Sometimes, life just brings too much from a day and there becomes a point when autistic people become too overwhelmed and are just overwhelmed from too many stimuli and therefore just can’t do not one more thing and as a result will sleep or do whatever they need to do to recharge. This is something that must be accepted for what it is.

There has been some state of denial within myself where napping has became a habit out of boredom and in fact it has, but when the day has way too much stimulation than what can be handled, then there has to be a point that there needs to be acceptance on the part of the autistic person and those that care for them that there is just too much and the only way that the autistic individual can recharge is to have a nap.

This is truer during the holiday season when there are events that are out of the normal schedule, the stores are more crowded than normal, and the home is decorated differently. This all produces its own kind of stimuli out of no one’s fault, it is just the way that it is and the fact that it is how we as autistic people conduct ourselves and do not go into a meltdown because of becoming too overstimulated from stimuli that comes with the holiday magic or overcrowding.

There can be things that we can do at certain intervals, but it gets to a point when it is not helping any longer and the reality is that we just must get out of a situation that at times can become too overwhelming for us as autistic people. When our needs are not met, the point where we are overwhelmed can just override our bodies and we could possibly channel it in negative ways that can be unpleasant for us and those around us.

It is not like we want to feel the way that we do, but it is the reality of being autistic. Our brains and bodies can only tolerate so many stimuli and the holidays bring on what can be an excessive amount whether it be music that is unpleasant, smells, lights, and much more. It is nice when supercenters like Walmart do have sensory-friendly hours to aid in the process, but there comes a time when that must end. It doesn’t counter in the fact that the stores are just full of people and having an excessive amount of people cannot be a factor that is able to be controlled, nor is the behavior that store guests produce that can be unhelpful.

The fact is that autistic burnout is something that just must be understood and accepted by myself whether I like to accept it within myself whether I like it or not, it is just a part of the makeup of who I am and when I become overwhelmed it is just necessary to recharge from being overstimulated. It is the reality of life and while it may not be something that I may not want to bear, it just is a part of life that must be accepted for what it is.

It’s the fact that the holidays arrive every year whether I like it or not, there are things that I like about it and there are unpleasant for me and many other autistic people, it’s a part of life that just must be what it is. The holidays are out and about in the world that produce great amounts of stimuli, but it is how we handle them that is what makes the day the best (or worst) that it can be. We may not be able to change the world around us, but we can do what we know we need to do to protect us from overreacting to things that we cannot control. Understanding and accepting autistic burnout for what it is is just one of those things that helps us along the way be able to cope in our very own way.