Things you do to take care of your aspergers/autism

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Having almost had a full-on meltdown the other day (something I've not done in some time) because I've not been taking care of myself right, I'm interested in what you all do to soothe yourself or prevent meltdowns and other negative experiences?

Alright, so I'm not that good at taking care of myself, but...

-Get enough sleep
-Be honest with myself about my emotions
-Take steps to communicate my needs with others
-Take breaks when needed

Yes to enough sleep.

I also:

- Keep a routine so I know what to expect and so that I can get anything done..

- Avoid too much socialising.

- Beg, cajole and swear at my brain to get it to cooperate.

I've found that mindfulness skills have helped...taking a moment out from the tumult in my head to just be aware of the present moment.

This can be best done in a quieter place otherwise you can get a problem with sensory overload...

I had almost the exact same question as the OP so would be keen to hear from others.

I don't suffer meltdowns that are public, loud and angry and uncontrolled BUT I have both had shut downs and also had to go shut myself away and weep copiously, or sit under tables at work or hide under the duvet at home on occasion...

Buy the same foods
Remember to eat
Go spend time with my obsessions
Avoid situation that cause me stress
Have a routine so I don't forget
Need someone to remind me to do something that need to be done
Shut down than having a meltdown
Be alone
Doing something by myself when I am with people
Thinking of a script to say

I do a lot of things, but one of the things that helps me most is I keep things I need (sunglasses, earplugs, ipod, favourite clothes, favourite blanket, etc) in my car, and when I start to overload I take time out for 15 or 20 minutes out there. It's gone a long way to help preventing meltdowns or shutdowns.

That and remembering to eat, that's a big one.

Learn to stand up for myself
Prepare mentally for "big days"
Pack coping supplies for day to day errands, ect
Leave time to do things that make myself happy
Use my notebook
Be more self confident

I can relate.

Except I don't have a car...

I was going to say getting good sleep and eating is top of the list, but this really caught my attention. I've been working quite a lot on my self-confidence, and I have to say that, while I still keep maintaining a consistent schedule is still #1, this seems to come in a close #2. Simply being able to say, "I can do this," has gotten me through a lot of tough situations

For dealing with my rigidity around routines and expectations: I used to just react to everything instantly (negatively) when events changed, or things didn't go to plan - this was not helpful.
Now I have a way of putting this reaction on hold until I can process the change - I just refuse to deal with the situation now (if possible) and allow myself time to process it. - Its about being comfortable with events / outcomes being in limbo - and saying to myself i will work something out, or something will happen so that everything will work out - somehow.
Results of this:
- Sometimes surprisingly it all works out for the best - change can be positive
- If the event is in the future I have time to adapt to the situation and find a solution.
- When immediate flexibility and adaptation is required - I can do it If I have to - i make a big deal of praising myself for my ability to handle this.

All these techniques come under the umbrella of cognitive restructuring - they are cognitive behaviour therapy techniques.

Now I can let so many stressful things in my life slide - I don't have to be on top of everything. Its more interesting and spontaneous that way anyhow.

Take Prozac.

Standard stuff.

Eat right. Sleep right. Exercise, (I hate it, but my body apparently needs it). Maintain body temperature, (not too hot, not too cold). Immerse myself in warm water as frequently as I can manage. Find forums for creating and participating in "growth" discussions, experiments, learning, and developing. Keep myself suitably challenged, suitably entertained, and suitably relaxed.

I've been spending more time on monitoring and maintaining my health recently, which is, overall, good for me, but wow it takes a lot of time and energy.

Oh, and, um... things the board rules prevent me from discussing. Those are some big ones.

Sleep is number one.

Eat on a schedule with a fairly strick diet for allergies.

Drink fluids regularly.

Keep my body temp cool.

Try to remember to pay attention to what my body is telling me. Its usually right.

I listen to loud cacophonous music in my headphones. It blocks everything out and is almost like being alone. This has helped me prevent meltdowns in work situations. Listening to loud music while alone is even better though.

Like many have said already, sleep is really important. Also, try to find out what kind of foods work for you and what foods make you feel worse. It's different for different persons, but most aspies react badly to higly processed foods with loads of different chemicals in them. I found myself that eating as much fruit and veggies as possible help me get through the day and I don't get so much mood swings, because my blood sugar doesn't go up and down as much. One way to prevent meltdowns is working out regularely . If you burn away that extra stress at the gym, you'll be calmer after it. If the meltdown has already started, what works best for me is writing, talking to my girlfriend or my close friends and going out for a (fast) walk/run.

Beyond usual upkeep like medications, good diet and exercise, I use cannabis while watching a comedy like Community or Workaholics to calm myself down.

Suffice to say I'm taking notes from this thread. >_>