INTRODUCTION:
As a Millennial, I am no stranger to the dynamics of online classes having taken more than my share of them in college. In graduate school, I earned extra spending money by working a few “gig” jobs online where I proofread articles and wrote English product descriptions for European gift shopping websites. Although I’d never worked a full-time job from home, I always assumed it couldn’t be that hard if I could successfully handle online classes and gigs.
When the Covid-19 pandemic forced many people to work from home, I had the chance to see if working from home was the right fit for me as an autistic individual. At the time, I was seven months into my job working for the United States Government. While online classes and gig work somewhat helped in preparing me for a remote full-time job, it took several months of trial and error to find a working style that helped me perform to the best of my abilities. I soon discovered working from home was an excellent fit for me.
With a growing number of businesses turning to fully or partially remote positions thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and technological advancements, this presents a unique opportunity for autistic individuals in the workforce. This article will highlight some actions autistic individuals can take to succeed while working remotely.
UNDERSTANDING REMOTE WORK DYNAMICS:
Remote work can offer numerous advantages to autistic individuals. For example, many traditional office environments can be a source of sensory overstimulation with fluorescent lights that are too bright, offices that are uncomfortably hot or cold, and the distracting noise of too many people typing and talking as well as the sounds of office equipment. Therefore, working from home can provide autistic individuals with the benefit of a controlled sensory environment.
Remote work offers me the chance to play my favorite music. This is something that helps me focus and gives me the energy to do my best work. In an open-floor office, I don’t have this luxury. Since I am a scent-seeking individual and scent has a tremendous impact on my mood, I can also light incense or scented candles or spray my favorite essential oils. These are also things that are usually frowned upon in a traditional office setting.
I have also discovered that if I am feeling dysregulated, working from home offers me greater flexibility for me to take care of myself. I can take a break to go down the hall to my bedroom and lie down for five or ten minutes before jumping back into my work. If time on the floor or a short yoga break is what I need, I can stop what I’m doing and give those things to myself. I tend to get very nervous on phone calls, so I sometimes I like to pace back and forth to work off the nervous energy. These are all things I can comfortably and conveniently do in my own home without fear of judgement from anyone else.
Working from home can provide many benefits to autistic individuals, but it is not without its challenges. Some people may need the extra support of having a mentor or a supervisor available in-person to get feedback from or ask questions. Remote work can make facilitating these connections much more challenging. Other individuals may also find they have trouble staying focused on work due to distractions that may be present at home. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways autistic individuals can navigate the challenging aspects of remote work and create a working environment that supports their success.
CREATING A WORKSPACE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR SUCCESS
Setting up an environment in which I can do my best work is important. For me, it involves checking in with what areas of my sensory health need to be met for me to be able to perform to the best of my abilities.
I like to keep a variety of sensory tools on my desk at all times. These tools include things like fidget toys (Slinkies and stress balls), crystals (I love how different ones feel in my hands, and they’re also great for meeting my need for visual stimulation), scented oils and candles, gum, hand creams, and a pair of ear plugs. I keep everything in a small makeup case on my desk so everything I need is in one spot.
While my office is far from spotless, I do, at the very least, ensure that it is free of distracting clutter. Keeping my office clutter-free also helps me locate things I need, like pens, sticky notes, and my sensory tool kit. If I’m not distracted by feeling like my office has to be cleaned and I can find everything I need, then my workspace is serving its purpose.
Many autistic people find they prefer absolute quiet while working. If that’s the case, consider investing in a white noise machine or a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Other people find they prefer soundscapes like the sounds of nature. There are plenty of apps that have soundscapes such as Calm or Finch, but there are many soundscape videos available on YouTube as well. Most of the time, I prefer to listen to my favorite playlists on Spotify, and I make sure I have my playlist for the day ready to go before I start working.
COMMUNICATION AND SOCIALIZING:
Some autistic people find they can get along just fine having minimal interaction other than a few Slack messages here and there with coworkers. Others may find they miss interacting with their coworkers or need face-to-face interaction with mentors and supervisors. If you do not find you need copious amounts of socialization at work to be happy, that’s perfectly valid. However, if you find that you need additional support while working remotely, especially from mentors and supervisors, this can be an excellent opportunity to practice advocating for yourself.
In the early days of the pandemic when I worked for the United States Government, I was perfectly happy communicating with my coworkers via the occasional Skype message. However, I felt I usually needed something a little more substantial when it came to getting feedback from my mentor, especially while I was still learning my job. I communicated to my mentor that I felt like we needed more time to sit together to review questions that I had about various government policies related to my duties. We eventually agreed to speak over the phone every afternoon to make sure I understood the concepts I was learning and for her to review my work.
Some individuals who don’t necessarily desire socialization but still seek the physical presence of other people during the workday may consider getting a friend or loved one to act as a body double. Body-doubling involves having one person act as support while another person works. There is no expectation for the support person to actively participate in the work, but just to serve as a supportive presence. While I personally find body-doubling stressful for certain tasks such as making phone calls or anything that requires a lot of cognitive effort, some autistic individuals may find body doubling very helpful in meeting the need for social connection while working.
SELF-CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH:
One of the hardest things for me about working remotely is setting healthy boundaries between my work life and my personal life. Many people, both autistic and allistic alike, may find that it’s a lot harder to make that separation when working from home. After all, it’s a lot harder to determine when work starts and ends when your work is also at home.
When I began working remotely during my time with the United States government, setting the work-life boundary was a little easier. As soon as I logged out of my government-issued laptop, I could put it away and walk away from my desk. Even though I still ruminated on work-related issues after hours, the physical act of logging out of my laptop and walking away helped reduce this overthinking because I was able to send a signal to my brain that my workday was over.
Since I no longer have a government-designated laptop, and being self-employed means no longer being tied to rules about when I can and cannot work, it is more important than ever for me to maintain an appropriate work-life balance. I still observe the ritual of shutting off my laptop when I’m finished working, putting it away, and leaving my workspace. Timers on my phone have also been a fantastic tool to help me stay accountable for my self-care, as they remind me when I need to take a break.
CONCLUSION:
Although remote work can present unique challenges it can also present many benefits to the overall mental health and productivity of autistic employees. This is especially true because remote work provides an opportunity for employees to control and tailor their environment to best suit their unique sensory needs.
Creating a remote work environment that lends itself to productivity can require a little trial and error as each autistic individual has different needs. However, the experimentation is often worth it: meeting those needs can go a long way in fostering an environment where autistic individuals can do their best work without the limitations and challenges that a traditional office environment can present for many of us.