Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/autism/comments/1vr20at/what_can_i_do_when_i_need_time_alone_instead_of/

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The original was posted on /r/autism by /u/just-a-starman on 2026-08-17 19:20:51+00:00.

I've realized whenever I have a long day and am overwhelmed/shutting down I just end up sitting in my room on my phone for hours and I hate it.

Yesterday I went out with my family to this big event (left at ~4pm got home around ~11pm) and so today I'm dealing with the aftermath. I know sensory-wise what helps me feel better like keeping only small lights on, keeping the room cold and getting comfy, but from there I end up falling into this trap of sitting in silence watching tiktoks because everything else feels like too much. It's all I've done today. I'm not the kind of person who has a huge social media addiction and spends everyday like this, because I know how crap it makes me feel and how it drives me genuinely insane knowing I would much much rather spend the time on one of my hobbies or playing a game.

Is there a way I can avoid feeling so (to put it harshly) useless when I need time to rest?