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Key Takeaways
- For many reasons, autistic individuals are more likely to deal with high levels of chronic stress.
- Many strategies can help autistic adults manage stress, including mindfulness, sensory regulation, grounding techniques, movement, accommodations and psychotherapy.
- A therapist can help you create a personalized plan to tackle stress and track your progress over time.
Introduction to autism and stress
Stress is a part of life, but excessive stress can make day-to-day activities difficult and even compromise a person's physical health. Autistic individuals tend to experience higher baseline stress levels, due to factors like stigma, social marginalization and unmet support needs. Many people still understand autism through stereotypes, or don’t understand autistic behaviors at all, leading to bullying and mistreatment. Environmental stressors like disorganized and loud public spaces, harsh fluorescent lights, and inaccessible communication norms also take a toll.
Furthermore, mental health conditions are very common among autistic individuals. Nearly half live with severe anxiety, up to 40% have experienced depression and as many as 45% of autistic adults have PTSD. Additionally, autistic people have higher rates of co-occurring health conditions like sleep disorders, seizure disorders, and GI issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). All of this can further contribute to stress.
In addition to degrading a person’s long-term mental and physical health, chronic stress can lead to unique challenges for autistic individuals. It can contribute to autistic burnout, the intense state of fatigue that autistic people confront due to many different sources of chronic stress, and an increased volume and intensity of meltdowns, which are involuntary responses to an overloaded nervous system.
For autistic individuals, who often face high levels of chronic stress, stress management strategies and coping skills are essential for long-term well-being. Read on to learn valuable strategies for autistic adults to manage stress.
Engaging in sensory regulation
Sensory distress can be a significant factor in overall life stress for autistic individuals due to their increased sensory sensitivity. Reducing exposure to sensory stressors whenever possible and incorporating supportive tools when necessary can help mitigate sensory overload and manage some of the associated stress.
Sensory stressors can feel ubiquitous—often, we can't avoid them. It can help to identify recurring sensory stressors in your life and consider whether any of them can be addressed or alleviated. Adjusting your own environment can be a low-lift way to reduce your baseline stress. For example, I didn't realize how much my overhead lights were truly affecting me until I switched to using only lamps. If there are bothersome textures in your furniture or bedding, consider replacing them. While cooking, can you use a window fan or a quiet air purification filter instead of the overhead fan?
Ensuring you have effective sensory tools available can also help manage stress both within and outside your home. Sensory tools, such as headphones, earplugs, compressive garments and fidget toys, can help meet sensory needs wherever you are. More discreet fidget toys are also available for those who want to use them in public or at work without drawing attention to themselves. Other sensory tools, such as weighted blankets or your favorite scented candle, can aid in sensory regulation at home. Try a few options and see what works best for you. See our guide to creating a sensory self-care kit for more tips to try.
Practicing mindfulness
Mindfulness is an effective stress-reduction tool that can be beneficial for many autistic individuals. It involves practicing awareness of the current moment, often guided by a focus on one aspect of the present, such as one’s breath or bodily sensations. If too much focus on bodily sensations causes anxiety for you, try focusing on something external, such as holding a textured object and noticing how it feels, or looking around your environment and naming objects of the same color.
Mindfulness focuses on non-judgmental observation, allowing a person to notice their thoughts and feelings without ruminating on them. Practicing mindfulness regularly, even in small doses, can help alleviate stress and enhance emotional regulation.
There are many ways to practice mindfulness. Meditation and breathing exercises are very popular ones, and many yoga practices incorporate mindfulness as well. Some neurodivergent people find traditional mindfulness practices like meditation challenging or even stressful. Many activities, however, can incorporate elements of mindfulness.
If breathing exercises and meditation don’t feel accessible, you might instead try a mindful approach to an activity you enjoy, like listening to music, exercising or gardening. As you do these activities, pay attention to all the small sensations that make up the current moment. You can even practice mindfulness during routine activities like folding laundry or vacuuming, finding more enjoyment in the moment and quieting your mind as you complete day-to-day chores or tasks.
