Routines/details/changes

[DogwoodTree]

I have some routines in the mornings that help start the day out right for me. If I do everything in the right order, it just feels good. I'm not extremely rigid with my routines, and I can change them if needed, but then I'm more likely to forget to do something important.

I fine-tune my routines pretty much every day. Even details like how I fold my towel to hang on the rack are mapped out for the routine. There's a certain point in the routine where I brush my teeth, another point where I make the bed, another point where I put car keys and a tissue in my pockets. About a month ago, I changed the food I have for breakfast, so I've been developing the routine for making my new breakfast. I've just about got all the details worked out for that now so that everything happens efficiently and all the pieces fit together well.

I've noticed that most of my routines occur in the morning after I get up, or in the evening just before I go to bed. But I also have routines for getting in and out of the car (especially if I'm the driver), and for certain activities that happen once a week or once a month, that kind of thing.

Are your routines pervasive and burdensome, or productive and purposeful? Do you wish you could get rid of them, or do you use routines to your advantage?

 

[Andrew206]

I use my routines as a comfort zone. I know what to expect when I'm doing my routines. Certain parts of my routines, such as what I eat for breakfast and what time I leave home for work, are the same every day. Others vary depending on the day.

 

[umbrellabeach]

My routines are a lot like yours, Dogwood. Pretty much every little movement I do is part of the routine. I hate when I have to change anything - especially by other people's force.

 

[Progster]

I'm pretty much the same. I have set routines - certain things that I do at certain times of the day. I can cope with change if I'm the one to decide on it, but I hate unexpected things which disrupt it like a power cut. I'm fussy about mealtimes.

 

[Beverly]

My morning routine is the most important to me, probably one reason I usually wake before anyone else in the band, it gives me a couple of hours to do my thing before I have to deal with anyone else. I can deal with it being interrupted AFTER one cup of coffee but, not before that.

The rest of the day, I'm pretty flexible. I like my other routines but, I don't get upset if I have to alter or skip them now and then.

 

[Judge]

I suppose as long as my morning routines are eventually accomplished, it's not all that important what sequence they take each day. But if they don't get done at all that's somewhere between irritating and unacceptable. Go figure.

 

[King_Oni]

Ugh... routines... the lack of detail is so obvious I can't even call them routines and my daily life revolves around acting on impulse exclusively. I can't deal with set schedules and routines at all as they feel restricting. Just the fact that some things are part of daily life and in a sense require me to plan a bit ahead already annoy me to no end. It means I have to plan against my train of thought and live with the inability to just lose and immerse myself in my own world.

Similarly, I'm also one of those people who in general takes care of business right away to make sure there's no interference later when I'm enjoying my current mental state (and clearly for someone who enjoys doing artsy stuff in plenty of fields, being caught up in the right state of mind is pretty relevant to finish something). It's also why I can't handle with a regular job that requires me to show up daily for X hours for Y days a week (nor why school worked for me)...

So routines for me feel like an exhausting and trudging process.

The most "routine" I might have is write down stuff like what paints I used on a project for when I have to reproduce something, since it saves me a lot of time of figuring out which ones...

But even something as basic as cooking doesn't go on routine for me but strangely enough on intuition. Seemingly I do it right and can't remember the last time something I cooked actually burnt or was overcooked or so overly bad one way or another it was outright inedible. And yet, I haven't used a cookbook or something of that nature ever in my life. Because even following a recipe already feels a lot like routine to me.

 

[Jonathan Lees]

im probably a bit odd for aspies but like king_Oni i don't really have any routines, i just get on with the next thing that needs doing rather than have a particular order and plan that i have to follow.

 

[DogwoodTree]

i just get on with the next thing that needs doing rather than have a particular order and plan that i have to follow.

I do this with my work responsibilities and housecleaning chores, all of which takes up most of the middle part of the day. I hate having to be somewhere at a specific time, unless it's something I'm really looking forward to (and then I wish I didn't have to wait for a specific time). But as I get to specific tasks, they sometimes have routines associated with them.

 

[Garry63]

I have some routines in the mornings that help start the day out right for me. If I do everything in the right order, it just feels good. I'm not extremely rigid with my routines, and I can change them if needed, but then I'm more likely to forget to do something important.

I fine-tune my routines pretty much every day. Even details like how I fold my towel to hang on the rack are mapped out for the routine. There's a certain point in the routine where I brush my teeth, another point where I make the bed, another point where I put car keys and a tissue in my pockets. About a month ago, I changed the food I have for breakfast, so I've been developing the routine for making my new breakfast. I've just about got all the details worked out for that now so that everything happens efficiently and all the pieces fit together well.

I've noticed that most of my routines occur in the morning after I get up, or in the evening just before I go to bed. But I also have routines for getting in and out of the car (especially if I'm the driver), and for certain activities that happen once a week or once a month, that kind of thing.

Are your routines pervasive and burdensome, or productive and purposeful? Do you wish you could get rid of them, or do you use routines to your advantage?

Routines seem to give Aspies structure and enjoyment, not the same as OCD which causes intense agitation in the sufferer. I have adhd on a background of Aspergers (diagnosed) and I loathe routines and too much structure, but I wish it were otherwise!! it does not seem to help my impulsivity and I have little organisational ability . I wish I was similar to you in this respect.

 

[cha]

I have to keep LOTS of notes about my life. My desk has a few different notebooks that I list things I know I need to do for the year, month and right now. I also have two physical Calendars (one for the current month and a yearlong calendar). I also have 4 stacks of different sticky notes I use...1 for what I need to do today 2. things to do while I am out in the car 3. what to do when I get back home 4. what I need to do tomorrow.

I get so sidetracked I believe I need this to keep my life together and to remember to take care of things like paying bills and taking care of my health...retrieving money ect...

I eat the same things every day but will stray away from time to time....that is a big time mess up because everything goes kaput.

I've been trying to do my routines the past few months but have alot of trouble because of my work schedule. Consequently I've been kind of unproductive and deppressed the past few months. I'm looking for another part-time job to make a little bit more money and stablize my schedule though....trying to make this happen for me!

 

[TinyHatOnAPumpkin]

None of my routines are time based, which has caused some to say that I don't have them, but I really do, they are just TASK based. I have very specific routines for getting ready for bed (I can't go to sleep, no matter how tired I am, unless I have done my full bedtime routine) which includes brushing my teeth and stretching exercises. And I have another one for getting ready to go somewhere, which includes showering, getting dressed (in a certain order/routine), stretching exercises, packing my purse or bag, etc. I even have to wash everything in a certain order while in the shower, and afterwards I always clean my ears after drying off, then brush my teeth. Oh and I can't leave the house without doing this. Well I mean I can, but unless it's just a super quick errand nearby, I'll be extremely uncomfortable the whole time.
Oh and my routine for when I first wake up is to take out my mouth guard, take off my ear muffs and sleep mask, snuggle with my cat (he likes to cuddle when I first wake up, and because of this it's become part of my routine... To the point that if he isn't around when I wake up I'll lay in bed calling him) then I go to the bathroom, get my food and ice for my diet cola (i can't drink coffee because of my acid reflux, and the ice at least waters it down so it's not as harsh first thing in the morning) and then go back up to my room to eat while watching something on my computer.

 

[Ronin82]

I'm a huge fan of my routines, and they are necessary to keep my happy. If I have a busy day at work and can't get back to the house between runs as usual, my whole day is disrupted and i get very grumpy. I even have specific days for wearing specific socks, even if the whole reason for that routine doesn't occur I still wear the socks on the specific day. I can be flexible, but i definitely get grumpy if my routines are too badly disrupted.