How long does it take to recover from autistic burnout

How long can a burnout last? Some burnouts are short but intense, while some can be long-term and take years to fully recover from. However, one thing is true. Burnouts usually take longer to recover from than we anticipate. In this video, I shared my strategies to recover from burnout, varying from slowing down to taking significant breaks.

🎞️Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:41 How long can a burnout last?
0:58 Strategies for Burnout Recovery
3:18 My Burnout Recovery this 2023
4:46 My Burnout Recovery Plan

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👋Welcome to Autism From The Inside!!!

If you're autistic or think you or someone you love might be on the autism spectrum, this channel is for you!
I'm Paul Micallef, and I discovered my own autism at age 30.

Yes, I know, I don't look autistic. That's exactly why I started this channel in the first place because if I didn't show you, you would never know.

Autism affects many (if not all!) aspects of our lives, so on this channel, I want to show you what Autism looks like in real people and give you some insight into what's happening for us on the inside. We'll break down myths and misconceptions, discuss how to embrace autism and live well, and share what it's like to be an autistic person.

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Peace,

~ Paul

#autism #asd #autismawareness

[maupinmaupin]

It takes as long as it wants to, and if you're in a hurry, it takes longer.

[dambigfoot]

I don’t know if anyone else have the same feelings but the lockdown really helped me. The lockdown also sort of made me realize the differences I have being able to go months without social interaction while others go days and lose their minds.

[catherinejames]

I have been constantly collapsing every few weeks, sometimes less since last March. My doctor has been trying to help figure out what could be wrong with me. Finally, from watching your videos as well as others, I’m accepting that I am suffering from severe burnout. I’m pretty high functioning and have always been extremely hyperactive as well as constantly masking. I feel it’s all over now, I can’t mask anymore, I’m just so tired. I’m trying to just focus on one thing at a time that I can cope with so I don’t have to feel completely useless. Certainly wish I could just disappear to a really quiet place where there aren’t any people, just nature. I don’t seem to be able to regulate my emotions, what a mess.

[leahmarjoriecox]

"I am allowed to create a life that works for me,
I am allowed to need what I need.
I am allowed to rest,
I am allowed to go slow,
I am allowed to take the time to grow.
I am allowed to ask,
I am allowed to receive,
I am allowed to open the door to ease.
I am allowed to stop,
I am allowed to breathe,
I am allowed to create a life that works for me."

Sending love to everyone experiencing burnout at the moment. And so much gratitude for this video and all the comments left here. They have really helped me today.

[El-ksff]

It took a while for me to accept that I need a lot of rest. Complete rest, no friends, no household chores, not even reading, maybe apart from something very light. Basically, sitting, looking at the sky outside the window and cuddling with the cat.
I cut down to three night shifts a week and do decline any extra shifts. The plan for this year is to use my annual leave strategically, selecting a single day off each month in a way that gives me a whole week off. It’s a learning curve, but I think I am getting somewhere.

[linden]

I really want to encourage all of us who are autistic to take our energy needs seriously. They are needs, so not meeting them has consequences. We deserve to live well and be supported to do what it takes to care for our well being.

Like a lot of us, my life before my late diagnosis was characterised by periods of regular burnout. They just got worse and worse until I had some big burnouts that fed into significant illnesses (mental and physical). I managed to recover from things that have very low recovery rates, so after that I was determined to do what it takes to stay well. It was in the middle of really coming to terms with what that means for me I realised my needs are atypical and that I am autistic.

I am pretty lucky that I do have the option to live in a way that works for me and I have good support. I prioritise energy management and I'm so much better for it. And I just feel my wellbeing is safe in a way it never was in my 40+ years of life. We all deserve that, we've been through more than enough. 💛

[captainroyy]

Feels like I've been fried for the majority of the last 5-8 years.
Hanging on and staying positive, having fun where I can
but drained, crippled in a way.

[aspiesoft]

One strategy I use, is to periodically take breaks.

Think about it like jogging. You can run at a slower speed, then switch to sprinting, then back to running slower.

Rather than working super hard all day, after an hour or 2, you can take a short break, and you don't have to fully recover. As you mentioned, you saw some improvement by taking breaks, even without a full recovery.

Rather than trying to sprint all day, then crashing at the end, you could try to sprint for 2 hours, then jog for 10 or 20 minutes, and get some recovery, even if it's not full. You just need enough to get through the next 2 hours. Then at the end of the day, recovery can be much quicker because there's a bit less to recover from. Basically spreading it out into short bursts, instead of trying to go for large amounts of time.


Also, if you pay attention to how you feel before the burnout, and try to memorize how you feel throughout the day for some time, you may be able to predict when it may come, and take a short break before burnout happens.

[thenecroguardian]

I'm 32 and didn't figure out this is what made me so different from everyone until a little over a year ago. I of course knew about autism and what not, but never had experience with anyone that I knew had it, other than the stereotypical autistics.
From counting and guiding every single step, to trying to match out every social interaction I COULD have and how I MIGHT respond, I assumed for a long time people were more like me and thought like me. Anytime I ever go in depth with my thoughts however, always lead to confusing looks or just disbelief like I'm lying.
I wish I had good tips but my burnouts haven't ended since I was a teenager, it's been mostly one long minor with many majors peppered in there. It's absolutely exhausting just doing 'normal life' and no one seems to understand that. I've been stuck for years and I was hoping that finally understanding what makes me so different would help me figure out ways to combat the things that are holding me back but they're not.
I found your channel shortly after finding out about myself, the constant google and youtube searching of autism helped, and it has helped me understand a ton more. I just want to say thank you because I know how hard it is talking, making videos and speeches, and just forcing yourself out of your shell for the benefit of others.

