How to deal with stress as an autistic adult
So lately I’ve been feeling extremely anxious and one of my older sibling thinks that it would be a great idea to get me a job so I won’t be at home all day but here’s the thing I don’t want to do it and I’m scared that when I get a job that i won’t be really good at it since it will be my first ever job.
I know that the thing to do would be to talk to my sibling and tell him that I don’t want to do it but here’s the think I don’t go to school anymore and all I do is just stay at home all day I know what they said is right that I can’t keep living like this
So that’s why I’m making this thread to ask if any of you know who have jobs or worked before have any ideas of how to control my stress while at work.
@Angel628
Thank you for being honest.
It might help you to start off volunteering somewhere even for a day a week to get used to being out and around people and working.
It's important you trust in yourself.
In any job, we all learn as we go
And it's important to know, all you can do is your best and trust in yourself and not put too much pressure .
We all have to start somewhere 💛
@Angel628
I can't say what will work for you (we're all different), but I'm happy to share what I do to deal with stress at work. My current job stresses me out a lot, and certain parts stress me out faster than others. When I feel stressed, here are some things that really help me:
- I focus on my breathing. I do breathing exercises like box breathing or mindful breathing because sometimes when I'm really focused, I don't breath as deeply. It also helps me focus on something else.
- I step away. I go to the bathroom, to a storage closet or to a hallway -- I just get away from the space I'm working in, even if just for a few moments. When I do this, sometimes I take some deep breaths, sometimes I stim to get rid of extra energy, and sometimes I do this thing where I pretend I'm doing a huge, savage, full-body scream without actually making noise (this is especially helpful when I'm also mad).
- I accept any help that someone offers. I am SO stubborn and I prefer to do everything myself. What's worse is that when I get to a certain level of stress, I feel claustrophobic and usually go (mostly) nonverbal. In those moments, if a coworker offers to help or my manager asks if I want to go on a break, I automatically say yes. Even if I think I would be fine without it! I know that my brain is lying to me and I need help.
- I sing and/or I dance! I can sometimes pull myself out of my stress state by singing a song or dancing while I'm working. It's silly, but it helps ground me and realize it's going to be okay.
- I think or say "You're doing okay, it's okay" to myself. Again, it might seem silly but telling myself that I'm okay or that I'm doing my best can really help slow down my stress increase. I will often put my hand on my heart too -- it feels a bit like a hug, and that helps.
I hope this helped! If you have questions or I didn't explain something well, please feel free to ask! I know change can be scary, but it seems like you might need it. Regardless, I wish you all the luck in the world!