Feeling burnt out is something that all of us feel from time to time. We live in a crazy world rushing around, which is an unhealthy byproduct of living in a society of consumerism.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

However, autistic burnout is different. It stems from trying to navigate social demands and masking autistic traits.

People with autism often mask or hide their traits to be accepted by their peers. Over time, it becomes so exhausting that they often end up with burnout.

When I am burnt out, I feel intense fatigue and a general inability to cope with life. It does not matter if I rest over the weekend. I still feel exhausted, like I hadn’t been to bed the night before.

I am getting closer to burnout at the moment, and I move through each day, dragging my feet. I don’t have the same pride in my work. It is just about getting my work finished and getting through the day. When I was younger, it was something I pulled through as I seemed to have more time to rest, but as I am older, it is becoming more difficult. I was also self-employed, so it made it easier to take days off, but now as I am employed, I feel guilt when I have to take time off and others have to cover for me.

I feel ashamed when I can’t keep going and doing what I should be doing. Even though I am exhausted, I often put the needs of others above my own needs and neglect myself, which I know is not exercising healthy boundaries. I am also a lot more irritable and forgetful.

I am trying to preserve energy as much as I can by reducing social contact, taking time off, spending time in nature and wearing noise cancelling headphones at work.

Burnout is what I hate most about being autistic, as burnout is more common if you have autism, but I am going to have to learn to heal and use strategies so I can recover.

I have written an updated post on the strategies I used to cope with burnout. Click here: Coping Strategies For Burnout – My Autism Life After Diagnosis.

Sources

• Understanding autistic burnout Available at: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/autistic-burnout (Accessed: 28 June 2025).