Autistic Burnout Coping Strategies
As an Aspie, I have to take care to manage sensory overload in my life. When I was diagnosed with Asperger’s. I realized that I feel, see and hear things much more intensely. For this reason, I get easily overwhelmed and exhausted quickly in social situations and noisy environments.
Because of this, I have to be proactive about managing my energy every day.
My daily rituals and routines are very important to me. They help keep me in a good place mentally and physically. These things work for me and I wanted to share them with you; maybe you can try them and see what works for you. These are the things I do daily to help keep my energy levels in check.
Morning routine
Doing my morning routine provides me with the self care I need to get a good start to my day. This starts from the night before, ensuring that I go to bed early. I then wake up and take some time to meditate, journal, exercise and have a smoothie. I also spend a lot of time organizing myself, especially in the mornings.
Scheduling
I organize my schedule a week in advance on Google Calendar so I can ensure it is optimized based on my sensory environment (noise, traffic, etc) and around my social interactions (meetings, zoom calls, social hangouts).
I then re-write them by hand on my DIY planner to ensure I don’t over-schedule myself. I also like to minimize my screen time as much as possible.
This way I ensure I do not burn out my energy too fast, and I am able to arrange my schedule for optimum efficiency so that my commitments are not all crowded together.
I check my calendar often throughout the day so having a handwritten copy not only keeps me on track but also ensures my eyes don’t get over-strained looking at too many screens.
With my handwritten schedule I like to write fixed appointments in pen and moveable appointments in pencil, so that I can change them if needed.
Journaling
Writing down what I am grateful for, reading and writing my affirmations, thoughts and feelings, all help me process the many emotions that I feel that often go unnoticed due to my alexithymia (issues identifying my emotions).
Documenting my thoughts and feelings helps me find solutions to anything that I may be going through in a given moment.
To me, the introspective nature of journaling allows my subconscious to communicate with me through the night, creating an opportunity for my mind to come up with solutions to unresolved issues while I sleep.
Journaling also helps me if I’m feeling anxious and overwhelmed by calming me down and allowing me to structure and clarify what I am going through. For instance, In my notebooks I create pro/con lists, or any list that can help me sort my thoughts. This allows me to regain control of a situation when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
Another journaling tactic I use Is to write down any questions to problems I want to solve. By writing the questions to myself l I push my brain to come up with a list of solutions. Quite often this method works very well for me.
Also, I recently found out that documenting your thoughts in order to process your emotions can be a form of “stimming” (repetitive self stimulating behaviour).
When journaling I love the large Moleskine Classic Notebook. I like the hardcover version, it just feels better in the hand for me. The ones that measure 5” x 8.25” are the perfect size and I prefer the lined version with 240 pages, they are just perfect for keeping all my thoughts documented.
Link: https://amzn.to/3iqKVqy
Noise
Anybody who knows me will tell you that sound is my number one sensory issue. This is why I always carry my custom-made earplugs and Bose headphones whenever I go to the city in order to minimize as much man-made noise as possible.
I swear by my Bose Noise Cancelling 700 Headphones! They may be pricey, but they are so light, comfortable and they completely block out any overwhelming and unwanted sounds. Seriously, they have saved my life, or at least my sanity, on so many occasions. I do not have enough good things to say about these headphones.
They were uncomfortable at first as I don’t like the feeling of pressure on my head, and I still can’t wear them for extended periods, but I would literally not be able to survive in the city without them.
Visual Aesthetics
Curating a visual aesthetic helps a lot with managing my energy and my feelings. I keep everything in black/monochrome to calm my visual nerves. Overstimulation from colors and patterns, “visual mess” and disorganization in my environment and surroundings can exhaust me.
Avoiding visual distraction helps save my energy and keeps me mentally focused on the important things I have to do.
I am very sensitive to the feel of fabrics and temperature of the seasons. I am also very particular in ensuring my outfits coordinate well together. Colour and fabric coordination in my wardrobe helps me quickly choose my outfits and avoid decision fatigue.
When it comes to clothes, I resonate greatly with practical and minimalist fashion and lifestyle. This is one of the reasons why I gravitate towards men’s fashion.
Riding Motion
I have come to realize that I really enjoy the rocking motion of riding in swings. There is something about the rocking motion and feeling the wind rush against my face that I just absolutely love.
I also enjoy working out with the pilates reformer machine in my pilates group class. The machine provides such a physically calming effect on me - again, it’s the rocking motion that I really enjoy.
I have also come to love riding horses. Being able to saddle up and ride a horse has always been a lifelong dream of mine since I was a child.
Another really fun thing for me to do is to reach my hands out (or stand up if it’s a convertible) from a car window and enjoy the wind in the countryside - such a great stimulation.
Scents
There is just something about a beautiful scent that helps me release all the anxiety and stress I am going through. I love to go for a walk and smell the scent of Jasmine flowers and white rose bushes. I even have a small potted jasmine plant and I occasionally walk over to my neighbors home to smell their jasmine bush because I love the scent so much.
