Most of my life, I have related the term "go to bed" as some sense of being the "bad child" or that it was time for the "grown-ups"
Category: Sleep
Reflections: Mind Battles
As I get back to where I left off on my journey and finally being happy in the journey as an independent autistic man, I am learning that the things that were the cause of me declining, hitting rock bottom and slowly bouncing back to where I am today had a great deal of what was I allowed my mind to believe.
Wellness Wednesday: Accepting How Far I Have Come
Being two years in my current home this week and over four years from moving out of my parents home for the first time has certainly been a rollercoaster ride, that is for sure. It has been quite an experience and for once I seem to be slowing down, but when a minor setback arises, it can be easy to catastrophize it into not being well. Sometimes I need to see the whole scope of how far I have come in my journey, especially the past 2-3 years.
Accepting & Moving On
As an autstic adult, understanding that things happen can be a struggle to forget. My brain wants me to be hard on myself for the things that I am not perfect or not my best at. I am slowly learning to accept things for what they are while knowing my best and moving forward.
Another Year, Turning A Leaf
I now realize that this and other circumstances that have occurred with my housing situation this week have presented the need for me to be more cognizant of following my wellness regimen, particularly the need to be consistent with my medication to be able to follow my wellness regimen.
Reflections: Regognizing A Return
A few weeks ago, I made the opportunity to do some of the things before things changed drastically in my life in 2020. It felt good in a way, but I do know that I need to continue to work on things and get back to where they should be from years ago,
Wellness Wednesday: Accepting the Need to Take Care Of Myself
Last week, I realized that I was not equipped mentally to endure the challenges that I needed to face within a certain environment. It can be hard to take a step back and take care of myself, but recently, I have accepted needing to do so in order to protect myself and others from myself experiencing adverse actions that could affect everyone in the end.
Reflections: Autistic Burnout & Free Time
Over the years, I have been reading more about Autistic Burnout and exactly what it is. I think that I have always experienced it, but never understood it, nor have I accepted the fact that it is OK to not be constantly engaged in something, whether it be a special interest or something that I like to do that isn’t an interest. I am starting to learn finally that autisicic burnout is something that comes with the autism diagnosis and that accepting it will put my mind more at ease and I will be able to function better in life.
Wellness Wednesday: Mood Regulation, Caffine and Energy
Over the course of the past few weeks, my mood has been anything but stable. I am now hopefully under the understanding that there is a reason that I must do things, not because someone is telling me that I need to do them, but in order to be well, it has become paramount for things to be the way that they have to be so that I can manage my mood effectively.
Wellness Wednesday: Understanding the Importance of Sleep
One of the common issues that autistic individuals face is the ability to sleep. I am no casualty of this and for many years have struggled with the ability to procure a good night’s sleep. However, now as an adult I find it imperative that it is essential to do so in order to function through life.
Adulting: Accepting What’s Necessary to Be Independent
With independence comes freedom. It can sometimes spiral out of control. However, you must realize that there are things that you must keep in your life even as you become independent because they are necessary for maintaining daily wellness.
Wellness Wednesday: The Importance of Accountability
Recently, I have begun to see the importance of all facets of wellness as it relates to me and my journey that I am on. I am realizing that it takes all facets to work in harmony to be well and the result will provide me the best experiences and opportunities possible
Adulting: Maturing and Growing
Last week was a very challenging week. Yet, part of my personal outcome was the result of my need to become an adult and realize my need to mature. As much as I have learned in this recent journey, I am still at times reluctant to grow up and do the things I need to do to manage the days ahead.
Wellness Wednesday: Making Strides
Following up with the explanation of my journey of personal growth has made me realize the need to be well along with acceptance, discovery and growth. While I have grown into a man that knows what is acceptable versus what is not acceptable in the public eye, I realize in order to represent myself properly, I must be overall aware of my total wellness in doing so.
Wellness Wednesday: Trying My Best
I am at a place now where I am more content and can learn from experience. Compared to even a few months ago when you could see small signs by me masking when I wasn’t doing what I needed to do, there has been an improvement and many of my supporters can see a difference.
It Can Wait
It can wait. Three simple words for over three years were hard to digest. As an autistic person, I experience the common traits of having a mind that is at times in constant overdrive. For two decades, I have been prescribed medication to help wind the brain down for the day and for other symptoms (irritability, aggression, etc.) that are used to help behaviors associated with autism. However, for the past three years, I continually flaunted disaster by skipping doses of this medicine because of my overdrive.
Wellness Wednesday: Spring on The Horizon
Along with bettering my nutrition and reducing my sugary beverage intake, I am making the prerogative to be more active at the day program by volunteering to do activities that require me to be away from the computer or in a sedentary position.
Not Because I Want To, But Because I Have To
. Related to that is the necessary to sometimes for autistics to take a break and recharge our batteries. Sometimes we just have had a full palate of a day whether that is at the day program or working a job that consumes a great deal of our energy because of our sensory overload, attention to detail, the working of our keen minds, whatever it may be.
Wellness Wednesday: Sleep is necessary to Autistic Wellbeing
Sleep. Its one of the most common know ill effects of the autistic brain. Many autistics struggle with It continually through life. To find that perfect balance of sleep and liveliness is key and crucial to living. For many autistics sleep deprivation happens quite routinely mainly because we cannot get our information loaded brains to stop working after being in action for a lengthy period of time, or it just doesn’t have the ability to cease operations and shut down in the way a neurotypical person’s brain operates.
Adulting: Handling Autistic Shutdown
When a person experiences Autistic Shutdown, the best thing to do is to just let them get the rest they need. We as autistics have just been at times too overstimulated and just need a serious recharge of our inner selves. COVID and all the changes, restrictions that come with it have caused many autistics to experience more periods of autistic shutdown. \
Dustin's Dynasty 