Over the past few weeks, I have realized it is necessary to be better grounded. I need to develop stronger boundaries. Being autistic like me can be a struggle. We find it challenging to navigate a world that does not offer concrete understandings. It also involves understanding that I am responsible for my conduct in the outside world. I should avoid precarious and dangerous situations. I do this by making my mental health a priority.

It means sometimes that I need to be tough in a better way. I do this by saying “no” to things that bring me extra stress. I also avoid letting things that used to bring me stress into my life. When I practice grounding myself into my own element, I become better boundaried. I don’t let the things that others judge or criticize about me affect me personally. This can improve my mental well-being in so many ways.

I have to be better grounded when dealing with my surroundings. I must keep my thoughts to myself. I should avoid dialogue I don’t need to be involved in. I also need to know when to speak to others. Doing those simple steps can have a significant impact. They guarantee that things can go more smoothly when they are already stressful.

By grounding myself, I can take a big step in maturing as an autistic adult. I say no to things that are too hard for me. This helps me navigate an ever-changing world. It can have surprises, sometimes when I least expect them, and often the most detrimental ones. Caring for mental health is imperative to daily survival. This includes knowing when not to engage in something. It also involves how to ground myself when things are too much for me.

Not everything is perfect, and things are going to happen to set us back. Sometimes things happen that are not our fault. What matters is that we react in the way that is appropriate for the situation that we are in. We too must take our responsibility. We should do what we need to do to protect ourselves. This means avoiding unwanted or unnecessary mental stress. We just don’t need this in our lives.

Sometimes, it can hurt us to take the steps we need. We have to step away from things that we are passionate about or know we can fix. But, when these things are hurting us, we know we must do better. We have to protect ourselves from not being incapable of being our best when others need us to be. We understand the necessity to protect ourselves in the best way we can. Protecting our mental well-being is important. There should never be any shame in doing so.