How rigid is your routine?

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When I first learned that autistic people have rigid routines I didn't think that my routines were really that rigid and other then getting upset when I have to do something unexpectedly I'm fairly normal. Further observation has shown that to be wrong though.

For example: in my car I always set the radio to preset 2 before I turn it off. At first that routine was a logical one, as that was my favorite station to listen to. There is another station though I keep at preset 6 which I think is better but in most places I generally go I had bad reception. They upgraded their antenna recently though and now I can hear that better station loud and clear wherever I am, it is now the main station I listen to. However, when I turn off my radio I still set it to preset 2. I do it because turning it off on preset 6 just doesn't feel right and it's kind of upsetting for no apparent reason, so I just press an extra button when I turn on or off the radio rather then just leaving it at preset 6 because emotionally speaking it's much easier. I also have the air conditioner set at a specific setting when I turn off the car, even if I know that I will need to change it back the next time I drive. This is for the same reason.

This is not an isolated thing, I do it in a lot of other areas too. Do the rest of you do stuff like this too?

For me ridged routine means staying within a certain amount of activities. I don't always do activities a b c d at a certain time in a certain order, but I stay within them.

Id say its lax, i can sleep over at a friends house with only minor shut downs as long as i know the change is temporary i can handle it but a permeant change to my setting and routine is out of the question and i will meltdown,.

Not very. Because my work schedule changes week to week, I have to work around it and it doesn't allow for much rigidity. There are routines I do often, but they often get tossed aside and changed without much thought or care. They're more "what I do when nothing else is going on" than anything. On the other hand, certain things stay pretty much the same just because they can; I usually check the same few websites while I'm waiting for the bus.

These routines actually bother me. They kind of suck the pleasure out of life, and I'm usually quite glad when they don't get to happen. So I avoid any sort of rigidity as much as I can.

Very very rigid.

I'd say it's my most obvious symptom. It causes problems. >.< My rigid routine was the main thing that made my mom start suspecting I was autistic. I get extremely upset when the way I like to do things is changed, especially without warning.

I used to have any sort of routine and a need for predictability. I used to anticipate changes so I could take any blow.


Now I have no need for routine. If anything, I'm very bored and very lax because of it, no matter how 'stressful' or chaotic the routine had become.
Sudden changes without my acknowledgement (within at least half a minute) could only frustrate me, more of an annoyance than discomfort and no meltdowns/shutdowns.

It only makes my life either all too easy or a 'restraint' than any sort of coping strategy or itself a kind of need.

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I can totally relate to that, Edna. Do the routines you have feel like a chore to you? Or... almost like something you'd rather not do but find yourself falling into anyway?

I dont have much routines tbh. Maybe its because my life only consists of "get up, sit down at my computer, wait for the day to go by, clean teeth & sleep" Maybe thats a routine in itself. Idk. But last year back when i had a job my work routine was very rigid. When i started i was shown the system how it works, i corrected some major flaws in it for it to fit me and that was how it was done from then. If anybody would interfere with it i would get very upset for the rest of the day. If something needs to be done, i need to plan it out before and unexpected changes do upset me. But not so much like years ago. I kinda came to the conclusion that things almost never go like i planned them so i kinda expect it. Funny thing is that my rigidity/stubbornness can sometimes induce its own form of flexibility. Like for example if i planned on getting pizza today, and the pizzaplace is closed for holidays or whatever, i just refuse to change my plan. I will have pizza, even if it means walking to the other end of town then. I do have smaller routines though, eating routines, exact checking procedure before leaving the house, specific routes to walk/drive, specific cleaning orders and such...

Peace
TK

I have certain things that I do quite rigidly but not necessarily obvious to the uninformed eye.
Some of them include the manner of how I type things out. Another includes the fact that I need a clean/clear space before I proceed with doing work-activities. For example, when the kitchen is a mess, I will spend my time cleaning it first if you want me to cook something, before I start on any cooking.

Same with anything work-related. I need the papers and tools to be made tidy and organised, office-equipment should be orderly, and the desk/table needs to be clear of clutter or other unnecessary things. Another thing that I require is that nobody else is able to tamper with my work-related business. I need to hi-jack a separate room and install locks onto the doors so that nobody else can get in and make a mess, especially when it comes to there being the existence of a large number of products that I might be listing on-line for sale, otherwise if anybody can go into the room and move stuff around and make a mess, I will have no idea how to find the product without having to figuratively chew them out for tampering with my business-protocol.