Proof Positive is on a mission to make the science and skills of wellbeing accessible to all – including the autism community. Happiness and wellbeing are experienced uniquely by every person – and we want to celebrate all that brings happiness to our Autism Wellbeing Alliance community. Wellbeing Wednesdays elevate the voices of autistic people to highlight diverse experiences of flourishing.
Proof Positive had a chance to hear from Andrew Arboe, Autistic Self-Advocate and Public Speaker, about what wellbeing means to him and the techniques he uses to enhance his wellbeing. Here’s what he told us:
Wellbeing is a topic I have been interested in for the last year or so. The biggest reason I got more interested in the topic was being exposed to it in my teaching assistant role at FOCUS Center for Autism. Their school focuses on learning from social interactions and experiences, and being mindful is one of the many lessons discussed. Whenever I do these parts of any day, I feel more relaxed than I did in the past. I am more future-oriented and get caught up without being present in the now. After experiencing a recent personal event in my life, I have realized once more how useful improving wellbeing is. For today’s guest blog, I am reviewing what I do to improve my wellbeing.
- The first thing I love doing is a monthly visit to my favorite coffeehouse in my state of Connecticut. My favorite coffeehouse is Beanz and Co over in Avon, Connecticut. Started in 2018, they have a mission of hiring people with disabilities. They gained an amazing response in the community, involving other providers like Arc of Farmington Valley Inc. I’ve always been a regular who loves their products, like the caramel vanilla macchiato and hot chocolate. Not only do I get some great coffee, but I also support their mission as well. I tend to feel more relaxed each time I go, and I find it a great way to start a month. Even outside of these visits and not at coffeehouses, getting some pre-made coffee from gas stations or grocery stores can be relaxing.
- More recently, my dad got a puppy named Sky and I have been raising him since December. While I am in the puppy months and there are stressful times, being with Sky has been wonderful. Having him rest his head at the end of the couch as I type on the computer provides a wholesome feeling. When he used to sleep with me when he was little, I felt more relaxed and considered sleeping in more. In all his photos, he has such a charm that everyone loves him. Every student at my school loves him and wants me to bring him in someday. Being able to raise him to be a good dog for my dad has been a good honor and for any bad days, he manages to bite some of it away.
- Another activity that promotes my wellbeing is listening to my favorite video game series soundtrack, the NieR series. The series’ themes are humanity and why people can commit horrid acts. Along with that aspect, it also focuses on how characters’ actions can be meaningful and what happens when they become meaningless. Along with the story being a major strength, it is enhanced by the music. Keiichi Okabe and vocalist Emi Evans created a score that reflects the thousands of years of all the hope and pain the world experienced in the series. Emi Evans made up a language called Chaos Language, which is how languages from all over the world can change after a long period. As a result, some songs can have some German sounds, other songs with Japanese sounds, and so on. All the music perfectly fits the situation in any NieR game and is regarded as some of the best soundtracks in gaming. I grew up on the series’ soundtracks since playing the original NieR on PlayStation 3 during 2015. It carried me in so many situations and it has always been a favorite music to blast during my drives.
- You may see me going on a long road trip from time to time from my Facebook page. I enjoy doing road trips because it can be a case of renewal for one’s life. A casual day or more where you do not have to think about work for a bit or a personal problem. Being present with your soul and being able to reflect on how things are really going with your life. There was one trip I did over to Watertown, Massachusetts to visit Taffer’s Tavern during late September of 2022. As a fan of Bar Rescue, I had to eat there and asked for a day off. The experience there and being in that area was wonderful. This was when I was doing Driving with Autism, an online webinar series that tackled driver readiness for individuals, and it had several problems. I was able to forget it for most of the time until one email came up. I realized that my major emotions were by that program, and it prompted me afterwards to review it. If I was at work instead of taking this random day off, I would not have had that realization. I still thank Taffer’s Tavern to this very day. Another day I remember was visiting Funspot over in New Hampshire during Good Friday in 2023. I always wanted to visit an out-of-state arcade center, and Funspot was very well-regarded. I decided to commit to a four-hour drive to visit and it was also wonderful. It was everything I wanted, and it proved to me that I can put off multiple long hour trips. One of the best things was during my late evening trip where I was listening to Joe Hisaishi’s music, and I fell into driving meditation. I kept getting many ideas in my head for future projects for me to pursue. I never expected it, and I welcomed it because of the limitless possibilities it provided.
- Finally, the last thing I do is use the Headspace app for meditation purposes. I saw it being used in my work setting and decided to check it out, as I am dealing with some stuff when typing this blog out. It has a series of meditation audios/videos during the morning, afternoon and evening times. After using them for a while, I enjoy it more and even fall asleep by their nighttime meditation multiple times. Even if you go beyond their daily picks, you can search up any topic you want, like if you want to listen to something dealing with stress or anger. I greatly look forward to continuing using this app.
These are some techniques I’ve been using to help better my wellbeing daily. Some days are better than others, but one still must try to experience the day. I hope you get some ideas out of this and have a wonderful day! You can find me by going on my website (Andrew Arboe: Autistic Self-Advocate and Speaker – Home (weebly.com)), where I provide freelance/public speaking services in the East Coast and virtually.
Interested in sharing what wellbeing means to you? Submit your response on the Wellbeing Wednesday Form!
