Mindly Different

Why I Created Mindly Different

For as long as I can remember, stories about people whose minds worked differently captivated me. Even as a child, I felt drawn to understand the inner worlds of those who thought, felt, or processed life in ways that weren’t considered “typical”. I didn’t have the vocabulary for it yet, but I knew there was something profoundly meaningful in the diversity of human minds.

I remember my childhood friend who hardly spoke – often silent, sometimes barely articulate – except when he talked about the Second World War. Then, suddenly, he transformed into a living archive, reciting names, dates, geographic details, and statistics with astonishing precision. Or our neighbor, a brilliant mathematician from a major university in Saint-Petersburg, who self-medicated simply to quiet the unstoppable flow of equations racing through his mind. Over time I read about people tortured by lobotomy and met people with memory loss, individuals living with TBI and PTSD, and others who carried extraordinary gifts – musical prodigies, scientific thinkers, people with uncanny intuition.

These experiences showed me early on that the human mind can be both fragile and extraordinary, complex and beautiful, vulnerable and powerful all at once.

That early curiosity led me to study psychology, nutrition, and neurodiversity. But years later, an acquired brain injury made this passion deeply personal.

The injury didn’t only affect my cognition and emotional life – it affected my body as well. I lived through hemiplegia, and although I regained much of my mobility, elements of it still shape how I move through the world. I also live with a significant reduction in my visual field, something that continues to influence how I navigate daily life.

Learning to understand my mind and body again was overwhelming, humbling, and transformative. It pushed me to explore brain health, identity, and well-being not just from a professional perspective, but through lived experience.

And it taught me a truth that became the foundation of this work:

Different isn’t wrong.
Different isn’t broken.
Different is simply… different.
That is where Mindly Different comes from.

Different ≠ Less

In a world that often values hustle, efficiency, speed, and predictability, having a mind that works differently can feel like a disadvantage. You may mask, stretch, overperform, or push through exhaustion just to appear “normal”. Or perhaps you’ve felt misunderstood, mislabeled, or even dismissed by systems that weren’t designed with your neurotype in mind.

But the reality is this: There is no standard brain.
We all think, feel, process, and connect in unique ways. Neurodivergent minds – whether through autism, ADHD, dyslexia, brain injury, hypersensitivity, or simply personality and temperament – bring perspectives and strengths that enrich our world.

Creativity, problem-solving, resilience, sensitivity, intuition, depth, curiosity, pattern-recognition…These are not traits to hide. They are traits to uncover, understand, support, and celebrate.

Living With a Mind That Works Differently

Living with a unique brain – especially after a neurological event or when navigating neurodivergence – can be both beautiful and painfully challenging. You may experience cognitive fatigue, sensory overload, executive-function struggles, emotional intensity, difficulty with confidence or identity, feeling “out of sync” with others, and profound self-doubt.

I know these experiences intimately. And I know they’re not signs of weakness. They are signs that your brain deserves care, curious attention, compassion, and support – not pressure to perform like someone else’s.

Strength Comes From Understanding Your Mind

The journey towards balance and wellbeing doesn’t begin with changing who you are. It begins with understanding who you are – how your brain works, what it needs, and how to align your life with your natural rhythms.

That’s the heart of Mindly Different.
Not to “fix” your mind.
But to support it.
To honor it.
To help you build confidence and clarity from the inside out.

What You Can Expect From This Blog

Over time, I’ll be sharing insights on:

• brain health for real life
• neurodiversity from a strength-based perspective
• coping with overwhelm, fatigue, and stress
• identity after neurological changes
• confidence and self-worth
• everyday wellbeing practices
• simple explanations of psychology and neuroscience
• tools to understand your mind – not fight with it

My goal is to offer a space where you feel seen, supported, and encouraged to embrace your own way of being.

If you’ve ever felt different and didn’t know where you belonged…
If you’re trying to understand your brain instead of battling it…
If you’re searching for a sense of calm, clarity, and self-acceptance…

You’re not alone here.
Welcome to Mindly Different.
A place for every beautifully different mind.

By Nataliya Popova
Mindly Different – Coaching for the beautifully different mind