LATE BLOOMERS - THE DOPAMINE DIARIES: Weirdly specific neurodivergent joys

Episode Date: November 27, 2025

In this episode of LATE BLOOMERS, Rich and Rox dive into the weirdly specific joys that light up neurodivergent brains. From the thrill of a forgotten parcel delivery to the bliss of a fresh pair of socks, they explore the tiny, random, wonderful things that hit like pure dopamine. They cover everything from candle aisles, bookshop wandering, escape rooms, snack obsessions, and “main character” music-video walks, to productivity highs, cosy rituals, and the deep comfort of doing things with your people. Along the way, they unpack the differences between Rox’s ADHD dopamine-chasing chaos and Rich’s autistic joy in structure, ritual, and sensory delight. It’s a warm, funny, deeply relatable tour through the little moments that make neurodivergent life feel magical, meaningful, and sometimes absolutely unhinged — in the best way.

This is the dopamine diaries. We are going to be talking the weirdly specific things that bring us neurodivergent joy. Do you know what dopamine is? Yes. Do you actually? It's a chemical that I haven't got. So it is the neurotransmitter responsible for motivation, anticipation and novelty. Lovely.

This is not going to be a science episode. This is basically a battle of the. neurodivergent joys, me versus you, ADHD versus... Autism. Possible. Possible. And we've basically, look, this podcast is lovely and I love it. But we've had a lot of heavy topics, haven't we?

We have. We've had hitting rock bottom, getting sober, hating yourself, being abused in all manner of different ways, burnout, trauma. So we thought we'd bring you lot. A bit of light. A bit of joy. Welcome to late bloomers where we are getting our lives together. Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding eventually.

So who's going first then? I'm going to steam in. Go on then. My number one, weirdly specific neurodivergent joy. Oh, it's putting on a new pair of socks. Is that it? Yeah. What?

Why does that bring you joy? So it's, and by the way, this is new, brand, new so not like washed brand new so it's opening the packet it's the smell it's the feel they're just so soft and like squidgey and then they wrap round my foot they just encase it in like there is nothing like putting on a brand new sock the feeling of it do you not know what i mean No, I'm the opposite. I'd prefer them to have gone through a wash and dry cycle because I find new socks can shed fluff.

And I don't like that all in my feet and in my toes and that. Like, bleh. Wait, you don't love... No. I can't imagine missing out on the joy of a new sock. I think probably for so much of my life, I was like re-wearing socks, turning them inside out, wearing holy socks,

took like a perfect pair of fluffies. Oh, there's nothing like it. All right, what's your first one? A bit different. Mine is following a specific set of instructions. So it could be like... Wait, you know this is joys and not pains. Babe, honestly, like whether it's putting together a bit of furniture

or building Lego, following those instructions and loving that process is like step by step by step. It just all fits together perfectly. It's just, oh, it's lovely. Yeah. Sorry, I'm struggling to understand. You are telling me that following instructions brings you mad amounts of joy.

What does it feel? I really, I'm really, I think just there's structure, it's accurate, you can see step by step, the achievement and accomplishment, the sense of relief, not sense of relief, the sense of pride and joy when it's done and it's like, oh, just, it's just smells of achievement. Not for you, no? No. Well, look, you have socks.

I have instructions. All right. My next one, you ready? When the song you're listening to perfectly aligns up with the vibe of where you're walking. So you can, like, romanticise that entire set up and almost feel like you're in a music video. Like you're the main character of your life type of thing. Yeah. So like you'll be listening to a song and it'll just, the perfect chorus, the perfect emotion.

It'll be building up. You'll be walking through London Bridge, going past wait shows, the smell of flowers in the air. Maybe it's like warm out. I don't know. It's just like everything comes together. So when that song hits, you are like, you're on cloud nine. It's like the class A of romanticising walks. Does your walk change when you hit?

that. 100%. Are you like on a catwalk all of a sudden? It's not a catwalk. It's this mission statement. There's like a power in your steps, divine intervention. Like you feel like you're going somewhere important. I think I walk quicker, like at a pace.

