At 4:00, We Nap: Autistic Burnout

As the CEO of Autism Insights Foundation, a high school English teacher, and a mom to a teen on the spectrum, life can get overwhelming. Balancing my career, my responsibilities at home, and the demands of maintaining relationships while caring for two pets often leaves me feeling exhausted. Even though I don’t think I’ve experienced burnout to the extent that my daughter has, I can certainly relate to the feeling of being stretched thin.

My daughter, who is on a different school schedule tailored to her needs, experiences burnout in a very real way. On days when she only attends school for 2-3 hours, she’s often completely drained by the end of it and needs to take a nap. From the outside, it might seem like she’s being lazy, but I’ve come to realize that her social battery is completely depleted by that point. She’s not lazy—she just needs that time to recharge.

It’s taken me a while to recognize that just like I need to honor my own limits, I must honor hers. Sometimes, that means letting things slide—like eating dinner on paper plates when the dishes haven’t been done, or grabbing In-N-Out because I don’t have the energy to cook. We’re all human, and it’s okay to be overwhelmed. I’ve learned that it’s important to let go of perfection and embrace what we need in the moment, both for myself and for my daughter.

Burnout looks different for everyone, but it’s real for all of us. We just have to be okay with it.