Between a task and a hard place...
It was 2 pm and I hadn’t gotten out of bed yet. I had woken up hours ago, but some force was preventing me from getting up. I needed to eat, I needed to step into the bathroom, but I was still stuck. It was worse than if someone had tied me to the bed. I couldn’t get up. I wanted to get up. I thought about each step of getting out of bed in so much detail that I could’ve done them a hundred times over. I shouted at myself in my head to move, but nothing happened.
This is Autistic Inertia.
The definition
If you’re Autistic, you might have noticed that it’s really difficult for you to start, stop, or change tasks. If you have neurotypical folks in your life, they might have perceived this as “laziness” or “stubbornness.” In reality, this difficulty is a known neurological trait of Autism.
It’s naturally hard for you to begin work. Then once you're started, it's hard to pivot to something else. It's not laziness, it's Autistic inertia.
For me personally, Autistic inertia works like this:
I have to do a task. I feel a lot of resistance to beginning the task, especially if I’m not sure of everything I need to do for the task. I'm in my "wind-up" stage. I tend to talk myself through the steps of the task in my head, no matter how many times I've accomplished it before.
I've gotten started. Once I'm working on the task, and I’ve been doing the task for a little while, I enter a state of focus. Everything in me is oriented towards getting the task done. I’m locked in.
I have to pivot. If someone or something demands that I change tasks without completing the prior task, I struggle to switch over. I need to mentally prepare by imagining myself doing this other task, thinking about all the steps involved, and distancing myself from the first task.
The task is done; the energy fades. Once I’m done with a task, I feel released. However the inertia stops. Sometimes I’m able to harness it to rocket me into the next task, if the tasks are similar enough, but usually the energy just peters out and I enter a slump.
Another task rises. The process begins all over again…
This is an exhausting way to live life, but it’s a reality for us.
Autistic inertia is a known phrase in Autistic communities, and it’s incredibly helpful for validating ourselves and others as “not lazy”-- because other people, not knowing about our invisible disability, tend to label us as such.
How to fight Autistic Inertia as an Adult
As an adult, YOU are responsible for getting yourself to work on time. If you don't, you could face dire consequences. You risk losing your job, and your income, and your home. So it is absolutely crucial that you are able to attack and surmount your own Autistic inertia.
Here are some techniques that have worked wonders for me:
Habit-setting. Instead of relying on myself to go for a walk when I command myself to, it’s far easier to rely on an animalistic part of my brain: the habitual part.
Struggle with getting out of bed? Start to associate waking up with getting out of bed to do a certain task, even if it’s something as small as making a coffee. You can do this by ALWAYS making a coffee as the first thing you do when you wake up.
Struggle with going for a walk? Start to associate dinner with leaving for a walk right afterward.
Forming associations between certain prompts and tasks you want/need to do is very powerful. The human brain isn't meant to make decisions about every piece of its day-- it makes shortcuts by relying on your habits.
For more information about habit-forming, I highly recommend “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. It’s an informative book about the power of habit and how easy they can be to form if you know how.
The “just 5 minutes” or “just open the document” technique. Instead of asking yourself to write an essay, tell yourself this: "I’ll just open the document." You’re not asking much of yourself, just to open it.
Simple.
However, often, you’ll find that just opening it gave you enough momentum to start writing your essay.
This applies to every other task. Instead of trying to “get out of bed for the day,” try, “I’ll stand up just for 5 minutes.” This will likely make you awake enough to begin your day anyway.
It's a nice little life hack to trick yourself into getting started!
The next time you feel stuck, allow yourself to "just do 5 minutes." Don't expect yourself to do more, but feel free to welcome it if you do.
Setting a timer. The stress of having a countdown might be motivational for you. Consider, when you want to do a task such as getting out of bed, setting a timer for a reasonable amount of time– I usually do 25 minutes. Insist that by the end of the timer you should have gotten up. It’s possible that you will fail, but if you are motivated by fear of failure, you will likely get up before the timer goes off.
Telling someone that you’re doing the task. Harness the power of peer pressure! Tell someone that you're doing the task you need to do. DO NOT say that you "want to" do the task. Say it like it’s already in progress. The failure of failure, or of being a liar, might keep you in check and help push you to accomplish the task. This isn’t foolproof but it’s definitely worth a shot.
Say it out loud. It doesn't have to be audible, just say to yourself "I am doing this homework in 5 minutes" under your breath. This makes it feel more real, and, like a parent telling you to get out of bed, can be the outside push needed to make something feel more urgent and real. Try it sometime!
List out the steps/parts of the task! Consider all the many steps of a task, instead of looking at the task as a whole. If you need to read a chapter of a textbook for homework, instead of listing "do reading" as a task, try this:
- Read intro section
- Read section 1
- Read section 2
- Read conclusion
This will make your work feel much more digestible. Not to mention that you'll feel more accomplished because you get to check more tasks off your list!
