Life Hacks

When meeting people socially, I give them a window of time for when I'll get there. My time mgmt isn't very good so it takes the pressure off. I have learned friends are mostly not bothered if you're late anyway but I still feel pressure on myself not to be late. 

Yes, that's a good way to do it.

Yes, I feel this, and I'm glad you were able to explain to your boss through email. At my job I schedule people having renovations in their houses and when I started I wanted to tell them all the steps and how long it would take (because I knew that was what I would want) but my boss said no I have to be less specific so I don't cause disappointment if the schedule doesn't go to plan. It feels so wrong to me but apparently it's what the neurotypicals prefer  

MelonCauliflower said:

have an explanation of why I need an adjustment,

We don't have to do it, as long as top manager knows about you're being autistic you can refer them to him/her, and tell them it was agreed with him/her. Though I know it might be hard not to

Thank you everyone for sharing - it is great to hear people's tips!

Loop ear plugs have are the most discrete noise reduction earphones i have found to combat noise sensitivity i haven't found anything more discrete unfortunately. I found some noise reduces that go behind the ear but it requires skin safe adhesive and i don't think i would tolerate them.

an acquaintance has suggested a ear clip piercing but it painful and the there is a chance that it would not reduce my sound sensitivity and finding a place that does it is really uncommon, it's not really discrete but people don't often make as much as fuss with them as earphones.       

I found some discrete detachable pocket fidgets that you can stitch into hoodie pockets and remove before you place into the wash and can switch them out. It comes with different fidget toy to attach in your pocket. I found it on Etsy. I got my friend to stitch them into my hoodies.

I have a fidget ring that use regularly. it's designed so you can rub the ring without irritating your finger.

I have recently went to the opticians and requested some special sunglasses that look clear facing people but are adaptive sunglasses when the wearer looks through them, best £120 i have spent. I wear them in shops. 

I got my old glasses frames modified in a similar way so they look clear to people looking me, but i the wearer see orange to help with reading. so people treat me like im special or ask a thousand questions.         

I love elastic bands, keep me busy just stretching them and flinging them flying across the room lol. I also made an elastic band ball whoo, time well spent

I've got a drawful of elastic bands. I always think when i'm picking them up ......... I hope nobody is watching me.

Thank you for your suggestion about timescales. I find it hard having someone coming to my home to do work and not knowing exactly the order they will do it or rough timescale. I will explain it is helpful to know. I recently sent an email to my bosses as didn't know how to explain how autism affects me at work verbally and had a very helpful reply.

I pick up elastic bands, discarded on the ground, for stimming. Not the most hygienic thing to do, but it keeps me occupied.

Thank you for taking the time to reply, that is all really useful. I am recently self diagnosed and only just beginning to realise I need to adjust my life to be able to cope rather than beat myself up for not coping! I am going to give saying what I need a go I think!

Hi, I'm just starting out with finding out what works for me. I've stared collecting soft stim things that I have on my desk and at work. I bought a big bag of faux fur pompoms from Amazon.

I use a journal to plan what I need to do and to makes notes of what I have done. I've split my tasks into fun things, necessary things (like to the laundry, book that appointment) and health/wellbeing. This way I can see if my days are unbalanced and plan to add more of what I need to my week. It also helps me to look back and see that difficult times did pass and often they passed pretty quickly.

I don't use noise cancelling headphones so I cant advise. My work has been having lots of building work done which is very loud, I've been using my regular in-ear headphones to take the edge off, I just stick the wires in my pocket. It works for me because I can still hear people if they try to talk to me. Probably not useful at all for you since it sound like you want more noise exclusion than that.

I also find that being honest with myself and others about what I need helps. Easier said than done sometimes but its little things like telling my hair dresser that I don't want a head massage, saying no thanks to work lunches, asking the doctor to clarify timescales and all the steps of a treatment, going to bed at half 8 on work nights, eating that one same food again because you cant handle anything else at that moment. Most people I find don't need to be told that I'm autistic or have an explanation of why I need an adjustment, I just ask for what I want or don't want. I know that's not true in all cases but it is always worth a try.