Lyrical Muse writes: Our third essay in the Disability Pride series comes from Katie-jo Gracie, a writer from Bedford who is a passionate advocate for disability inclusion in churches. In her essay, she shares the realities of autistic burnout, the physical and mental exhaustion that comes with it and how sometimes something as simple as making tea can be a struggle.
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Before you assume, let me tell you about the morning I stood in my kitchen and could not remember how to make tea.

Not because I had never made tea before (I am British; tea is practically in my blood) but because my brain had reached a state of pure static. Tea required steps. Steps required sequencing. Sequencing required energy I no longer possessed. The kettle sat there, reproachfully silent. The hum of the refrigerator was suddenly loud, the tiles cold beneath my feet. I sat on my kitchen floor, thirty-four years old, highly educated, previously competent, and utterly broken, watching sunlight crawl across the counter as if it, too, was unsure what to do next.