Rest and nervous system regulation
Have you ever sat down to rest and relax, turned on the TV and scrolled on your phone the whole time? Or, maybe you repeatedly interrupt your rest time to get up and complete a task that popped into your mind. Rest is a critical way to manage stress, but not all forms of rest are created equal. By being deliberate about not just rest, but regulation, you can restore some energy, fortify your nervous system and manage stress better.
It can be difficult for some autistic people to truly “turn off” and relax. They may have a hard time letting go of productivity, or may struggle to stop ruminating on anxious thoughts or perceived failures. Even if you’re engaging in a leisurely activity, like scrolling TikTok, watching a movie or even taking a walk, it won't be particularly restorative if your mind is stuck somewhere stressful.
Try to create some dedicated time each week, not only to truly rest and relax, but also to tend to your nervous system. This can include mindfulness and sensory regulation strategies, such as:
- Deep breathing
- Body scanning
- Sensory breaks
- Aromatherapy
- Stimming
- Free movement
- Wearing noise-cancelling headphones
- Using a weighted blanket
Grounding exercises are also a great and quick way to check in with your nervous system and get out of your head. When you’re feeling dysregulated, you can try techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise: identify each of the following, and take a moment to describe to yourself what each is like.
- Five things you can see
- Four things you can touch
- Three things you can hear
- Two things you can smell
- One thing you can taste
Requesting accommodations
Accommodations are an essential form of support for autistic individuals, enabling them to thrive and excel in environments such as work and school. Autistic individuals are protected against discrimination by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which, among other provisions, ensures people with disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodations that address unmet support needs in the workplace.
Advocating for the accommodations you need is an excellent way to reduce stressors in your daily life. Discussing your disability at work or school can be stressful in its own right, leaving many with questions about how they will be treated or even the safety of their job.
You’re not required to disclose your diagnosis to request ADA accommodations—just enough information about your support needs in order to make a reasonable accommodation plan. For example, you may need work from home options or agendas written in advance for meetings. Disclosing any information about a disability is a personal choice. If you’re unsure about how or whether to disclose, a therapist is a great resource to help you think through what you’d like to do.
Moving your body
Research shows that regular physical activity helps people manage stress and improve their mood. Autistic people may experience a more intense, intrinsic need for movement, and meeting this need is an effective way to reduce stress.
In a small 2024 review of autistic writers’ descriptions of their relationship to movement, researchers found that movement—whether it’s stimming, dancing or exercise—helped these authors establish routine, regulate their emotions, release energy, deepen body awareness and connection and improve sensory regulation.
Movement can look a lot of different ways, and the goal is to meet your specific needs. A range of activities, from playing sports to lifting weights to gentle stretching, can make a difference in your well-being. Play around with what feels accessible and appealing to you, and pay attention to how it makes you feel.
Personally, I’ve been a runner for many years and know it helps me regulate my emotions and improve my sleep—but I didn’t realize it wasn’t meeting all my movement needs until I began to dabble in circus arts. Rolling, inverting and making shapes in the air on aerial silks have scratched a lifelong itch to move in specific ways I can’t access through other forms of exercise. I hadn’t known this was a need that I could even meet, but it helps me feel less antsy day-to-day now.
Working with a mental health professional
Psychotherapy is highly individualized, addressing the barriers that are holding you back from reaching your mental health goals. While the therapeutic process can bring up difficult feelings and memories, therapy is a long-term project towards improving your mental health and managing stress.
Plus, your therapist can help you identify coping strategies and create a plan for overall stress management. If managing stress is a priority for you, therapy can be a space where you hone in on that goal and get intensive support to reduce stress.
How Prosper Health can help
If stress is affecting your life, Prosper Health can help. Prosper Health’s therapists specialize in working with autistic adults, and 80% of them are either neurodivergent themselves or have a loved one who is neurodivergent. They’re highly experienced in supporting autistic adults, and familiar with challenges that commonly drive stress among autistic individuals.
Therapy with Prosper is goal-focused, so you and your therapist can work together to learn stress management strategies, practice coping skills and track your progress. Plus, it’s covered by insurance and 100% remote.
