Autism and working full time.

Regular screen breaks and going for a walk are good things to do, though I'm a hypocrite because I sit in front of the screen for hours without moving!

I have worked full time for over 30 years. To be honest I was never given any choice on the matter, but I wasn't diagnosed until I was 50. I actually thrived when I started work because I wasn't bullied like I was at school but it was a very diffrent work enviroment in the 80's. I am in the final weeks of working in a full time career job as we are relocating to a much cheaper area and I can just go and do a min wage job. At the moment I am done with it all, totally burnt out. 

It sounds you have a great job but coping is the issue? I have been anxious about work every day I have been working, that is just part of who I am. One thing I have learnt is things are never as bad as your anxious brain makes out. Everybody has their struggles, even those who like to portray them selves as the perfect manager have weaknesses. All you can do is try your best, take it day by day and don't beat yourself up about it.

Rob

I worked full time for ten years in my previous job. In my current job I worked for 9 years full time in the office. I used to find 5 days very difficult and now work 4 days and eventually at home, as when we moved to hot desking in an open plan office I struggled to find places to get away for breaks.

I find working 4 days helpful as I have a day to get over the working week, then enjoy my hobbies and take longer walks. I also take some of my leave in odd days, so about once a month I have a shorter week.

I was working full time as a piano teacher. I found that was very difficult. I felt like I had to put a different mask on every 30 minutes and my boss was very unkind. She pointed out any quirks I displayed in a negative way. For example, she seemed annoyed that sometimes I would leave my coat on (I am very sensitive to cold). She would make it seem like I was passive aggressively telling her to turn up the heat (I wasn't). I left the piano school and then tried many different jobs trying to figure out what felt good. I did find I enjoyed repetitive work (factory/ grocery) that had me pushing things, organizing things, and not having to interact very much with customers/ coworkers.  I have a family, so unfortunately, these jobs didn't pay enough for me to take care of their needs. I went back to school and got a teaching license. I taught in a school for a couple of years and it was EXHAUSTING! I love children and teaching, but it just was SO tiring. I think interacting with my coworkers really was the most difficult part of the job. I started to look for online work and was able to start teaching for an online school. I work from home 4 days a week and go in once a week. It has been MUCH better. The day I go to work is still very tiring, but the rest of the week better suits me and I am better able to take care of my own needs. I am hoping to stay at this job until I retire.

I guess my advice to you is to see if you can work out some kind of hybrid situation where you go to work just a couple of days a week, so you have plenty of time to recharge on the other days when you are home. Since the pandemic, more employers are willing to negotiate these kinds of arrangements, especially if you have already been working for them and they appreciate your work. Good luck!

I have worked as a software developer for 20 years. It is the kind of job that is perfectly suited for how I think - analytical, problem solving, focused. While a very technical job, I do have to spend a lot of time working directly with people and do what they call "soft skills", but I've spent long enough doing this that I'm used to it. I suppose over time I've learned and developed the unspoken rules of professional interactions, unlike in my personal life where I fumble a lot more.

I do have to take care of myself though. Once I realised that I might be autistic, I started to understand why I would feel so mentally drained after a client meeting, for example - having to mask to make it appear I looked "normal" compared to my colleagues. There are a few other things that I do which might help:

1. Never work overtime! Even NT people should do this, but this will just lead to stress, burnout and you will never be rewarded for it, only used even more.
2. I make sure to go for a walk every day during my lunch break, I'll listen to a podcast and block out the world. Getting outside and exercising helps clear my head.
3. You say you work from home. I actually prefer working in an office personally - to me it separates work life and home life so the two do not get mixed up. Even if my office is noisy sometimes (it's open-plan), I just put headphones on and listen to music while I work. The kind of work I do lets me listen to background music, and research has proven it can really focus your mind, get you into what's called a "flow state". So if you're able to work in the environment that benefits you all the better.

