Is this a shutdown?

Hi Morganna, 

I don't know what you call it but I GET IT. 

Have you heard of spoons theory? You have so many spoons you can use in a day and it takes time to build them back up. Sounds like you spent all your spoons and didn't build in time to rebuild them so today = no spoons. 

I usually leave Sunday with no plans (at most maybe going out for a roast or a movie) because I need that day of just *nothing* to rebuild my spoon collection in time for work on Monday. 

Good luck - it sounds like you might have a tough week ahead of you. Early night to bed! 

I was at a conference years ago and a rabbi was speaking on the importance of Rest. And how culturally, this is a core axiom of being (for them). And of course any religion can take a concept too far, the intention behind it was one of nurturing the soul and a healthy guide for being human. 

I am of the belief that the golden rule isn't so much about doing to others as you would want done to yourself, but this idea that we create expectations by how we treat ourselves. We might never learn limits and boundaries from a world where boundaries are always crossed and limits are frowned upon (the sky is the limit). But then have to forge our own path of making healthy choices with what we have and learning how to care for the self, which then will change what we afford others. If this makes sense.

Nature has its own agenda - it will grow if you don't tend to it. Human nature is the same. There's a good deal of psychology on Neurotypical 'swarm-like' behaviour, mob-mentality or herd mentality. The murmuration of the masses. Groups just tend to go along with what everyone else is doing. And some go not noticing a thing until they end up in a hospital and they're only halted by biology.

I think that possibly because Autistics appear to need more time alone to regroup, we might tend to notice this out of control society before our NT peers might and potentially being more in-tune with environmental factors than social, stop before biology stops us. Thus the shut down.

The only thing for staying healthy, from what I've learned, is to take a day off once a week from all activity. Binge out, go for a walk, turn off the phone, check out. Regroup. 

I get that , it has become worse as I get older. I have to have one day at the weekend when I just have no plans. I love the summer but also yern for the winter when there is nothing on and I can just snuggle up at home without feeling that I am missing out on the nice weather.

Morganna Le Faye said:

Is this an autistic thing?  

Definitely.

I get this all the time I've been over peopled for too long, need a good few do-nothing-days to hit my reset button.

Morganna Le Faye said:

a meltdown / or shutdown

Meltdown is unlikely.
Probably it is a shutdown, or a mini-burnout as I like to call them.

And yes I also relate, when the energy bar is at 0 it's like every little thing has the potential to really set me off, like to be left alone on those days too.
I put ear buds in and my ear defenders over the top and just drown the world out with a calming soundtrack for most of the day and do a lot of low energy tasks instead if I it's not a day off, it it is a day off I just drift and do whatever, mostly nap.