It is a common myth that autistic people are equipped with empathy. That is simply false. We often feel what we feel so deeply. We care too much. At times, it occupies our lives as autistic folks. It can debilitate us significantly. It can interfere with our daily lives to a point where managing life becomes impossible.

Over the years, I have been in positions where I hadn’t felt as comfortable as I wanted to be. Part of that was my feeling that I had to be in control of everything in my life. I believed that by knowing everything my life involved, I find relief. Even the things that provided me comfort in navigating daily life contributed to this feeling. Another part of me is that I wanted to fix things. I cared too much about others and felt they needed guidance in life. I wanted to fix their issues too, but ultimately it became my worries and overconsumed my life.

Over time, I experienced many events that affected my mental health. I realized that I had to set boundaries. I needed to understand what my role was in each environment at any given time. It can be challenging when someone like me is seen as a peer in some capacities. In others, I am viewed as an employee or advocate. There is a fine line that I have to keep as a peer, yet employee in an ethical sense.

Sometimes things happen in our lives. They make us look at why we are who we are and why we are where we are. We must know that setting boundaries is necessary to keep our mental integrity. This way, we can manage the things that we can’t control. Sometimes, we want to fix everything. We seek comfort by trying to resolve issues that are beyond our control. Instead, we must build that boundary. Let things go as they are to protect our own mental faculty.

I am proud of the work that I have done to this point of my mental health recovery. I have established the boundaries that I have set. Yet, there is a necessity to build these boundaries stronger. I also need to create new boundaries. Things are always evolving in my life. They have changed, requiring me to protect my overall well-being. This helps me navigate life in a better way.

Part of feeling deeply as an autistic person requires us to sometimes work on how we manage our overall well-being. We need to take the initiative to invest time in learning how to handle what we need. This helps us protect ourselves from challenging situations. It also prevents us from becoming exhausted. The best thing we can do for ourselves as autistic folk is to have a healthy balance in our lives.