Many Autistic adults continue to struggle with anxiety, depression, burnout, loneliness, and sensory overwhelm, despite engaging in weekly therapy. If this is your experience it may because you are out of alignment with your true self. Below I have listed some strategies that will help you become more aligned and reduce issues with mood, burnout, and feelings of overwhelm.
-
Practice Authentic Communication. Prioritize saying what you actually mean — even if it feels awkward at first. Give yourself permission to be honest rather than masking.
-
Identify and Name Your Values. Take time to explore what’s truly important to you (not what others expect). Let your values guide your decisions, big and small.
-
Create Sensory-Friendly Spaces. Design your environments (home, work, social) to meet your sensory needs — lighting, textures, sounds, and smells included. Ask for accommodations at work if necessary to make this happen.
-
Set Boundaries. Without Guilt Saying “no” or “I need to leave” is an act of self-respect, not rudeness. Boundaries make deeper authenticity possible.
-
Honor Special Interests. Engage deeply with your passions, even if they seem “niche” or “weird” to others. Your joy matters more than their understanding.
-
Move at Your Natural Pace. Reject hustle culture if it doesn’t suit you. Give yourself permission to work, rest, and live at the rhythm your brain-body prefers.
-
Unmask in Safe Relationships. Notice where you feel safest being “unmasked” and invest energy there. Relationships where you can be fully yourself are worth prioritizing.
-
Challenge Internalized Ableism. When you catch yourself thinking “I should be different,” pause. Ask: “Whose rules am I following, and do I actually agree with them?”
-
Build a Personal Toolkit for Regulation. Develop a set of tools that help you self-regulate — stimming, movement, sensory breaks, visual supports, anything that supports your nervous system.
-
Celebrate Your Neurodivergence. Treat your autistic traits as sources of strength, not flaws. Curiosity, depth, pattern-recognition, loyalty — these are gifts.
-
Find Your Tribe. Build a community of people that get you. Engaging with others that share similar experiences, where you can unmask and be your true self, and feel supported is the key to true connection and reducing social isolation.
-
If you are feeling stuck and want to connect live with others while learning more about living your best life as an Autistic adult, request to join the waitlist of my soon to start program and community at https://the-social-club-autism-edition.mn.co/landing?space_id=17967782