Sadly, I haven’t found an essential oil that smells like the flower; all oils usually end up smelling nothing like jasmine; so I tend to carry the flower around with me in order to be accompanied by the scent. But, so far, this is the best essential oil I have found that comes anywhere close to the scent of jasmine.
Link: https://amzn.to/2X12BB5
I also enjoy the smell of white rose bushes so I do enjoy the scent of rose essential oil as well. I am constantly trying new rose essential oils.
If I have to be somewhere that makes me feel anxious, or even when I’m stressed at home, I’ll pluck some jasmine flowers and keep them in my pocket, or hold them in my hand and smell them throughout the day.
I also dab some jasmine or rose essential oil on my wrist and neck. It makes me feel so happy and calm, as though I have a friend by my side to help me through my sensory challenges.
Organic scented candles help me too. I love fruity smells, and I’m looking forward to making my own someday, as I want to ensure there are no chemicals that I’m inhaling.
A warm bath in Epsom salt in the evenings helps me relax and eases sore muscles. A great place to start with Epsom salt is ‘Dr. Teal’s Restore & Replenish Pink Himalayan Mineral Soak’.
Link: https://amzn.to/3ytpwCU
The scent of the pink Himalayan salt is so divine. I miss having a bathtub so bad and I hope to move to a place with a bathtub again.
I generally use Dr. Bronner Pure Castille soap for my face, body and hair (also as my laundry detergent, dish soap, etc). Although sometimes I like to treat myself to coconut-papaya body-wash or to Nubian Heritage Coconut Papaya Body Wash Cleanser for Dry, Dull Skin Polish + Renew Hydrating Body Wash 13 oz.
Link: https://amzn.to/3yoa1Mq
Drinks
A lovely scented tea helps me too. I like these - WelleCo - Sleep Welle Natural Calming Tea (50 Tea Bags, Refill Pack).
Link: https://amzn.to/3fBDWJM
Fresh thyme makes a lovely DIY tea. I learned it from my Aspie buddy, Yelena (https://www.instagram.com/yelena_of_us/) - some fresh thyme stalks steeped in a pot of hot water smells divine and really calms the gut.
I am also enjoying peach tea packets. I love putting the tea in a glass tumbler and storing it in the fridge so I can sip on some chilling peach tea throughout the day in the summer.
Sensory Blanket, Robes & Furry Slippers
I sleep with my “sensory blanket”. There’s just something so comforting about the soft plush feeling of the blanket that wraps me up and calms my senses down just like being cuddled by a robe when I sleep. I use the Exclusivo Mezcla Flannel Fleece Velvet Plush Soft Throw Blanket – 50” x 60” ( White).
Link: https://amzn.to/37kZMfR
I have gifted this to two of my Aspie friends for their birthdays.
I also love wrapping myself in a soft plush thick robe at home. It makes me feel like I am covered and protected. This is also one of the reasons I love wearing jackets.
I love the thought of soft furry slippers and sandals to wear at home and outside (I used to think it looked ridiculous), but I haven’t found one that suits my flat feet.
Self-Care
It’s also so important that I take care of my physical and mental health. Neglecting my health can lead to burnout which takes forever to recover from.
Sleep
Sleeping well is really important. I take naps during the afternoon and go to bed early. If I’m feeling highly productive I would sleep earlier and work from 3 am or 4 am up until 6 am or 7 am, and I can accomplish a whole day’s work in a few hours.
I used to take magnesium supplements after lunch to help me nap and again in the evening to sleep deeply through the night but have recently switched to drinking raw organic cocoa powder which I think contains a good amount of magnesium. It also calms my general sensory anxiety and helps keep my mind quieter. It makes you feel “slightly subdued” but not really sleepy, and I like it because it’s natural.
Meditation helps a lot too. I meditate with my meditation teacher 4-5 times a week.
Nature
Connecting with nature - green, plants, flowers, and going on nature walks and hikes helps me so much. Nature is my life line. I cannot live without it. My favorite flowers for my home are white hydrangeas.
I love to sit on the sand and enjoy the wind and waves of the beach.
Digital Life
I also have to keep an eye on how my body and mind respond to digital devices. As I said before, sensory inputs can become too much for me, so I wear blue light-blocking glasses when I use any digital devices, which helps with any energy drain when using them.
My mobile phone is turned off most of the time and I keep the use of digital devices to the bare minimum and streamline my mode of communication.
I also turn off the Wifi, television, microwaves, and other digital devices before bed. I’m also very sensitive to EMF. If I don’t do this, I wake up tired.
Conclusion
Finding ways to manage sensory overload in my daily life has been a game changer. From simply getting enough sleep to being able to manage my time and be more social, finding ways to overcome sensory overload has helped me stay sane and productive. I hope these tips help you as well no matter what you’re going through. Stay sane, productive and never stop striving for what you want! There’s always a way.