Sustaining/Recovering Energy

Post Reply New Topic

Hi all,

I was diagnosed (ASD) about 10 months ago and have made a lot of progress on learning to live life in a way that works for me.

I've felt a main barrier in reaching some remaining goals (for participating in certain activities, relationships, etc.) is my generally low and ~unpredictable energy levels. Very small things (like being in a grocery store for 5-10 minutes) can suddenly suck the life out of me and require an hour or more to recharge. I rarely have energy for anything after work and struggle to eat healthy because preparing any kind of meal feels impossible [I work from home and live alone so already have pretty limited social interaction ].

Any tips on ways to quickly recover from a draining sensory event, or for keeping your energy levels more consistent from day to day?

Hey saudsee,

I can relate to this completely I have issues with keeping my energy level up also. I am often criticized for being unmotivated or lazy for my lack of action due to stress and exhaustion. I don't have a lot of solutions for you as I am dealing with a similar situation as you but I can list of the things that seem to help me:

Staying alone at home to reduce stimulation.

Spending time in nature. In the summer I have a secret swimming hole at a river close to my house that I go to decompress and cool off.

Caffeine and Nicotine seem to help me lift the mental fog that follows me around every day. Although I would not suggest picking up smoking just for that but it works for me.

Watching old movies help calm down my racing thoughts and help me relax and recharge. I find new movies made within the past 20 years or so are way too fast paced with a lot of music and talking.

Talking to a counselor or a trusted friend helps get all the thoughts out of my head that tend to weigh me down.

I Hope that you may find this helpful.

I’ve had a lifetime of inconsistency in a lot of areas, work is the big problem because other people notice.

The only things that help me recover are sleeping, which I realize isn’t quick. Or doing something in the garden or in nature.

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

Two main things tend to drain energy from autistic people sensory overload, and having to deal with a lot of people.

Sometimes identifying what sensory input is draining you can be difficult because you are used to them or you think you are used to them.

Does the nature of your job involve a lot of interaction with people? Is your office noisy? Is there a lot of flickering fluorescent lights at home or at work?

Gotta love autism burnout eh?

When I'm burnt out I sit in the bath tub and watch anime for a few days till it goes away.

Without complete control of your environment, you will have some downtime and that is okay.

Sensory Deprivation tank possibly I will be buying and installing this year, I am theororizing that removing all senses should counteract over stimulation.