If you’re anything like me – which is likely, if you’re reading this – you’ll know what it’s like to go about your day, feeling fine if not a bit antsy, until all of a sudden you really really need the toilet and you have mere seconds to get to one before… well, you know the rest. Or perhaps you’re feeling agitated and snappy until someone mentions food and it dawns on you that you’re absolutely starving. Or maybe you’ve been nursing a brutal headache all afternoon but still not willing to tear yourself away from the task at hand until someone – usually my partner for me – asks if you’ve drank any water today and you realise that, no, you haven’t actually. So you go stand by the sink and guzzle 3-4 glasses of water whilst wondering – how on Earth you go that thirsty- PARCHED before you noticed? 

Well what if I told you that it’s actually quite common for autistic people to experience due to a little thing called interoception issues. 

What is interoception? 

Interoception, sometimes described as an ‘eighth sense’,  is when your body sends signals to your brain based off of its needs. When you’re hungry, thirsty, tired, in pain, too hot, too cold, or even feeling emotional. Interoception is the process of those messages being sent to your brain so that you can recognise what it is you’re experiencing and come up with a solution. 

It is similar to our vestibular sense, which helps us understand our movements and balance, and proprioception, which helps us understand where our body is in a space. But our interoception is more internal. It’s our ability to notice and interpret what’s happening inside our body. 

We use interoception to recognise signals such as; hunger, thirst, needing the toilet, feeling tired, a racing heart, feeling too hot or too cold, pain, nausea, muscle tension, breathing changes, and signs of emotional distress. 

Our bodies are constantly sending us information. The tricky part is that some autistic people don’t always receive or interpret those signals clearly since we struggle with processing all of the information inside and outside our bodies. And that can make everyday things much harder than people might realise. 

What are interoception issues? 

It does seem pretty straightforward doesn’t it? You get hungry? You eat. You get thirsty? You drink. You need the toilet? You go! But what if you don’t always get a clear “I’m hungry” signal? Instead, you might feel tired or irritable. Perhaps you have a headache or find it difficult to concentrate. Or maybe you feel a little bit nauseous. You might not immediately connect those feelings with hunger. 

I’ve had days when everything just feels like it’s out to get me; nothing is going how I need it to, my clothes feel irritating, I’m more intolerant of sensory stimuli, and I’m just in a very bad mood. Until I remember to eat something and then I feel okay again. 

Days when I’ve spent the afternoon complaining of a headache and feeling run down only to realise, when my partner puts my water bottle in front of me, that the only thing I’ve drank that day is a cup of coffee. 

Those headaches and feelings of irritability are my body’s way of telling me that I need something. It’s just that I struggle to interpret those signs. And it isn’t just hunger and thirst; interoception affects your ability to understand when you need to go the toilet, your body temperature, pain, fatigue, and even your emotions. 

Hyperfocus and Interoception 

If you have autism and/or ADHD, you may be familiar with the word ‘hyperfocus’ which is a state of pure concentration on one particular task, subject, or thing that our minds have latched onto. It’s like tunnel vision. In those moments, the only thing that exists is the subject of your hyperfocus. You can get lost in it. 

Hyperfocus has its many perks but also many setbacks. I love when I’m writing a blogpost or drawing something and I just get into that zone where nothing else, except what I’m doing, matters or even exists. When I can get a lot done in just one sitting. However, I don’t like it when my hyperfocus is broken and I suddenly realise I have 0.3 seconds to get to a bathroom, my head hurts, I feel nauseous, my mouth is dry, and my hands are cramping up from the hours I just put into my project. 

It hits me all at once and I wonder ‘How did I not feel any of that before?’ How did I not feel my hunger or thirst getting to that point? How did I not feel the pain building up in my hands? And how did I not notice that I needed to go the toilet? Being in that state of hyperfocus meant that I was so concentrated on what I was doing that I completely missed my body sending me signals. It’s like my body has been sending me notifications and I’ve switched my phone on and received them all at once. 

So, what can help? 

