Tiny Tweaks

Tiny Tweaks #3: Removing Clothing Tags

AnnaLeave a comment

I’m an Autistic adult and this is a small thing that makes my life just a little bit better.

I have some sensory sensitivities around clothes. Some are constant, and some come and go depending on my capacity that day. A constant one that bothers me is clothing tags. I just can’t stand something lightly touching me on my back of my neck.

Fortunately it’s an easy fix. I use a stitch ripper, a tiny pair of scissors with a sharp point, and tweezers to take them off as needed.

If a piece of clothing has specific instructions I need to follow, I just take a photo of the tag and put it in a folder on my phone.

This sensitivity is one I’ve always noticed, I just didn’t do anything about it. I think it’s because I wanted to fit in, and everyone else seemed to tolerate tags just fine.

Plus it just felt wrong to cut the tags off. Or when I did, bits were left behind and felt even worse (hence the tweezers! You can get all the bits!).

Tiny Tweaks #2: Eating The Same (Easily Accessible) Breakfast

AnnaLeave a comment

I’m an Autistic adult and these are little things that make my life a bit easier.

Since I was a child, I’ve really liked instant oatmeal (especially apple cinnamon). This year I’ve embraced it and now I eat the same instant oatmeal for breakfast every single day.

I’m not a breakfast person. My stomach is easily upset, especially before lunch time, but a small serving of oatmeal is something I can tolerate.

I’ve tried making my own (less expensive), but the results varied a lot. If I accidentally ran out of an ingredient it was upsetting. I’m also a noise-sensitive grouch in the morning and like quickly grabbing my food and hiding from other people.

Now I just put the packet in my favorite shaped bowl, add 1/2 cup of water, and microwave 1 minute. It’s the same every time. Consistent. It’s one less thing to think about; one less decision.

Plus I have meds I need to take in the morning with food. I eat my oatmeal and take my meds. These 2 things help remind me to do the other.

As long I remember to restock the oatmeal that is….

Tiny Tweaks #1: Lip balm

AnnaLeave a comment

I’m a late diagnosed Autistic woman and this is a small change that makes my life little bit easier.

I’m super sensitive to the texture of my lips and lick them a lot. If I forget to use lip balm, I end up stripping and chewing my lips raw. Which makes them a smooth texture, but then they really hurt!

Putting my lip balm, clearly visible, with my toothbrush helps remind me to use it. If I can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. It’s now part of my routine to use my lip balm every time I brush my teeth.

I can even tell if I forgot to brush my teeth by the texture of my lips. I’ll notice the texture of my lips, then the texture of my teeth. If my teeth have a bad texture then I definitely forgot to brush them. Which is now a funny little association to help remind me to keep up with that annoying bit of hygiene.

(p.s. It’s driving me nuts! I really want to spell it “lipbalm” which is apparently wrong?)