It sounds really good that you have people supporting you at work, having that also really helps you long term and you'll feel happier in your working environment.

I'd love to not go into the office too much but due to where I work more so than my type of work means I have to be unfortunately for 3 days a week. We're putting in for OH assessment at work now and I have looked at Access to work. 

Thank you, It's not been easy. It was 2 until this time last week. Currently i work from home on a Wednesday which i managed to negotiate a couple weeks ago due to struggling. I have to be in full time while on probation but managed a compromise as I'm almost at the end anyway. I'm trying to get it so it's 2 days together and not middle of the week because others I have to prepare twice a week to go back to the office. 

I've just started golf and finding I do enjoy it and can still do it when kinda tired. Like you it's more a mental fatigue than physical but it's amazing how it then effects me physically. I have fatigue also due to undiagnosed hormonal imbalances that are currently being investigated, but my first appointment isn't for a month. 

I went for a walk today which was brisk as I took the dog with me and I felt exhausted after, which I haven't had for a while it just gets depressing because I can't do the things that would help me mentally because of what is going on physically. I don't seem to be bouncing back so well mentally at the moment. 

I was u employed for a long time I started working as a music teacher and street musician but A it wasn't good income and B I had one bad experience too many and gave up on music all together 

So I got a cleaning job but getting on a crowded bus every day was draining me 

I got a retail job the first year was tough especially since I had one video worker who was a pain ..now it's at a point o get on with everyone and I know if a customer makes mr anxious they have my back 

Btw ice golf sounds so cool 

I forget my walk breaks when engrossed in work as it does get like that, especially now as it's a busy time and forget to drink, but luckily I don't forget to eat. I've had lots of counselling over the years for my anxiety so I have ways of managing it, but all the autism related struggles I don't have a clue as I'm recently diagnosed so still learning managing techniques. 

I could work from home full time but I hate being at home all day. Our current living situation is pretty cramped do that doesn't help the situation but can't do anything about that right now. It's why I like to get out the house, but working 5 days a week is tiring.

Yes I work obsessively fast without stopping and wear myself out. Another good thing about working from home is that my hubby reminds well makes me drink and eat regularly. He also says you should have finished work now. So it's working really well and with his support I think I can keep going. But I have had help from  MH team with anxiety and have escitalopram prescribed which stops me having melt downs during the work days thankfully. 

I escaped to the toilet in my last job where I eventually worked 4 days a week as full time became too much due to autism and social anxiety. 

Noe I work 2.5 days in a new job now age 57 most of the time from home just few hours a week in the office. Which I dislike for social anxiety reasons. But grateful that I can keep working. I walk every day for my mental health or I feel awful with stress. So it's going well. 

I work full time for a local authority (council) and have been there for around 8 weeks now. My job is hybrid, meaning that I work from home all the time except for 1 day per month when I have to go in (good job, because it's a 1 hour+ away). I understand where you're coming from when you say that you wouldn't want to work full time from home, but for me I find it so much more convenient.

I was "persuaded to leave" my previous job earlier this year as they struggled to cope with me and my conditions, autism being one of several. It didn't help that a lot of my colleagues were much younger, not very good at their jobs and didn't like working with me and my autistic traits (being blunt, straight up, unfiltered, perfectionist, etc) Fortunately, part of the "persuasion" was to compensate me financially.

Anyway, where I am now, the team are much more mature, less judgemental and more accommodating. Don't get me wrong, it can be tough - recently more bad days than good due to anxiety, self doubt, still finding my feet, etc. The way that I see it is if I cannot make a go of it here, then where would I fit in?

Well done on your 4 days off in 3 months - that is fantastic! I was having to take so much time off where I worked before - 120 days one year and then 60 days the next. I was hoping that I'd cracked it this year by only having 1 day off in January, but I guess the damage was already done in terms of my boss not being able to rely on me from one day to the next.

