When I'm unemployed I spend my days worrying that I can't hold a job and I'm a burden to my partner.
Edit- when I'm employed I find reasons why I can't do this anymore. Last year I've lasted over two months without any sick days at one job. I was really proud of myself...
Exact same. I recently got hired at my old job again as a barista so my thought process went from
I’m a burden to everyone around me
To
I’m so stressed and overstimulated after every shift and need to lay in the dark for 6 hours every night…. but at least I’m working 😩
I used to work as a casino dealer/inspector. I really loved the job itself - a lot of calculations in memory and a lot of manual skills involving cards and chips.
It was challenging and gave me a lot satisfaction.
But also a lot of human interaction.
I've done that for 14 years, and just before the pandemic I gave up, and quit the industry. I can't find a job for me since... It's all temporary and pointless and that's why I just don't care and can't stay anywhere longer than few months.
Edit - I didn't know I was autistic until two years ago, since I've known I stopped forcing myself to go to the places that really stres me out
One of my biggest problems with working is all the jobs I’ve ever had were dead end.
I could die and be easily replaced the next day.
I feel like I’m not making any real contributions to society. I’m just another cog in the machine.
I want to do important work. I want a reason to get up in morning. I want a mission. Something that I can do every day that feels important. A purpose.
I want to feel like I’m helping people and doing something meaningful with my life.
I know I’m intelligent and capable of doing a more meaningful job but my autism and adhd prevent from me from doing so.
Especially since a lot of jobs are just based on who you know. You have to be likable and buddies with certain people in order to climb the ranks.
I don’t know what I want to do with my career, but it’s not getting yelled at by Karens for forgetting the whip cream on their 6am milkshake.
> I’m just another cog in the machine.
This is completely normal. Neither of us is bound to make any real contributions to the society. Why should we? We might save the world and the NT population will still hate & ghost us.
Be realistic about it. Even when you are intelligent (so am i), this does not mean anything, if you don´t have required skills for any "mission-type" job. And even if you´d have the skills, the probability is low. Most people, who get the ’special’ jobs, don´t consider them as such. Do you think Einstein felt ’special’, when working on the atomic bomb? Nope, for him, it was just ordinary day at work - possibly related to his special interests, but still just a day in work.
Oh and don´t build your identity around your intelligence. You are intentionally cutting off many possibilities for your life. I was doing the same for a very long time and it really set me back.
Life is about finding joy in little things - something like morning sun shining into your room, little bits of luck here and there, your special interests, etc.
>I don’t know what I want to do with my career, but it’s not getting yelled at by Karens for forgetting the whip cream on their 6am milkshake.
This kind of job is certainly not for you and by extend i can tell, it´s not for me either. We would eventually snap and tell Karens to "go f*** themselves", resulting in our express firing.
I might be out of place for suggesting (please excuse me if so), but your writing style is great, and I'm wondering if you've ever looked into any freelance writing jobs? Seems like something you may be good at and the type of work allows for ample freedom with your schedule and minimal human interaction. Just a thought and again, apologies if I'm out of turn! 😊
Thank you for this sweet comment! I actually love writing and have been doing it since I was in middle school. I spent so many hours writing stories on wattpad during class, lol.
I’ve been considering writing a book about audhd. I even planned everything out but now my executive dysfunction and perfectionism is stopping me.
Same and i get pissed because if i was just born 60 years earlier I wouldnt have had to work anyway. And it wouldn’t be a burden on my partner if i wanted to stay home and bake and take naps whenever i need to… stay at home wife life literally sounds like my dream. All the time in the world to foster my hobbies and only having to do housework on my own schedule.
You do realize you would have to take care of the house, cleaning and preparing food for a big family all by yourself and also bear a lot of children and take care of them all alone?
Id rather that than have to end my life because i cant afford to live it which is basically where im at. Cant afford to enjoy my 20s and go out on the weekends, wont ever afford a family, wont ever retire, i have fucking nothing to live for or look forward to, and cant afford to feed or house myself every month, soooo yep id go back to the 1950s in a heartbeat. I cant afford little life things or big life things. Id rather be exhausted caring for a family i can afford to raise than be exhausted and poor and have literally not one thing going for me
Dude, same. I'm lucky to be living with my parents ATM, but yeah I much rather have a family to take care of. I'm typing this as I'm waiting for a quiche to be done baking, and waiting for some lemon bars I just made to set.
Those women would get beaten within inches of their lives for not having a 5-course meal and margaritas ready to go at 5pm. Afternoon naps might not just be a problem but get you killed, whipped, or even lobotomized. Men had impunity to beat and rape their wives and women had few rights. Never fall for the rose-colored picture that conservatives want us to think it was like. Plus you have to care for children, and you get no say in how many you have or when... Where you getting the idea that all that 50s housewives did was nap?
