In the latest of our #AutisticLifeHacks, this particular life hack centres around stimming. This one is about how bringing stimming aids like fidget spinners can help to make you feel calm when travelling somewhere, be it new or familiar.
Here is a link from Neurodivergent Rebel, explaining what stimming is and how it works from an autistic person’s perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPMR7mDSIaI
The following life hack is from Luke Aylward, our Information Officer. Here is what he does:
“If you are going somewhere new for the first time e.g. an office for a job interview, but feel anxious about the trip and the destination, stimming can help you to feel more relaxed. What I do if I’m going somewhere new (or familiar) is bring a few stimming aids with me.
“I have a pocket in my rucksack where I only keep stim toys – these include a fidget cube, tactile stress ball and fidget spinner. For scenarios such as being on a packed or delayed bus, they can help me go through it and feel slightly less drained when I get home.”
Masking while autistic
This life hack coincides with the #TakeTheMaskOff campaign, which is led by a quartet of autistic bloggers. It addresses issues around being autistic and “masking” – the act of someone feeling forced into hiding their condition.
The second week of blog posts is around stimming, hence why this life hack is a coincidence!
#AutisticLifeHack by Luke Aylward – Tuesday 31st July 2018
