Tackle it Tuesday: Autism Burnout Part 1

November 12, 2024

Welcome to Tackle It Tuesday, a social media series where an autistic employee at AAoM (yours truly) writes workplace tips to better cope with the stresses of a working world not built for neurodiversity.

While creating the latest entry for AAoM’s social platforms, I realized that social media alone isn’t the ideal archive for all the past Tackle It Tuesday entries, as it shares space with all the other important work AAoM does. So, this blog companion was born!

This Tackle it Tuesday is on autism burnout: what it is and how it’s different from standard burnout.

An image on a green background. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Autism Burnout Work is exhausting, especially if you have to maintain workplace professionalism on top of the standard of masking autism. Autistic Burnout is a fickle thing, but it’s not impossible to tackle."

An image on a green background, with the bottom paragraph being in a blue box. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Autism Burnout “Autistic burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate support. It is characterized by pervasive, long-term (typically 3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus.” Dr Dora Raymaker, National Autistic Society"

An image on a green background. On the bottom left, there is a person in a blue shirt with smoke coming out of their head. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Autism Burnout vs. General Burnout Burnout is acute, often caused by a specific aspect of life like a job or time in school. It feels like working yourself into a plume of smoke."

An image on a green background. On the bottom, there is an image of a person in a red sweater reading a book with a castle on the cover and drinking out of a blue mug, alongside a person in a white, clawfoot bathtub enjoying a bubble bath. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Autism Burnout vs. General Burnout Generally, you can ride out the effects of burnout by doing restorative self-care, like hobbies and hygiene."

An image on a green background. On the bottom left, there is a person in a blue shirt with fire coming out of their head. There are several gasoline canisters being dumped on that fire to keep it going. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Autism Burnout Autistic burnout is cumulative. It’s the many factors that feel like you have to rewire your entire being to function in a neurotypical society. It’s like someone pouring several gas cans on a raging fire."

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