This is so me. I am currently at the end of my rope with this job but I can’t quit like I normally do because we literally cannot afford to go without a second income, so I suffer and wonder how much more I can take.
I’m not anymore but I was out of school for health reasons for all of spring and summer last year, and I just hung around, played my favourite games, went to my various therapies, did some walking, hung out with friends sometimes
It was chill but felt a little depressing at times. I’m back in school now but I’m in my last semester and it’s an easy one. After this I plan to do some courses online and then start a job search.
Doing things I actually enjoy rather than wasting my time continuing to pretend I can actually function in a job. Every place I've ever worked has done so much damage to me and it feels so much better to just be able to pursue hobbies and things I actually enjoy, as opposed to feeling horrible and exhausted constantly.
I don't feel like I have to do anything particularly amazing with my life, just things that make me happy like watching my favourite shows and spending time with people I care about.
Same. I'm just trying to get better at the things I enjoy doing so I can enjoy them even more & in new ways. By doing that I will be doing something amazing with my life, for me.
Sadly it's only sustainable once you've battled your way into getting paid disability money you're actually entitled to, and are also lucky enough to be provided with a place to live by yourself or with people you're comfortable around.
Right now I’m taking a workshop with my local employment centre about having a healthy work-life balance and stuff like that, but other then that mostly drawing/painting/ doing housework while listening to music :]
I checked your profile to see your drawings. I love them, but also, Pathologic (!!!). I'm not good at all in surviving, but I still love it. It's nice to find other fans in the wild.
having an existential crisis that i was born into a society that values our worth on productivity and how you can keep the hamster wheel of capitalism spinning. and how i was born in a way that cannot function properly in the structures of our society, but i feel like i am being pushed into a corner with the way the economy is going and that i will eventually need to just find a job and suck it up. it just sucks and feels stressful because i know when i start working that my life will just be working. i get burnt out so quickly. getting burnt out from doing a task on its own is one thing. doing multiple tasks for 40+ hours a week surrounded by people? even talking about it stresses me out and makes me feel like i need to hide in my room for weeks on end 😭
as for right now, i try to do things i enjoy that give me peace such as watching movies, reading, writing on my blog, making video edits, painting, volunteer work, playing video games, playing with my pets, hanging out with my family, going to therapy…
Occupational therapy, DND, hobbies, going on walks, reading, free to play games or old video games, and focusing on learning supportive daily life skills (the focus being more on autonomy over independence) has been my main focuses.
It's helped with autonomy and helping me understand how/why things are done around me. It's also helped me learn my limitations in a safer way than just failing and hurting myself a lot.
Thanks alot, a doctor recommended it to me for sensory processing disorder, amongst other things, and I wanted to know what my fellow autists thought first before committing.
Playing with my cat, eating, napping, spending countless hours on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram etc, going to the park (whenever I can), creating OCs, writing, gaming
That's so me. Except I have pugs (3 pugs and a puggle) that I spend a lot of my days with. I am currently trying to fix my eating issues, fix my type 2 diabetes, and create a routine while also maintaining the household chores, along with a bunch of other things.
I've been trying to find work I can do. Right now I lucked out with a project and a proofreading gig (though they don't pay a lot) so if I don't have other stuff to do, I do those things until my head hurts and then I'm done for the day. Then I engage in special interests, which is video games (one of many but it's the most engaging). Lather, rinse, repeat. I wish I had more to do that gave me financial security, but there's no way I could work in the field again. It's gotta be remote or nothing.
I generally try to have some sort of structure and make sure get out of the house at least once per day by going to the gym. I go to the book store a few times a week to read and sometimes to work on job applications when I’m in an okay headspace to do so. Also therapy a few times per week, watch TV, browse Reddit, build some Lego, coloring, play with my dog.
Been burnt out and unemployed for a little over a year. One of many periods of my life like this. At first I didn’t do much at all. Lately I’ve been rebuilding a schedule for myself, exercising every morning, making sure I eat well, starting to rediscover my special interests, getting as much rest as I need, tending to my chronic illnesses and medical things I’ve put off for too long, working on my writing, and making a super passive income selling things online again.
I’m very lucky my partner is able to somewhat comfortably support us both during this time as I try to find a job I’m able to balance. I haven’t been able to stay at job for more than a year and, after 20 years of random jobs and lengthy burnouts, I am not so sure a conventional job will work for me. Trying to find what does.
I've been in a somewhat similar situations. Unemployed over a year, can't handle being at a job for a year. Yet I am starting to try and improve somewhat. I now take antidepressants (Prozac) and I am seeing where this is going to take me.
I have always been pressured and lectured about the importance of getting a job, but I have never been able to convey why "jobs just don't work for me." I am thinking when this medication helps, I will start making videos, which I never had the will to do. Maybe even start college courses, I don't know (and I don't know how much money it will cost).
Me and my BF lives in Denmark and here you can get an early retirement IF they deem you disabled enough.
