Published on 12, July, 2020
I turn towards crafts. I don't know if it is an autistic thing or not but it gives me something else to focus on. I will spend hours upon hours getting absorbed into my craft.
Video games are great for me, something immersive and "jobby" - I'm a fan of survival craft games, the sort you can spend hours chopping wood, or mining stone, so you can make a crafting bench, to make a house, to make a workshop, to make a better crafting bench, which makes a hovercraft, which lets you travel across the magical lake, which allows you to chop magical wood and mine magical stone... on and on and on
Reading helps also, but I've got to be really into it. Rather like meditation, if you're already past that metaphorical point of no return, it's hard to keep my mind on reading or breathing required. But if I'm that that sweet spot - again it provides a wonderful airlock from reality.
It's probably not healthy to say "booze" - I accept, if you're needing to do it every other night to relax, something bigger is probably needing to change. But I don't see the harm in relaxing in front of a good film or box set with a few cans and snacks if the overall effect is to treat yourself and make yourself feel happy for a few hours before bed.