to “Make adjustments to your lifestyle so things feel more manageable” and “To recover from and prevent burnout, it can help to find activities that match your interests” and “Try to be kind to yourself. Consider connecting with neurodivergent people, and others, who you feel safer to be yourself with.”

  3. Louise Slope is a nutritional therapist. Basically, autistic and ADHD folks suffer from gut issues at a higher rate than neurotypical people, we need to cut down on sugar and simple carbs (pasta and bread), and we should eat colorful veggies and fruit and lots of beans and whole grains, nuts, seeds, spices and herbs.

  4. Emma Marfe is a pilates instructor with ADHD who focuses her work on helping those who are neurodivergent. She says exercise is good for everyone, and especially for ND folks who need routine, and it helps fight anxiety. Her advice: “The most important thing is to find ways to move your body that you enjoy and which fit into your life.”

Which idea or hack resonated most with you, Beany Brain friend?

I think for the next few minutes I’ll focus on “forgiving myself when I can’t do it all.”

And then after that I’ll forget all about it and then have to reread this section again for a refresher. If I can remember to do that.

Photo by Abigail Munday

Yeehawesome!

Yeehawesome! is a happy-brain roundup in each issue of Beany Brain. What’s happening that’s good in brain land? What’s bringing me joy?

  1. This poor woman was allergic to the sun and heat and because of that had to move across the US to Seattle to get some relief, but in the process she found her calling as an artist.

  2. BBC Global Women—look for this page on Instagram or Facebook. So lovely.

  3. Hate working out? I do sometimes. Hate video games? I (mostly) do. BUT…this was a video-game-style 10-minute workout and I found it extremely fun.

Quote of the Week

The softest one on crime is the one committing them.

(my younger son)

Beany Brownie Points and Extra Bonus Funniness

Wonderful Wednesday

Wonderful Wednesday was a day once a year in college when they would suddenly and surprisingly call off all classes and we’d play all day. The cafeteria provided special fun food and we’d do stuff outside like slip ‘n slides and jello wrestling in sumo suits. This segment of Beany Brain is dedicated to that memory of silliness and fun—no words, just a photo from the week that I’ve taken or found that reminds me to let the joy in. Since Beany Brain is published on Wednesday every week (at least, Wednesday in Japan), I hope you enjoy this Wonderful Wednesday.

Photo by Abigail Munday

Today’s Beany-full Summary:

  • ADHD could be reframed as hypercuriosity, says researcher Anne-Laure Le Cunff.

  • Four experts share ideas on living healthier lives with neurodivergencies.

  • Go forth in Beany joy. What will help you feel yeehawesome this week?

Thank you for reading this installment of Beany Brain! You’re very welcome to hop on by any old time.

If you’re enjoying Beany Brain, please share with a friend or seventeen at www.beanybrain.com. Cheers big time!