Now this is a very common question! As such, it only seems natural for this to be the very first thing I run through. Basically, sensory stuff is insane for an aspie (that’s just short for someone who has Asperger’s syndrome) and because of that, there are a million different things each and every one of us have to learn in order to just get by in a day. So let me walk you through what I personally do 🙂
Morning
Alarm clocks are particularly troublesome
Seems a good enough place to start! The alarm clock goes off… oh boy that one is fun. You know how some people hear their alarm clock and groan because it means leaving the comfort of their bed? Well, it’s that plus one for me. This means that the first thing I run into at the start of a day is a loud and painful sound. Not a great start considering that forces me to immediately become defensive and try to shut out the sound – if not literally, then by stimming or something of that sort (I’ll get into what stimming entails at a later date). This already can be a troublesome start to the morning. Knowing this, what I personally do as a sort of solution is to use an alarm that wakes me up in the least invasive way possible. Essentially sounds and lights are the worst for me most days, so I sometimes favor a vibrating watch or the like to wake me up when I am particularly fearful of an overload.
First Activities
This tends to be the same each and every day – that is, if I can help it anyways. The worst days involve unexpected things happening right off the bat, and like for most people, a good ole’ regiment does a lot of good for me. This might involve watching a bit of YouTube or playing a quick game before I start working for the day. In any case, it needs to be something that does not cause problems for my senses. This gives me a sense of control over the day that I might not have had otherwise. It might help to think of this phenomenon as a sort of self pep talk, like I’m telling myself that I have things under control and that today’s going to be alright. I’ve really found that sort of an attitude does help start a day in a slightly better light.
Work
When I typically head off to work or school, I get zoned in. This serves two functions: first, I am able to be productive so that I’m helpful to myself and the people around me and second, I am able to keep my senses under relative control most of the time. It’s really important that I keep my senses under control, as not doing so will cause some serious issues with my ability to socialize, work, and make sense of things in general. As such, it becomes my primary focus most days. Not unlike a diabetic constantly being aware of blood sugar levels, I have to ensure my sensory input is at the proper level. This comparison is more accurate than you might give it credit for.
Evening
The evening is quite a lot different than you might expect. For one, my evenings vary a lot, seemingly contradicting my idea of controlled schedules. This is not a simple contradiction however, it is out of strict necessity. As I have already mentioned, my sensory processing difficulties necessitate keeping a constant watch on my sensory inputs so I can continue to function properly (getting stuff done, socializing, playing, etc.). So when I’ve had a day which sensory inputs have been particularly brutal for, I am forced to take it easy and put myself in a controllable environment. Most often, this is a world within a video game – a world that is totally controllable and typically comes with literal volume control! On the better days, when my senses are not exploding, I don’t commonly take it for granted! It’s sort of like getting a breath of fresh air, so I use that breath to get some real work done. Likely this work will be on something I really have my heart set on. And there nearly always is something that fits that description in my life. It might be an instrument, a website like this one, programming, learning a new skill, growing my business, reading/listening to a book, or countless other things. It feels wonderful to have an evening like this, and I look forward to them all the time. Seriously, it’s like a breath of fresh air.
And then, when all is said and done and I have tired myself out from all the things that have been done throughout the day, I finally talk to my lovely girlfriend over the phone and I run her through everything that happened, and she runs me through just the same on her end. And it’s this talking more than anything else that really makes the day. All the other things I do have their merit, but that level of connection and understanding even just over the phone is enough to rejuvenate me no matter how the day has gone. So, with that, I go to sleep so that I am ready to go at it again come morning.
If you have any questions regarding Asperger’s syndrome, please email me at wouldaspie@gmail.com 🙂 I’m 18 with Asperger’s syndrome myself so I might just be able to help!