Taking care of yourself as an adult with ASD

As an adult it is important that we can take care of ourselves. There are a number of skills that we have learnt through childhood and in the teenage years that have helped us to get where we are. It is not unusual for adults to continue to live at home with their parents into the adult years however, parents have a certain expectation that they no longer need to look after you. If you move out of home, then there is certainly an expectation that you can take care of yourself.

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Personal hygiene is a priority for success as an adult. This will require a lot of organisation to ensure you have the products you require eg, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrush, clean clothes etc. You need to be able to establish a daily routine to manage this so the possible anxiety around this is reduced.

Many adults with ASD have identified that they have difficulty in choosing the correct clothes for the season or the possibility of changing conditions. Another added complexity to this is also choosing what items of clothing go together and what is a suitable outfit for different occasions and context of an event.

Over the years you will have or others may have helped you to identify the signs of anxiety and how this affects you. You may have a number of techniques that you have used in the past to assist you with this. There are relaxation techniques such as muscle relaxation and meditation, learning to train your thoughts through mindfulness and visualisation to name a few.

Everyone has their strengths and areas of challenges, knowing what these are can help you to manage yourself. Being able to identify where you require some assistance and putting things into place to help yourself will enable you to manage your routines and reduce anxiety around every day requirements.

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