[NoiseDay]

A significant way I've learned to avoid burnout is never shopping on the weekend as a rule. I'm fine with the weekday grocery crowd, but Saturdays especially are overwhelming. I'm constantly worried about not offending strangers by being in the way and taking up space (if only they would be as considerate and move their cart over just a couple more inches so I can get by...). If you have the flexibility to shop on a weekday before school is out, absolutely do it then instead. Best times are 10 to 2 (a lot of places don't open until 10 and a lot of people get off work or school after 2).

[cherylyoke]

Now that I have retired and I can rest whenever I want to, I find my memory has improved. Sometimes when I walk my little dog, I chat with the ocasional neighbor and find that later I can remember their names. Amazing! Since I cherish my rest times, but still have everyday responsibilities, I will sometimes make a list and try to do as many things in a day as I possibly can, kind of sprinting through my day. It makes me feel good to accomplish so much in one day, and I reward myself by doing practically nothing the rest of the week.

[relentlessrhythm]

This is validating. I had to step away from my overstimulating career and my family and friends don't all fully understand why. Masking and sensory overload took its toll on my mental health and I'm content working as a waitress and making just enough to get by. You can't put a price on good mental health.

[I_am_Angerer]

Since I'm "only" self-diagnosed and still relatively new to the world of information there is about autism (I realized it in 2021), it's still a lot to take in. For all these years, my burnout symptoms after interacting with people (planned or unplanned) and everyday stimuli that most people don't seem to care about, were valid feelings generated in a neurodivergent brain and not a sign of me being "crazy" or a "sociopath".

[lisalamphier]

After living as a hermit for a few years, I have recently made an effort to socialize. I think I overdid it yesterday. I visited with four friends and exchanged emails with another. (I'm still in shock that I have five friends). Today I feel like my body and brain are on fire. I am completely burnt out, can barely function, can't hold onto a thought. I was glad to see this video. Reminded me that this is normal.

[mjhepburn]

The older I get, the more quickly I burn out. Thankfully, I was able to retire about five years ago. I find that I can only relax when I'm totally alone. I have a dog, but I even find him to be stressful at times. I didn't mind one bit staying at home during Covid.

[janak]

First, for you (added after I realized it should be here, ofc): I do so understand you. Relax. Every autistic person here understands you. Be well, brother.

I have few minor burnouts and tend to build up strong long term burnouts from working (having to spend time in ways that leave me overstimulated). My cycle is horrid. Two years of work used to cause an acute inability to function in a work situation for 1.5-2.5 years. I did this for 20 years. Then I finally broke, or well.. my worst burnout ever won't reset even after 5 years of getting to almost only be myself. Now my mind refuses to function in a work environment at all. In fact, it refuses to do work. I just get a meltdown within a couple of hours, that takes days to reset.

The reason it got this way is that I didn't know I had ASD. I just got diagnosed with burnout over and over again.

I also have ADHD which sort of hid the ASD because it makes me ACT very extroverted even though I thoroughly NEED to be introverted. Other people commonly perceive me as a slightly strange person and don't suspect me of having either, although I'm sure some people think me extremely weird, or possibly insane, because they've interacted with me just when I've had a sudden hard minor meltdown.

So now, at 45, I've been on sick leave, then extended health leave, and finally permanent disability since my final breakdown almost 5 years ago. I'm only 45 years old. Fortunately for me I live in a country that has a functional welfare system.

[Garrison_the_Barbarian]

Yeah, I know a thing or two about autistic burnout. I’m an author by trade and I need a lot of practice writing stories and poems for public consumption. I was super-active in my 20’s, but once I started getting into my 30’s, my work slowed down significantly. And then the pandemic started and my work REALLY started slowing down. And now here I am in 2023 wondering when I’ll get my energy back on a permanent basis. For all the times I can’t do creative work, I either lay around and lament or I watch You Tube videos. What’s really getting me through burnout lately is The Price Is Right. Seeing people win cool shit and lots of money gives me a much-needed dopamine blast. Their happiness makes me happy in return. I also ditched my Twitter account and stopped consuming so much world news. I haven’t made a great deal of changes in my diet and exercise routine, but that’s more of a long term thing than an immediate step. It’ll take some time to see if all of this pays off in the long run, but I’m having a high-mood day today, so I’m naturally optimistic about it.

[akumaking]

From what I’ve learned and experienced, there rarely a single answer for anything.

[owleerspelwerx]

What works for me is taking first week of month off. Since that is when you need pay rent, paybills, my big food shopping for the month. I didn't realize such a simple thing could add stress on my plate. Now as I said above, I take first week of month off. It helps me.

I had a burnout that lasted a lil more than a year. I couldn't even do my favorite things. Every time I tried do something simple as house cleaning, I couldn't.

[auparsec]

I feel that feeling overwhelmed by large crowds would be a great video to do since I often wish that I could live like a hermit