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Difficulty starting the day and doing stuff

S

Sem

Active Member
It has taken me experiencing countless grumpy, irritable, and depressed weekends to realize I do not do well without a schedule or routine. If I don't start doing something within about 1-3 hours, my day is practically ruined. Does anyone else experience this?

A few things that help some: a weekly checklist of tasks/activities, making a list for that particular day, getting up by 8am, avoiding looking at the disorganization in my house

What works for you?
 
I'm the same way, if I don't start my day in a routine then what's the point of doing something productive or clean. I ought to try a schedule as well as get my sleeping hours back on track ....
 
I actually don't make plans nor have schedules for most part. Except for some practical issues like going to the store when I run out of groceries as well as if I have appointments

Add in that I kinda go on my own daytime rhythm and it's probably a pretty impulsive way to go by day by day. Not having a job or any actual obligations allows for such a lifestyle, but it doesn't work for everyone I'd assume. But as far as errands and getting things done I don't really miss a beat. Yes, I might postpone things, but that doesn't mean I won't get them done eventually. Guess that's where priorities come in.

As for getting up and being busy when I wake up so I feel I haven't wasted my day... I don't feel forced to have to do things as much. But then again, I'm one of those people who will clean up if the mess is bothering me, not when I should clean up. So far, my friends can accept that I'm not the person who has the cleanest place (though it's far from messy).

One of the things that sets me off from a lot of people on the spectrum, is that I abhor any form of structure and schedules. I can't work with them at all. I function best on impulses not on planning. Probably makes me a bit more erratic as well, lol.

What I did find however, that if I talk to any of my friends, the entire thing with waking up and getting active is the least of my issues. I can wake up and start cleaning the house 15 minutes after I woke up*. Granted, I do want to freshen up when I wake up, perhaps have breakfast, but kickstarting my day when I feel I have to do something is the least of my issues. But perhaps that's the keyword(s) here "when I feel I have to do something". Probably adds up that I have to be in the mood and see the relevance to move my butt into the next gear. Then again, I won't complain and beat myself up over something if I don't get to it. I might look around and figure "meh... it's not that messy, so I wont clean up now" and a thought how much of a mess it is, surely wont come up the entire day. I think it has to do my decision making and just sticking with that without ruminating over it.

*waking up tends to be a different deal for me altogether. Either I wake up and bounce around for the entire day as some hyperactive person or I wake up, feel so groggy, rather want to go back to sleep and have problems differentiating left from right, for the entire day. No amount of cafeine or cold showers will help me there.
 
Sem said:
It has taken me experiencing countless grumpy, irritable, and depressed weekends to realize I do not do well without a schedule or routine. If I don't start doing something within about 1-3 hours, my day is practically ruined. Does anyone else experience this?

A few things that help some: a weekly checklist of tasks/activities, making a list for that particular day, getting up by 8am, avoiding looking at the disorganization in my house

What works for you?
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I need to do some of this! Every weekend I'm depressed because I have no idea what to do with my time. In the week I am okay, I have to do this, get up at this time, go to sleep by this time and so on. But, on the weekend I am at a loss of what to do with my time.
 
I could not plan something to save my life. When I work, everyone calls me an animal. I am not lazy and can out do almost anyone in productivity. That being said, if I am left up to my own accord, I can sit all day and think about what to do, how much I have to do , and struggle with what to do first, and get nothing done. I work best, or am most productive if someone tells me what to do, or if I have something I must get done. Without direction, I fail.
 
I have the same inertia- I find it best to get out and MOVE - I get tireder and sleepier if I stay in bed too long. My morning starts with caffeine, scan of the news on my chesttop (my bed partner!) and then an 8 km walk....
 
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am heavily reliant on routine,and use a PECS based timeline to schedule what is happening throughout the day-everything is on that whether small or large because am unable to cope with any unpredictibility, ever since getting a tablet for AAC use a couple of months ago,had installed a excellent program called autiplan and am trying to switch over to that for daily timelines but its difficult at the moment as have only got a dongle internet connection,and have got to route the tablet through the laptop to access the dongle,so its difficult to do without support and not everyone thinks of doing it.
 
Yup, I need a bit of structure to. The nights before my days of I try to start a project or game this way I am excited about getting back to it when I wake. I especially love it when I get to wake up in the morning and see the results of an overnight render or simulation.
 
I do have duties, but none of them is really urgent. So I can always "do it tomorrow". And since I absolutely hate cleaning I often will procrastinate.

During the day I do what I like at that moment, but I always feel guilty when doing so. When playing games, for instance, I always feel like I should be outside. Even though my game is more enjoyable.
 
Saragrl said:
Yup, I need a bit of structure to. The nights before my days of I try to start a project or game this way I am excited about getting back to it when I wake. I especially love it when I get to wake up in the morning and see the results of an overnight render or simulation.
Click to expand...
Could you give a few examples? I think this could work really well for me..
 
During the day I do what I like at that moment, but I always feel guilty when doing so. When playing games, for instance, I always feel like I should be outside. Even though my game is more enjoyable.
Click to expand...

I can feel the same, at times. I have learned not to do it so much, it's my time and I will do what pleases me, not what will please others.

Could you give a few examples? I think this could work really well for me..
Click to expand...

I like doing computer special effects and other 3d graphic things. That kind of hobby can have lots of down time, waiting for sim data or something to render. If I know I am going to be bord the next day I will try to start project, or set up a simulation to run overnight. This way I wake up and want to see how it turned out, or continue working on what I started.

I find it's harder to decide what to do when your facing a whole day of no plans. By starting something the night before, I have a reason to get up. Not saying I don't get bord, I just know when I do I get very depressed. I'm sure many here are the same way, I'm alone 99% of my personal time and if I get bord, I have way to much time to dwell on what I don't have.
 
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