We're in the process of submitting an OH referral which I am finding extremely difficult having to go over all my health challenges for the umpteenth time (getting on for 4 years of issues). Plus, filling in forms can be very tiring for me (I think that is quite typical for autistic people).

I've also applied for help from the government's Access to Work  scheme, but the confirmation stated that they will be in touch sometime in the next 24 weeks!

One of my other conditions in chronic [mental] fatigue which is what started my downturn in health early 2021.....1 week after my first COVID-19 vaccination. The fatigue hit me like a steam train and turned my world upside down. My autism assessment / diagnosis came about because of the fatigue - I simply could not cope (mask) any more. Whilst my health still isn't great, at least I have my diagnosis's which help me understand my struggles - ASD, FND, OSA, and more.

Like you, I used to really enjoy playing golf, but haven't had much opportunity to play over recent years - I keep saying that I'll get back into it. I was talking to a friend (one of very few that I have) who has long COVID - he played recently and struggled to do 9 holes due to fatigue, and he was always a very fit person.

I do go to the gym 2 or 3 times a week to work out or do yoga which helps my mental health so much and it also gets me out of the house. Again, its more of a mental fatigue rather than physical fatigue that restricts me, although I do have a tendency to over do it at the gym and suffer the aches and pains for the next few days.

Yeh i sort of do this. We're allowed regular walk breaks to fet away from the screen but when I'm engrossed in work I forget. I do think I'm slowing down now it's been a few months and the honey mooperiod is over so to speak, so it will slow me down in but a good way as I won't be so full on doing my work and tiring myself out if that makes sense, and I'll actually take my rest breaks

Thank you, it was a big relief in a way but still doesn't feel right telling other people, like I'm fibbing. Oh that's interesting as my boss is putting one in for me so I'm hoping this helps. We get 2 days work from home once probation is over. I like being in the office as I hate being at home all day but also find it mentally exhausting being in work. It's a small team and I have my own desk, but it's an open plan office and I'd love my own one but it's not possible.

My current way to manage is regular screen breaks and going for a walk if I feel an anxiety attack/meltdown coming on which has been less but I am now just generally mentally drained. I have some other health issues being investigated which is also causing fatigue and tiredness which doesn't help as it adds to it. 

I usually use my hobbies of Ice hockey and Golf to unwind and reset but I'm too tired to do those at the moment so I'm lost for other ways to relax. I don't feel very relaxed a lot of the time recently.

Interesting to hear about the extended toilet breaks, if I can call it that. I have done that too at times, without knowing the reason why, and feeling guilty for it.

Firstly, congratulations on your diagnosis. I'm also lucky to have a very accommodating line manager and team. I had an OT assessment a few weeks ago. I'm allowed to work from home as much as I want - as long as the work gets done! 

I was diagnosed as autistic last year, aged 41, having worked full-time for most of the previous 19 years. Work becomes harder and harder as I get older and due to a combination of post-diagnosis grief, general fatigue & political/life disillusionment. Making autism YouTube videos, writing poetry, and running are my main methods of coping. And drinking alcohol - but I always regret it afterwards.

I worked full time for 34 years as a biomedical researcher at a university. I coped through a few different means. I am married with two children. In my evenings and at weekends I kept activities outside my commitments as a husband and father at a minimum. I needed the downtime, free of interactions with people, in order to recover from being a more or less 'social animal' at work. I worked in a converted cotton mill for the first 19 years, which was ideal for me, separate laboratories and small separate offices. Then we moved into a modern purpose-built building, which was significantly more challenging, with large open-plan laboratory spaces - each floor had what was essentially one large lab, with some small specialist rooms. The office space was open and we had 'hot desking'. To cope with this very hostile environment for autistics I took to spending 15 to 20 minutes every so often in the disabled toilets or sat on the steps leading to the roof access, just to get some relief from being constantly in a goldfish bowl and constantly forced into interactions with other people. For the last 8 years before I retired I had my own office, which eased things considerably.