- Many autistic people don't feel hunger, thirst, tiredness or pain until it's loud. By then it feels like "everything is wrong."
- Answer six questions. Each "yes" or "not sure" gives one small step.
- There is no score and nothing is saved. Do it as often as you want.
Check
Treat "not sure" as yes. Do the step.
Have you had water in the last 3 hours?
Have you eaten in the last 5 hours?
Did you sleep less than 6 hours?
Any pain, tightness, or headache?
Too hot or too cold?
Do you need the bathroom?
Done. If things still feel wrong, open My calm menu.
Why this helps
Noticing signals from inside your body is called interoception. Many autistic people have weaker or delayed interoception, and trouble naming feelings (alexithymia). Both show up as risk factors for burnout, and self-awareness of physical states shows up as protection (Mantzalas et al., 2022).
A checklist outsources the noticing. You don't have to feel it. You only have to answer six questions.
If this helps, you could set two phone alarms a day with the word "check." MOEx has no notifications on purpose.
- Mantzalas, J. et al. (2022). What is autistic burnout? A thematic analysis of posts on two online platforms. Autism in Adulthood.
My calm menu
Your own list of what calms you.
Bare minimum day
A complete day when you have almost nothing.
When it's too much
Quick steps for right now.