Autistic Burnout: Understanding What It Is and How To Recover
Navigating a neurotypical world, that is not tailored to your neurodivergent needs, can present unique challenges. Facing daily stressors such as school, managing employment, adapting to social expectations, or completing daily life tasks can quickly or gradually become exhausting without the appropriate accommodations. As these stressors continue to build, it can develop into chronic stress and exhaustion, or a term autistic individuals commonly refer to as autistic burnout. Although autistic burnout is not a formal diagnosis, it is a challenge that is discussed often within the autism community and one to be mindful of when prioritizing your mental health. Being both within and outside of the autism community, it is essential that we create an accommodating and supportive environment to help autistic individuals embrace neurodivergence, reduce the risk of autistic burnout, and achieve overall well-being.
What is Autistic Burnout?
Autistic burnout is defined as a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that reduces an autistic person’s ability to cope with stressors, sensory input, and responsibilities (Mantazalas, Richdale, & Dissanayake, 2023). It creates greater challenges to succeed and navigate a world without the resources that are required. A few of the core characteristics that have been identified as signs of autistic burnout are, intense exhaustion, loss of skills, and social withdrawal. If you are noticing yourself, a loved one, friend, or client experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to identify the factors that are contributing to these behaviors and feelings to prevent further escalation of symptoms from occurring.
Factors Contributing to Autistic Burnout
In order to manage or prevent autistic burnout, it is crucial that we understand what contributes to the experience. Below are 7 identified factors, but not limited to, autistic burnout.
Masking- Concealing one’s autistic traits (e.g. restricting self-stimulating behaviors, eye contact, preparing scripts for social interactions, etc.) to conform to neurotypical standards, avoid ostracism, or gain access to opportunities or inclusion you may be denied of (Cook et al., 2021; Pearson & Rose, 2021).
Overwhelming Sensory Stimuli: Bright lights, loud noises, crowds, temperature changes, strong smells, etc.
Social Demands: Maintaining eye contact, reciprocal conversation, maintaining small talk, participating in group activities, interpreting nonverbal cues, etc.
Lack of Accommodation: Managing stress in the workplace, being in noisy environments, social interaction expectations, dismissal, lack of understanding of neurodivergent needs, or gaslighting in school or work environment.
Changes to Routine: Unexpected stressors (death of a loved one, mental health crisis, cancellations, etc.) life transitions (moving, puberty, graduation, adulthood, etc.)
Stress: Maintaining employment (demands, everyday engagement, social interaction, lack of accommodation, etc.), finances (independent living, housing, bills, etc.), maintaining/building relationships, or lack of understanding from loved ones.
Poor Boundaries or Self-Advocacy: people pleasing, not prioritizing oneself (saying “no”, taking breaks, asking for help, etc.), requesting accommodations, or disclosing neurodivergence.
Negative Impacts of Burnout
Individuals within the autism community have reported periods of autistic burnout lasting from weeks, to months, or even years. Being burdened with the impacts of autistic burnout for a significant amount of time starts to becomes a future concern as it severely impacts well-being, independence, and quality of life. It has been noted, in relevant research, that prolonged or repeated exposure to burnout episodes may also contribute to unemployment and reduced educational achievement (Mantzalas et al., 2021; Raymaker et al., 2020). Some negative impacts of autistic burnouts discovered are:
Inability to function
Brain fog
Limiting participation in work, study, or social activities
Dissociation
Reduced executive functioning and emotional regulation
Loss of previously mastered skills
Inability to communicate
Increased sensory intolerance
Social and interpersonal withdrawal
Recovering and Managing Autistic Burnout:
Facing the challenges of managing and coping with autistic burnout, while already feeling extremely exhausted and fatigued, is quite daunting. How does one simply take a break from life? By setting time aside to check-in with your needs, you can identify strategies or activities that will guide you towards regulation and relief. Below are some potential solutions suggested, by autistic individuals, advocates, and researchers, to pour back into your cup and nurture yourself back to health.
Acceptance & Social Support
Lean on people who accept you for who you are and help create a space where you feel valued, heard, and understood.
Spend one on one time with a family member or friend that you trust and feel comfortable with.
Get connected with others, virtually or in-person, who can validate your experiences and emotions through shared lived experiences, especially as it relates to autistic burnout.
Surround yourself with a community of people where you can discuss your challenges, receive support or guidance, and feel a sense of belonging.
Embrace Autism
Create opportunities where you can utilize your autistic strengths
Acknowledge and praise your abilities to improve confidence, self-compassion, and overall well-being.
Stop comparing yourself to others and focus on being empathetic and compassionate towards your challenges.
Give yourself a break from societal expectations and pressure and allow yourself to express your autistic traits without restrictions or judgment.
Spend time engaging in preferred interests and comfort items to understand your needs as an autistic individual and what makes you feel good
Ask yourself “what are some things I do when I mask?” Once you have identified some of these behaviors, try to stop yourself, and do what feels fitting for YOU.
Formal Supports
Collaborate with teachers, professors, employers, peers, or supervisors to identify reasonable accommodations for your unique needs.
Reach out to professionals who have specialized training in autism to have a safe space to express yourself, increase awareness of autistic burnout, and develop a management and prevention plan.
Reduce Load
Take breaks during or at the end of each day to destress.
Use weekends, days off, or take time off from school or work to slow the pace down and withdraw into your own world.
Find a balance in activities and solitude by checking-in with yourself and know when it is time to pull back from activities to be with yourself.
Engage in enjoyable activities that are mindless and restore your energy.
Practice mindfulness, grounding skills, and breathing exercises to help regulate and decompress.
Self-Advocacy
Prioritize your needs by setting boundaries and saying “no” or cancelling plans if you are not in a healthy mindset.
Request help by communicating needs (e.g. adjustments to environments or schedules), challenges, or disclosing neurodivergence to receive the appropriate accommodations and support at home, school, workplace, or community.
.Learn and practice accepting help from trusted people
Self-Knowledge
Improve self-awareness of autistic burnout by identifying triggers and warning signs
Check-in with yourself daily to manage any stress or anxiety building.
Ask yourself questions like, “how am I feeling right now?” “what am I noticing about my body?” “what do I need that would help me feel better in this moment?”
Recognize autistic burnout symptoms as they are happening and use emotional regulation and coping strategies to alleviate your distress.
Seek an ASD diagnosis, if you haven’t already, to reduce/prevent masking and further exhaustion.
Tune into yourself and focus on emotional or behavioral patterns associated with autistic burnout.
References
Arnold, S. R., Higgins, J. M., Weise, J., Desai, A., Pellicano, E., & Trollor, J. N. (2023). Confirming the nature of autistic burnout. Autism, 27(7), 1906-1918
Arnold, S. R., Higgins, J. M., Weise, J., Desai, A., Pellicano, E., & Trollor, J. N. (2023). Towards the measurement of autistic burnout. Autism, 27(7), 1933-1948.
Hunter, M., Joyce, A., Kapp, K. S., Lentz, B., Nicolaidis, C., Raymaker, M, D., Steckler, A. N., Lentz, B., Scharer, M., Santos, D. A., Teo, T. A (2020).“Having All of Your Internal Resources Exhausted Beyond Measure and Being Left with No Clean-Up Crew”: Defining Autistic Burnout. Autism in Adulthood 2(2), 132-143.
Mantzalas, Jane, et al. "Examining subjective understandings of autistic burnout using Q methodology: A study protocol." PLoS ONE, vol. 18, no. 5, 19 May 2023, p. E0285578.