It's important to know what you need.
But it's just as important to know what you need to *not* be there. (And to not mistake something for a need that isn't one.)

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Autistic #Neurodiversity #Sensory #Interoception

What feels less bad?

Sometimes it's harder to ask about what feels good.
Sometimes the question is 'what feels less bad?'
#Interoception

If your negative thought is genuinely just describing how things are, with no interpretation on the facts — that's not something you need to talk yourself out of. But if it's the way you're thinking about something, there might be some flexibility in that. 1/2

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #BurnoutRecovery #Interoception

I used to be very, very numb to anything having to do with internal awareness. 1/3

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #Neurodivergent #Interoception

It was a glorious day today, after a chilly start, & by 10am it was toasty upstairs from all of that sun flooding in. We might still need the heater on later, because I didn’t realise that the front door was left open until 5pm. The battery is at 65%, much better than the last few days, & should fully charge tomorrow & the next few days.

My back is much improved & we walked to the bakery first thing, & later to a strength class. (Only the 2 of us, with a physio, so tailored to my issues.)

I’ve been reading a lot about interoception, which has affected me in lots of fairly subtle ways over the years - not noticing I’m cold until I’m really cold, having too scrappy a lunch at work & having to stop for a chocolate bar on the way home, not realising how bad my back/shoulder/neck is until it’s horribly stiff & sore etc. I’ve passed this blog onto my physios.

https://neurodivergentinsights.com/what-is-interoception/

I treated myself to a new blue today. I started painting with a very limited palate both in case I decided not to continue, & to make myself work at mixing & understanding colours. I’ve only added colours when I’ve realised where & why I need them. Eg lemon yellow for very fresh greens, opera rose for vibrant purples, cerulean blue for sky blue.

I’m very happy with the way my painting is coming along, and need to write down questions for my watercolour classes next month to properly learn from all of the mistakes I’ve made! 😁

I can’t take credit for the composition - it’s from a photo shared by someone else in here.

#Interoception
#actuallyautistic
#Watercolour

A common thing when you start exploring sensory stuff is that you find all this stuff that you’ve been shutting out, you’ve been working to dissociate from, to ignore, to numb, or to cancel out in various ways.

And it just feels like everything is just more annoying rather than helping. 1/3

#ActuallyAutistic #BurnoutRecovery #Sensory #Interoception

Occasionally, I’ll wear a couple of my shirts that have collars, but I’m constantly tugging at them all day long. And I hate anything touching my neck, but I kept buying shirts with collars. 1/3

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #Sensory #Interoception

Blunted pathways in the insula cortex cause the brain to miss gradual signals. Hunger doesn't build slowly. It arrives as a physical emergency.

You didn't forget to eat. Your body failed to warn you.

#Interoception #AuDHD #Autism

Your body knows things.

Getting in touch with my physical sensations helps me make decisions, because my body gets more tense when I think about one option and more relaxed when I think about another. 1/2

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Autistic #Sensory #Interoception

When emotions come up, it can help to ask yourself what you're noticing in your body right then. That starts connecting "hey, there's an emotional experience here" with the physical sensations connected to it. 1/2

#ActuallyAutistic #BurnoutRecovery #Sensory #Interoception