If the task involves going somewhere new to you, do some research first! For my type of Autism, I'm very sensitive to new places. If I need to attend an event in a new place, whether for fun or for work, I'm likely to cancel simply because it's unfamiliar. To fight this, consider googling where you're going beforehand. Looking at the location can be soothing, and you will feel more prepared when you arrive for the task.
Take frequent breaks. I've found that switching tasks is MUCH easier if I get up and do something else for a little while. Even something as simple as getting a mug of coffee, or stepping outside for a minute, can totally refresh my mind.
While these techniques won't work for everyone, I suggest trying them out! You never know if one could increase the pressure needed to move!
How do I figure out what works for me?
When I was struggling the most with Autistic inertia, I had to grow very familiar with myself. I had to do a lot of introspection to figure out what (in particular) was hard for me to do. I had to reflect on the methods that worked and didn’t work for me.
In short, I embraced planning, organization, and play as my process.
Here’s how it goes:
Planning: Instead of feeling surprised by my run-ins with Autistic inertia, I will plan for them. For example:
I will get up 3 hours before I have to leave for school because I know it’s hard for me to get out of bed in the morning. I know I will be likely to miss the bus if I don’t get up early. So, I will see if getting up earlier helps me.
Organization: Instead of making yourself start from scratch every time you need to do a task, make it easier for yourself. Organize your space for the completion of that task. For example:
I will keep all of my school clothes out on a chair so they’re easily accessible for me and I don’t have to dig them out of the closet or off the floor.
Play: Now, "play" with the above two aspects. Embrace different techniques of what has worked for other people, to see if they could work for you. Be flexible and curious with the process instead of feeling frustrated and "stuck." For example:
I tried the "set a timer" technique, but it didn't work for me, I just ignored it every time. At my next opportunity I will try the "just 5 minutes" rule instead.
Introspection is crucial to any growth. Recognizing our weaknesses will help us focus on them and grow past them.
However, there is another aspect to it. It’s not only about yourself, but how you interact with your environment.
Controlling your environment
We are humans, a type of animal, and as such we respond to our environment. It can affect us deeply. It can change what we’re capable of. It can make good or bad decisions easy or hard. Let’s dissect that.
If your TV remote is out and accessible, you might be more likely to watch TV when you sit down at the couch than if the remote was in the closet. (Example from James Clear's Atomic Habits.)
With this in mind, change your environment so it best suits YOU, your needs, and what you most want from yourself.
Place your phone across the room overnight so you’re forced to step out of bed to get it. It might not prevent you from laying in bed longer once you fetch it, but it will at least get you vertical– which is a crucial first step to getting up for the day and waking you up.
Place your notebook on your desk where it’s visible and easily accessible, and you might be more likely to write when the mood strikes than if it were stashed away.
This is related to the concept of habit-building.
If you can't control your environment (you live with a messy partner, parents, or roommate) this may be more difficult for you. However, try what you can-- if you can!
The physiological answer
Medication is a tough topic. Almost everyone has an opinion on it, and there are many misconceptions. It can be difficult to speak about the benefits of medication while honoring the many perspectives folks can bring to the table about it.
So I’ll just be talking about my own, personal experience. This is how medication helped me.
When I first started talking to a psychiatrist, I just wanted to address my Bipolar Disorder Type II. I didn’t even consider that my Autistic symptoms could be improved by medication. She ended up prescribing me a pill that had the double benefit of helping my Bipolar and, also, my Autism. This pill ended up changing my life.
When before, I would frequently need to leave large gatherings to sit in the bathroom and recollect myself while approaching sensory overwhelm, now I can tolerate them much longer with only a brief “bathroom break” to sit in quiet and recover.
When before, it took me hours to start 1 task, I can now get started rather easily. Instead of laying in bed for hours, I lay in bed for a few minutes and then pop right up.
That's not to say that there's no side effects-- the pill can lead to weight gain-- but rather that it was effective for Autistic inertia in particular.
However, this is my own personal experience. It won’t be the same for everyone. Not even close. The medication matched well with my brain, and I’m so incredibly thankful to it.
This is an option if you find yourself struggling with your own brain.
You CAN overcome Autistic Inertia
It may take some effort, but you can overcome Autistic inertia! Whether through planning and organization, the prescribed solution, or through careful orchestration of your environment, it is possible for you to minimize its presence in your life.
It is not an unstoppable force. It may be present, but it can be worked around.
You can do this!
Final Thoughts
While Autistic inertia is an annoying facet of many people’s lives with Autism, it can be mitigated and avoided. You don’t have to be called “lazy” forever, especially with these tips and tricks!
You got this!
Comments