Now that I am in the process of finally being grounded after years of not being in the best position mentally, I have concluded that it is more important to fill spare time and not jam things that I must do together to manage my routine and better fill the void of empty time.

One of the biggest fears of moving out that I had was going to be the inability to fill the voids of time when there was down time. Being an autistic person that takes two psychotropic medication that causes excessive weight gain can also be something that can be a challenge when there is a void in time. For most of the time before my last relapse last summer, it was apparent that I was not using that time wisely.

I had not realized that I had been using the time in an unhealthy manner to just lay down in bed when I had no business doing so. I did not realize that it was hurting my mental health instead of helping it. It took a long time to realize that it was all about the importance of being in the living room for most of the day and understanding that if a nap is necessary, it must not be completed in bed, especially if it is later in the day. This was frowned upon by my parents when I lived with them, and it is something that I had to realize I needed to do to keep my living situation in check.

It was realizing that there needs to be daily engagement of things to do each day so that my brain is engaged with something stay active. Yes, there are many things that I can do in life, but I must be in the sight of realizing that they need to be done and not distract myself to the bedroom or other points away from what needs to be done.

There is a necessity of still having in addition to work the day services in my week. As much as I had thought that I did not always need them in my life, when there are days when I know that there are nothing in my life, it is important now more than ever to have things such as that where I can get out of the house and be able to be engaged in something beside allowing my mind to preoccupy itself with thoughts that have negative overtones to them.

In reality we see that it when living independently as a autistic person that has never had the opportunity to understand that they need to keep busy with things whether in their own house or in the community because there can be a lost sense of reality to the point that things do not want to get done or that you put them off. Sometimes simple things such as a walk around the neighborhood or something similar can shake up the day and make sure that the day has engagement with others beside yourself.

It takes a lot to see and realize that there needs to be things in the lives of people who experience challenges when it comes to filling the void of their empty time. Not being able to sustain themselves in an appropriate manner can only set them up for constant engagement from those that support and care for them and can be detrimental to those on the other side of the conversation. It is making sure that they can oversee themselves in the appropriate way and know how to best not only fill the void, but also know what is expected of them in their independent living situation and managing how to be a good neighbor too so they can live the best life possible.

Having things like routine and things that they enjoy and can do both independently and with others can go a long way in making sure that their life is as independent as possible and that they are ready to make the transition to independent living with as less hassle and as much ease as possible.