In this video, I’m giving you a taste of the creative parallel playgroups that we have by having a parallel play date with you. Parallel play is when you and whoever you're with are doing your own thing nearby each other. We need more than rest to recover from burnout. We also need to renew, and parallel play is a great way to do that.

What is neurodivergent burnout? How is it different from other types of burnout? How does it feel? Here are some highlights of how we answered those questions in Lesson 2 of our community-based course: Create Your Burnout Recovery Plan.

What is a body drawing and why would I want to make one?

Describing what neurodivergent or autistic burnout is like by writing or using a symptom checklist can leave out parts of us that don’t communicate with words. A body map or body drawing is one way to explore how it feels from a mindful and somatically aware perspective. Body drawings can also be a way to record what you notice while doing a body scan. Sometimes the images that arise are more evocative than words, especially when alexithymia or shutdown are making verbal processing difficult.

Here are some highlights from the first lesson of the Neurodivergent Burnout Recovery Plan Course.

For me, connections are necessary to making the place where I live feel like home. As mammals our nervous systems develop with attachment to others of our kind as a basic survival strategy. The stereotype of the neurodivergent loner comes from the avoidant behaviors that make it easier to function in a world that is not attuned to our needs and a social environment that can be cruel.

Here are some perspectives on burnout from other neurodivergent people followed by some activities to help you learn more about your own patterns of burnout and recovery.

Autistic Burnout, Meltdown, and Shutdown - What Are They And How Can I Help? Defining autistic burnout, meltdown, and shutdown with examples and suggestions for prevention and recovery.

I’ve always wanted to embrace the strengths of being autistic, but the world has made it hard. I’ve struggled with autistic burnout since adolescence. I’ve also used creative expression for my entire life as a joyful way to cope. This site is both a way for me to continue to recover and build a sustainable livelihood, and a way to share what I’ve learned with others who have the same struggles.