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Spoons blog post title card with blue-gray background reading 'I Tilt My Head Down' in bold white text and 'For the Entire Run' below, about light sensitivity draining energy for autistic adults

I Run With My Head Down for the Entire Jog. The Light Is Too Much.

I'm not looking directly at the sun. The brightness alone drops me from 5 to 2 and costs me 1–3 hours in bed before my day even starts.

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Dark blue-gray background with bold white text 'My Stomach Growls' at top, smaller white text 'After Break Ends' below, and white spoon icon in bottom right corner

Why I Forget to Eat at Work as an Autistic Adult in Burnout

A couple minutes after my break ends, my stomach is growling hard. I wasn't hungry during the break—so why now?

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Dark blue-gray background with bold white text 'This Isn't Laziness' at top, smaller white text 'It's Burnout' below, and white spoon icon in bottom right corner

Why I Shower Every Other Day During Autistic Burnout

This isn't something people talk about. Morning showers cost me 2-3 energy before I even start my day.

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Dark blue-gray background with bold white text 'I Deleted Everything' at top, smaller white text 'Still Not Enough' below, and white spoon icon in bottom right corner

Why I Switched to a Flip Phone as an Autistic Adult in Burnout

My energy baseline is at a 3. To-do apps cost 2-4 daily. That leaves nothing before I've done anything else.

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Dark blue-gray background with bold white text 'The Friendship Math' at top, smaller white text 'Doesn't Add Up' below, and white spoon icon in bottom right corner

The Friendship Math Doesn't Work for Me as an Autistic Adult

Having so many 'friends' cost me most of my energy. I now prefer a couple of genuine ones over many who only found my people-pleasing appealing.

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Dark blue-gray background with bold white text 'Half My Paycheck' at top, smaller white text 'Just to Get There' below, and white spoon icon in bottom right corner

What Being Poor Costs Me in Energy as an Autistic Adult

I make $2,100 a month after taxes. The constant recalculating of whether I can afford essentials drains me before I even clock in.

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Blog post graphic with dark blue background. Top text reads 'Quit My Degree' in bold white. Bottom text reads 'Burnout Made It Worse' in lighter weight. Spoons logo in bottom right corner.

I Quit My Software Engineering Degree Because of Autistic Burnout

I thought pursuing a software engineering degree—my special interest—would help me recover from burnout. It drained me 7 energy daily and extended my recovery. So I quit and started building Spoons instead.

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Blog post graphic with dark blue background. Top text reads 'Can't Eat at Restaurants' in bold white. Bottom text reads '6-7 Energy Every Visit' in lighter weight. Spoons logo in bottom right corner.

It's Not the Food: What Family Restaurants Actually Cost Me as an Autistic Adult

I say 'I'm doing pretty good.' Mom says I'm not talking much. Grandparents ask if something's wrong. The loop starts. 6–7 energy gone.

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Graphic reading ‘Can’t Just Get Better Job’ and ‘Energy Drops 6/10 to 2–3’ with a spoon icon on a blue background.

Autism and Why I Can’t “Just Get a Better Job”

I can’t “just get a better job,” and it still costs me a ton of energy just to go to work. I start around 6/10 and I’m at 2 or 3 by the time my shift is over.

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Featured image with the text ‘Autism photo pressure’ and ‘Masking drains my energy’ on a blue background, with a white Spoons icon in the corner.

The Energy Cost of Smiling for Photos: Autism Masking Exhaustion

I smiled for my permit photo. Everyone laughed. Energy dropped from 6 to 2. Stayed at 3 for days. After, I don't smile at anything. Not even things I look forward to.

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Graphic with the text “Headphones Don’t Fix Door Slams” and “It Still Costs Me Energy” on a dark background with a spoon icon.

Headphones don’t fix abrupt noise for me (Autistic Adult)

I lose 3 energy from door slams even with headphones on. The volume isn’t the problem. The unpredictability is.

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Purple graphic with white text reading 'I Stopped Hiding It' and 'Now I Recover 2-3 Energy Units' with white spoon icon, representing autistic adult stimming as energy recovery tool

I Stopped Hiding My Stimming. It's the Only Thing That Helps Me Recover.

I bite my nails. I stand on tippy-toes at my desk. I swipe through my smartwatch over and over. All three help me recover 2-3 energy. But a sudden noise brings it right back where it started.

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Grey graphic showing spoon icon with text about heat sensitivity causing persistent skin sensations for autistic adults

The Crawling Sensation Won't Stop Until I Go Inside

Running outside costs me 5-7 energy. The crawling sensation on my skin once I start sweating doesn't stop until I go inside. I rub my shoulder every 15-40 seconds. It doesn't stop.

