Advice for improving stamina?

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Between sensory issues and my difficulty with navigating different environments and tasks, I find it very hard to leave my house for longer than an hour at a time. I just got back from a two-hour trip of running errands with a parent this evening, and I'm completely exhausted. I have no energy left to study, write, or do anything productive. Based on my long-term experience, it would seem that my limit for typical excursions (when accompanied) is set at around an hour and a half before my neurological function plummets. On the way home today, I went into that foggy, sedated state that precedes a shutdown, but I emerged from it, a little disoriented and tired but otherwise alright.

I'm really worried about how this will affect my ability to live independently in the near future, especially with college coming up soon. I can't shutdown in classes, and I know that shopping and handling transportation on my own will be even more demanding than these tasks are with a parent or sibling. Does anyone have any advice for improving one's neurological stamina?

Have read a few of your messages. You are a very intelligent young person and I believe you will figure this out. Some ideas off the top of my head: certain foods can drain energy and make a person feel very weak and tired--specifically wheat, but also too much carbs of any kind and maybe dairy products. Wheat can almost knock certain people out. Also, too much heat, like if you are over dressed to go outside, wearing a turtleneck that is rubbing against the throat, or if your mom keeps the car heater on.. All kinds of stuff. Experiment with being a sleuth. It is fun. It also could be low blood sugar. Maybe bring a small snack with you. Also make sure you get some protein, even just a small amount. If you are a vegetarian, tofu is good, and, generally speaking, people not too overweight generally have more energy, but I suppose this is not necessarily true, so experiment. Learn yourself. And do not be afraid of coffee. Make it yourself and make it kind of weak. Or green tea. Something with caffeine. Also, learn how to take a mini naps for even a few minutes. I should practice that more myself. And, of course, try to be mobile to get the energy juice up. Oh, and maybe vitamins. I don't take them but perhaps I should.

Edited to add-- No idea if you are taking any, but certain medications, such as anti-depressants, can probably drain a person's energy and make them feel very sluggish.

My advice is to plan ahead as much as possible.

Are you driving or taking public transportation? Either way, study maps ahead to know your routes and know landmarks. Then, the first time going somewhere new will be more of anticipation of the next landmark rather than total mystery and panic.

I find I shop WAY better by myself than with others, even family. You would not have to do a two hour marathon if you don't want. Make a list of what you need, sort into which store you need to go to get each item, get items and leave. Go to different stores on different days so it's more like a 15 minute thing that isn't so draining. I can almost handle 2 hours by myself, but with someone else talking or debating what to get, I can't do five minutes.

Plan for alone time before and after classes so you don't shut down in them. If you have a roommate that likes to follow you or talk, plan your day so you go to the library or gym or get coffee before class so you have a break. Also, study the campus map so you know the fastest and alternative ways to get from class to class. Know which cafeteria has food you want and have a plan for it.

I don't know where you're going for college or if you are worried about the social aspects, but I also would add that most colleges are great in having a huge variety of clubs you can join, and most are pretty non judgmental as long as you are interested. It's a nice way to have a community, have structured ways to interact for an hour, and then be able to politely leave because the meeting is over.

Regular exercise helps me self regulate and keeps my energy up in general. I used to ride my bike to work and my sensory issues would stay calm for a couple of hours afterwards.

At university I would sit close to the front of class so I could pretend all the other people weren’t there. It would keep my anxiety a bit lower which helps my sensory issues.

@littlebee Thank you for your kind words and advice. I'll pay closer attention to what I eat, as you suggest - I have noticed in the past an uptick in anxiety when I skip meals. I hadn't thought to alter my diet, though.

@starcats I'm working on learning to drive, but my mom and I are also talking about learning to take public transport on my own before I move away, especially for bad sensory days when driving is out of the question. I've often used the method you describe - even if I don't have to worry about transportation because I'm with family. I'll look up the area and search through maps, pictures, and videos to make myself familiar with the environment. It's been very helpful in the past.

@leahbear Thank you. I'll try exercising more regularly. I sit at the back of rooms so people won't notice my stimming, though. I also like to have lots of people in view so I can watch what they're doing/how they're reacting to guide my actions.

Oh ok. When I try to process everyone in the room I get overwhelmed and can’t concentrate on the material so I decided to go the other way and stop processing other people in class. Of course this means I don’t really actively participate in the class and just remain silent so my coping mechanism only sort of works. The regular exercise has always been a positive in my life though and I’ve used it since I was liitle.