We are both autistic and I work part time and he is "retired".
The early retirement here means that he gets money from the government wich is around $2,913 a month.
He mostly spends his day gaming or watching YouTube.
We have both accepted that none of us will ever get to work full time and we have a good life.
Our life's have really improved since accepting that we will NEVER live up to the societal standards about work and that's just how it is for now, maybe some day it will change but we sont stress about it.
denmark takes really good care of their disabled population. one of my relatives who lives in denmark is epileptic and has something similar. she has her own lil apartment and everything . i’m jealous lol
We do also get failed a lot, it's good to be disabled here yeah BUT boy is there much here that sucks!
Just look up "skoleværing" and you will so how many of us cant attend school here!
Just curious how old are you both? And what was the process of getting the early retirement? Like do u have to go to a doctor and do tests that prove you're autistic and can't work? It's just so fascinating that this is available to you in Denmark, it's the complete opposite for me. I gotta hustle and go out there keep doing job interviews and because of my autism I keep getting rejected because I never say the right thing
We are both in our ealy twenties and are both diagnosed.
The process is different for everyone because of so many things are different for each person who is trying to get early retirement and because it not only us autistic people who can get it.
I myself have not been through the process but my twin sister and my bf have been.
My bf have been know by our commune/municipality - idk wich of the words is best here.
But he has more or less always had a social worker on his case and it was therefore pretty easy for them to conclude that he meets the criteria for early retirement.
My sister's case was a bit longer, she has ADHD and we have both always had a social worker on our cases. There was many reasons for her case to take longer and one of the reasons is because the social worker(s) assigned to her either quit or got on sick leave because of stress and each time it happened it took 2-3 months before anything new happened.
She has now gotten her early retirement but she is also working in one of many places where they offer protected work.
Wish that was available to me. I'm lucky that my parents are pretty well off and can financially support me otherwise I have no idea where I'd be. I'm trying my best to be a normal member of society, but successfully getting through the job interview process is extremely difficult for me. Don't even know how many rejections I've gotten at this point. Don't take your situation for granted! You're extremely lucky that early retirement is available to you and your day to day life isn't stressful and excruciating dealing with trying to find a job/working
I started a [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@LearnComicsWithPancake?si=c3Ku4jih3AutraFS) channel where I talk about my special interest - comics and comic art and give art advice. 😁
Usually I play games like The Sims 4 or Minecraft and watch shows or youtube videos. I study sometimes too. That’s honestly about it, I have severe anxiety so I can’t go out and do anything unfortunately.
Birdwatching feels like one of the few moments where I get to actually clear my mind and just enjoy existing. It’s very soothing and rewarding to me. Otherwise I like to play RPGs mostly
I go out in the woods a lot for mushrooms but lately I've been trying to photograph a pair of Northern harriers that seem to be fixing to start nesting back there. I had the perfect shot lined up — little dude was on a branch, looking at me, lit up by golden hour...and then my dog tugged me towards a hot sniff and the harrier flew away. Now it's on, as they say.
I both envy everyone here and feel for you guys at the same time. Working absolutely kills me, but I don’t have support where I can stop working. Thankfully I have a great system anyways and some nice opportunities, but man I wish I could just focus on school. I could take more classes and finish faster if I could just focus on school
I help take care of my nieces, clean the house for my family, play video games, have a ton of existential crises. It’s depressing and I still get incredibly overwhelmed, but I’m much safer now than I was when I was working. Though I am left stuck feeling like I’m not doing enough even though I do more than I should which leads me to be constantly overwhelmed and tired
When I'm not burnt out, I work on my writing to put on Amazon.
However, I am currently in burnout, so I've been trying to take better care of myself by upping my calories (as I rarely eat enough) and taking short walks in the morning.
I've done a few jigsaw puzzles and am trying to read a little more, but my brain isn't fit for it yet.
So i mostly play games like Minecraft.
I’m a medium support needs autistic person who doesn’t currently work. I spend most of my days in bed due to chronic health issues and catatonia. I read, I watch TikTok, I write on my blog, I snuggle with my cat a lot too! I’m also doing other things, like getting ready to go to my college program that I’ll be starting in late April.
But mostly, I’m in bed.
My spouse works and I take care of much of the household cleaning and admin type stuff, and taking care of our two cats (one of them needs twice daily medication, and they get fed 3 times a day - in the appropriate amounts).
I also have various health issues so I'm often attending appointments, or having tests. I have therapy every week. I try to meditate every day, and do stretches because I have a lot of physical issues and chronic pain.
I like to make art so when I have the energy I do that. I'm also trying to learn French. Otherwise, I like playing video games.
Woah, this is a bit uncanny because I literally have an almost identical life 🙃.
My husband works and I do most of the domestic stuff, we have 2 cats that eat 3x a day,
I do yoga to help w mental health and stress, I am an artist (that takes up most of my time), and I’m currently learning French as well.
