Autistic burnout: what it is and how to prevent it
Navigating the world as an autistic person can be extremely stressful and when this stress gets too much, you might experience autistic burnout. This can make carrying out normal day-to-day activities much more difficult.
What is autistic burnout?
Autistic people often describe autistic burnout as experiencing:
- chronic exhaustion
- a loss of skills and ability to do things that you would normally do like socialising or remembering things
- feeling over stimulated.
You likely have autistic burnout if you have been experiencing some of these symptoms for three months or more.
Often, autistic burnout can be confused with mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. Research suggests that symptoms of depression such as sleep problems and the inability to experience joy or pleasure are usually not present in autistic burnout.
What causes autistic burnout?
There is no single reason why you might experience autistic burnout, but it’s thought to be caused by stressful situations in life.
- Trying to meet the expectations of friends, family and colleagues. This can be particularly hard if you are around people that don’t fully understand you and your individual needs.
- Changing or masking how you act around people because you don’t want to be seen as ‘different’. Masking your true self has been associated with poor mental health outcomes for autistic people.
- Navigating a world that is not always set up to enable autistic people to thrive. Big life changes or transitions can be stressful for autistic people. For example, starting university or changing jobs can be disruptive and challenging to navigate.
- Barriers to support can also be hard for autistic people, with a lack of resources and support services available. This means stress can build up over time until it leads to complete burnout.
Can you prevent autistic burnout?
It might not be possible to prevent autistic burnout completely, but there are small things you can do to make life a little less stressful.
Speak to someone you trust
When you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, it’s important to speak to someone you trust about how you are feeling. That might be a parent, friend, teacher, colleague or healthcare professional.
Embrace being autistic
Embrace being autistic and try not to hide or ‘mask’ who you are. Surround yourself with people that build you up and make you feel good and comfortable in who you are.
Do things that make you feel good
You know yourself best, so take breaks when you need them and spend time doing things that make you feel good, like engaging with your special interest or hanging out with friends online or in person.
Ask for reasonable adjustments
If you are prone to experiencing autistic burnout, think about adjustments that you may need in school, college, university or employment to support you. These could support your communication preferences, working patterns or learning environment.
What to do if you are experiencing autistic burnout
We asked autistic young people from the Ambitious Youth Network to share their advice on what to do if you are experiencing autistic burnout.
I focus on how much energy I have and what I can achieve in the day. Sometimes I have more energy and sometimes I have less. I don’t push myself when I start to feel burnt out and I take each day at a time. – Nella
Use ear defenders to help with over-stimulus. Take regular rest breaks and try to find a quiet comfortable place. A dark room can help me, as well as using sensory toys. I also use grounding techniques and have a diffuser in my room with essential oils. – Hannah
I try to make sure I have down time in the day where I don’t have to socialise with people. I like to do some yoga, meditation or read a book. It can be difficult so if you are struggling it’s important to speak to others about it. This might be hard so even drawing a picture of what you are feeling might help. – Eden
I usually talk to my close friends about how I'm feeling or play nostalgic video games with hot chocolate. Nostalgic activities are very grounding when it comes to burnout as it helps bring back joy for the simple things. – Josephine
I try to communicate in ways I am most comfortable, such as my augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. – Natalia
It's okay to stop and rest, and you will be okay again. It may take some time, but it will get better. Reach out if you need to – there's always people there to listen and help. – Theo
Where to find support
If you feel like you are experiencing autistic burnout it’s important to get support or speak to someone you trust about how you are feeling.
Ambitious Youth Network
The Youth Network is a place for 13-25 year olds to share experiences, connect with others, have their say on Ambitious about Autism’s projects and access a range of opportunities to advocate and improve services for autistic young people.
Join the Ambitious Youth Network
Wellbeing resources
Our wellbeing resources will help you look after your physical and mental health.
What autistic burnout means to me
Hannah, a member of the Ambitious Youth Network, has written a blog about what autistic means to her and some tips for reducing it.
Read Hannah's blog on autistic burnout
Talk about Autism
Talk about Autism is the online community for parents and carers of autistic children and young people.
If you are a parent and carer and are looking for support, you can sign up to the community and speak with likeminded people. You’ll also have access to our webinar series delivered by experts and those with lived experience of autism.