Autism and things I cannot live without.

Hey readers,

This post is all about the things that help a little to make my life a bit more manageable with dealing with being autistic in a neurotypical world. Some of the things have helped calm me down when I am emotional trauma, changed or uncertain.

 It doesn't have to be big or fancy but it is enough to have an impact on my mood and calm me down when I most need it.

6 things that help make my autistic life more manageable.

1. Noise-cancelling headphones.

I am not talking about the headphones kids wear (though they are good) I wear the ones that drown out all the noise and I can also listen to music or podcasts. 

This has helped me when I am out and about in supermarkets or need to get somewhere on public transport. I can switch off into my little universe when I get overstimulated with the noise, business and lights.

 I can zone out and gives me a pause to just chill and rebalance my senses again as it were. Having this opportunity to take time out from the outside world by putting headphones on means can help reduce the risk of having a meltdown as I don’t like them, especially in public places as I hate attention on myself and very private person when it comes to emotional stuff so much prefer to scream some quiet away from everyone.

2. Google Maps.

Google maps for me are a godsend before this was available on phones I used to hate going anywhere new or didn’t know that was familiar to me as I would get lost and get very anxious. 

Having Google maps give me the security blanket of knowing where to go, and what buses to catch and not worrying if I do get lost. It means I can explore more like taking my kids to a new park without fear as much, I still get anxious, but I can analyse where we are and work out where to go on the map. 

Although when I do get too anxious I still can't manage to read the instructions but have learnt to take myself away from the noisy environment to allow myself time to calm down to work it out or if ever a situation got too much for me to handle I do have my husband who has a car or there is an uber, so I always have a plan b which again gives that security so feel less anxious because whatever happens it can be resolved one way or another.

3. My bed.

It is my safe space for when I am feeling scared or want to shut down I like to escape there and hide in the corner away from it all. It is where I go to relax and wind down, I want to put my headphones on and listen to music or read a book. I like it when I have my window open and the breeze flows around me. 

4. Lava lamp/fairy lights. 

I love low lighting and moving lights, it calms me down and hence why I have included my lava lamp and fairy lights. They just bring a relaxing ambience to my room and help calm me down and help especially when I am having a meltdown. 

5. YouTube visual aid. 

I love visual aids from moving colours to train journeys anything that calms me down and relaxes me. I find YouTube videos great for resources which are free to use. 

6. My Husband.

My husband is a massive help in a lot of ways and makes it much easier for everyday situations to fill in complex forms and meetings. 

Cheers for reading X