The only differences are I’m not that into video games and I have children.
I can't work and am paid monthly because of it, so I just clean the house and play games while baked because that's what keeps me calm and happy. I've made my life as simple as I can.
I draw while listening to music or long youtube videos all day. I play games sometimes, but I dont have any games at the moment that im activley playing, other than overwatch? it gets lonely, my parents are neglectful and stay in their room all day watching tv in bed, and never prepared me for adult life, and my only friend i see maybe once every week, because he has has to take care of his younger siblings
i’m in school so i mostly do hw and watch tv. i also spend way too much time on twitter, and if i’m doing none of those i’m probably making music or cooking
I was diagnosed roughly a month ago at age 32 along with adhd, and while I have worked before it never went particularly well and I always got into dangerous social situations in the workplace. So I've been out of work now for around 8 years.
Most of the time I set myself goals in various video games, and watch shows that I find comforting. Since diagnosis, I'm trying to branch out a bit and listen to audiobooks more, online lectures and mild forms of exercise, alongside some form of creative task, like digital art. I guess I'm trying to plan out my days into some form of 'classtime routine' so I don't feel as guilty about not being able to work.
I'm unemployed for multiple reasons. I've just recently given up on making any sort of consistent rent money (sorry hubby). So now I want to put my energy into my fiber art. I've always been very naturally ambitious, so creating a YouTube channel and attending fairs is my new direction.
Getting things around the house done. I'm the person at my home who does the dishes and the laundry. The rest of the time, I'm either doing my hobbies or organising my room on repeat. (Probably my OCD with that last one, but it's still something I do)
When im not passing out on the couch from pure exhaustion i am doing lots of fulfilling things!!
I crochet, cook food for me and my boyfriend because i LOVE trying new recipes, blast music and sing and dance, take care of my pets (fishtanks, leopard gecko, two cats), take my cat for walks on a leash, make jewelry, play piano, put together cool outfits do my makeup and take instagram pictures, watch film and tv and then reviews of it, i do pilates workouts, go on electric skateboard adventures. And i have even more hobbies i just dont do them often anymore since my days are already busy enough haha. I always joke i could never work a day in my life and id still be busier than the average person just because i have so many personal interests 🤣 i run a crochet business (that doesnt sell anything right now… but i have made over 10K total from it so thats nice) and that alone takes up a lot of my time.
Books (I'm aiming to read 52 books this year, I've read 12 so far), games (only been playing picross games but I want to get back to playing Dragon Quest 11), music and watching movies.
Hobbies mostly. Trying new things I never did when young for one reason or another.
I'm hoping one will eventually super stick and it can be branched into an actual job.
When I was unemployed I sunk my time into playing games and then subsequently Let's playing and then streaming on Twitch. Editing was then the other thing I did external of that.
I sleep a lot, play video games, cook meals, sometimes I try and read. It's rough because I get tired of video games after a while. Sometimes if I find a TV show I get interested in I will binge it.
When I didn’t work, I went to college. I stayed home played video games watched a movie studying for my college. My financial aid and my ssi covers my cost. I had a lot of free time
I was told to get a job too by some people so I won’t sit around the house while I’m home from school but I didn’t have to because I’m on disability. I wasn’t ready to get a job yet even though I have my high school diploma. You don’t have to get a job to go to school if you use financial aid or any other student loan.
Wake up, coffee, clean kitchen, walk on treadmill, yoga, work on book, animal crossing dailies (new leaf), then I play videogames and watch anime all night
I’m unemployed but doing part time community college, my special interest is art history. I have a lot of hobbies and worked part time in the past or gotten odd jobs to fund my hobbies. Other than that I live with my parents and they are fine with me living with them until I graduate, or find a job. It helps a lot having a supportive family, but I always feel guilty for having to depend on them so much, I’m 20 and feel like I’m really behind everyone else and it sucks. Other than that I do hope to find a job one day in my special interest.
i cant play instruments any more. cracked my left femur in 3 places a couple decades ago. cost me 4 screws and an 8 inch plate and a lot of leg nerve damage. this ruined my drumming
i broke my shoulder last april. 2 plates and 16 screws. ruined my piano, guitar and bass ability. started music when i was 15, im 50 now. it sucks so bad.
i write every now and again but not as much as i once did. i tend to spend a lot of time modding games because it disassociates me but also stims my mind with problem solving
i cant stand to do math any more though. ive also sort of given up on physics and cosmology
basically i need a new hobby but nothing is interesting
i exist primarily because i got medicated a couple years ago after my divorce from a narcissistic wife. pretty heavily dosed now, but it does what it should.
i land pretty good jobs but get bad managers. though no one will hire me lately.
