Things have been quiet here for a while. Periodically, I take breaks from autism, if that makes sense. We live with it every day, sort of like an uninvited house guest. At times, writing or thinking about it too much narrows my perspective on larger issues, so I take a break. I don't read or write about it or surf the web for the latest study summaries.
And that's okay. We all need a break sometimes.
I'm feeling refreshed and ready to tackle hard stuff again, so I will. Today's question asks how you take breaks, get a second wind, refresh and renew yourself so you can dive back into the world of autism with less frustration and more balanced perspective. Do you need lots of little breaks--say, daily or weekly? Do you prefer months on end of just not thinking about it too much?
And Happy New Year, everyone!
2 comments:
Not enough! My husband and I do not "holiday" from autism too frequently, and when we do it, we feel some pretty strong guilt, as asking someone to "watch" our sons is not as simple as it would "typically" be... at least in our heads. We have no family close by (three hour car ride is the closest), and we have one or two friends whom we have finally felt could handle whatever little autism bursts that might show up in a night. However, if one of them or their kids are sick, we are out of luck.
So, seeing that physical breaks don't occur, there are times when we just throw our arms up and say, OK! We do not need to engage this child 24/7. We do not need to get him out of his world every time he goes in it. No one has asked us to be superhuman.
Naps are highly recommended when available.
I take my "breaks" from autism with exercise. I learned, 10 years ago, that I need something that seems totally selfish and makes me feel good and so, at age 30, I learned to run, and then bike, and then do triathlons.
As a mildly mediocre athlete, I am not very fast, but when I complete a race or a great workout, I feel like a rockstar!
With the new year approaching, I have set some attainable goals (for myself and some friends who would like to try running, duathlons, or triathlons) that help me feel good about myself and the life I live.
I completely and wholeheartedly agree with you that we all need a "break" from autism, along with a healthy sense of humor. Find your passion and take some time to work at it for yourself and your children.
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