Orion Kelly, Autistic advocate, explores Autistic Burnout. Topics include: understanding and preventing burnout, the impact of masking, causes of burnout, balancing responsibilities and expectations, executive function challenges, clinical depression vs burnout, and strategies to avoid burnout.
Strategies to avoid autistic burnout include practicing self-care, establishing and maintaining a consistent routine, and communicating your needs and boundaries clearly with others.
If experiencing autistic burnout, strategies to navigate out of it include allowing yourself breaks and rest, gradually reintroducing activities and responsibilities, and engaging in mindfulness and relaxation techniques.
Autistic burnout can manifest as mental and physical exhaustion, heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli, difficulty with communication and decision-making, and a sense of detachment from oneself or the world.
Deep dives
Strategies to Avoid Autistic Burnout
Some strategies to avoid autistic burnout include practicing self-care regularly, establishing and maintaining a consistent routine, communicating your needs and boundaries clearly with others, taking regular breaks throughout the day, building a strong support network, using sensory-friendly modifications, and seeking professional support when necessary.
Strategies to Navigate Out of Autistic Burnout
If you are currently experiencing autistic burnout, some strategies to navigate out of it include allowing yourself breaks and rest, gradually reintroducing activities and responsibilities, engaging in mindfulness and relaxation techniques, seeking support from safe individuals, engaging in sensory-friendly activities, practicing effective communication and advocacy skills, focusing on self-care and stress management, setting realistic boundaries and goals, and finding communities and outlets for self-expression.
Experiences of Autistic Burnout
Autistic burnout can manifest as mental and physical exhaustion, difficulty concentrating or staying focused, heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli, feeling emotionally overwhelmed, difficulty with communication and decision-making, experiencing physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches, withdrawing from social interactions, experiencing a decline in executive functioning skills, and feeling a sense of detachment from oneself or the world.
Causes of Autistic Burnout
Some common causes of autistic burnout include pushing oneself too hard for extended periods of time to meet societal expectations, dealing with overwhelming sensory environments, social interactions, and transitions, coping with intense pressure to conform, facing high work or school demands without appropriate support, managing sensory sensitivities and sensory overload, trying to navigate complex social interactions and unwritten social rules, and balancing personal responsibilities and expectations in relationships.
Overview of Autistic Burnout
Autistic burnout is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion that occurs when the demands and challenges of life, particularly those related to being autistic, become overwhelming. It can lead to heightened stress, sensory overload, difficulties in functioning, and a range of physical and emotional symptoms. Strategies to avoid burnout involve practicing self-care, setting realistic expectations, prioritizing tasks, and seeking support. When experiencing burnout, strategies include rest, self-reflection, engaging in soothing activities, practicing relaxation techniques, and seeking professional help.
On this episode of 'My Friend Autism', Orion Kelly explores the topic of Autistic Burnout. Orion Kelly is an Autistic YouTuber, podcaster, author, actor and Autistic advocate. Find out more and check out his podcasts & YouTube videos at Orion's website: https://orionkelly.com.au
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