
I am currently working on ways to address burnout before I start school so that I can try to avoid it as much as I can. This blog, I want to explain what autistic burnout is, and share how it affects me and how I accommodate myself. Autistic burnout is intense exhaustion, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional, sometimes followed with a loss of skills. (Deweerdt, 2020). Many autistic people can experience burnout, and it can vary for each autistic person. One main trigger is masking, or trying to mirror neurotypical behavior. Masking can be draining because our brains do not inherently function the same way, so mirroring certain behaviors can become tiring and draining. Overstimulation can also cause burnout due to a lot of sensory input. Signs of burnout can include physical exhaustion, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and an increased difficulty with tasks that can already be difficult such as adaptation to change and breaking routines.
One thing that caused a lot of burnout for me was pushing myself academically in school. I set certain standards for myself during my undergraduate degree, and I had a very hard time changing that routine even if other things came up that were more important. This lead to me overdoing it, and shutting down. The burnout from school was slower, and built up over time. This break I took from school helped me take a mental break, and pause and reflect. Some situations can cause immediate burnout for me, such as going to a concert. Loud noises, including live music, immediately send me into burnout. I cannot last more than an hour, and instantly become more irritated and upset. I have had times where I close my ears and leave the room, even when I know I am being judged for doing so, because my brain has entered fight or flight. This also applies to any sort of alarm or beeping noise that is louder than a medium volume alarm clock.
Burnout for me increases my anxiety, and long term burnout has caused some depression. In the case of school, if I thought I did the work for nothing, I felt hopeless and defeated. I would create even more rigid routines for doing homework, and became less flexible with other tasks in my day so I could get that work done. My anxiety also increased, which seems to be a default setting for me. I am trying to work on my anxiety, but it has always been very high. This burnout kept spiraling until the end of senior year, when it was decided by my family and medical team that I needed to address the health and mental health I was neglecting due to the burnout. In the case of immediate burnout due to noise, it is easier to address. I get heightened anxiety, and struggle to maintain conversations because I cannot concentrate.
To help address my long term burnout, I have been in therapy to try to learn better coping mechanisms. I still have anxiety about school, so this will be a work in progress. However, the best thing I can do is be aware that school can cause burnout for me, and now I know the warning signs. I have been working with a professor on research, so I am building up a community where I can ask for help. Addressing short term burnout is easier for me. Once I can tell I have entered burnout due to loud noises, I excuse myself from the room and go somewhere by myself. I have noise canceling airpods, so when I have those on hand I put them in so I have less sensory input in a way that doesn't draw too much attention. I also try to be open about my autistic burnout when it is safe and comfortable to do so, which allows me to accommodate myself more easily without drawing attention to it. Burnout can be scary, but it is manageable with awareness and a team of close people to help when needed.
 I hope learning more about autistic burnout was helpful and interesting! If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me through the questions tab or reach out at @Anniekrollblog over on Instagram or Facebook. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next week!
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