How are you repetitive?

Healthy repetition - go to the same places, take the same routes. Watch and read the same things. Interact with the same people. Wear the same clothes. 

Unhealthy repetition - washing hands constantly. Chewing hair. Repeatedly focusing on unpleasant thoughts and worries. 

Cool! What is your current favourite same song?

 I really like your username too, it’s great! Socialising with our neurokin is great!

Ausomely Autistic said:

I listen to the same song on repeat and eat the same breakfast everyday.

Same!  I'll even rewind in the middle of the song to hear a part over and over even though I know I'm going to hear the song again.  Got to get all the juice out of that song.

Very interesting thread. I am chaotic and can't cope with routine, but way more so than any NT that I know. I cannot do getting up at the same time, to get the same train, to the same work, to come home at the same time, to eat at the same time, to go to bed at the same time with the same routines. Both my mind and body rebel and after a few days of trying, I get stressed and overwhelmed. I like new foods and hate rereading books or seeing a film repeat.

Maybe I am also dyspraxic (developmental coordination disorder) as well as autistic? - that would certainly account for my lack of time management, planning and personal organisation skills. I have a reputation for always being late.

I wear the exact same model of pants and bra every day (not the same pair every day, that'd be gross), I have 5 pairs of the same leggings and 5 pairs of the same shorts, and similar numbers of the same t-shirts and vest tops, some different colours but all the same exact model, all cotton rich material so it's soft, except the leggings, they're something synthetic but they're still soft and they have a light compression which I find comforting like deep pressure.

I have multiple routines that I have to follow exactly through the day, starting with my breakfast routine where I have to have my coffee and vitamin drink in the same cup and glass as always, the same flavour shake, everything lined up in the order I need to do it, including taking my medication. My husband didn't put the mugs in the right place after emptying the dishwasher the other day and it nearly caused a meltdown.

When I'm in my classroom at school I repetitively count the kids even if I know no-one has gone anywhere. I listen to the same songs on my way to and from school, follow the same route.

I also have a fair few repetitive thoughts.

I eat the same things

Watch the same stuff

Listen the same songs

Yes, me too. It's a double edge sword. It helps me solve problems, but also makes it hard to switch off and relax. They can set the brain on fire.

I'm not THAT repetitive, but routine stuff is always done in the same order and I have a lot of stims in my feet and do tend to eat the same foods over and over.

That said, whereas the social side of my autism is much less evident now than when I was a child, the repetitive stuff is more obvious now than when I was a child, especially when under stress or very anxious. There are now more pronounced repetitive body movements and more things like repeatedly playing pointless puzzel games over and over on my phone, or walking around the same circle  in my house - calms the nerves a smidgen.

What is your favourite same song or film?

I listen to the same song on repeat and eat the same breakfast everyday. I also eat a lot of breaded chicken, it is a safe food.

a small number of music vids i have watched many times ... this old tony vids many times .. and futurama over and over!

Yeah. I'm wondering what's "too much". Many people go to work and get out from work at the same time. Meaning they wake up at the same time, sleep probably at the same time everyday too. After work they have certain amount of energy so they are limited with what they can do in the evening. Most of them have Saturday and Sunday as weekend when they tend to do stuff they like, every weekend. I'm confused about routine and repetitiveness because lots of people live in them. I personally can't stick to the routine that I described above, just impossible because everyday I have different level of energy and I can't predict it or control it. Other NTs seem to be able to stick to some routines, like this one, more than I can!. Don't all people have their favourite things to do and like to do, redo and redo again? ... I'm very confused about where's the line of too much?. I know NTs who watch dozens of cat videos everyday. I have a favourite show on YouTube that I keep repeating too!. Very confusing.

Hehe, I do the same 

Agreed. Sometimes they do cross and it can be easy to mix up what's what, if that makes sense :) 

I've noticed a lot more 'repetition' in my day to day since replying previously too, I think it's easy to confuse routine - get up, brush teeth, shower etc with repetition - watching the same film for the millionth time and not getting bored with it or eating the exact same meal every day, I think they cross-pollinate a bit as well tho

I seem to watch the same videos on YouTube. Half the views are probably me XD

My job lol I hope it pays well ;) 

I guess it's most people are a little repetitive but we sort of live our lives by repetition, too much supposedly but it makes us, well us. 

Interesting point though. Thanks for sharing :) 

I've realized that the more I think about this question the more I realise other things that I'm repetitive in!!. I'm sort of surprised myself. Added to the top list, I have a morning and evening cream routine. Once i wake up, I drink lots of water because I know that I'll forget about it for the rest of the day. I also wonder, isn't repetitiveness a part of every human life?. in different degrees of course among people, but almost every person I could think of is somehow repetitive in some way??.

yes