Our Day of Kindness #OurGoldenMoment

#OurGoldenMoment is upon us today and this means that we reach out our hand of kindness and support each other as an autism community. In celebration of this I have written this article as a way of highlighting that sometimes the most loving 'act of kindness' can be providing ourselves with the self-care and supports we need to stay calm, happy and balanced throughout our day which include asking for help when needed.

Sometimes the effort of balancing my sensory needs just becomes too much. Being a sensory sensitive adult means that I spend a lot of my time trying to stay regulated. It is a fine tightrope I walk throughout my day, too little or the wrong types of supports and my system will tip into overdrive. It is like having a constant battle with a swinging pendulum to stay central, one that I do not always win. The reason supporting my sensory system is of such importance is because being unregulated in body, means my mood is effected, I may become restless or short tempered and my mind can go into overdrive with spiraling thoughts and what I call clouded thinking; this is when I just cant follow instructions or process language anymore. It used to feel like if my body went into overdrive and I went into meltdown that I had failed at providing my own support needs. I used to feel bad and berate myself, because I was to blame for not ‘being in control’. This stems from the many years of not understanding my neurodivergence and blaming myself for my then perceived lack of control rather than recognising my autistic needs and supports.

I have now come to the conclusion that in order for me to encompass loving actions through out my day, I must also prepare myself and have a 'go to' plan for when things really aren't okay. This means resting when I need to rest, reducing my demands when needed and blocking out the world on occasion to recharge my sensory system and calm my head. Having a self care plan and knowing what supports work for our individual need might be one of the most loving actions you can do for yourself. This is easier said than done and it is important to recognise that although it is ‘self’ care that doesnt mean we need to work out our supports on our own. In celebration of day one of #OurGoldenMoment - Our day of kindness, Hygge Me creator Jessica Dark is available for a free outreach service when you book today. Should you want an email, telephone, text or Skype emotional health check in, a chat about self care supports or a general chat because you are feeling lonely today then please email jess@hyggeme.uk and I will do my best to contact as many people as possible over the upcoming week.

Love to your sensory self,

Jess x x