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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 got laughed at during my permit photo because of my smile. My energy dropped from a 6 to a 2, and stayed at a 3 for days.

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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

Why Stimming Helps Me Recover Energy In Autistic Burnout

After 5 years of autistic burnout, I stopped hiding my stims. Standing on tippy-toes and swiping my smartwatch helps me recover 2-3 energy.

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

Autism Heat Sensitivity: Why Running Outside Costs Me 5–7 Energy

Running outside costs me 5-7 energy. The crawling sensation on my skin once I start start sweating doesn't stop until I go inside—and others don't even notice it's happening.

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

Why My Routine Stops Working at 0 Energy | Autistic Burnout

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

What I Cut First on Low Energy Days as an Autistic Adult

When I'm low on energy, certain things disappear entirely. Not reduced. 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.

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

Cold Hands Before Work Cost Me 6 Energy (Autism Temperature Sensitivity)

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

Learning programming in Autistic Burnout Takes Days Per Concept

In burnout, I don’t learn programming in one sitting. I need days per concept, long breaks, and tradeoffs like skipping deep cleaning—just to keep building Spoons.

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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 Small Talk Drains Me (Autistic burnout)

I genuinely want friends. But small talk costs too much energy in burnout—so I stay home to avoid shutdown.

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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)

I've been in autistic burnout for 5+ years. Everyone talks about the mental exhaustion, but nobody warned me what it would do to my body. My legs give out during runs. I trip more. 8 hours of sleep barely helps me function. Here's what chronic burnout actually looks like physically.

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

My Sleep Setup Isn't Excessive. It Saves Me 3+ Energy Units Every Morning.

65°F. Sleep mask. White noise machine. Weighted blanket. 30-minute wind-down with rain sounds. My family says it's 'too much.' They don't realize I'm compensating for warehouse noise and sensory overload. Without my setup, I need 30 extra minutes of sleep and I start with lower energy.

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

Shutdown vs. Meltdown vs. Burnout: What's the Difference? (Autism)

Meltdown: Crying in bathroom at family dinner, minutes. Shutdown: Couldn't talk, bed all day, 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

Executive Dysfunction And Task Switching: The Hidden Energy Tax (Autistic)

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

I Spend Saturday Meal Prepping: 6 Energy Units Saves Me 30 All Week

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

I Use Instacart 98% of the Time Because Grocery Stores Destroy Me

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: Why the Math Doesn't Work

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 to 50 times until I feel regulated again. Why watching the same clips over and over is how I actually rest.

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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. Multiple meltdowns from my mom, pressure to socialize, yelling over minor things. 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

Phone calls drain 5–6 of my energy from sensory overload, masking, and instant-response pressure. Texting gives me time to choose words. Why I prefer text.

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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 Autism: Why Transitions Drain Energy

For autistic adults, task switching between activities drains energy faster than the tasks themselves. Why transitions demand executive function, how they compound into burnout, and the one strategy that helps me.

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

Energy vs Mood in Autism: Why Tracking Energy Works Better

Mood tracking apps miss what actually drains autistic adults: sensory overload, masking, and social exhaustion. Why I built Spoons to track energy at any given time, not vague moods.

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Autistic burnout reality vs Instagram - what burnout actually looks like

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

Autistic burnout isn't just being tired. It's months of shutdown where skills you had yesterday are impossible today. Here's what it really looks like—and why neurotypicals don't get it.

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

Autistic Burnout from Warehouse Work: 3 Shifts = Energy Debt

I work 30 hours across 3 warehouse shifts. By Sunday, I'm at 0 energy and need 3-4 days to recover. This is what energy debt looks like for autistic adults.

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

Why Every Autism App Ignores Adults: The Infantilization Problem

Why autism apps ignore autistic adults: infantilization, sensory overload from bright colors and animations, and apps designed by neurotypicals who don't understand our needs.

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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

Ever run out of energy completely? If you're autistic, you know exactly what I mean. Learn how spoon theory explains our unique energy challenges.

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