Productivity and Autism: Be Kind to Yourself
Hey All!
I hope everyone is well! For those of us at university term one is now in full swing. At this point it is easy and understandable to start feeling a little overwhelmed. I know that with both university and work, I have found myself experiencing an increase in instances of overload, particularly as a student with autism. It is often part of student and autistic nature to want to push through the overload, meltdowns and shutdowns and keep on working but too often this is actually the worst thing you can do. Sure, you need to keep on top of assignments and due dates but it is also important not to push yourself too far because if you burn out it is likely you'll struggle to do anything at all.
As an autistic individual I find myself often seeking and relying upon routine and plans. In order to prevent myself overwhelmed and make sure that everything gets done I've been creating weekly schedules for myself, containing my classes, shifts and the work I need to do at home. However, one problem with this strategy is that when I find myself becoming overwhelmed or shutting down it can make me feel even worse for not completing my scheduled tasks. This is partially just because I feel bad for not being as productive as I'd like to and partially because I really struggle when things don't go as I've planned, it makes me feel anxious and as though I've lost control. Ultimately I need this structure but I've also been working on not feeling so guilty when I've been 'unproductive' because in reality being unproductive is sometimes the most productive thing you can do. Self-care and taking breaks isn't just pleasant, it's necessary because without it you're mental state is going to suffer and it's likely you're get yourself into a situation where you can't really do anything.
I feel as though self-care and taking breaks is even more important for those on the spectrum. My experience of autism has often been one of feeling constantly on and constantly on edge. I find that I tend to take in everything, every sound, every word, every interaction. While this makes for a very unique experience, it can be incredibly draining when every piece of sensory information and social interaction feels like a stone being catapulted at you. Add to this the fairly constant low level anxiety and masking that can come with the autistic experience and it makes sense that many of us living on the spectrum might find ourselves feeling especially mentally tired. For me this meaning that I find myself often being a little more dependant upon my special interests and time alone than those around me. It can also mean that when I do push myself a little too hard I'm at risk of potential shutdown or meltdown, an occurrence which can ruin all immediate plans for productivity.
However, all of these struggles aren't something to beat myself up about but rather an extra reason to practise a little bit more self-compassion. If you find yourself living a similar experience, your increased sensitivity and capacity for fatigue isn't your fault so just maybe the best way forward is being kind to yourself. Ultimately, it is very rare that something is so urgent that it is worth destroying your mental wellbeing for. One thing I'm going to try and do is schedule my time better so that if I can't do a task in the exact moment I've planned to, than there is a chance for me to sensibly re-schedule it. It is difficult, but working towards better self-care and self-love is always worth it.
Look after yourselves and I'll speak to you soon.
See you later Alligators!
Freya x
PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.harmless.org.uk/blog/what-do-we-mean-by-self-care.html
I hope everyone is well! For those of us at university term one is now in full swing. At this point it is easy and understandable to start feeling a little overwhelmed. I know that with both university and work, I have found myself experiencing an increase in instances of overload, particularly as a student with autism. It is often part of student and autistic nature to want to push through the overload, meltdowns and shutdowns and keep on working but too often this is actually the worst thing you can do. Sure, you need to keep on top of assignments and due dates but it is also important not to push yourself too far because if you burn out it is likely you'll struggle to do anything at all.
As an autistic individual I find myself often seeking and relying upon routine and plans. In order to prevent myself overwhelmed and make sure that everything gets done I've been creating weekly schedules for myself, containing my classes, shifts and the work I need to do at home. However, one problem with this strategy is that when I find myself becoming overwhelmed or shutting down it can make me feel even worse for not completing my scheduled tasks. This is partially just because I feel bad for not being as productive as I'd like to and partially because I really struggle when things don't go as I've planned, it makes me feel anxious and as though I've lost control. Ultimately I need this structure but I've also been working on not feeling so guilty when I've been 'unproductive' because in reality being unproductive is sometimes the most productive thing you can do. Self-care and taking breaks isn't just pleasant, it's necessary because without it you're mental state is going to suffer and it's likely you're get yourself into a situation where you can't really do anything.
I feel as though self-care and taking breaks is even more important for those on the spectrum. My experience of autism has often been one of feeling constantly on and constantly on edge. I find that I tend to take in everything, every sound, every word, every interaction. While this makes for a very unique experience, it can be incredibly draining when every piece of sensory information and social interaction feels like a stone being catapulted at you. Add to this the fairly constant low level anxiety and masking that can come with the autistic experience and it makes sense that many of us living on the spectrum might find ourselves feeling especially mentally tired. For me this meaning that I find myself often being a little more dependant upon my special interests and time alone than those around me. It can also mean that when I do push myself a little too hard I'm at risk of potential shutdown or meltdown, an occurrence which can ruin all immediate plans for productivity.
However, all of these struggles aren't something to beat myself up about but rather an extra reason to practise a little bit more self-compassion. If you find yourself living a similar experience, your increased sensitivity and capacity for fatigue isn't your fault so just maybe the best way forward is being kind to yourself. Ultimately, it is very rare that something is so urgent that it is worth destroying your mental wellbeing for. One thing I'm going to try and do is schedule my time better so that if I can't do a task in the exact moment I've planned to, than there is a chance for me to sensibly re-schedule it. It is difficult, but working towards better self-care and self-love is always worth it.
Look after yourselves and I'll speak to you soon.
See you later Alligators!
Freya x
PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.harmless.org.uk/blog/what-do-we-mean-by-self-care.html
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