Many women who mask all day arrive home completely depleted. They have spent every hour performing calm, and there is nothing left.
In 1927, a Soviet psychiatrist named Grunya Sukhareva described autistic traits in girls. Her work waited 93 years to be translated, while diagnosis was built around boys. Many women are still diagnosed late, often identified first as anxious or depressed.
Masking keeps the nervous system on alert until something gives. In this episode, Etienny Trindade explains why this is an environmental problem as much as a personal one, and what your space can do to let you finally put the mask down.
In this episode you will learn
- Why masking leaves women exhausted at home
- The story of Grunya Sukhareva, and why her work was missed
- Why so many women are diagnosed late
- Four changes: unstructured time when you arrive home, a space where no one watches you, no overhead lighting in the evening, and less visual complexity
A space where no one is watching
Masking is a response to being observed. One corner of your home where no one is watching, with soft light and very little to look at, gives your nervous system permission to stop performing.
This episode answers
- What is masking?
- Why are women diagnosed with autism and ADHD later?
- Why am I so exhausted when I get home?
- How can my home help me stop masking?
About the host
Etienny Trindade is the founder of Nervous System Design, with 20 years of experience, author of Creating Healing Spaces for Children, and award winning creator of learning environments for neurodivergent children. She hosts Happy Healthy Homes, the only podcast at the intersection of environmental design, neuroaesthetics, and nervous system science.
Remember. It is not about perfection. It is about one conscious choice at a time.