Life quality

That's how I approach things. I can be too busy, or too lazy, and find it hard to find a good balance. Same with most things.

Wise words... For some time I've focussed on balance. There is a balance in everything and when you're high or low, the next thing is to focus on getting back to balance. To me that also means being content. I don't want to change that. I just want to be able to find my way back into balance. 

very zen

1. I am neither content or contemptible. Life is just the way it is; some things are awesome, others suck. There will be blessings in my life, coming up, but I won't rub it in the face of others. I have been broke many times, and know that there's a fine-line between success and failure.

2. Music, and following the Football, keep me from going berserk.

mmm.. i'm wondering how much to reveal about my asd. i've been revealing it more and more, particularly to friends. to the outside world... since i am retired, it is less of an issue. yes, i guess it's a two edged sword. best of luck on your loan! 

Thanks for the brilliant list Ethan! 

The word catastrophizing is new to me, but it really hits the bulls eye. I'm at the end on one of those exacts days. I have not been present at all today. I've been in a constant state of panic and catastrophic thinking all day.  So it really helps to hear someone else put it so simple into one word. Catastrophizing. I'll use that in the future. Thanks! 

1. Do you feel content with the quality of life you are living?

- In general yes, but I find myself catastrophizing if I'm stressed/overwhelmed.

2. What efforts are you making to improve you life?

-Eating well and healthily

-Reconnecting with emotions, even the uncomfortable ones. (using a mood chart)

-Meditative practices/daily Tai Chi

-Conscious living and allowing myself to "be".

-Limiting activities I know are draining 

-Read more and a greater variety of books

-Reading biographies/testimonies of autism

-Building in self-management strategies in daily life (i.e. breaks between tasks, try not to do things on autopilot)

-Taking care of the physical environment (cleaning it and not learning to live with "dirt")

-Be kind to myself on the rough days 

We've actually taken some of the same steps in our lives. We have simplified our lives a lot to make us less dependent on money. So I can 100% relate to how simplifying your life makes it much easier. Demands make it really hard to cope with being autistic.

Yes, I found Tai Chi and Chi Gung super helpful, and Alexander Technique for untensing my body and connecting more with it. Being in nature by fell running helps me too.

Reading lots and lots about autism helps me manage it, or manage my expectations on myself.

A friend said to me once in my late twenties, "It must be hard being Mark W*#&*." I didn't know what he meant, but I knew it was meaningful. Now I'm learning about autism traits I understand how much effort life was, and sometimes is. This autumn I was watching some people in a pub chatting and I could see how relaxed they were, like their brains weren't working. I can be content in situations like that, but don't think i ever experience being relaxed.

A big survival tool for me has been to only work 2.5-3 days a week. I've used Fri to recover, weekends like others, mon to have a day recovering from social wkd! Then 1 or 1.5 hours off Tues-Thurs.

It's meant being careful with money, but having more time helps with that, and you don't need to reward yourself with alcohol and treats so much. Basically not eating and drinking out saves me a lot!

Well, the progressive part still feels rather superficial in many instances. There is a will to be inclusive, but if you have an autism diagnosis, you loose a number of rights and options. Can't go to the army or police. Very hard to get a job. And just a general attitude of "Wow, good for you that you know now. Let's talk about something else". I'm not sure where the boundaries for the autistic life actually lies in Denmark, but it still feels very insecure to have it out there. We are looking into making a loan in the bank to buy a house. And just to be sure, I removed every evidence from social media. Just in case. 

i just have never been able to do meditation, etc... just drives me up the wall. i have done feldenkrais, which is somewhat similar, and tai chi. so i guess i'm into movement. yeah, i feel like i'm "high functioning" whatever that means, but with many drawbacks that really sabotage me.  

otherwise, i do intermittent fasting, trying to figure out how to mitigate my meltdowns (which i was never aware i had), and how to deal with my sensitiivites... i was diagnosed at 62. since my diagnosis, i've been gradually becoming aware of how disabled i really have been, without even knowing.

how is life in denmark being on the spectrum? i think? denmark is super progressive???? 

Yeah, I apologize for that :D

LOL  i thought question one was strange

I sorry to read about your hardship in life. Yes, the term "higher functioning" can be quite a ***. I've always struggled to make people understand that I was unable to do / behave as they expected. I don't look different. I am intelligent. So people expect the basics to be easy for me, which they just weren't. Have you tried mindfullness and meditation like aidie describes above? I am not far in my journey as an aware autist, but I've come to understand the power of controlling ones mind. Don't know if that could make a difference to you?

I can relate to that. I especially relate to my nordic roots and norse mythology. Either way - finding a way to just be and detach from the brain has been a really big change in my life. Before I would just push harder. However, that turned out to be a really poor path. 

You are absolutely right. I means content :) And thanks for the heads up regarding the graphic. Fixed that as well. 

Happy to hear that you feel content after "surviving" childhood and teens. I definitely recognize the hardship of those years. However, my twenties and start thirties very pretty intense as well. Graduating university and having a career job really took a toll on me. It wasn't until last year, when my autism was discovered that life has started to make sense :) 

1) uh, life kind of sucks, as someone who was diagnosed super late in life. people like me, 'higher functioning' whatever that might mean, supposedly have it pretty shitty. i can attest to that whole heartedly. 2) i am in therapy with a specialist in asd, 2x a week. i seem to also have a sort of self survival instinct - i live super healthy, but have a variety of health issues, undoubtedly related to my asd. but, many of my pals have health issues............. many are probably on the spectrum. since i am now aware of my sensitivities, whereas before iwas oblivious, i now try to mitigate them. and ihave every sensitivity known to man, aliens, microbes, fungi, cave men, cave women, cave others (with all respect), big foot, and planetoids. (i am not sensitive to those things listed - i'm sensitive to everything known to anything, anywhere, anyhow, anywhoe, anytime)