December 23, 2023 meeting
I thought we should have a quick meeting before Christmas.
Our autism discussion: I wanted to start with a bit about autistic burnout recovery. "Recovery from autistic burnout requires reducing expectations and doing things in an autistic way. This means finding safe and supportive environments/people, unmasking, allowing ourselves to live authentically, and honouring our autistic needs." from Embrace. My intention and hope is that our meeting could be that 'safe and supportive environment' for anyone experiencing burnout or stress including me. We can try unmasking and share any strategies we use to recover from burnout, overwhelm, shutdown, etc. What do you think it means " to live authentically honouring our autistic needs?"
After that I thought we could talk about the holiday season and what that means to you. Are you enjoying it or counting the days till it's over? Holidays can be challenging for autistic people, with disruptions, lack of routine, too many people for some and loneliness and feeling left out for others. Please see the tips from Dr Alice Nicholls in the first comment below.
We can also talk about whatever you'd like to talk about. Bonus points for jokes and funny stories...let's have some fun.
A reminder of our meeting participation rules: No discussion of politics or religion unless it relates to autism. You are welcome to participate however you are most comfortable. You can say as much or as little as you like, including saying nothing at all. You're welcome to keep your camera off for any or all of the meeting. You're also welcome to participate anonymously if you like by changing your display name. All participants should try to respect these rules and each other's wishes.
About Me: For those who don't know me, I'm an autistic senior who started this group because I was looking for support and couldn't find any. I have anxiety, depression, and social anxiety and I'm currently trying to recover from autistic burnout.(I sound like a lot of fun, right?)
Meeting details:
Time: December 23, 2023, 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83636555499?pwd=2avBGwxfpD3DcaGUZekaa0FqV6bqs6.1
Meeting ID: 836 3655 5499
Passcode: 347797
Sorry I’m going to be a few min late. Zoom app is acting up & I need to reinstall it.