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Routine

Els

Hey!

Is this normal or just me? Normally, on a Sunday or after a long time of being off work, I get super sad and drained. To the point where I feel like life is pointless and I shouldn't be here. I'm not sure if it's because I have to go back to the normal routine of constantly being overstimulated and burnt out at work or if it's something else. It always happens after I've had a lovely week/weekend with loved ones and I don't want it to end :( 

Any advice?

  • in reply to Jeff9765

    I must admit that I used to get terribly depressed both when I was at school and when I was at work on a Sunday evening. As you say, you've been in a safe, predictable environment for the weekend and you have to face a big change the following day. So, no, you're certainly not alone in this and for me it intensified even more when they eventually privatised my particular industry and working conditions deteriorated so much so that I could not cope with the new changes. During that period, I would get terribly depressed and anxious at the thought of having to face it again, what with my sensory problems having been kind of "re-wired" to being constantly on high alert. It was horrible.

    I’d add that there was the occasional obnoxious co-worker one had to tolerate. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but this particular bloke was an ex-Navy CPO, and I think he went through some culture shock after leaving the Navy. Being used to a highly structured life, stepping into civilian life and experiencing the wider world must have been an eye-opener. That was fair enough, but he could be very aggressive at times and use foul language inappropriately. We all swear from time to time, but this guy used profanity as a routine way of expressing himself. On top of that, he had a drinking problem and would sometimes show up to work half-cut. It was even worse when he and I happened to be scheduled to work on a weekend, which occasionally occurred, and I used to worry and get so depressed at the prospect of having to put up with him for eight hours over two days. He could also be quite loud, often slamming things down, so it was a real nightmare for me.

  • Having something to look forward to in the evening helps me a bit. My family often sits together on Sunday evenings to watch a show or movie and have good food on the couch. It makes the day a bit better to know that the weekend is not nearly over because the evening will be nice. Doesn‘t make the feeling go away but it delays and softens it a bit.

  • It would probably be easier if you liked your job a lot and really got on with the people you work with but that's not a very common experience unless you are lucky enough to have that.

    I feel sorry for the people who have hum-drum jobs working in a factory or doing very repetitive tasks day in day out. That must be really hard to bear, especially when others rely on you bringing in a wage.

  • Hey, I really get this. That Sunday dread is so real.

    It's not just you—it's the transition thing. Going from a safe, happy space back to the overstimulating grind is brutal.

    What helps me a little: I try to ease into Monday. Like, do something small for myself Sunday evening, even if it's just 10 minutes of something I enjoy. Makes the shift less jarring.

    But yeah, it still sucks. You're not alone in this.

  • Els said:
    It always happens after I've had a lovely week/weekend with loved ones and I don't want it to end :( 

    Me, too. I always have. My autism assessor said it's common for autistic people to find transitions difficult. That was a relief to know, although it makes it no easier to cope with. It takes me a week or so to get back to normal.