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Positive routines

IzzyMadd

Hi, I'm after advice on how to start and especially maintain good personal routines. I know what i want to do but I don't know how to go about building a daily routine that I want to keep to.  This is not easy to admit that at my age I need help but I am just starting on my autism discovery. Literally in the last three months. And as such everything autistic is feeling very raw.

What I need are suggestions/ideas on how to create a positive lifestyle that I can maintain. 

Simple things like brushing my teeth and even showering.

Yes I know how to do these things it's the motivation/maintenance of them. Things like how many action should I be trying to create? How long before I should add more? And especially tips on reminders 

Thanks in advance 

  • IzzyMadd said:
    What I need are suggestions/ideas on how to create a positive lifestyle that I can maintain. 

    Lists / checklists are a common technique for executive function issues such as you describe but have you tried these before? If so, how did you get on with them? What caused you to stop using them if so?

    These can help us shape ideas that are more tailored to your situation.

    For ideas I would consider the following:

    1 - start of a normal day.

    1.1 - wake up, take any dishes / cups in the bedroom to the kitchen and put in the sink / dishwasher.

    1.2 - take any medication scheduled for this time and scan your schedule for the day.

    1.3 - go to the bathroom - check you have a towel and go to the toilet, flush, wash hands, brush your teeth and have a shower to get fresh for the day. Check on the schedule if you are due to wash your hair this day).

    1.4 - hang the towel, take your night clothes to the bed for the next day, get dressed (check your schedule to see if you need to go out and dress accordingly)

    1.5 - make breakfast, eat it and put the dishes in the sink / dishwasher and if you don't have a dishwasher, wash the dishes and check all food is put away (eg milk in the fridge, cerial in the cupboard etc) and clean up any mess.

    1.6 check the laundry basket and if it is full then put on a load of washing. While it is washing, check the clothes airing area and put away any dry clothes.

    1.7 Review your to-do list for the day. Prepare anything you need for these events. If today is a housework day then make a note of when you schedule this for and ensure the alarm is set on your phone.

    1.8 Create a checklist for todays things, including lunch and dinner as you may need to shop for food. If a shop visit is needed, add it to your list.

    1.9 Start on the tasks one at a time, checking them off as you go.

    2 - lunchtime arrives (using a pre-set, repeating alarm on your phone)

    2.1 - Tidy away anything you have been working on unless you are going back to it after lunctime.  Keep the clutter to a minimum, If the washing machine was running then it should have finished so hang the wet clothes in the drying area.

    2.2 - prepare lunch. Put food preparation things away before eating then eat lunch and put the dishes in their appropriate place.

    2.3 - Clean up after lunch. If the dishwasher is full then start it running.

    2.4 - brush your teeth and floss. Oral hygiene is important to avoid dog breath,

    2.5- check your task list and start on the next thing

    2.6 - allow an hour to relax and not need to do anything. Set an alarm so this does not over-run.

    3 - dinner time arrives  (using a pre-set, repeating alarm on your phone)

    3.1 - Tidy away anything you have been working on  Keep the clutter to a minimum, If the dishwasher was running them empty it before cooking.

    3.2 - prepare dinner. Put food preparation things away before eating then eat lunch and put the dishes in their appropriate place.

    3.3 - Clean up after dinner. If the dishwasher is full then start it running.

    3.4 - brush teeth and floss.

    3.5  - check your schedule for the next few days and see what needs to be planned for in the next few days - add alarms for anything and add notes to your check list if you need to fill in forms, do shopping etc.

    3.6 - relax and enjoy your evening. Set an alarm for bedtime.

    3.7 when the bedtime alarm goes off the house should be tidy but do a scan for anything that needs clearing up, deal with it then wash, get changed into your bedclothes and go to bed.

    Does this seem the sort of thing you were looking for?