What's a typical day like for you?

Your days sound like a lot of fun at times. I like cycling too, but, unfortunately it's not possible for me at the moment. Triggered a memory of a pink princess bike I had as a child, it had a lovely little basket which was shaped like a crown. I rode it all the time.

LucyLandRover said:

Volunteering cab ne so much more fun and less stressful.

I was volunteering before and I did really enjoy it. I'm hoping I can do it again in the future at some point.

A typical day for me is waking early around 5.35am as I do not sleep well and due to being excited about a new day. I enjoy a mug of coffee and read a lot and listen to Radio Four. I go litter picking and love to be out on the moors enjoying the scenery and making a difference. I love cycling and this is a therapy for me.

I feel you are being a little hard on yourself as life as an autistic can be tough but it is a positive thing too if you can find a hobby or an interest that allows you to lose yourself in it. Work is not the rosy picture the Torys make it out to be so do not let them put you down. Volunteering cab ne so much more fun and less stressful.

Go for it. Plenty of platforms to use, WordPress is a good one, though. It's free to get started if you want the basic package.

I mostly work from home so most weekdays I get up around 8am, feed my cat, get myself ready and log in. Then around 5pm I start making my dinner. After dinner I generally sit around feeling bored and lonely and watch TV.

On weekends I go to the supermarket.

A typical day for me would be get up go to uni if I’m in that day or so uni work on my days off. I also see my boyfriend some evenings if not I watch tv or I sometimes meet some friends. I try to keep myself busy it helps with my depression and anxiety. 

I'm at home, because I have responsibilities.

1. Housework.

2. Hope, my kitten.

3. My car.

I hear you. I'm going to try and push myself a tiny bit more in 2024.

Thank you. I'm looking forward to reaching the point where I start living again. I feel I've been stuck in the mental health circle for too long now.

I look forward to seeing it

You've reminded me that I have already said elsewhere that I will start a Blog next year.  So when I go through with it, I will send the link to others here.

Mindless repetition is just part of adult life for 99% of people, I like it because it suits what I have with autism. So I tend to follow the same routine.

Get up, drink tea, write, catch up with the day's news, write some more, drink more tea.

Then when I'm done with work for the day (although I write in my spare time anyway) I'll either watch a film, read, or play some video games. I've built into this a routine of regular walking, so I make regular trips to the local teashop when I can because I like the waitress there. And she keeps waving at me, so maybe one day I'll pluck up the courage to chat to her more.

But yeah, maybe try shaking your routine up a little each day for variation? 

Get a new hobby. Start a blog or a YouTube channel. Learn to juggle. Knit. Something like that! These small things can make a big difference for your outlook. 

Weekdays, I wake up, eat breakfast while looking at the internet, go for a run, shower, put lunch on to cook. If there is work available on the online platform I work on, I do it. If not, I tidy up and do any other chores. Eat lunch. Go to the library to study maths (current special interest). Come home, eat some snacks. Most evenings I go to a dance class or other fun thing, but if nothing is happening I get into bed and read. Weekends are similar but on Saturdays I go to parkrun and then go swimming.

I stay home all day every day too.  Remember this is just a period of your life and eventually you will want to clamber back out there again.  You will  probably then return to more solitary pursuits and then you will get bored of that  again and give life another try.   That has been my experience as an Autist.

We can work from home. So my typical day is working from home but wanting to play on my PS5 instead. I force myself to do one Wednesday morning in the office but I hate it (but it also is good for me in a way).

I tend to ruminate about it on the Tuesday a lot and I hate the bright lights in an office and never understood that "being a part of society" norm thing everyone goes on about who work in the office a few days a week.

The social interactions are too intense and the fact everyone just wants to offer me biscuits and cakes all day is nice but it just adds to the stress saying no all the time. 

I then get to the weekend burnt out again and wanna stay in all weekend with the curtains closed. I force myself to go walking and being in nature does heal me so that's a positive outdoor experience. 

Hi @LoonyLuna, I hope you find some contentment and joy in your activities, even if it is not how you imagined life would be, and can gradually work towards some of the things you dreamed of.

I am totally with you on home being a safe space. No one has been in mine for over a decade other than people fixing my heating or delivering a new washing machine! It is so sacrosanct, I fear that letting anyone in would break the spell.

I am in the fortunate position to be employed. I used to go into an office every working day, but since the pandemic have been working mainly at home. We were told recently that we had to make an appearance in person on Fridays, which turned out to be less traumatic than originally anticipated, partly because I roll in late in order to avoid the crowds on the trains! The people that I work with are generally nice, and seem happy to accept me being a bit different to them in exchange for what I can do. But I find it all quite tiring, so do very little in the evenings other than cook my tea and watch a bit of TV.

Otherwise, my days are quite similar to yours, but with less hair brushing. I benefit hugely from a clear structure and routine, and try to go for a walk every morning even if it involves getting drenched. Otherwise, I rarely go anywhere. I managed my first holiday in over a decade in September this year, four days in Devon. It was planned with military precision, which took an eternity! I manage the occasional day-trip to London, as I enjoy the galleries and museums. I have been enough times now to be reasonably comfortable with getting around there, though still struggle with everywhere being so crowded.

More generally, I feel like I have been regressing in recent years, ending up in a rut where I spend my time staring at a computer screen hoping for some inspiration that will transform my life, rather than actually doing anything. I have come to the conclusion that I have wasted far too much of my time wishing I was more ‘normal’, questioning why I cannot behave like others or want the same things that they do. Somewhere along the way, I have lost track of what I enjoy, and look on jealously at people here who have a special interest that gives them immense satisfaction (even though I know that can have its downsides as well). I need to break out of that cycle, and be more accepting of who I am rather than constantly berating myself for what I am not. There are parameters within which I need to work. I can push them a bit, which is good for me, but too far and things start to fall apart. Fundamentally, I just need to be kinder to myself, and challenge this constant feeling of disappointment with who and what I am. Maybe then I will be able to recapture some of the joy in everyday things.

I definitely need something to focus on! I am much more content when I have a clear purpose to the day, rather than having an emptiness that needs filling. I just need to work out what that something is!

Sounds good to me. I like books though, I spend a lot of time reading if my eyes aren't too painful.

I also own a computer but it rarely gets used. I do all my browsing and video watching on my phone, which more less is like a computer, just smaller and a lot more convenient.

Provided it's a day off (e.g. weekend), well, uh, sitting in front of the computer, mostly. Sometimes going out, some of those times getting more books (and acting like an unsure nerd while browsing through the, I have to admit, pretty limited selection of the only bookshop that I know that sells English books.) There simply is not much else to do.