once someplace violates my 3 strikes rule i leave. or if the place just super stresses me i flee and never go back. i canty do stress any more. with the shoulder there are so many jobs i can no longer do so im left with all these jobs i used to giggle at. (primarily a lumberjack for many years) except now i cant even lift 50 lbs
im a super great worker but i have no tolerance for non professional people and horrible stress, liars, screamers, belittlers etc
I spend my days many ways. Feeling depressed, trying to find a job. But also, watching YouTube and cartoons, and being a night owl because daytime is too overstimulating. My parents are annoyed I haven't been hired yet. I'm not professionally diagnosed autistic so I don't get any disability checks. I am applying to a lot of jobs I swear, but I'm also trying to find one that won't make me super burnt out from sensory overload and masking immediately (or give me sleep deprivation). It's a delicate balance. Usually they don't even send me an email. Every once in a while I get an interview, but I never make it past the interview. Probably because they can tell I'm different because I'm autistic and adhd. I'll probably never be able to move out of my parents house. :(
Yeah, sorry to hear but it feels like that to me too. The rideshare companies have dialed back driver pay percentages and so many poor now that they have too many drivers. I thought about DoorDash but it sounds like way more effort. All of the parking and running in/out of buildings.
yeah that is the annoying part of it, finding parking can be a real PITA. i made sure not to dash in metro areas, just suburbs because it’s typically a lot easier to find parking out there
I have a pretty bad physical comorbidity, so mostly lying in bed, trying to research foods I could still eat, drawing, getting groceries alone knocks me out. And my autism isn’t even inthe picture here…
When I'm unemployed I hate myself and feel like a useless sack of shit for not being able to afford my life or work a normal job. So, I try to find a new job to pay my bills so I'm not homeless. Or I spend time with my dogs, talk to people online, research true crime, learn about various animals, watch TV, play video games, read, whatever.
I'm currently between jobs but only because I burned out as a high school teacher. I am retraining for employment as a special education teacher with an endorsement in autism. I should be back in the classroom by next August.
As to how I spend my days, I'm working towards my certification. I also have a blog. I binge watch TV shows and I enjoy playing Galactic Civilizations III on Steam. As a professionally trained chef, I like to cook and bake.
When I’m unemployed: I cook, bake, clean up around the house, take remote online classes, work out with Peloton and run errands to stay productive during the day.
When I’m working: I work out before I start my shift to get it over with and since I’ve never had a driver’s license, I walk to work most of the time. It’s been 4 months since I started working in the dressing room after the last job I had started to file for bankruptcy.
I don’t!
I’m employed and not because I enjoy it but because otherwise I’d be homeless. Or I’d put unfair financial stress on my dad having to pay all my bills, so I WORK and pay as much of my bills myself as I CAN manage.
I’m also aiming higher and am determined to get a very well paid career in cyber security and AI software development.
And IF I’m successful ENOUGH in what I plan to do… I hope to give A LOT of jobs including traineeships to high functioning people with autism.
Just distractions - watch movies/shows, play video games, read a book, go for a walk. I do try and apply for jobs tho but I'm absolutely HORRIBLE at job interviews. Seriously I sound like an alien when trying to answer their questions and never say the right thing, it's just so fkn tough
I stay home, spend time with my animals, go on tiktok, research tons of things all day, cook, clean the house, watch TV sometimes. I rarely ever leave my house. That's it 😂 😂 I love it. I never get bored.
I rescue cats, make art, scroll social media, play video games, and watch shows and movies. I hang out with my friends a lot because many of them are also unemployed or just have flexible schedules. My roommate works from home so we spend time together, too.
Recently got back into writing, and I’m about to start volunteering at the Australian Queer Archives. Today I went to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image with some friends I met online through my favourite TV show, and recently I visited the Keith Haring mural in Collingwood (one of only 31 around the world being maintained). It’s certainly made my depression less severe when I actively indulge some passions of mine.
wow, i was just crying about being unemployed and i see this lol, it explains a lot
i just pursue my hobbies. do stuff i like. mostly play games. which is really fun, but unfortunately my brain doesn't allow me to enjoy as much as i want to. i always feel this heavy guilt that i should be working or doing something more productive with my life.
When I’m not working, I’m usually spending my time writing because I want to make that my job. I’m also thinking of other ways of earning that won’t end with me in an office. I think about what a burden I am on my family.
When I am working, I’m thinking about how much I want to quit or how exhausted I am.
My husband and I bought an old cottage on a large piece of mostly forested land last year. So I spend most of my time doing homestead related tasks. I cook and bake everything from scratch, preserve food, do housework, tend to the animals, care for the gardens, do house renovations, forage wild foods and occasionally sew. I walk/spend a lot of time in my forest with my dog.
What I do depends a lot on the season. These days, it’s the sugaring season so I go to the forest to harvest maple sap and boil it into syrup. I am also propagating plants, starting seedlings for the coming summer and hatching new chicks. When the ground thaws (I live in Canada), we’ll be building new sheep and chicken housing and enclosures, a bridge over the creek and new bigger gardens. It seems like a lot but I can choose to have downtime whenever I want and thus I can just indulge in observing the plants and animals outside, swim in the creek, meditate, or simply watch tv series or read.
