Learning I'm autistic has given me the opportunity to live in a way that's more true to myself. As time goes by, I become more aware of who I am, what I need, and how my actions can contribute to my safety, fulfillment, and self-esteem, without constant, automatic masking. And yet, there are still areas in my life where I do mask, either intentionally or reflexively. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. Sometimes, it's due to people pleasing, which I've improved with but haven't totally managed to cut out. Sometimes, it's due to fatigue, or the idea that I need to have "good manners". The good thing is that I think I am aware of most situations where I masking and can think consciously about whether I need to do something about these situations. Does anything I'm saying ring a bell in your own experience?

Share questions:

• Where in your life do you still mask? Are there any situations, people, tasks that bring it out in you? 
• How can you tell you are masking? 
• What is the difference between masking and "having good manners"? 
• Is masking for you related to any other behaviors or mindsets, like people pleasing or having low boundaries? 
• For group members who have managed to reduce masking below a comfortable threshold, how did you do it? 
• Any tips, resources, or strategies to share? 
• Anything else to add?