Well, there isn’t just one simple solution that works for everyone. It isn’t as easy as just saying ‘listen to your body’ because, if your body’s signals aren’t particularly clear, how are you meant to listen to them? 

For me, one thing that helps is a routine. I eat at around the same times every single day. 7am is breakfast, 12pm is lunch, and 6pm is dinner. Usually I’ll eat the same quick and easy things – cereal and sandwiches – every day alongside some water so that I’m not overwhelmed making food or making decisions about food as this can often put me off eating. I’ve set these times as a way of prompting me to eat. Since I don’t always feel hunger, I rely on a clock instead! I also keep it as more of a loose guideline rather than a strict schedule. That way it isn’t so demanding and I don’t kick myself if I eat breakfast at 8:20am rather than 7am. It’s the most effective way to make sure I have food and drink throughout the day as I often check the time and realise that ‘oh, it’s 1:15pm and I still haven’t had lunch!’ So, even if I don’t feel hungry, and I’ve been in hyperfocus or gotten distracted, all I need to do is check the time and I’ll go and eat something! 

If routines on their own don’t work, you can use other things to prompt you. Setting reminders or alarms on my phone is often the only thing that reminds me to do things. Or my partner will say things like ‘I’m getting a glass of water. Do you want one?’, ‘Do you need to go the toilet before I go?’ or even just ‘Fancy a snack?’ as a way of reminding me to check in on my body and see what it needs without making me feel incompetent for not knowing already. So, you don’t have to use your phone. It could be the people around you that remind you. There’s nothing wrong with needing an external reminder for somethings that other people seem to do automatically. 

Another thing I do is increase the availability of things such as snacks, water, access to bathrooms, and things to warm up/cool down body temperature. 

I have a room in my home that I like to call the ‘hobby room’ as it has all my art supplies, crochet supplies, gaming things, puzzles, boardgames, and even my laptop that I write all my blog posts on! Right next door to the hobby room is my bathroom which gives me easy access and leaves less room to be distracted before going to the toilet. I also always carry my water bottle with me so that I always have a drink of water nearby. It’s a stainless steel water bottle that keeps the water nice and cool even if I filled the bottle up hours ago (it’s also insulated so it’s not too cold to hold). 

I’d also recommend having snacks on hand. I’m on the hunt for a mini-fridge for our hobby room so I can keep yogurts and fruits in there or some protein shakes and smoothies. You could also have cereal bars or protein bars in your bag so you always have a pick-me-up when you’re hungry. I always get really hot when I’m out and about so I also keep a foldable fan in my bag to help cool myself down. 

Body temperature is a difficult one and mine always feels like it jumps from one extreme to the next with no comfortable in-between. So, when I’m not out and about, I always wear a zip-up hoodie or cardigan over a camisole top so that I can easily put it on or take it off as my body temperature rises and falls. I also keep an electric fan and a blanket in each room which seems odd but it’s absolutely necessary. 

Another thing you could do is body check-ins. Every so often, just pause and ask yourself ‘what is my body telling me right now?’ and check; are you hungry? Have you had enough to drink? Do you need the toilet? Are you hot/cold? Are you in pain? Do you feel tense? Are you becoming overwhelmed? Things like that. I have a post about Practicing Mindfulness (available to Studio Circle members and above on my Ko-Fi) which I think ties in really nicely as Mindfulness can help you pay attention to these things going on in your body. You don’t have to do it constantly. Even just occasionally checking in can help you become more attuned with your body’s signals. 

It’s okay to use external support

I cannot stress that enough. I really want to emphasise that needing reminders, whether that’s from your phone or the people around you, does not make you lazy, irresponsible, or incapable. Sometimes, we talk about independence as though doing everything without support is the ultimate goal. But everyone uses tools to compensate for things their brains or bodies don’t do automatically. We use glasses to help us see, diaries and calendars to remember important dates, alarms to wake up when we need to, and we use sat-navs because we don’t automatically know every route. 

