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Autistic self care

B

I've thought about this for a while but having done a search, I see that the subject is even more complex than I first thought:

Here is a link on the subject to Autism Central, an NHS site:

https://www.autismcentral.nhs.uk/guidance/personal-care

There is some useful information here too (a PDF document):

https://ausm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Self-Care-Toolkit-for-Autistic-People.pdf

I think I've neglected most of the areas mentioned but one thing that particularly strikes me as a woman is not paying for services eg. some people pay to have hair removed, nails painted, go to beauticians, saunas etc.

I have never done this and it's as much as I can do quite often to cut my nails.

One of the reasons for me has been exhaustion from being overwhelmed by life.

I think there must be lots of reasons behind this but they all come down to the same thing: self neglect.

Do you feel that you neglect yourself or do you feel that your self care is good - physical, mental, spiritual etc etc?

Parents

  • I get impatient with the need for self-care. I know it's not a waste of time but I find it intensely boring. When i do have to pay for services, such as a haircut, I have to put up with the sensory intrusion of a salon, plus the social chatter of a hairdresser. I know that level of social interaction is one of the things that makes a hairdresser successful in their trade, but it's exhausting when one isn't NT. 

    One of the problems for me is lifting the mental worry of organising the house and garden. I hired a cleaning company for the house in order to minimise that relationship chat stuff (just like hairdressers!) but the company have dumped me recently because I go away so frequently to spend time with my closest friend. I guess they just want weekly contracts that don't get interrupted and I do understand their scheduling problems, but it's just another self-care problem, back in my lap. 

  • in reply to Alexa
    Alexa said:
    I have to put up with the sensory intrusion of a salon, plus the social chatter of a hairdresser.

    I'm very lucky in that I told my hairdresser of my problems with chit chat, so she chats and doesn't expect me to reply. Thus, she benefits from my listening, and I find her talk of holidays interesting, as I don't travel and this way I learn a lot. 

    Alexa said:
    lifting the mental worry of organising the house and garden.

    Again, because I don't go out often, I've learned to love DIY and gardening. For me, this is creative, fun, exercise and learning rolled in one. My landlord is very happy as I keep the property in good condition, as well as being the one who reports rubbish or problems, so they can deal with these things.

    My best tips for chores are:

    1. write a list every day [I do mine the night before]-  one large or complex chore, two if you can manage plus a few small ones

    2. when you complete a chore, tick it off the list. Looking back, you'll be surprised how much has been achieved

    3. In the list, add tasks/hobbies you want to do, and what you are going to eat. If I get maudlin and can't think what I want to do [or eat], I riffle back through my Day Book for ideas.

Reply
  • in reply to Alexa
    Alexa said:
    I have to put up with the sensory intrusion of a salon, plus the social chatter of a hairdresser.

    I'm very lucky in that I told my hairdresser of my problems with chit chat, so she chats and doesn't expect me to reply. Thus, she benefits from my listening, and I find her talk of holidays interesting, as I don't travel and this way I learn a lot. 

    Alexa said:
    lifting the mental worry of organising the house and garden.

    Again, because I don't go out often, I've learned to love DIY and gardening. For me, this is creative, fun, exercise and learning rolled in one. My landlord is very happy as I keep the property in good condition, as well as being the one who reports rubbish or problems, so they can deal with these things.

    My best tips for chores are:

    1. write a list every day [I do mine the night before]-  one large or complex chore, two if you can manage plus a few small ones

    2. when you complete a chore, tick it off the list. Looking back, you'll be surprised how much has been achieved

    3. In the list, add tasks/hobbies you want to do, and what you are going to eat. If I get maudlin and can't think what I want to do [or eat], I riffle back through my Day Book for ideas.

Children
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