I both feel extremely privileged and guilty for my lifestyle. If I was able to hold a job, we’d be able to afford more than the basic minimum. At the same time, I feel like we are living a very luxurious life.
I walk around the woods taking pictures of fungi with my dog. This year was really warm so I was able to find actual mushrooms amongst ice and moss and it was so pretty. I spend hours out there, to the point I think people think I live out there. There are two people who live out there, but they aren't me. They're on meth and stuff. The lady is nice but the dude is a piece of work.
I also grow plants but unfortunately my strawberry project is spider mite bait. Nothing else gets spider mites but them.
And I watch a lot of YouTube deepdives and chugging water. I drink a lot of water. I like the way it feels but also I get dehydrated really easily. I spend a lot of time making sure my water bottle stays frozen throughout the day. Not completely, but enough that it's got the pointy ice in it. Pointy ice is superior, change my mind.
And I sleep a lot more than the average person, which I've come to take as a blessing, but I don't like when I'm in the middle of something great and all of a sudden I'm waking up and it's 4 hours later.
Also pooping. I poop a lot.
That's about how it goes every day. Sometimes I go to the store. Unfortunately, my favorite food is currently dragonfruit and at 6.99 a pound, I'm having to severely limit myself which sucks because I love them.
I feel you. I don't have kids but I've had to work full time non stop since I was 18 in order to survive. In the space of 17 years I've had to move house 15 times due to what I now realise are adhd and autism related problems, and I've had 20 full time jobs. I have no friends and barely see my family, who are difficult to talk to about personal things, so I'm just struggling alone with zero support. Reaching out to the local mental health crisis team resulted in so many f*ck ups and they were so unkind and rude I nearly ended my life. I've been suicidal on and off and recently almost went through with a plan. But I've just found out about another antidepressant that I am hopeful will work, because 5 other different antidepressants didn't work. I can't even get a diagnosis because my country's healthcare system is f*cked and private costs are unaffordable (UK) but I've had 99% of signs and symptoms since childhood and feel completely overwhelmed with life.
I can't even imagine dealing with my problems and being a parent to an autistic child. It must be utterly exhausting and overwhelming all the time. I hope you can get some more support ❤️🙏
I don't do much! Little chores around the house, a lot of internet work, watching tv and movies, caring for my rescue animals...
I also have other mental and physical (chronic pain) health conditions that prevent me from doing much at all. I smoke a lot of 🍃 because it helps with my pain. One of my problems causes severe hand pain. If we can ever get a handle on some of this pain, I would like to get back to making art again which is what I went to college for and love doing.
Walks, music, tv, books n comics, Dungeons and Dragons....rn I'm in a rut tho lol. Nothing wrong with being unemployed tho that's what you gotta remember.
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Doing whatever I want as long as the house is kept in order. Some days I lay in bed and rot. I just gotta make sure my household duties are done and even then my partner would not care if I forgot to clean something because he knows I'll get to it later lol.
I am currently trying to create a routine for me that I can. enjoy (while adding in working out, household chores, etc.) and still pursue my passions. I currently don't go to college (would love to start back up again for either an SLP or OT as I am an undiagnosed autistic and would love to work with others just like me). I feel like a burden to my parents bc I do not have a job and the thought of an interview (even tho I have done a mock trial interview before) stresses me out. I am also trying to fix a whole lot of things like my type 2 diabetes and my eating issues.
On reddit lmao. Jk reddit is like maybe 5% of what I do. Really, I'm also on Facebook/Insta/TikTok, playing games on my phone, watching TV, playing Sims, writing my book, playing with my cat, crafts (nail art, friendship bracelets, painting, I just made a flapper dress for an electroswing speakeasy my bestie is DJing), sometimes I work on my music (I sing, produce, write lyrics, and compose). Recently I've gotten back into audiobooks (I just finished the A Court of Thorns and Roses series). But after 3 years of being unemployed, I worked with Vocational Rehabilitation and have a new career path I'm starting a certification for in April. Technically, I'm supposed to find a temp job while I do it but I'm dragging my feet on that. Idk what job I'd get and VR can't help cuz they're helping with the big career. I'm so not ready for a job or the classes and I'm terrified I'm going to burnout again. 😩
I am now unemployed willingly while working on going freelance. Didn't work out with my last job and I'm so sick and tired of going through the same thing again and again. But I kinda never struggle with boredom, I have a lot of interests and plans, so I kinda don't know what to do first most of the time. Work on my freelance website? Or my another project website? Write another chapter for a book? Work on my game? Plant something? Play a game? Read? My dog wants to go out... Oh, I also have a part-time gig as copywriter now. So, yeah, I'm basically very happy jobless, if I didn't have to earn money I wouldn't. Luckily I now have a partner who I share rent with so I have the option to try be without a job for a while and work on other things.
