Here’s to More Brat Energy in 2025: A Love Letter to Neurodivergent Women Who Take Up Space (and Refuse to Apologize for It)

Here’s to More Brat Energy in 2025: A Love Letter to Neurodivergent Women Who Take Up Space (and Refuse to Apologize for It)

Because being a little bratty is often the most loving thing you can do for yourself.


💬 Introduction: The Year I Embraced My Inner Brat

You know that moment in therapy when your therapist says something like, “It’s okay to take up space and ask for what you need,” and you nod along sagely while a tiny voice in your head screams, “But what if they think I’m…difficult?”

Yeah. That voice? She’s overdue for her brat era.

2024 was the year many of us—especially those of us who are neurodivergent—started to flirt with the idea that being a little bit of a brat isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it might be the most healing thing we’ve done for ourselves in years.

So, as the glitter settles on 2024 and we peek into 2025, I propose a toast: Here’s to being a little bratty. Here’s to saying no, taking naps, wearing the shiny boots, and asking for extra pickles. Here’s to being audaciously, gloriously ourselves.


What Even Is Brat Energy, and Why Did It Take Over 2024?

Blame it on Charli XCX and her album Brat. Blame it on collective burnout. Blame it on women everywhere realizing we’ve been too polite for too long.

The word “brat” used to be an insult. A way to dismiss someone (usually a woman) who dared to want… well, anything. But in 2024, brat energy became something else entirely—it became a vibe, a statement, a glittery refusal to make yourself small.

Brat energy isn’t about throwing tantrums—it’s about throwing expectations out the window. It’s about:

  • Asking for what you want, clearly and directly.
  • Not apologizing when you don’t want to do something.
  • Saying “No, thank you” and not over-explaining.
  • Wearing something bold and not caring if it’s “too much.”

And for those of us who are neurodivergent—women with ADHD, autism, or just gloriously differently-wired brains—embracing brat energy feels less like rebellion and more like… freedom.


🧠 Brat Energy & Neurodivergence: A Match Made in Self-Care Heaven

Neurodivergent women are often given a playbook for how to “fit in.”

  • Don’t be too loud.
  • Don’t be too emotional.
  • Don’t interrupt.
  • Don’t make it weird.

And for so long, we’ve tried to follow those rules—masking our quirks, swallowing our needs, and trying to be less… us.

But here’s the thing: masking is exhausting. People-pleasing is draining. And the cost? Our mental health, our joy, our peace.

So when I say, “Here’s to brat energy,” what I really mean is:

  • Here’s to taking up space without apology.
  • Here’s to asking for accommodations without guilt.
  • Here’s to saying, “Actually, I can’t do that today, and that’s okay.”

Sometimes, embracing brat energy is as simple as asking for the thing you need without mentally rehearsing 12 ways someone might misunderstand you.


🛋️ Therapist Tea: When Brat Energy Is Actually Self-Care

My therapist once said something that stopped me mid-tea sip:

"You’re allowed to have needs, and you don’t need to make them palatable for other people.”

Oof.

How often do we sugarcoat our boundaries to make them easier for others to swallow? How often do we over-explain why we can’t go to that event, why we need that quiet time, why we just can’t people today?

But boundaries, dear reader, are an act of love—not just for yourself, but for others. When we embrace our brat energy, we stop showing up half-empty and start showing up fully, gloriously us.


💖 My Brat Era: A Personal Story

The first time I truly leaned into brat energy, it was…anticlimactic.

I said no to a dinner invitation. Not because I had other plans, not because I was sick—just because I didn’t want to go.

I typed out a long, apologetic explanation, stared at it, deleted it, and instead wrote:

"Hey, I’m actually not up for it tonight. Hope you have a great time!"

And then I hit send.

Reader, nothing bad happened. The sky didn’t fall. My friends didn’t hate me. And best of all? I had an evening on the couch in my comfiest pajamas with zero regrets.

It felt… bratty. And it felt amazing.


📋 5 Ways to Embrace Your Inner Brat in 2025

If you’re thinking, “Okay, but how do I actually DO this?”—don’t worry. Here’s your quick-start guide:

1️⃣ Say No Without a Novel.
A simple “No, thank you” is a full sentence.

2️⃣ Ask for What You Need.
Whether it’s extra time on a task, a quiet space, or a snack—ask.

3️⃣ Take Up Space.
Physically, emotionally, vocally. You’re allowed to exist.

4️⃣ Stop Over-Apologizing.
Did you actually do something wrong? No? Then zip it, darling.

5️⃣ Wear the Thing. Do the Thing. Be the Thing.
Life’s too short to not wear the sparkly boots.


🥂 Here’s to a Bratty, Beautiful 2025

So here’s my wish for you, dear reader:

May 2025 be the year you stop shrinking yourself to make others comfortable. May you take up space, set audacious boundaries, and fully, unapologetically exist.

Here’s to messy buns, loud laughs, clear boundaries, and brat energy in every corner of your life.

Now go out there and be the most glorious brat you can be.

You deserve it. 💖

While you're here, have a look at my 'Hello 2025' journal - full of self affirmation and self care prompts to help you reflect on 2024, and make 2025 you bestest, most 'brat' year ever!

https://mindfulcanvasdigital.etsy.com/listing/1810659750