0:40

get through this really difficult time

0:42

that we're all finding ourselves in at

0:44

the moment so one of the things that the

How I thrive

0:47

team at reframing autism have asked me

0:49

to talk about is when I thrive for me

0:54

personally I feel like I really thrive

0:57

when I have the sense that I am

1:01

achieving something or that I am somehow

1:05

being productive or doing something that

1:07

I love and that I'm really passionate

1:09

about and for me a really big thing that

1:14

fits into that category is my work I'm

1:16

really lucky to to have a job that I am

1:19

passionate about like a lot of people at

1:23

the moment I'm working from home and

1:25

that's been a big change in a big

1:27

transition and it was definitely

1:30

difficult to start off with but it's

1:33

it's something that I've settled into a

1:35

little bit and I think it's been really

1:38

beneficial for me to be able to to spend

1:41

that time still doing what I would

1:45

usually do still doing my work and still

1:48

feeling like I am producing something

1:51

and hopefully contributing in a way that

1:55

will make a positive difference in

1:56

people's lives and a very similar thing

2:00

as my advocacy work that is also a way

2:05

that I can feel like I am hopefully

2:07

making a difference and making a

2:09

contribution and some more personal and

2:13

some more personal things I do to help

2:17

me feel productive I have a lot of

2:19

hobbies that are I guess quite

2:21

productive hobbies I do things like

2:23

knitting and crafts and they're

2:26

productive in a very different way my

2:28

knitting is now going to make the world

2:30

better place but it I at the end of it

2:34

I've produced something and and that

2:37

feels like a bit of an achievement and

2:39

it makes me feel good and I also think

2:42

that working on yourself can be a really

2:46

important way to thrive and to feel like

2:49

you you are achieving something and

2:52

whether that's you know building skills

2:54

or learning something or whether it's

2:57

working on yourself in a more sort of

2:59

internal way developing insight into who

3:03

you are what works for you and working -

3:08

I guess become a better person or to

3:11

become the person that you want to be

3:13

and that is something that's really

3:15

important for me I also think for me I I

3:21

definitely thrive when I am supported in

3:23

the ways that I need to be supported and

3:25

that can be professional support so for

3:28

me things like regular appointments with

3:31

my psychologists and having support from

3:34

a support worker who comes out to my

3:36

house and it can also be more sort of

3:40

social supports whether that's friends

3:43

or family for me a really big source of

3:46

social support is my cat and we don't

3:50

have the best conversations but she cuz

3:52

she gives me cuddles she is a great

3:55

source of company and of comfort my top

My top tip

4:00

tip for supporting my well-being and and

4:03

this is one that's particularly relevant

4:05

at the moment but it's relevant all the

4:08

time it's the idea of balance for me I

4:13

find that having a balanced life is

4:17

really really important and that

4:19

includes things like having a balance

4:23

between the time I spend alone to

4:26

recharge and recover and the time that I

4:29

spend may be out and about doing things

4:31

in the world or time with people and it

4:34

includes time that I spend balance

4:37

between time that I spend working and

4:39

the time that I spend you know relax

4:41

seeing doing taking part in hobbies and

4:44

doing the things that that I just enjoy

4:48

it's a balance a really important one is

4:51

the balance between pushing myself and

4:54

knowing when it's time to push through

4:57

and balance between taking it easy and

5:01

knowing when it's time to stop pushing

5:03

and to just give myself a break I think

5:06

that's a really important one is

5:08

learning how to recognize my limits to

5:11

know when I can push myself a little bit

5:13

harder and that will be okay and I'll be

5:16

glad that I did and when it's time to

5:21

just take a break you know spend a day

5:25

on the couch watching Netflix and and

5:28

just give myself that downtime I think

5:31

learning how to recognize what my body

5:33

needs and what my mind needs has really

5:36

helped me to get through this this

5:39

difficult time so I would encourage you

5:42

to try and find that balance for

5:44

yourself as well and you know push push

5:49

yourself to be productive and to do

5:52

things when you can but make sure that

5:55

you're also giving yourself permission

5:56

to have downtime to have recovery time

6:00

and be kind to yourself this is a really

6:03

tough situation that we're all in a lot

6:07

of us are struggling and it's totally

6:08

okay to to just take a break when you

6:12

need it and to give yourself that time

6:14

to rest and recover and treat yourself

6:19

nicely

6:22

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6:36

you

6:37

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