My eyes are like set. The songs, but it only lasts as long as the song lasts. And when song's over, I'll slow down. Oh, is it a bit flat after that? Yeah. Oh, no. Do you romanticize your role? No, no.

So you can't relate, like, when you're walking and the perfect song kicks in and you sort of feel like you're in a music video? No. No at all. If I'm walking, there'll be somewhere to be, like, a coffee shop or a meeting or whatever, and I'll be thinking about that and nothing else. So it would just be there. Is that why I'm always late?

Probably. Disappearing into Rux's movie. All right, come on. What, you said weirdly specific. This one might be too specific, but I couldn't not have it on the list. So it's consuming content on social media, but more specifically cleaning rugs. Right, no, hear me out.

So it's a bit ASMRI, or AMSR, or AMSR, yeah. And it starts off like it's disgusting. All you can see is just brown sludge. They like sweep all the mud off and then use all these chemicals and it's over and over and over and over again. again cleaning this rug and you can hear it and then they're sweeping away the dirty water and then it's like perfect at the end it's that but they honestly like I guess it's I don't know farming or whatever like with the views or I can I can attach to that video it like gets me

I'm blown away by the fact that you've had following instructions and cleaning videos like we are yeah we are opposites I mean I love that I love that I love that you love a dirty rug video, I never knew. Yeah. Okay, back to me. Yeah. Making something my entire personality. Now, it could be a colour.

Like blue. Like blue. I also went for a phase of like that neon green. Yeah, yeah. Or it could be a thing. So at the moment, it's cockapoo's. Yeah. So basically like anything,

with a cockapoo on it, whether it's plates, mugs, aprons, oven gloves. Like, I see it and I'm just like, oh my God, anything that's got a cockapoo on it just brings me just so much joy. For those of you not watching the video on YouTube or Spotify, I'm holding my cockapoo mug. It's like I can just fall into a hole. of obsession on one weird little thing and then find joy in anything to do with that colour

or that thing or that vibe and it will last quite a while. What about when it runs out? Like is there sadness or is it just the next thing? It's quite flat. So when I lost neon green, that was quite sad because it used to be like anything with that bright neon green,

but I have to buy it. I love it. It could be trainers or jacket. I remember. It just made me so happy. It was like my entire personality. And then one day I saw a neon green and was like, take it or leave it. Wow.

And then it is quite sad. But obviously cockapoos is because we've got a cockapoo. So I don't think this could just be me now forever, anything with a cockapoo on. Maybe, maybe. You actually don't like this, but I think that you love that I love it. Because it's, again, I'm 40 years old. And so I can't believe I'm just about to say this. But I like playing video games, but I've recently discovered I actually like watching video games just as much.

So there's a streamer called Laino. He's a Twitch streamer. And I can watch him play Cod for hours. Yeah. He's really funny. He like screams at the TV. him and Gary who he plays with are always like mugging each other off

in like a band away but it's just I don't know what it's like so soothing even though it's not soothing That's become quite big Every time I'm out of the house now I come back and you're watching Lano like a sort of teenage boy I do other stuff

If I've got work to do I'll do that And it'll be on in the background What I find crazy Obviously you were listening to him last night I was in the bar And it was screaming effing blinding arguments I was like babe can you turn it down can you shut the door like it triggers the hell out me and you watch it to relax that I I can see how that's strange

because this guy he's from up north and like he screams at the TV and it's a war video game that I'm watching as well but it's listen it's relaxing what can I say weirdly specific so His favourite band though, he said on stream the other day, is bring me the horizon. So he's a big rock music guy. Right. You've been to bring me gig. I take you there.

Okay, my next one, nothing hits like this. When there's a delivery, me, and I've forgotten that I've ordered something. So not only if I had the joy of searching for something I want and buying it, I then get another joy

because I've forgotten that I've done that of opening the box and finding out what's in there. It's like a sort of surprise mystery box that I've sent myself and it could be something basic. It could be like topping up a special toothpaste or just something not exciting. It could range all the way up to like a new blue mascara,

body spray that I've forgot. And it's probably most packages you've forgotten what they are by the time they get it, even if it's next day delivery. Yeah, no, it happens a lot. And especially if it isn't, no, when it isn't next day delivery. So, like, I ordered some of the bad omens. They're a band, like, custom special joggers for their latest release. And I totally forgot because it took weeks.

