Redesigning Your Environment

I recently bought an Apple Watch in an attempt to filter out unwanted noises while still allowing notifications and communication through in a calm and less disruptive way. Having a permanently silenced Apple Watch on my wrist and receiving notifications silently via a gentle tap on the wrist enables me to have my phone in do not disturb mode and silent at all times. This should hopefully let me stay more connected without the sensory disruption that sudden loud noises bring. That’s the theory anyway. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

In researching ways to set up my new watch, I came across a very helpful presentation from Jamie, an adult on the autism spectrum. In the presentation, Jamie dropped some wisdom that has been resonating with me since I read it:

My anxiety is not a disorder, it’s my brain telling me my enviroment is badly designed and i need to fix it.

This is exactly it. Maybe the environment that works for most people doesn’t work quite right for you, and your brain is trying to tell you that. There’s nothing wrong or shameful about needing to structure your life differently. We are each unique. We don’t all process information in the same way. What works for you doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else; it only has to work for you.

Autism, Apple Watch & Independent Living. by Jamie Knight