AS and flexibility

Post Reply New Topic

Something known as a routine has completely disappeared in this hospital. The only routine here is when you take your medicene. ;/

I never really had a problem with routine.

I just feel a little disrupted when unexpected things happen.

For example, a family member pops in on a day and my parents didn't tell me... Then I just get a little more anxious than usual and try to hide.

The other problem is when profs follow methods that are non-standard to me. In the past, implementing group assignments or trying to force participation would be things that would just screw me so I would miss those classes and lose a semester. Right now I learned I have to live with the forced participations but I decided that I will just ignore whatever group assignment is done whatsoever, and still go to classes and exams totally disregarding those assignments. Else I think I would have to just drop the class like before...

I love routine and get very upset when it is interrupted. At best, I "sort of" enjoy the interruption, but am still very glad to get back to my routine when it's over. At worst, I experience the interruption as a traumatic event that takes me a week to live down and may come back to haunt me years later.

I'm naturally flexible. I actually like change and dislike routine. That's one of my un-aspie-like qualities.

I have very set routines. For example I have an absurdly complicated night time routine before I go to bed.

But on the other hand, I'm flexible, as long as I still understand and control what's going on. It's not OCD - if there's some reason why things have to be different, like if I'm tired and just want to go to bed, or if I'm staying somewhere else - I just change the routine. There's neither obsession or compulsion here, no anxiety, it's just the way I like to do things.

The problem is when the flexibility is unexpected and things aren't going the way I thought they would.

I punctuate my day with little things to look forward to so that whatever happens, I can always cope with anything upsetting because I know that I can for example have tea and cake at 3pm or something. I have at least six special times each day, just short ones that are predictable and happen often. Especially good if I have hospital appointments or something else really stressful because these days, in London anyway, you can nearly always get a cup of tea or a little treat at any time and almost anywhere. These little slots hold my days together.

I'm pretty flexible with my day to day things.
At work i like to kinda do a couple of things at set times.
If i'm unable to do so i can get a bit stressed.
But the same goes for my colleges so it's not just me.
In the morning i like a cup of coffee and a redbull.
I also won't leave the house period, before having showered, done my hair, brushed teeth, had coffee/redbull and breakfast.
People tend to skip breakfast but i faint if i work without having it.

Besides these things i really don't have a whole lot of routine.
I eat whenever i feel like it.
Watch a movie or anything else fun i do randomly.
The only things routine besides that is on the weekend.
When i get drunk friday and saturday night, go do my weekly grocery shopping on saturday.

I hate planning things ahead.
If someone were to make a daily planning for me for a given day i wouldn't follow it.
I'd feel like a slave if i had to do this and that at certain planned times outside of work.