Shopping

Shopping, especially for clothes, is a very difficult chore. It's one of those things you don't want to do, but you have to do it... at least sometimes. Of course, you must know that from personal experience, in which case, on to the article!

Drink plenty of water
- All the malls, and many of the stores I've ever been to had water fountains. Because they are frequently near restrooms, corners, and other low-traffic areas, it's an excuse to get away from the noise. It's also great, because drinking water in general helps to reduce over-stimulation.

Browse around
- If your in the mall, take some time to visit stores that have merchandise you enjoy. Even if window shopping isn't your thing (I personally don't see the point...) , taking ten or fifteen minutes to read a book at a book store, or playing the demo of a new game can be very revitalizing, and I DO see the point of that.

Animals!
- While obviously not applicable to your typical store, some malls or complexes, have pet stores either as part of them, or in a nearby building. Like the previous point, taking time to visit these stores can be very helpful. In addition to simply being a welcome distraction to the noise and stress that is shopping, interacting with animals is also stress relieving by itself.

Bring an MP3 player
- In addition to relieving stress, listening to music also helps to drown out the noise of other people around you. And any pesky music that stores choose to play.

Last summer when I was picking out new shoes, one of the stores I went to, had rap music playing really, really loud over the speakers. It was so loud I had to raise my voice just so my mom could hear me talking. Fortunately, I had my cellphone and some ear buds to listen to music with, which really helped.

I hope that they is enough information in this article that you were able to get something out of it.
With a desire to make life easier for fellow aspies, this is Jordan Plutchok of teenaspergers.blogspot.com signing off.

Music for Aspies

When talking about music, the thing that really pops out in my mind is that music has a way of leaping into you and forcing you to feel the emotion it wants you to feel.

In virtually all commercials and movies, music is used extensively to evoke emotion. It's so common, that you probably have a few dozen examples already in your mind.

This unique power of music can also be used to counter Asperger mood swings, and the emotions that come with the crap life sometimes gives you.

Ironically, I find that listening to music that has the same emotion I'm feeling is what helps the most. It intensifies the emotions for a short time, burning them away, and when the song is over, I rarely feel anything more than the dying embers of what was an inferno of emotion.

I've gotten through some of the darkest times in my life by emptying my mind into the music I listened to. When life got tough, I was able to ignore it - if only for a short time - through music. Music is the closest thing to magic I've ever experienced, and really, wouldn't it be awesome if you could just use magic on Aspergers? Well...

I really urge you to at least try to use music like this. At worst it will be a chance to experience something you might not have otherwise experienced. At best, it may be one of the most useful coping strategies you will ever learn. It's really a win-win scenario.

If I feel depressed, I listen to sad music and for some reason, it really helps me feel better. This song, Fade to black by Apocalyptica, is a really great example because it has so much emotion in it.

The intro feels mournful, but as the song progresses it gives me a sense of hope and fighting against the depression. By the end of the song, it has a victorious feeling; one that I want to be able to have about my life.

This song really expresses how I feel about my Aspergers. I'm sad and depressed abut it, but I'm fighting it, knowing one day I'll beat it.

I really hope that you feel that way too, and if not, I hope that I can help you feel that way, or better through this blog.

You can check out my Music Gallery if you want suggestions on emotional music. And who knows, you might find something that really moves you.

This is Jordan from teenaspergers.blogspot.com signing off.

Success

As you've been dealing with Aspergers, be that days, weeks, months, or years, I'm sure you have wondered what It would be like without Aspergers, and what it will be like when you are able to minimize it. "What might it be like when I'm successful in this war?". Sound familiar? Okay, you probably don't think that way, but my point is to bring up success, hence the title.

If you've never done something like this before, read the next few sentences and try it out. Close your eyes, stop paying attention to your surroundings, and imagine yourself without Aspergers. What does it look like? Is it indescribable? Your biggest enemy in life bowing at your feet surrendering.

When you reach that point, do you picture yourself visiting a docter who tells you there's nothing wrong with you? Do you simply imagine how it would be to appear and feel normal? I can't answer that for you, that's something you need to do.

Where am I going with this? I'm trying to get at the fact that how you picture your future is important. It comes down to what you want out of life. Does success mean fitting in while in public? Does it mean being an amazing and outgoing individual? Or does it simply mean having emotional control?

For me, I don't want to be just average. If I was average, I wouldn't be writing a blog to help people (and myself at that).

Ask yourself, do I really want to be average? Can you minimize the negative effects of Aspergers and nurture the positive ones? Only you define what success is for yourself, and that's what you aim for. You decide when your happy with yourself.

The important part is that you get to decide what you want to be.

It's something to think about at least. Remember, ruminating on things makes you a better person. This is Jordan from teenaspergers.blogspot.com signing off.