Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm just about to reach 3 months into my first full time job. I scraped through uni but worked very hard and would like to keep this job. Part time retail jobs in the past have never been good for me due to the social factor and after 2/3 months I had to leave due to the amount of overwhelm, it made me so tired and anxious every time I had to go in.
Fast forward back to now. I was diagnosed autistic in February this year, before that my mum has always just helped me in anyway I needed as I've not had an easy life through school, bullying and a full blown crash or meltdown I guess at 15. But I'm about to finish my probation and have only had 4 days off work in that 3 months due to the overwhelm and exhaustion and burning out. But now I'm anxious every morning. I get to work from home 2 days a week from next week which was what I've been trying to push through for and started 1 day a week two weeks ago because of all this. My boss has been amazing throughout and very accommodating, we're currently putting in for an occupational health assessment at work and I've been looking into access for work as well.
I question is those of you who are in full time work (which I know isn't many) how to cope? I don't think working full time from home is an option for me due to where I work, but being a Graphic Designer it would be easy to do so. I make sure to go for regular walks but at busy periods this gets forgotten. But how else do you guys manage to stay in full time work, or did you find it better to move to part time? This might be an option for me but I'm unsure. I enjoy my job and the work isn't difficult, I just can't pin it down and I want to try and stay. This place has a very good work/life balance so I'm not doing many extra hours, if any. But I'm struggling to be able to do the things I enjoy like ice hockey and golf because of this knock on effect.
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.
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.