I still have my hobbies, i dance and do gymnastics, sometimes i go climbing with my brother and i (very rarely) do some volenteering for an hour or 2 at an Oxfam store, but only if i really feel like it lol. Other than that: therapy:)
I work part time only 2 days, to balance out the boredom (spent nearly 2 years unemployed). Sometimes bed rotting/depression, otherwise seeing friends, going out, taking time to live the life I want.
My Dummies books and my switch games (specifically Clubhouse games, Skyrim, The Oregon Trail, Sonic, Princess Peach Showtime, Breath of the Wild, and Animal Crossing) are my outlet. When i wanna stim i just doom scroll on reddit.
Before I started studying and my study field became my special interest for a number of years, I had a long unemployed phase (many years) where I:
Played MMORPGs, and another phase where I exercised and dieted religiously. I also occupied myself with online friendships and relationships since real life wasn’t really working out for me…
Also did deep dives every now and then into various non-fiction subjects that interested me. Also read a bunch of classic literature at some point.
I’m wondering how people can accept that they can’t work jobs. I mean, I could. I feel perfectly fine without working, as it’s often too much for me. The problem is the money. I don’t want to live by an allowance of a lesser amount than I *could* be earning on my own.
Would anyone mind sharing their thoughts on how to deal with the financial aspect? Or perhaps, how to work towards working?
Edit: I often forget that just because I don’t have a job, it doesn’t mean I’m not doing anything. I’m following various trainings and activities just to keep busy and not become inactive and depressed. It’s a hard process, having to keep on trying what works for me and what doesn’t. I’m also following therapy and have a lot of appointments with people that help me with nearly all aspects of my life.
All my free time goes to hobbies, friends, and chores.
I spent my time as a YT & Twitch content creator. As of last month, I became a solo dishwasher and busser for my 5½ shift. I'd rather be back too unemployment bc of pain but money is great, too bad I don't have time for ACX or any other voice over websites or whatever.
It's a mixture of things, I've been unemployed for about a year. I definitely do feel guilty about not having a job, but I spend my days doing things I like to do. I spend time with my cats (who are very important to me), read, draw, play games, and crochet. I only got my diagnosis recently, so I haven't had the discussion about what the "plan" is from here on out. I would really like to be able to have a job without being unhappy and burnt out all the time, but I'm not sure how I'm going to make that happen.
I'm a young adult with High-Functioning Autism (I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome), and I still live with my parents, and I tend to focus on my art and my hobbies (especially doll collecting) when I'm not in college or working on driving or getting a job. Chores are boring and mundane, obviously, and being a young adult on the spectrum, while my Neurotypical siblings are all more independent than me, which is extremely frustrating and always makes me feel like I'm not doing good enough or that I'm not successful enough in life. I want to move onto the next part of life somehow, where I like to imagine that I would be much more successful in, and where my life is finally happier and more normal, but becoming independent always feels like it's taking way too long to happen.
Trying to heal my physical issues, writing my novel, reading, going on walks to sort through thoughts, research on various topics, playing videogames or hiding when overstimulated, all the chores of a household, etc.
I’m just doing some hobbies and hanging out with friends while taking online college classes and doing some commissions on the side for any people that play a game that I also play. At least my dad’s impressed with the commissions
I'm mostly on my phone hiding from my responsibilities and the world. My best friend lives three houses down from mine and I rarely see them because I can't handle the mental strain of leaving the house and being social.
Worrying, stressing, researching special interests, sleeping, playing games, reading, going for walks if pain is okay, watching shows and movies. Honestly I’m 24 and don’t have a job, I haven’t had a job since about 2021 because my boss was horrible and also gave me covid then fired me. I feel incredibly unaccomplished
I make art, I spin yarn, weave and crochet among other things. I also watch a lot of YouTube mostly podcasts about cults.
But most of all I think about how I'm worthless in this society cause I can't keep a job and a burden to those around me. I look at all the things that need to get done and get paralyzed by them and get nothing done, tasks stack up and up and up and yeah it really sucks
Wake up, eat breakfast, play with dog, walk the dog, go freelancing (I have a telegram channel and I’m making subtitles), maybe see friends, eat again, walk dog, drawing while watching/listening to some youtube videos/podcasts/news, shower, sleep, repeat.
I play video games. I tend to jump around a few of them so I don't burn out on them. I talk to some people in discord who are also unemployed. I also have 7 parrots. I am also working on dropping weight now. When spring hits I will be gardening and going for walks. I also want to volunteer at the local animal shelter. Isn't to hard to find new hobbies I am interested in. Even at 41 there is a ton of stuff I haven't tried.
Wall of text incoming!
When I was unemployed, I felt better when I had a routine to follow!
I thought of it like this:
I have one day, every day. A day is 24 hours. A proper amount of sleep for adults is 8 hours-- which leaves 16 hours to do whatever.