If you’re ready to get started, click the button below and get connected to a provider within days.
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Sensory Overload in Autistic Adults
Sensory processing differences–sometimes referred to as sensory processing disorder–can significantly impact emotion regulation, daily functioning and overall well-being. Sensory overload occurs when the nervous system is overwhelmed with more sensory input than it can process, a common experience for autistic adults. Research psychologist, Dr. MacLennan, and her colleagues report that approximately 9 out of every 10 autistic adults in their research experience sensory processing differences. Considering the wide-ranging and profound effects of sensory processing differences, it is crucial to understand the nature of sensory overload, its impact on the nervous system, and strategies for managing sensory differences.
Sensory overload can present as a physical, cognitive or emotional response because these experiences overlap. For example, sensory overload may look like irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating or fatigue. When it becomes too intense, the body may have a fight or flight response, leading to a meltdown or shutdown while your body is trying to protect you from danger. Developing sensory self-care strategies is vital to your well-being and mental health because sensory overload can contribute to anxiety, stress, fatigue and further impact any existing mental health difficulties.
The senses and their role in sensory processing
While most are familiar with the five senses, visual (sight), auditory (hearing), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), and tactile (touch), many are unfamiliar with other senses that play a crucial role in sensory processing. These include the lesser-known vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (position), and interoceptive (internal) senses. These three are particularly significant to autistic people. The vestibular system is in the inner ear, and it helps with balance by sensing the orientation of your head in space. It can be activated through sensory input such as rocking or spinning. Proprioception is our innate sense of our body’s position in space. It’s activated by anything that creates pressure on the joints, such as carrying heavy objects, pushing or pulling. Interoception refers to our internal body sensations such as hunger, thirst or needing to use the bathroom. Individuals with hyposensitivity to interoception may struggle to access these internal cues. These lesser-known senses are incredibly important in sensory processing and nervous system regulation.
How to Build a Sensory Self Care Kit to Cope with Sensory Overload
Most autistic adults are familiar with the feeling of sensory overload. Sometimes, an environment is too brightly lit or too noisy. There may be too many overwhelming smells, or clothing may feel extra tight or scratchy. Sensory overload and overstimulation can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from anxiety to irritability to dizziness. For many autistic individuals, sensory overload can lead to meltdowns, which are particularly exhausting facets of living with autism spectrum disorder.
Though it’s difficult, if not impossible, to completely avoid overly stimulating environments, a sensory self-care kit can help ease discomfort. A sensory kit is a set of items that can be used to reduce sensory input. Having a pre-made kit of these trusty items in one convenient place means that when you’re feeling distressed, you don’t have to think about what to do or scramble to find your comfort items. You can simply reach into your sensory toolkit and start finding relief ASAP.
Read on to learn how to identify your individual sensory preferences and create a sensory self-care kit uniquely suited to your needs.
Mindfulness Practices for Autistic Adults: Enhancing Daily Life and Emotional Health
Mindfulness is the practice of being present and engaged with your thoughts, emotions and surroundings without judgment. For adults with autism spectrum disorder, mindfulness is a valuable tool for managing sensory overload, emotional regulation and stress. While mindfulness is often associated with a meditation practice, it doesn’t have to mean sitting in silence. The beauty of mindfulness is that it can be adapted to fit personal needs.
Autistic individuals often experience heightened sensory processing and deep focus on special interests, which can make mindfulness particularly beneficial but also challenging. Traditional mindfulness training that emphasizes bodily awareness or emotional exploration may not always be accessible due to alexithymia or co-occurring conditions. When adapted to suit neurodivergent needs, though, mindfulness can provide a structured way to manage anxiety, process emotions and create moments of calm.
Rather than prioritizing detachment, autistic-friendly mindfulness embraces deep focus, structured repetition and sensory engagement. Whether through stimming, mindful movement or focusing on sensory experiences, mindfulness is a powerful tool for self-care.
The key is finding what works best for you. After all, practicing mindfulness isn’t about changing who you are—it’s about creating space to feel grounded and present in a way that supports your autistic experience.