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Blog graphic: 0 Energy- Routine Collapses, white text on purple background with spoon icon

I Check My To-Do List 6 Times and Still Forget What I Went Downstairs For

I built a routine to protect me on hard days—but hard days are when I can’t execute it. At low energy I loop my to-do list 3–6 times per task and still forget. One interruption and my whole day collapses.

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Purple graphic with white text reading 'What Gets Cut First' and 'Low Energy Reality' with white spoon icon

Cleaning Stops. Friends Get Silence. The Same Cuts, Every Time.

When I'm low on energy, certain things disappear entirely. Not reduced. Not half-done. Gone. The same cuts, the same order, every time.

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Purple graphic with white text reading 'I'm Not Just Upset' and 'Too Loud. Too Bright.' with a spoon icon, representing autism meltdown misconceptions

What People Misunderstand About Autistic Shutdown (Adult)

People assume I'm just upset. They don't realize the environment is too loud and too bright—and my sensory tolerance has been pushed to its limit. At 2-3 energy, I can't respond at all. The meltdown lasts the rest of the day.

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Numb cold hands unable to grip door handle - autistic adult cold sensitivity impacts daily function

My Hands Go Numb Before Work Starts. My Shift Hasn't Even Begun.

My family leaves the thermostat at 60°F. By the time I leave for work, cold hands have already cost me 6 energy—and my shift hasn't even started.

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Purple background with white text reading 'Learning Programming while in Autistic Burnout' and 'Multiple Days Per Concept' with white spoon icon in bottom right corner

Arrays: Monday Learned, Tuesday Forgot, Thursday Barely Usable

Arrays: learned Monday, forgot Tuesday, reviewed Wednesday, barely usable Thursday. I code 1–2 hours max, then don't touch my computer for days. I skip cleaning for weeks just to protect that small window of energy.

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Purple featured image with white text reading 'I Want Friends' and 'Can't Handle Small Talk' - autistic adult social exhaustion

I Want Friends. But 90 Minutes of Small Talk Costs Me 48 Hours.

I wanted to visit my friends. Walk in the park. Watch a movie. But the masking—monitoring expressions, forcing eye contact—burns through my energy before we get to actual conversation. A 90-minute hangout costs me 48 hours.

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Purple background with white text reading "Don't Request Accommodations" and "They wrote me up for kneeling" - blog post about why autistic warehouse worker avoids requesting workplace accommodations due to retaliation and write-ups

Why I Don't Request Accommodations as an Autistic Warehouse Worker

I wanted one accommodation: work alone, no small talk. Here’s why I didn’t request it—and what happened when I tried anyway.

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Purple gradient background with white spoon icon and text about physical symptoms of autistic burnout affecting coordination and sleep recovery

Physical Symptoms Of Autistic Burnout (What it does to my body)

My legs give out during runs. I trip more at work. 8 hours of sleep barely touches the deficit. The physical symptoms nobody warned me about: coordination drops, reaction time slows, mistakes increase. Recovery takes days, not one night.

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Sleep setup 65°F saves 3 energy units every morning - autism sleep environment

My Sleep Setup Isn't Excessive. It's the Only Way I Function.

65°F. Sleep mask. White noise machine. Weighted blanket. 30-minute wind-down with rain sounds. My family says it's 'too much.' Work destroys me. Running drains me. Sleep has to compensate for all of it. Without my setup, I need 30 extra minutes and start the day 3+ points lower.

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Shutdown vs meltdown vs burnout difference - minutes vs days vs years

Shutdown vs. Meltdown vs. Burnout: How I Tell Them Apart

Meltdown: crying in the bathroom at family dinner. Minutes. Shutdown: couldn't talk, stayed in bed, too exhausted to eat. Days. Burnout: 5+ years—masking harder, social skills degraded, everything feels harder. Timeline is the difference.

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Masking breakdown warning signs - apologizing for things that aren't my fault

Apologizing For Nothing Is My Autistic Burnout Warning Sign

I'm sorry I don't talk to Grandad as often.' I'm in burnout, minimizing small talk. Mom criticizes me harshly. I apologize anyway to avoid conflict. When I start apologizing for things that aren't my fault, I know I'm about to break.

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Executive function tax task switching - hidden energy cost of autism

Half My Energy Is Gone Before I Even Start the Task

Before I run, I have to text my mom, find my heart rate monitor, and plan timing. That’s 4 energy gone before I start. Task switching is the part that empties me.

