Recovery from Autistic Burnout

Being stressed and overwhelmed might be a sign of burnout and the best way to recover from burnout and reduce stress is to have some time off. But the question is, how long does it take to recover from burnout?

The burnout recovery period for autistic people may vary from one person to another. In this video, I share my ways on how to recover from burnout, how long my recovery process is and what it looks like, and what are the factors I considered in planning burnout recovery.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
0:12 - Recovering from Burnout
3:36 - Emotional Perspective when you feel burnout
4:30 - How long do you need to take a break?
7:53 - Reduce the amount of commitment
10:03 - What things give you energy?
12:16 - Leave a comment!

CHANNEL LINKS:
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// WELCOME TO ASPERGERS FROM THE INSIDE!!

My name is Paul and I discovered I have Aspergers at age 30.

Yes, I know, I don't look autistic. That's exactly why I started this blog, because if I didn't show you, you would never know.

As the name suggests, this channel is devoted to giving you insight into the world of Aspergers.
This blog started off being just my story, but I've learned SO MUCH about my own condition
from meeting others on the Autism Spectrum that now I make sure to feature their stories as well.

I've come a long way in my own personal journey.
Now I'm sharing what I've found so you don't have to learn it the hard way too.

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// WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS BLOG

You can expect me to get to the point with concise useful information.
I focus on what is most important and don't shy away from difficult topics.

The best way to learn about Autism is to see it in real life ( i.e. via the stories of many, many people on the spectrum).

In this channel I endeavour to show you what Autism and Aspergers look like in real people and to also give you some insight as to what's happening on the inside.
I upload a new video every weekend with some bonus content thrown in mid-week too.
There's always new stuff coming through so be sure to check back and see what you've missed. (Is this where I'm supposed to tell you to hit that subscribe button?)

Topics Include:
- What is Aspergers/Autism?
- Aspie Tips, coping strategies, and advice on common issues
- Learning Emotional Intelligence (this is my special interest!)
- Autism in real life: stories from special guests

Everything I do is and endeavour to go deeper and take you 'behind the scenes' to understand what may, at first glance, seem 'odd'.
oh, and I love busting stereotypes and turning preconceptions upsidedown :)

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// ABOUT ME

I discovered I have aspergers at the age of thirty.
It has been my life's mission to understand these funny creatures we call humans.
My special interest is a combination of emotional intelligence, psychology, neuroscience, thinking styles, behaviour, and motivation. (I.e. what makes people tick)
My background is in engineering and I see the world in systems to be analysed.
My passion is for taking the incredibly complex, deciphering the pattern, and explaining it very simply.
My philosophy is that blogging is an adventure best shared.

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// EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING

I also run autism friendly online emotional intelligence training. So if you like my direct, systematic style, and would like to improve your own emotional intelligence skills, check it out here:

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// CONTACT

Blogging is an adventure best shared which means I'd love to hear from you!
Feel free to leave me a comment or send me and email at any time and I'll do my best to respond promptly.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this channel!
I look forward to hearing from you!

Peace,

~Paul

[arasharfa]

I’d like to know what an autistic person can do when they burned out so bad even their special interests become triggers of anxiety

[lynnelangley]

Very difficult to take time out when you're in a job where sick leave is frowned on even if there is a doctor's note. Risk of getting a disciplinary followed by dismissal. Makes life almost impossible.

[asmodeusazarak]

gets more complicated with a family and home where you still have to attend to those things even if you are "off"

[jonmars]

Interesting topic with many potential facets. Coming to understand my autism late in life, I learned to compensate early on in ways that did help but also were very costly. Always struggling with the sense of not being good enough, I over compensated by putting in intense amounts of effort into my work so that what I accomplished was undeniably excellent. It worked. The works I have achieved over the years have earned me a high degree of respect from my clients and peers and it has given me something tangible to hang my self esteem on. It's also too costly in terms of energy to maintain. I still never feel good enough. After 45 years of over compensation, I can hardly keep up the effort. It's burnout that verges on breakdown.

[myworldautistic]

I am in Autistic burnout right now. It's a pretty intense one. It's not my first one. What you say is so important. We have to be able to say no and not just postpone things but basically take them off our plates and gradually and carefully reintroduce the things that help us. Because even the things that help us can knock us back down if we do too much

[IDLExHANDS]

I've found that I need to figure out what I wanted to invest my energy in to, and sometimes I'm blind to my own exhaustion. I'll go without eating or drinking, because I'm so focused on work. Take time for yourself, and learn how to use your energy more wisely.