Yeah. And then they got delivered and it was like, oh, you just get to experience the buying all over again without spending any money because you've already bought it. Dopamine mystery packages, the win. By the way, you can't start everyone with nothing hits like this. Have I done that? I think so, because they all... Nothing hits like the music video moment.

Nothing hits like a forgotten thing. Yeah, so let's just assume that... Nothing hits like this. A few things hit the same and they're sort of in the same, like, yeah. Anyway, number of four is really simple for me, golf. You love golf. Love a bit of golf, love, it has to be competitive golf. Yeah.

I can't just, I'm not one of those guys that can just walk around by himself on a golf course. But yeah, out in nature, I like, it, I was saying the last time I was playing actually, like, what's brilliant about it is I don't, I think of nothing else other than the golf for like four hours. And that is so wonderful. Like, it just, it's just there. Nothing else, I'm not thinking about anything else. It's like your little meditation moment. Yeah. Out on a golf course.

I love that for you. Yeah. I love that you're playing more golf. That's not a strange one, but I had to put it in there. Yeah, no. You love it. Yeah. It's got to be in there.

And it's a bit of an old man sport. Oh, right. No, but you're not an old man. No. Kind of. I'm in my 30s. For like two weeks. Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. And nothing hits like this, yeah, right? Let me, let us be the judge of that. Okay. The candle aisle in any shop, even better if you didn't know there was going to be a candle aisle. So obviously, if I go to Tesco, Sainsbury's superstore, I always know there's going to be a candle aisle.

still hits, it's still unbelievable like amazing can go smell all the candles hopefully come away with something lovely but going into a shop and unexpectedly stumbling on kind of candle

heaven there is no it's one of my most favourite where would that be so it happened to me the first time we went to Home Sense oh okay yeah I knew it was a home store, I had no

idea there was, I mean, thousands of candles, colour-coded, it blew my mind and it continues to blow my mind. Also, if we're on holiday and we walk into like a little gift shop, and they happen to have a candle

section, oh my lord. I don't know whether it's thousands of candles. I think it's like maybe a hundred, but a lot. Maybe it felt like that. I don't need to wee on my candle fire. Okay. The next one for me is finding mistakes.

And you're going to need to feel like I'm going to need to elaborate on this. Yeah, I think you are, babe. I've got a bit like taken, like Liam Neeson in Taken. I've got a very specific... Sorry. Let me finish. No, no, I just need to... No.

Because are you saying, I just need to check. You've interrupted me. No, but are you saying that you finding a mathematical error on a spreadsheet related to our tax return? Are you likening that to Liam Neeson in Taken? I'm getting annoyed now because you interrupted me at the quote of me saying I have a very specific set of skills, which is a classic line from the film Taken and you pissed all over it. Oh, sorry. I thought you were saying, sorry, I thought you were saying I'm like Liam. You've ruined it now.

Sorry. Go again. Go again. Have your mind. No, shush. Finding mistakes. So I have a talent and it's not, it doesn't need to be something that I'm an expert in. So I do it every year with our accountants, their accountants, they do it for a living. I will spot mistakes. I'll do it. Every time our manager sends us anything, I'll spot an error. I'll spot a mistake. And I just love it. Not like as a one-up thing. It's not that.

It's like I analytically can see something that other people can't see. And it brings me a lot of joy. You love it if you're like, the VAT wasn't removed before that in line four. I don't know what you're talking about, because it's not one of my specific skills. But like the smile on your face. And it's not to do with the other person making.

a mistake it's that you've discovered it you've uncovered something it's data like when i get a spreadsheet and it relates to me i don't think i could do it just from a random spreadsheet but like when it relates to me or our income or whatever i will like zone into it and then yeah anyway thanks for ruining my movie quote there up next for me is when the bedroom is clean and there's clean bed sheets and like a candle's going or like the aromatherapy oils when the bedroom is like a hundred percent like just amazing and it's like you crawl into this clean bed you're clean as well like when you've had a bath or shower and you crawl in and you just smell those clean sheets and soft pillows, incredible, an incredible feeling.

