
Autism Fatigue & Burnout
Navigating the world as an autistic person can be very stressful and when this stress gets too much, people may experience autistic burnout. This can make carrying out normal day-to-day activities much more difficult. Autism burnout is described as physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by stresses of navigating a world designed for neurotypical people.
You may recognise some symptoms of autistic burnout below;
- Low mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in special interests
- Increased difficulty in socialising
- Reduced tolerance to stimuli
- Chronic fatigue
Why does it happen?
- Regularly masking to fit in or to suppress autistic behaviours
- Life changes and transitions
- Stress from living in a world not set up to accommodate autistic people
- Unrealistic or unreachable expectations from family, school, work, or society
- Lack of support from family, friends or services
- Poor boundaries or self-advocacy
What can you do to help?
- Practice self compassion
- Prioritise your own needs and saying no where you need to
- Participate in activities you enjoy and feel that you can do
- Learning how to recognise and act on the early signs of autistic burnout
- Ask for support and reasonable adjustments in places such as work or school
- Educate people when you feel able to about Autism burnout and advise others are signs to look out for
- Spend time where you feel comfortable not having to mask
See additional help in this useful guide for adults and if you’d like a session then please reach out.
Autistic fatigue – a guide for autistic adults (autism.org.uk)