Internet Self-Care Day for neurodivergent brains

When it involves display screen time, most consultants agree: much less is extra. Time in nature, connecting with folks we care about, and different screen-free actions are actually useful for our well being. But for neurodivergent brains, a extra nuanced strategy to web self-care is required to create space for the complexities that include residing in a world constructed for neurotypical brains. Sometimes, extra display screen time may very well be a self-care apply for neurodivergent folks.

“Cyberloafing”

In his guide “Laziness Does Not Exist,” Dr. Devon Price explores the idea of “cyberloafing”, a time period that describes taking part in in your cellphone when you’re speculated to be at work or doing one thing productive. While employers could look down on this apply, it could really be useful, particularly for neurodivergent brains.

Dr. Price, who’s neurodivergent himself and is an advocate for neurodivergent well-being, says “cyberloafing” performs an necessary function in task-shifting. Many folks could flip to their cellphone after they’ve accomplished a tough or boring activity.

For folx with ADHD, this novelty-seeking can provide their brains the quantity of dopamine they should transfer ahead. This is particularly true as a result of folks with ADHD typically should expend important cognitive effort to finish duties that their interest-based nervous system doesn’t discover rewarding.

Self-Regulation

For the neurodivergent mind, the world will be a particularly overstimulating place. From honking automobiles to busy lecture rooms, neurodivergent youth and adults are bombarded with difficult sensory experiences at each angle.

Based on their lived experiences as autistic adults and fogeys, influencers Orion Kelly and Taylor Heaton mentioned the profit that display screen time has on their lives and their youngsters’s lives. Both Heaton and Kelly agree that they don’t strictly restrict display screen time for their neurodivergent youngsters as a result of it’s such a useful software for emotional self-regulation. (They do, nevertheless, restrict what their youngsters are watching to make sure the content material is acceptable). They additionally agree that as neurodivergent mother and father, display screen time for their youngsters offers them the time they want as mother and father to control themselves. This helps them to be calmer, extra current mother and father.

Screen time can also be helpful for self-regulation throughout autistic burnout. Autistic burnout is when an autistic particular person experiences excessive exhaustion, lack of functioning, and lowered tolerance to stimuli. This often occurs when an autistic particular person is pushed previous their limits emotionally, cognitively, socially, and so forth. When this occurs, display screen time could be the solely factor somebody has the power for. Engaging in particular pursuits through Youtube or different on-line platforms will be particularly useful for restoration. The web might also permit for different modes of communication, which will be useful if somebody is non-verbal throughout burnout.

How Much is Too Much?

So, display screen time can assist neurodivergent brains. But how a lot is an excessive amount of? Here are some questions you may ask your self to assist information you to decide what boundaries you could wish to put in place should you really feel you want them:

• Are the display screen deadlines I’m inserting on myself based mostly on society’s expectations, or based mostly by myself wants?
• Is my display screen time getting in the best way of issues I need/want to perform?
• How does display screen time make me really feel, emotionally and bodily?
• What want is display screen time fulfilling in my life? (Examples: Does it permit me to attach with others in a extra accessible approach? Does it assist me self-regulate after a annoying day?)
• If I’m utilizing screens extra typically than typical, what info does this give me about how I’m feeling? (Example: If I typically flip to screens to destress, and I’m utilizing screens extra typically, possibly I’m beneath extra stress than typical.)

Neurodivergent self-care typically appears to be like completely different from neurotypical self-care, and it’s no completely different with regards to web utilization. Allow your self to make use of screens to assist you should you want it with out disgrace. Take time to consider if you wish to create boundaries round display screen time, guaranteeing these boundaries are based mostly in your wants and never society’s expectations.