[thelozierfamily]

My husband is about to turn 50 years old. He is this absolute treasure of a human being but he has been in burnout for 4 years at least. This is what lead him to do a number of assessments and begin following your channel. He hasn't been able to get an official diagnosis but we know we is Autistic. He is an engineer and works full-time, right now he is the breadwinner for the family as I am caring for our 5 kids full-time. At this point, we know his lifestyle needs to completely change because his quality of life is so low. He wants to connect with his family and can't due to burnout. We are in the process of determining what is needed for a real reset for him. We very much appreciate your videos as they have given us both such great understanding and insight. Thanks!

[Roneish]

Trying to figure out what gives me energy in of itself is exhausting so yeah this is very hard.

[yvxwnso]

I think I’ve been going through cycles of burnout throughout 34 years and just blaming myself for being immature and self centered, like some unhelpful family members have tended to tell me I am.. I just keep going through your videos this week and it’s really helping me see from a new, much healthier perspective. There was always a feeling that I was chasing that said there’s something I really need to learn to explain this difficult pattern of burnout in my life ever since a young kid.

[myholisticnurse]

As a health worker with ASD I've had to come to peace with having to reschedule clients from time to time. I have built into my schedule a week off every 6, and then two weeks every 12 to be able to pace myself. When I relax on that mechanism, burnout is a real thing. But this way I can give myself what I need and be at my best to serve my clients 💖 win win.

[lighthousesociety.]

I think what's sad is that there are a great deal of people suffering from burnout as the result of autism, but don't have the financial means or resources to allow themselves the necessary time to recover. Fortunately, some do have the means to take a break, but for those who don't, the absence of recovery continues a cycle of helplessness and frustration that ultimately culminates in recurring burnout, severe meltdown, or worse. Thanks for the insight.

[froodoftheforest]

I'm 2 years in to burnout, I quit my last job 2 weeks ago after spending the time saving every cent I could to be able to stop. I have zero safety net and zero abilities right now. My brain couldn't get around how to make a sandwich yesterday so I just went without food until 8pm when why body screamed so loud I couldn't ignore it anymore. Waiting for some family stress to quieten so I hopefully will stop the exhausted buzzing in my nervous system will quieten and I can get through this thing. I just have to eat enough good food (when I can remember - ADHD and a zillion other things), sleep and requiring nothing of myself until I have enough energy to start doing the restorative things. This burnout thing is a Sisyphean feat. And we're supposed to live in an NT world as adults with zero support.

Edit: If you are experiencing burnout and would like to share, please do so below, just reading all your stories makes me feel way less alone and like my tribe is out there, fighting with me. Thanks guys.

[BarbaraMerryGeng]

I was furloughed in March 2020.
It took awhile for me to adjust to that.
My dog died 3 weeks later.
It took me awhile to adjust to that.
> A year later, I began to realize I’ve been on auto run - my entire life !
> I’m not going back to that madness ., I’m going to enjoy my life from now on. But first, I will relax & pay attention to doing stuff bc it energizes me 💁🏻‍♀️💚✨

[MsJRose]

Thank you I’ve been in a major burnout for several months due to things in my life currently I cannot rest as much as I need. This burnout actually led to finally figuring out why I’ve struggled my whole life with a stack of Mis diagnosis’. Now we know I’ve been going through a intense autistic burnout so it’s actually a blessing I’ve been fighting with doctors and therapist for years that they weren’t seeing what was actually wrong. The meds the therapies nothing worked and all my issues remained. I have to find out what gives me energy that’s my goal now.

[Froggsroxx]

I literally need this right now.
I can feel the energy need increasing for each subsequent conversation I have with someone. I want to just turn off my brain but I can't stop concentrating and it's exhausting

[wortlosviaweb]

I am just figuring out that I am on the autistic spectrum and I am in burnout for a while, but couldn't find the right words. Finding your video is the first time in a while that I feel like something applies to my struggles and I just cried bc maybe I am not "broken", maybe I just work different. Thank you so much for your honesty!

[houzbizness]

I'm sitting here reflecting on what burn out means to me. One and a half years since my breakdown, and then more recently an adult diagnos. The biggest problem for me, aside from the physical health problems (which seem to be getting better) and economic difficulties (which are getting worse by the day), is that I am just now beginning to realise that it's all gone. My dream job is over, the financial security is gone, that little house in the countryside will never be. That's my reality and it makes me so very sad. 50 years I've been fooling myself that I'll amount to something and it's only just now I'm realising I've run out of time.

[jbgirlbakerstreet]

Paul, you have mentioned before that you workout regularly, and I was wondering how exercise affects autism. And is there a time when exercise might be a solution for burnout or stress? What are your thoughts on the impact of an exercise regimen for autistic people?

[rkoff]

I don't know if I will ever recoup that lost energy. I have been hanging on and stealing time where I can to the point I'm drained. I worry about my health. I don't know if I am autistic but I can't make myself do things even if it benefits me.

[chronic_daydreamer]

I had a meltdown back in February and I’ve been pretty terrible since… this should be timely.