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Meal prep Saturday saves 30 energy units weekly - Autism Energy Management

Saturday Is Survival Prep, Not a Day Off

I spend 3 hours on Saturday making 16 sandwiches, 4 batches of potatoes, and 4 batches of chicken. Costs 6 energy units. Without it, each work day costs 9 energy units. The math: 6 energy units saves me 30.

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Grocery shopping Instacart 98% of time - sensory overload avoidance

Grocery Stores Destroy Me. Instacart Isn't Convenience—It's Survival.

Grocery stores cost me 5 energy units. Loud intercoms, navigating crowds, workers forcing small talk. Even with Theraspecs and headphones at 8 AM, still 2-3 energy. Instacart costs 0 energy units. Not convenience—accommodation.

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Transportation costs $500 monthly rideshare - energy math doesn't work

I Spend $500/Month on Uber for Work. That's 1/4 of My Income.

I don't drive. So I spend $500/month on rideshare for 3 days of work. That's 1/4 of my income. Driver small talk drains 3-4 energy before my shift starts. The financial and energy math doesn't work.

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Autistic rest watching same clips 50 times when burned out

Why I Watch the Same Movie Clips Over and Over When I'm Burned Out

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Death vs. Puss fight scenes. I loop them 30–50 times. On very low-energy days, I lie in bed in silence for an hour instead. No bright screens. No texting friends. My brain rests because nothing is surprising.

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Autistic burnout 5 years recovery - what actually helped slightly

Autistic Burnout for Years: What Helped Me (Slightly)

5 years ago, I hit burnout. Mom yelling over forgotten chores. Pressure to socialize. Constant sensory overload from a house that never goes quiet. I'm still burned out now. Here's what actually helped—barely.

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Phone anxiety autism - why texting saves energy for autistic adults

Autism Phone Anxiety: Why Texting Saves Energy

Heart rate spikes. I'm thinking what to say, what my tone should be. It's physically difficult to pick up the phone. The vibration and ringtone hit like an alarm. Phone calls drain 5-6 energy before I even answer.

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Noise sensitivity autism - why noise drains energy faster than anything else.

Why Noise Destroys My Energy Faster Than Anything Else

People talking loudly, alarms, totes slamming. My warehouse job zaps my energy in well under 10 hours. Noise protection isn't optional—it's survival. Here's why noise sensitivity is more than just "loud = bad".

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Task switching drains energy - labor sharing reality in warehouse work

Task Switching Drains Me More Than the Tasks Themselves

What's a transition? Meditating for 30 minutes, then suddenly going downstairs to make breakfast. Why does that cost energy? Task switching abruptly forces my brain to think about where everything is and what I want to eat.

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Energy vs mood tracking in autism - why energy matters more than mood

Happy and Completely Drained at the Same Time

Can you have good mood but low energy? Absolutely. I enjoy Fortnite with friends, but the small talk exhausts me. Tracking mood tells me nothing. Tracking energy shows the drain. That's why Spoons uses a 0–10 slider, not mood labels.

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Autistic burnout reality vs Instagram - what burnout actually looks like

What Autistic Burnout Really Looks Like (Masking + Sensory Overload)

A lot of people assume burnout is mood-related. That we're just having an "off day" and need to "socialize more." I've been in autistic burnout for 5+ years. Skills I used to have just disappear. Rest doesn't fix it.

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Energy debt: Why I need 3 days to recover from 3 work days - autistic burnout cycle

3 Warehouse Shifts. 4 Days to Recover. That's Autistic Burnout.

I work 3 warehouse shifts. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. 10 hours each. By Sunday I'm at 0 energy and need 3-4 days to recover. The difference between tired and energy debt: waking up the next day with no energy to engage in anything.

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Autism apps built for parents, not adults - infantilization in autism technology

Why Every Autism App Ignores Adults: The Infantilization Problem

I tried three autism apps. Bright colors, automatic videos, buttons everywhere. One thought I needed spelling help. I'm a 23-year-old building my own app. 95% of autism apps are built for parents of children. None of them have anything for adults like me.

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Spoon Theory: Why 3 warehouse shifts drain me more than 5 office days - autism energy management

Spoon Theory: Why Autism Drains My Energy 3x Faster Than Neurotypicals

I have limited energy for daily tasks. Cleaning, laundry, cooking—they all cost me spoons. But as an autistic adult, I burn through them 2-3x faster doing the exact same things. At zero: no talking, no special interests, no stimming. All desire to do anything is gone.

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