Masking Exhaustion and the Need to Decompress
I posted a full article in The Neurodivergent Path classroom about masking exhaustion and why decompression is essential.
Masking is when we tuck away our natural selves to appear “acceptable”—forcing eye contact, copying social cues, holding back stims, scripting conversations. It’s survival, but it drains energy at a brutal pace. By the time we get home, there’s nothing left to give. That’s masking exhaustion.
In the article, I also talk about spoon theory, and how masking can burn through half your spoons before lunch. That’s why decompressing isn’t optional—it’s what keeps us from sliding into shutdown, meltdown, or burnout. Rocking, zoning out, wrapping up in blankets, silence—all of these are forms of recovery, not laziness.
I’d love to hear from you:
- How do you personally decompress after masking?
- What helps you refill spoons when they’re gone?
- If you live with or love someone who masks, how do you support their recovery time?
- How can we educate the people around us to see decompression as survival, not avoidance?
Let’s share our practices, frustrations, and ideas for making the world a little safer for unmasking.
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Masking Exhaustion and the Need to Decompress
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