Dr. Alice Nicholls

If you’ve found this article, there’s a good chance you’re trying to make sense of what’s been happening to you. Perhaps things that used to feel manageable now feel overwhelming or impossible. You might be exhausted no matter how much you rest. Everyday tasks take far more effort than they used to, and some may […]

Many articles about Autistic Burnout focus on recognising burnout or recovering from it. But what if you’ve already done that? What if you’ve reduced some demands, rested more than you ever thought possible, and made changes to your life, yet you still don’t feel like yourself again? What if you’ve been stuck in Autistic Burnout

If you’re in Autistic Burnout, you might feel completely drained—and at the same time, unable to properly rest. You stop, you lie down, you try to take things off your plate… but your body still feels tense, your mind won’t switch off, and nothing actually restores your energy. This can be confusing and discouraging, especially

It is hard to know whether to exercise, how much to exercise and what kind of exercise might be helpful when you are recovering from Autistic Burnout.   There is no research on this particular subject and after years of working with people in Autistic Burnout I have met many people for whom it helps

 This question comes up frequently in my work with people who are recovering from Autistic Burnout.   I’ve worked with hundreds of people in Autistic Burnout and honestly there is no clear consensus on whether exercise helps or hinders recovery. Some people find gentle exercise such as yoga or walking in nature helpful, others find

As a Clinical Psychologist specialising in Autistic Burnout I’m always writing about things that help people in Autistic Burnout,  I base this on the limited research evidence,  the experiences of my previous and current clients, myself and things that we know from the research evidence might help Autistic people more generally.   I thought it

When you are in Autistic Burnout you will likely know,  or be told that that what you really need is rest.   But what exactly does that mean? For many Autistic people, rest is far from straightforward. Not only can it be difficult to access rest practically (due to life circumstances, responsibilities, or lack of

Autistic burnout is a state of complete depletion of energy, function and resilience.  It is often invisible to others until it’s overwhelming. Friends, families and partners are often worried and want to help, but can struggle to know how they can do so without making things worse. I have previously written an article on how

In Autistic Burnout people are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of jobs on their to-do list each day.    I work with people in various stages of recovery from Autistic Burnout via online courses and communities.  A concept that a continues to be helpful in my communities (and indeed my own life) is that

If you have school aged children and you are in Autistic Burnout just the idea of the school holidays may be sparking all kinds of thoughts and feelings.   You might be eagerly anticipating  losing the demands of the school run and having the opportunity to slow down the pace of life.  You might be