Help - Work Ethic

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As many of you can relate, I have always been at the top of my class academically (top 4.58% right now) for my entire life. But, for the past few months, my seemingly limitless dedication to my work has greatly faltered. Now, I'm barely handing in assignments on time and it is the worst possible time. I'm in the middle of an AP science course, 3 dual enrollment courses, 3 regular courses, and college applications. Even though I have been trying, relentlessly, to regain my dedication to my work, I can't seem to regain it. Any suggestions on how I could move forward and 'regain' my dedication so I don't ruin my life in this seemingly bottomless spiral?

You body may be responding to an overload of stress at the moment. Stress in cumulative. One of the component of your stress load is your heavy academic workload but you may have other issues such as bullying that is adding to your total stress load.

I am not sure on how I can advise you so that you can get back on your game, but I would recommend that you get a good 8 hours of sleep each night. It will help you recharge your batteries.

During restorative sleep our blood pressure drops and breathing slows allowing blood to flow to our muscles, repairing tissue. “A bad night’s sleep can also cause an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone.

jimmy m,

Thank you for the information. I will definitely adhere to that recommendation.

Sincerely,
noblescholar

Autistic Burnout

I second what Jimmy wrote, and would also add the importance of a nutritionally balanced diet. Your brain utilizes a great deal of energy and to perform optimally, healthy eating is essential.

Yes to what everyone else put already, but also, if you are staring to do college apps and putting your attention into what your future will look like, is it hard to maintain the same interest level with current high school work? Senioritis can come out in different ways. Are you doing that course load because you are interested in the content or because it looks good on a transcript? Make checklists and schedules to get through what you have to get through, but don't worry if you don't feel the same amount of dedication to high school work. Enjoy senior activities, if you have any interest. Get help if you need for applying to colleges, but also do the research yourself and allow that to be a something you are dedicated to doing. Find an adult hobby that does interest you so you can carry it with you during your transition to college.

Everything that has been said is great advice. You are doing very well. Relax, get proper rest and find something you can do for fun.

NTs also claim the phenomenon of so called "senioritis." I have difficulties with burnout when writing essays and applications tend to use a lot of spoons too.



Something that helps with stress for me (not necessarily dedication) is to keep the end in mind. Just try to separate in your mind the finishing of school and the starting of college. They are contingent indeed but very different environments indeed. For me, that "spiral" ended on graduation day.

The same thing happened to me. I took 2 AP's Sophomore year 4 AP's Junior year and 2 AP's Senior year. I got sick toward the end of Sophomore year with Mono (I don't eat/drink after or kiss anyone). The doctor said that it looked like I had had Mono some time before too but that I must have just thought I was tired from school. I "recovered" from Mono and kept pushing myself because I assumed that I was better and had just gotten sick.


Then later on in Junior year I got sick again with the same symptoms. The doctor didn't diagnose Mono this time even though the test was positive because it is rare to get Mono twice let alone three times. So they diagnosed me with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Pain and sent me to a rheumatologist who said my blood work shows signs of an autoimmune disorder.


I struggled Senior year pushing and pushing because it was the worst time to be sick and on paper it worked. I got a 31 on the ACT a 1410/1600 on the SAT got a full ride to a great school and went in as a Sophomore thanks to all my AP credit but now I'm sick consistently and may never get better, struggling with college despite having a lighter work load than I have in 4 arguably 6 years (I was taking some high school classes in 7th and 8th grade.)


I don't say all this to scare you I say it because you remind me of myself. I wasn't diagnosed Autistic until 17 but I suspected it since 13. Remember the first time I got Mono I didn't even notice it. Then I got progressively worse with bouts of "recovery" in between. I realize now that I was going through Autistic Burnout. It is much much easier to get sick in that state. Extreme stress is often what causes autoimmune disorders to "awaken" for the first time and afterwards more minor stress can trigger a flare up.


You seem like you are less far along in the process than I was by Senior year as I was dealing with very noticeable Burnout by the end of 10th grade but it starts out slowly. I had small signs in 8th grade which continued into 9th and worsened ever so slightly. I ignored them and chocked it up to crappy work ethic because I tend to be all or nothing when it comes to things but it was odd because I've always loved school at least the learning part. My family even used to half joke that I got lazier every year after 7th grade and to some extent I believed them, after all teenagers were supposed to be lazy right? It still didn't feel right though. I've always had executive functioning issues but they seemed to be getting worse. I know that I am not lazy and I don't think that you are either.


Be careful with yourself and remember that just because you have the academic ability to do something you don't have to push yourself to do it. It's not a failure to live up to your potential it's keeping your Autistic self healthy so that you can continue to succeed.