Using reminders and external support for your body’s needs is no different. If your brain doesn’t reliably tell you when you’re hungry, thirsty, or tired, creating external cues isn’t ‘cheating’. It is adapting your environment to work with your brain.

Be kind to yourself and your body

I’ll preface this part by saying this; you’re not ignoring your body. I think this is perhaps the biggest misunderstanding around having interoception issues. 

If someone doesn’t eat until late in the day, forgets to drink, or waits until the last minute to go to the toilet, it can be easy for others to assume they’re simply being careless. But interoception difficulties aren’t ignoring your body. It’s just that your body’s signals aren’t very clear. 

It’s a little bit like receiving a notification on your phone, only it doesn’t make a sound or show up on your lock-screen. It’s only when you check the notification centre that you find it. You can’t respond to a notification you didn’t know you’d received! 

That’s why compassion is so important. If you’re reading this and you don’t struggle with interoception issues, try to have compassion towards others who do. It’s not easy! And, if you’re reading this and you do struggle with interoception issues, try to have some compassion for yourself. It’s perfectly normal and you are not alone. 

Try to pay a little bit of attention to some of the ways your body tells you it needs something. I’m not saying to constantly monitor yourself and become anxious at every little sensation. Just gradually becoming more familiar with your own patterns. Maybe you notice that you get headaches when you’re thirsty, or you get irritable when you’re hungry (hangry!). Maybe tiredness makes you suddenly very emotional. Once you start recognising those patterns, they can become useful tools! You might eventually be able to think things like “I’m feeling a bit irritable today. Have I had something to eat?” 

It’s not about becoming ‘perfect’ at reading your body. It’s about getting to know yourself a little better. 

Interoception difficulties can make everyday life just that little more complicated than it already is. But your body is not failing you. And you aren’t failing because you need reminders, routines, or support. Autistic people can experience the world differently in lots of different ways, and that includes the way we experience what’s happening inside ourselves. 

Sometimes our bodies whisper when we need them to shout. Sometimes they shout when we’d prefer a whisper. Sometimes we just don’t hear them until they’re screaming at us “JUST DRINK SOME WATER, ABBY!!!!” And sometimes we need a little help translating what our body is trying to tell us. 

And that’s okay. 

The goal isn’t – and should never be – to force yourself to function like someone else. It’s to understand your body and find ways to support it. Self-care isn’t always facemasks and pamper days (although I do love a good pamper day, let’s be real). Sometimes it’s simply taking the time to notice when you feel off, figuring out why, then allowing yourself time to do what you need to do!

Tired? Take a break or have a nap! 

Hungry? Snack time! 

Overwhelmed? Go find somewhere suitable to self-regulate for a bit. 

And I wouldn’t be English if I didn’t recommend a cup of tea. It’s the miracle cure for every type bad feeling. 

Tired? Tea break. 

Hungry? Tea and a biscuit. 

Overwhelmed? Go find a quiet spot to have a nice cup of tea. 

See? It fixes everything! That’s what I call versatili-tea. (I had to. I’m so sorry.) 

On that slightly embarrassing note, I hope you’ve learned all you need about interoception, how autistic people can often struggle with it, and perhaps a little about taking notice of and being kinder to yourself! 

Important things to remember: 

Issues with interoception is not carelessness. It is complex and frustrating but a very real struggle that many autistic people face. 

Be kind to yourself! I know say this in almost every post but I cannot stress it enough! Lots of people are facing these difficulties. There’s nothing wrong with you. Give yourself some grace. 

Interoception issues are NORMAL. Not everyone has them in the same way not everyone is autistic! But that doesn’t mean it’s uncommon. You’re not alone. 

It’s okay to need extra support. For anything. It’s okay. It’s allowed. If you need support in any way, shape, or form, you’re entitled to it. In fact, I implore you to ask for the help you need rather than allow yourself to struggle in silence. There’s no shame in it.

More Info:

Interoception and Mental Wellbeing – National Autistic Society

Interoception – Humber NHS Foundation Trust