Autistic Health and Wellbeing

It’s been a busy few months, but Florence Neville of FlorenceNeville.com and I are so happy to announce a whole new website dedicated to Autistic Health and Wellbeing

This is a place run by autistic people for autistic people. It’s based on Flo’s Masters project which looked into how some autistic people use their focus and interests to create successful ways to make their lives healthier. It’s a great study which you can read more about on the website.

Off the back of the study, we wanted to share the words of autistic people and their strategies, and so the website was born. This is about peer-learning and listening to what works for you. There are great posts about visualisation, forest-bathing, running, foraging, nutrition and so much more. We invite anyone who would like to volunteer a post to contact through AutismHWB.com‘s contact sheet. That way the resource can grow and expand to suit more people.

Not every method will work for everyone, but the more we share the more chance we have of finding techniques that work with us and for us.

Given the inevitable Christmassing and Holidaying on the horizon, I want to share my post about  Constructive Adventing. This is what I will be doing to get through the advent period with some semblance of myself. I hope you enjoy it:-

The Christmas season is almost upon us, and this year I’m going to be doing advent a little differently. I already have a wooden advent calendar with little doors, that I picked up in a car boot sale many years ago.

Last year I filled it with snowflake window-stickers for the children to make the house more and more wintry as the days passed. I usually go for chocolate treats. There’s something about that build up to the mayhem that is Christmas, that needs some noting.

But this year, whilst the children can enjoy their treats, we adults are taking a different tone. I’ve often looked wistfully at the gin advent calendars, but then question the wisdom of planning to drink every day of the month. And what if I forget a day? Would I have to double, triple, quadruple up?!

I love Christmas. I love the family rituals that I stick to, I love our patterns. I love spending time with my children and watching the magic through their eyes, but that’s not to say that I don’t find it immensely stressful too.

I used to get, ‘ill’ every Christmas. I would push myself on through read more…

Published by Rhi

13 thoughts on “Autistic Health and Wellbeing”

  2. Such great ideas on your advent calendar! I discovered that Christmas only works for me if I include time for reflection and reverence, so I really appreciate the time-activities you selected!

    I’m excited about your blog and would like to contribute. I’m self-identifying, being of a generation in which autism mostly went unrecognized in women who can talk and care for themselves. Is that OK, or do you require a diagnosis from a professional?

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  3. I usually get my Christmas shopping done a few months before. One less thing to worry about (I have car insurance due to be paid at the start of December, which is good incentive). Despite the stress Christmas can bring, for the past six years since I became an Auntie, my niece and nephews make it fun. My youngest nephew is having his first Christmas this year (he’ll be six months old). My twin nephews are six years old, my niece turns four two weeks before Christmas and the nephew who is brother to the six month old is one year old (it’s his second Christmas. His first one was special because that was when we found out he was going to be a big brother). When children are young, you need to enjoy that time while it lasts, which I do intend to do.

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    1. Thank you for being an ally. Those of us on the spectrum need as many of those as we can get. Because I would rather have those who aren’t autistic on my side than against me. Which means being understanding on my part as well, realising that not all neurotypicals are the enemy. Some really do understand and want to help in any way they can.

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