Published on 12, July, 2020
I think I am in the middle of a burnout. I have had them before, but because I have only recently been diagnosed, I didn't realise when they happened in the past that it was autistic burnout I was struggling with and not general malaise. I think this has been coming for a while as I have been struggling for weeks, and it has been triggered in part by work demands exceeding what I am capable of coping with.
What I have done to try and manage it is to cut back and do the bare minimum I can get away with doing at work - so I have stopped doing all the extra projects or proactive stuff I tend to do as a matter of routine. I have also cut right back on my special interests and I am doing the bare minimum I can with those to get some enjoyment and respite without putting pressure on myself to do things.
The way I feel right now, I could literally stay in bed for days I feel so tired and exhausted. My memory is terrible and I am really struggling to deal with people, so I am trying as much as I can to manage my interactions with people so that I do enough to do the things I need to do, without putting extra pressure on myself.
Clearly I have recovered from burnouts in the past (I was particularly bad when I left university after my exams), but given this is likely to be autism related, I wondered if anyone with experience of burnouts has a view on the things I am doing? I am trying to rest as much as I can and trying to take some of the burden off of myself so I keep working and doing the special interests that make me happy, whilst striking a balance of not doing so much that I make the burnout worse. I also plan to spend a few days off in bed to rest where I can. Do you think this strategy is the right one or am I doing all the wrong things?
I think rather than going in circles from burnout to recovery and back to burnout, it might be more advisable if you start looking at what is causing the burnouts and how to avoid these situations. This podcaster has published a book called: How spicy is your ND burnout and I would recommend listening to her podcast and anything you can find around autistic burnout to help you build a strategy to protect yourself from burning out again.
Is your workplace aware of your autism? Are you familiar with the concepts of masking and sensory overload? Do you look after your physical needs, such as bedding that feels great on your skin and healthy food you enjoy? Do you stim?