I sometimes think, is it because for so long, so many years, I'd go six months or a year without cleaning sheets and lived in a total pig stye? Is it that? Is it that's why it's there? But that feeling of getting into clean sheets, oh my good Lord. I was going to say, you probably need a little bit of support to experience this particular dopamine satisfaction. isn't it? Yeah.

I wouldn't. If I didn't live with you, I don't think I'd ever have this one. You would when you go to hotels. Oh yeah, I'd have it in hotels. It's not quite the same. No, I know what you mean. It's like your own lovely space and soft sheets.

Next for me, simple one. Staying at home. Home. Not home. What, it just brings you. Just stay, yeah. If I've got nothing planned for that day, I don't have to go out.

I don't have to speak to any. anyone don't have to no chores it's just i'm staying at home probably with lena on the telly i'll be productive i'll do all the work that i've got to do but it's just oh i love i'm i could be a hermit i think this might be the first one where we've got something in common because my next one is cancel plans yeah similar which is similar i feel like yours is there's more to it though because you like you maybe don't want to go sometimes maybe considering canceling yourself

so when they cancel it's like winning the lottery. They cancel is the best thing ever you're like let off the hook and you get so much time back getting to the train station the train thinking something to eat what you're wearing getting ready

I get my entire day back so like a cancelled plan is just I won't say nothing nothing hits but like the same but like yeah it hits oh it hits hard next for me is the marvel cinematic universe okay yeah simple as that people that don't know i'm not just going to say superhero movies it's far more than that um don't come at me with batman or any nonsense like that it's the Marvel cinematic universe. It's the lure. It's everything. It's the storylines within the

storylines. It's the wider overarching storyline that you get from the after credit scenes. It's just, oh, it's just like amazing. You have a whole leg of Marvel tattoos. I do, yeah. And that's, if ever you feel tired or ill, you always put on a Marvel and it's just like it makes you feel, I don't know, at home or safe. It's like your favorite thing. I went for a spell of putting Infinity War, which is the best movie to have ever existed on every night to go to sleep. Like every night. Yeah, it brings you...

And I never get bored of it. It brings you so much joy. It's gone downhill a little bit, which breaks my heart. I know. They'll come back. They'll come back. Let's see. Right, okay. Not going to say it, but...

escape room. Do you remember when I first went to an escape room? Your exact words were I need to find every escape room in the country and do them all is exactly what you said. Because the first time I went in it was like, it was unbelievable. There's 3D games room, different rooms, puzzles to unlock, brain activated. I was obsessed. Yeah. I still am obsessed. I like to find the best ones. I read reviews, I take us, we don't go too far, but like up to 90 minutes away to go and do different ones. And like, that one we went to when it was like, it was Temple Quest and there was all sand and you had like a special trolley and there was three different rooms. Every time. But when they are done well, they are mind-blowing. It's the satisfaction, being against the

clock. And I love it when they take the room really seriously with like props and decorations. in the host like goes into character it's yeah incredible this is another one that I am fully aligned with like I am there with escape rooms so we even want to stay home or go to an escape room that's where we yeah that's how we fall in and love in that space um eating it's quite a simple one weirdly specific neurodivergent joys eating yeah but yeah it's It's a specific type of food. No, yeah. It's not, it isn't, it isn't peas or broccoli or Brussels spouts.

Any of that nonsense. No. It is carbs and protein. You love, I've never seen you happier than with KFC, McDonald's chicken box. Stop it. Sometimes in Nando's. It doesn't hit in the way that pizza cabab KFC.

does like you're very much like the junkier the better in terms of your maximum joy i think and and a pizza an american hot thin and crispy pizza you just love it i don't think there's many people that can eat a pizza as quick as me you eat a lot of your food very quickly big time you sometimes have to say like bubby you're gonna by the time you said that's you're sort of wolfing it down and swallowing but yeah you love you do love eating don't you yeah okay here we go not going to say it but um walking into a book shop that's it probably no oh walk into the self-help yeah yeah aisle perusing all the books picking them up smelling them that that experience you're making this sound a lot more sophisticated than it

than it really is. You don't maroze around and you're sitting cross-legged like a schoolchild in the bookshop with books surrounding you just flicking through the pages. It's mania. Like it's lovely. You love it but it's left me real.

