Unconventional Tips for Navigating Life as an Autistic Adult 🎯
Design Your Environment: Autistic people often have sensory sensitivities, so create a home that caters to your unique needs. Love the color blue? Paint your walls a soothing azure. Need silence? Invest in soundproofing or noise-cancelling headphones.
2. Use Technology to Your Advantage: There are apps for everything these days. From mood tracking to reminder apps, there's something out there to make daily living a bit easier. Explore and find what works for you!
3. Develop Your Own Self-Care Routine: Forget what the magazines say. If your idea of self-care is organizing your bookshelf by color or re-watching your favorite Sci-Fi series for the 10th time, go for it!
4. Communicate Your Way: Not all communication has to be verbal. If you prefer texting to talking, that's perfectly okay. Find comfort in written words? Carry a notebook and write your thoughts out when it's hard to articulate them verbally.
5. Find your 'Tribe': Your tribe doesn’t necessarily need to be made up of people with the same experiences as you. But it does need to be a space where your quirks, passions, and unique way of seeing the world is celebrated.
6. Embrace Your Stims: Stimming, repetitive behaviors that self-soothe or express emotion, is a natural part of being autistic. Find safe, socially acceptable stims that you enjoy and let them help you manage sensory overload or anxiety.
7. Play the "If I Were NT" (Neurotypical) Game: When you're feeling out of sync with the rest of the world, remind yourself of the unique perspectives and skills that your neurodivergence brings.
Remember, these are just suggestions. Everyone's autism experience is unique. Keep exploring, learning, and growing in your own way!
