Activities when too tired

[vergil96]

I'm not sure if this is an autism thing, but I suspect it is? Sometimes I get really tired and:
1. I can't warch or listen to electronics, because media are too bright and too loud
2. My ADHD gets out of hand and I stim constantly and it's annoying for me and gets in the way of doing anything
3. I can't focus on reading and move too much for it. Same goes for playing the guitar and other activities
So I sit or lay there and stim. But it's depressing and boring, I would rather have something to occupy my mind a bit. I usually watch a film or read a book to relax, but it's sometimes impossible.

So... if anyone feels the same way sometimes, how do you cope? What do you do to occupy your mind if everything is too much?

 

[Chonebox]

Can you sit still without noise?

 

[vergil96]

Can you sit still without noise?

often not

 

[Chonebox]

often not

Try staring at the celling without a sound for 5 to 10 minutes. I just did it now.

 

[Outdated]

When I'm tired I go to sleep. but that's my usual response to just about anything. Injured and sore, sleep it off. Stressed from too much socialising, have a sleep. Got sick, go to sleep.

There are times caused by stress when I get a bit like you describe - can't sleep but can't concentrate on anything either. For me that means just stare at a wall and daydream for a couple of hours, then sleep.

I don't have any trouble sitting still though.

 

[vergil96]

and daydream for a couple of hours

How do you keep it from becoming negative? If I'm tired or sick to this degree, I ruminate, because the bad mood provokes negative thinking and fatigue - a degree of disinhibition, so I spiral...

 

[Chonebox]

How do you keep it from becoming negative? If I'm tired or sick to this degree, I ruminate, because the bad mood provokes negative thinking and fatigue - a degree of disinhibition, so I spiral...

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I sleep. I see all the symptoms you describe as being caused by insufficient rest, at least for me.

If I can't sleep, I still undress, get in bed and then read. I know you said you couldn't read and that happens to me sometimes too. If I can't read, I'll try watching a video that I have seen before, ie no new stimuli. Watching a film in a foreign to me language seems to help.

My mind may still wander, but the video keeps me anchored in reality instead of spiraling down.

To stop the negative things, I have to replace it with STOP, STOP, STOP in my mind. Just STOP. Usually that wears me out enough to sleep. BTW, it is exhausing to repeat that STOP over and over, holding the negative stuff at bay.

 

[Rodafina]

This might be counterintuitive because your thread is about being "too tired," but I think physical exertion might help with what you've described. It sounds like you are describing brain fatigue. If I am able to exhaust my body with exercise, it is much easier to sit in the quiet darkness I sometimes need for my brain (from visual and auditory overstimulation). Exercising helps me manage strong emotions and being physically spent helps me sleep.

 

[vergil96]

Exercising helps me manage strong emotions and being physically spent helps me sleep.

For me too usually, but I'm too tired for that sometimes too. I literally tilt and can't organise enought to exercise in any way, take a walk, anything. I wish I could fall asleep and just wake up feeling well enough to at least read or watch something, but I can't. That's the essence of the problem. I have ADHD and I need physical activity during the day to fall asleep at night, not only because of emotions. I have lots of energy to begin with. If I want to calm down, it's easier if it's dark and quiet too, but it's not enough :/

I think I could listen to the gentle music and sounds of nature. But I can't watch a film, because a tablet is too bright. I already make the settings the darkest possible, but it's too bright for me.

 

[Rodafina]

But I can't watch a film, because a tablet is too bright. I already make the settings the darkest possible, but it's too bright for me.

I have this problem, too. I spend a lot of time listening to movies or shows that I have seen before. Some movies/shows are more conducive to audio-only.

 

[vergil96]

I have this problem, too. I spend a lot of time listening to movies or shows that I have seen before. Some movies/shows are more conducive to audio-only.

I think I can try listening to a show only too. I do it sometimes when falling asleep.

 

[Outdated]

How do you keep it from becoming negative? If I'm tired or sick to this degree, I ruminate, because the bad mood provokes negative thinking and fatigue - a degree of disinhibition, so I spiral...

I just don't have that negative thinking habit. When I daydream it's usually imagining things I want to do in the future such as where to travel to next, or even things so simple as how much nicer my flat would be to live in if I actually got off my arse and did some housework.

This also seems to be the trick to how I always manage to fall asleep so quickly and sleep so deeply, I lie down and think of things I enjoy, and then all of a sudden it's 8 hours later.

I do consciously steer my thoughts away from things I know are upsetting to me. I try to put them off until after I've slept and my mind is better able to deal with them.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I think I could listen to the gentle music and sounds of nature. But I can't watch a film, because a tablet is too bright. I already make the settings the darkest possible, but it's too bright for me.

I will stick the tablet under the bed sometimes. Also you might consider books on tape. Preferably in a gentle foreign language. I like Isabel Allende's books.

 

[vergil96]

I just don't have that negative thinking habit. When I daydream it's usually imagining things I want to do in the future such as where to travel to next, or even things so simple as how much nicer my flat would be to live in if I actually got off my arse and did some housework.

I think negatively when I feel physically bad in some way.

I do consciously steer my thoughts away from things I know are upsetting to me. I try to put them off until after I've slept and my mind is better able to deal with them.

Hm. Makes sense. Common technique, but I have problems with it. Honestly, I don't really have a hobby that is suitable for fantasising about it and making plans. I used to have some, but I don't any more. No topic really has stuck with me for a longer time. I'm really fascinated by the research I do, but I can't move forward without reading a lot of papers or reading technical specifications.

I will stick the tablet under the bed sometimes. Also you might consider books on tape. Preferably in a gentle foreign language. I like Isabel Allende's books.

I'm equipped with at least 3 ideas for distractions right now

 

[Outdated]

Common technique, but I have problems with it.

It's not that I never have negative thoughts, especially when someone or something has just upset me. I'll find my thoughts constantly getting back on the unpleasant track again and again but I try to arrest them as quick as possible. Possibly because I've been doing this all my life it's very rarely that I can't control what's going on inside my own head, I've had a lot of practice.

I'm really fascinated by the research I do, but I can't move forward without reading a lot of papers or reading technical specifications.

These are also healthy things to focus on as long as they're not a source of stress.

Honestly, I don't really have a hobby that is suitable for fantasising about it and making plans. I used to have some, but I don't any more.

No long term goals? No hopes and dreams? Not even of a perfect holiday get away somewhere?

Thinking of a holiday that you'd actually enjoy is a good one too, what you actually want in your dreams can tell you a few things about what you really want in real life. Would you want to be wealthy and stay in a resort or would you rather spend time on a remote beach catching your own fish for tea? There's no correct answer there because what you want will change as your life progresses and the possibilities are endless.