I don’t know if you’re into taking supplements but some people find that taking NAC (n-acetyl cysteine) + vitamin C helps to decrease sensory sensitivities.

Most important is getting a good living situation/homespace where you can go recover from the world. If the place you're living feels like one more place where you're overwhelmed things will go very poorly.

The good news about college is that classes take up only a moderate percentage of time and you get at least some choice in what classes to take. You can also choose to attend most lectures or not depending on your ability to keep up with the material yourself. I attended 2-3 hours of class per day went home and took a nap, and then dealt with the world again when I woke up. Almost never went to discussion sessions, because they weren't worth it.

Most college dormitories have meal plans and cleaning staff to take some of the pressure off you. The downside is that dormitories can be loud and chaotic. Once again finding the right living situation is paramount and it depends on your particular difficulties what is right for you. For me I found living in dormitories even with the noise issues, less overall demanding than living in an apartment by myself.

If you have great difficulty with any particular thing you may be able to get some concessions from the college.

Learning to drive was pretty hellish for me, but after about 3 years my comfort level increased greatly. Still hate driving in crowded traffic or at night with all the bright lights, but it no longer feels like a massive ordeal to drive 10 minutes.

Good luck with everything. Hope this advice helped.

You may be able to limit your shopping trips by buying in bulk and eating things that have a good storage life. For instance, I rarely eat bread because it quickly spoils. A bag a rice keeps for years.

It may also be possible to combine activities that both create and relieve stress, such as shopping and enjoying a park.

Online grocery shopping


Get a roommate to shop for you, while you do the chores

No amount of sleep, nutrition, exercise, or a good mood help with my neurological stamina. A white noise machine does help me sleep deeper, but does not help my stamina. Unaided, I am vitamin deficient, and supplements do help my numbers, but not my stamina. Caffeine does help my physical energy, but does not help my neurological stamina.

I am not allergic, lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, or diabetic. I am not overweight or lacking in daily physical activity. I am not depressed or taking any anti-depressant medication. Excitement can drain my energy levels as much as stress.

It is a sensory/cognitive issue due to sensory/cognitive overload, requiring sensory/cognitive solutions. Tools: I try to regularly use a lot of sensory tools (ear plugs or headphones, color tinted sunglasses, mints, pressure ball). Tricks: I just focus on my Service Dog and use my Service Dog's guide work to avoid having to process too much stimuli and risk overload in overstimulating environments. Time: I give myself more time before and between appointments to prepare myself for the transition.

Oddly, sitting helps. I have used the grocery store's courtesy wheelchairs for fatigue and found it also helps with neurological stamina for long grocery shopping trips. As if I cannot focus on walking/standing/my posture and thinking about the next item on my shopping list. Reduce multitasking?

I try to set defaults (for example, for grocery shopping: cereal, sandwiches, and TV dinners) if I cannot make decisions, and create routines (first check sales, then nutrition, then flavor/texture/complimentary dishes) to make making a different choice easier. Reduce unnecessarily repeating mental work.

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31st of July, 2013
Diagnosed: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Auditory-Verbal Processing Speed Disorder, and Visual-Motor Processing Speed Disorder.

Weak Emerging Social Communicator (The Social Thinking-­Social Communication Profile by Michelle Garcia Winner, Pamela Crooke and Stephanie Madrigal)

"I am silently correcting your grammar."

Thank you, everyone, for your advice!

I've seen a special education counselor, and she advised that I go to community college for my first year rather than head directly to a four-year university. With the challenges I face, it's likely that I would find myself unable to cope with complete independence in the near future, and the monetary risk involved in dropping out of my freshman year makes community college the more reasonable option. I'm hopeful that I can transfer in either my second year or simply move on to my original university choice for my BA.

@Knofskia

All of the tools you suggest are ones that I also use and have found very helpful in the past. I don't know why mint gum helps avert sensory overload, but it definitely works. I also have purple-tinted glasses that have a very interesting effect on my vision. Not only does it push back the threat of sensory overload, it also seems to allow me to take in more visual information than my brain can normally process. With the purple glasses, I can see details that are blurry and invisible to me when wearing wearing untinted lenses. It's been very interesting seeing things this way.

My doctor suggested a SD, and my parents and I are thinking seriously about it for whenever I do move away from home. It would be too expensive of an investment until then, but I'm looking forward to it. It makes the prospect of living independently much more attainable.