Recently, I shared with my online community that I am taking a few days for self-care. To some extent some may think that self-care is a way of pampering yourself. But for someone like me who experiences continual autistic burnout, it is a necessity to schedule time to care for myself each day I am fully engaged as well as extended time every so often to just relax.

Throughout life, taking time to take care of myself was something that didn’t need to be established because I was part of a family unit that couldn’t at the time comprehend what I had experienced on my days in the real world. I would say to some extent that COVID exasperated the need for this after being through what I went through throughout the world as I knew it was being uprooted, then having to do things differently and then things always changing in an evolving world.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.”. The main goal of self-care is to prevent or control disease and preserve overall well-being through the consistent act of taking care of various verticals of one’s own health.

Therefore, because I am not only autistic, but have mental health challenges as well, the need to practice self-care is paramount to living independently. If I am not taking care of myself, I am not my best in the environments that I need to be in. There are responsibilities that I must undertake to ensure my well-being from many standpoints, including financial health. Therefore, it is essential when the opportunity arises to practice additional self-care, that it is undertaken.

One of the biggest forms of self-care for me is the need to relax and nap. Naps were discouraged for me growing up and throughout the times I lived with my family. Now, I make time for me to nap, especially after a long day at work or a day program. Walking or on the treadmill is another form of self-care that is very helpful to protecting my well-being as it helps me get out the frustration and stress that I am experiencing within the day or period. Getting a long shower after that is another critical form of self-care that can just make you physically feel good, fresh, and clean.

For the longest time, I was never one to just sit down and watch something on the TV screen. In recent years, the world was gifted the opportunity to have Smart TV’s and have other avenues to TV Watching than traditional Cable TV or other outdated methods. I find YouTube quite interesting as I can watch things in smaller doses and more things I enjoy like nature or other neurodiverse media. Sometimes I feel guilty in doing this and not doing the things that are necessary for daily life, but in the end, I remind myself that I am caring for myself the best way that I can.

Sometimes, it is getting a food item or ordering something in, but not if you are binging yourself on it. There is a difference between enjoyment and boredom, pleasure, and so forth. It is important to remember that overeating can sometimes be used to feel an emotional void that needs to be directed in other ways.

In essence, these are a few ways that I practice self-care. Everyone must find out what works for them. I cannot define what that is, this is just what works for me when I am overwhelmed and need to decompress. Just know that autistic burnout is real and the need to recover and recharge is essential to protect the well-being of everyone involved.