Like I've seen you cross- skin on the floor. I need to be in my space with all the books I'm considering buying to read enough of both the back cover and the chapters to know if that's going to be the book I'm leaving with very often I'll get overwhelmed and leave with nothing. But that first hit of bookshops sent, self-help aisle, oh my lord. It's a very specific smell, actually, a bookshop, isn't it?

Yeah, it just smells like poetry, vintage paper, slow life. It's just so relaxing. Slow life. It just smells slow. A bookshop smells. slow. Yeah. Yeah.

An executed plan. So you'd be familiar with the phrase, I love it when a plan comes together. I really love it when a plan comes. Specifically if I've made the plan. Like if I've made the plan, let's say traveling, right? There'll be loads of steps. Like we're doing this at this time, this at this time. Then we're going here.

Then we're going here. And then just ticking off all of those bits as the day goes on. it's like I've planned that well you know what I mean and what each time you tick is it like your brain just like I'll be mentally if I haven't got it written down

I'll be mentally ticking off the steps of the plan and then if it but the flip side to this is when it doesn't work then it can it has the opposite effect it knocks you that's actually really help me understanding

that are well executed plan is one of your neurodivergent joys. Yeah, so what I would recommend if you really love that is get with someone with ADHD just to just to grow I would say.

Yeah, yeah, sorry. No. Always changing the plan. Are we on to our last ones? Yep. Okay. My one is properly specific. My last one, my last one specific too. Go on. So I'm not going to say it

Good Since saying you can't say at everyone You've said I'm not going to say it at everyone Everyone knows what I'm thinking Yeah So it's hyperfocus Research

Time Spent alone So at the moment My interest My research time is spent reading about psychoanalysis and that might be reading a book about it it might be reading an article about it it might just be reading I'm on like psychoanalyst Twitter I follow and read a lot of actual psychoanalyst therapists are you in on TikTok side

psychoanalytic oh yeah yeah yeah and I'm like big time like I'm obviously like not I shouldn't really be there but I am they're like infiltrated and I just I love it so when I have time, let's say an hour to do nothing and I'm not feeling the pressure to do anything else and I just get to go and lie in bed with my phone and research, find a new book, read a Carl Young quote, whatever it is. It tickles my brain. I feel like I'm learning. I could just gobble it all down. Like how you describe food. That's what I feel about my current sort of interest. I just, it just is incredible. My one, my last one, is because I am always quite vocal about I don't, I'm not really into meeting new people and spending time with people. I prefer being alone. But strangely,

this is about meeting people. As a joy. Yeah. Hear me out. But it's meeting, I'm going to say autistic people. I'm going to say people like me. yeah that are like super nerdy maybe a little bit socially awkward very direct very direct like I love that

like I love it I feel really it's so funny isn't it like I feel really comfortable with someone who's socially awkward and that is like that's almost like an oxymic that doesn't make sense

it does because they're like you you speak the same language I've seen that with you a few times at work if we've kind of found someone who might be sort of on the spectrum and you'll just be like that I really like that person and you're going to align yourself with them and sort of chat or not chat or just hang out and it's so lovely I love that that's one of your joys yeah because so much of it is sort of staying at home and being alone but actually you do love other people too yeah um we're so

different babe aren't we big time opposite's a track though obviously it's a track let's go we'd love to hear what you're weirdly specific, Eurodivergent joys are. The weirder, the better. Come on. The weirder, the better. Yeah, the weirder the better. Thank you so much for being with us. Every week, we love to have you, whether you're watching or listening. Give us a like, a follow, a subscribe. Is that everything? I think so. I think so. And we can't wait to see you next week.