Here goes

Welcome WolfQueen (I am glad your mental health team suggested to you this community website).

I wondered if you had found this article about Autistic Burnout:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/autistic-fatigue/autistic-adults

When people are supported by mental health services they often will have heard about journals and journalling. 

However, in an era where most of us are so used to using our smartphone / mobile for everything - people might not have considered the comfort and resourcefulness which may be provided by using a small (pocket-sized) paper memo book.  Something you can literally keep in a pocket or bag with a pen or pencil. 

I use an inexpensive A6 lined memo book - such as you often find for sale in a Post Office / newsagents / office stationery shop / supermarket / The Range, or similar stores. 

I like the paperback ones made by Silverline which say "Memo" on the front cover and you can get them either in red or a choice of soft pastel colours.  I like those 79p memo books as the paper quality is good - so I can successfully use a gel pen..

The physical handling of your memo book can be part of the sense of ownership / control of things you want to remember, things you want to remind yourself you have noticed / experienced, ideas for future research, things you are looking to source, things you want to let someone know (or, a place to doodle when out and about, or just really anything else important to you - so you can capture a note about it as the thought comes to you).

Just as with a larger journal, it can be informative (perhaps every month) to take a moment to look back through your pocket memo book pages of activity - to see how you feel things are going and to acknowledge how much you have done, educated yourself about things and the experiences you have had along the way - to help you judge for yourself: am I on the right track with all by my own efforts, or do I need some more help with something?

When people are first starting to think and learn about Autism and whether it might play a role in how they experience life and the World - it can all seem like a lot of new information.

Maybe, it might be helpful to pick a particular issue / situation which you find makes you anxious / challenged / frustrated / confused / tired - and then think about - if this were related to, or involved with, Autism - what Autism-relevant support hints and tips might there be to experiment with? - (to see if you also get any benefit from those strategies too?).

There is no rush needed, you can gradually layer-in the next new topic (when you feel ready to explore a new subject).

In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy our company here.

Welcome WolfQueen (I am glad your mental health team suggested to you this community website).

I wondered if you had found this article about Autistic Burnout:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/autistic-fatigue/autistic-adults

When people are supported by mental health services they often will have heard about journals and journalling. 

However, in an era where most of us are so used to using our smartphone / mobile for everything - people might not have considered the comfort and resourcefulness which may be provided by using a small (pocket-sized) paper memo book.  Something you can literally keep in a pocket or bag with a pen or pencil. 

I use an inexpensive A6 lined memo book - such as you often find for sale in a Post Office / newsagents / office stationery shop / supermarket / The Range, or similar stores. 

I like the paperback ones made by Silverline which say "Memo" on the front cover and you can get them either in red or a choice of soft pastel colours.  I like those 79p memo books as the paper quality is good - so I can successfully use a gel pen..

The physical handling of your memo book can be part of the sense of ownership / control of things you want to remember, things you want to remind yourself you have noticed / experienced, ideas for future research, things you are looking to source, things you want to let someone know (or, a place to doodle when out and about, or just really anything else important to you - so you can capture a note about it as the thought comes to you).

Just as with a larger journal, it can be informative (perhaps every month) to take a moment to look back through your pocket memo book pages of activity - to see how you feel things are going and to acknowledge how much you have done, educated yourself about things and the experiences you have had along the way - to help you judge for yourself: am I on the right track with all by my own efforts, or do I need some more help with something?

When people are first starting to think and learn about Autism and whether it might play a role in how they experience life and the World - it can all seem like a lot of new information.

Maybe, it might be helpful to pick a particular issue / situation which you find makes you anxious / challenged / frustrated / confused / tired - and then think about - if this were related to, or involved with, Autism - what Autism-relevant support hints and tips might there be to experiment with? - (to see if you also get any benefit from those strategies too?).

There is no rush needed, you can gradually layer-in the next new topic (when you feel ready to explore a new subject).

In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy our company here.