I was struggling with autistic exhaustion the other week and worried about it turning into burnout. My wife (we’re fully married now) asked what she could do to help me and I wasn’t sure.
When I get autistically exhausted I try to focus on spending time alone in the quiet; engaging in relatively passive entertainment (re-watching science fiction TV I know backwards or reading graphic novels like Asterix or Tintin); going for walks in non-busy areas and just trying to take off some of the obligations imposed by society or my busy superego (where possible). But I’m not really sure what my wife could do for me in this situation, other than reminding me that I can do these things, as I tend to get into autistic rigidity and forget that I could/should take time out in these ways. Does anyone have any other ideas?
Getting to nature isn’t easy where we live, but we could sometimes go to Golders Hill Park or Hampstead Heath, or even a short walk in the local park (if it’s not overrun with dogs illegally off-leash) so that’s another thing we can try.