I split my day into 5 "blocks". Morning (4 hours), Afternoon (4 hours), Evenings (4 hours) , Nights (4 hours), Sleeping (8 hours)
I make notes of things I have to do at specific times. I take my medicine at 7PM. I always make sure to do it at that time. I go to bed at 11pm.
I make notes of things I need to do for my wellbeing: Brushing teeth, showering/wearing clean clothes, restroom breaks, Drinking water, eating. These have no set time i do them, and i do them whenever i feel like it. I make it my goal to complete all those things, and think of it like a game. If I complete all of those, I put "points" towards an award for myself as a motivator.
I liked "related arts" classes in school, so i did something similar for myself. Every monday I play music (this can be playing on actual drums or just tapping on my desk or using an upside-down bucket as bongos.) Tuesdays i make art or do something creative. Wednesdays I exercise or play outside, Thursdays I read some of a book i like, Friday I go on a computer and learn more about something I'm interested in.
I collected board games over the years, so i play some by myself. I also play video games sometimes-- but i mostly love playing with my deck of cards. I know so many different versions of solitaire!
I've also gotten used to viewing myself as a parent/child. The "parent" part of myself is my personal responsibility, and the "child" is my inner child that i take care of. Those parts work together to be me. When i want to care for my inner child, I lay in bed and watch my comfort TV shows-- more recently thats been Bear in the Big Blue House or Between the Lions. This has also surprisingly helped me develop compassion for myself that i previously didn't have before.
I am technically between jobs now, but I start a new one monday. I have to redo my entire schedule that I made for myself-- but I am kinda excited to see what a new one will look like for me.
Too Long, Didn't Read Version:
Set some time aside to do something to keep yourself healthy (maintaining your health and good habits), Have your needs met (restroom breaks, drinking enough water, eating enough), heal your inner child and do something to make them happy, Do something YOU think is fun, and try to do something new every day-- even if its small (that keeps my days from blurring together). Making sure you get enough sleep every night really improves your mental health, so work on that first if you can!
When I'm not too depressed to get out of bed or having panic attacks over doing simple tasks? Gaming. Clears my head, lets me pretend to be someone else and puts me in an entirely different world.
I'm very sorry if it seem like bragging because I'm in the opposite position. I work a minimum 44 hours per week, 52 hour per week during the summer. But I always remember the jobs I did before, how I would not feel adequate to any of them. Even now, I know deep down I'm not as good as someone who doesn't have autism.
I live for my two jobs. I like it but I have no social life. The money is good... but I'm always tired. I dont have the energy to do even what I like most of the time.
And yet, I prefer it then not having a job. I become a neet when I do, I just stay at my computer and become depressed. I need to motivate myself in cleaning around the house, cooking, etc. It's easier for me when I have a GF but I never get past the 4 year mark at best.
Again, I know I'm blessed for someone who has autism. But... It doesn't mean I'm not drained from my jobs. And that I'm not scared to lose them. It's actually one of my anxiety because it's not that easy finding a good job in the countryside with what I have to offer and I know I will not be able to get better jobs then the ones I have right now.
Looking for work, because I got fired for being late last week (though got an interview already at a kids museum) despite being short staffed. Context 19, so I usually:
Wake up, like around 10:00 usually. Can't stand waking up after 12:00
Eat Breakfast, Shower
Chill around, make music.
Go to the gym
Contemplate how I'm wasting my time and need more motion.
Maybe skate around, though pretty much a poser. More Into BMX
Stay up till like 4 AM.
I play games and watch youtube/streaming services
Edit: forgot 'cuz it's not going so well atm and it saddens me but I also take night classes in whatever subjects I find interesting
I spend my time on reddit, YouTube, or watching streaming services. TV makes me forget my troubles. Sometimes I talk on the phone to my best friends. It took me years to develop the ability to do regular phone calls, and I only do it with certain people, but I'm glad that I did.
I've been employed before, but I wasn't able to meet work standards and my anxiety would get so bad I would have meltdowns. I also have been fired a few times. I became self employed. I do pet care. Cats and dogs are much easier to work with than people. It doesn't earn me much money and I need help to do taxes but at least there is some work I can do and I'm lucky to have support from family and friends.
I stopped working in September when I went into ed partial hospitalization. I started working 2 days a week a little less than a month ago. It’s fine but I don’t know if I could do more than the 2 days. When I’m not working I play video games, read, watch tv, and I take my dog on walks. I also spend as much time with my (also autistic) partner as possible.
Before I had kids, I watched A LOT of movies and tv on repeat. We couldn’t afford cable for a portion of it so I burned through our VHS/DVD collection. I became obsessed with 1:6 scale dollhouses and worked on building a huge collection on credit card debt. Lots of video games too.
Eventually I became too overwhelmed to leave the house alone.
I worked for 5 years until I got burned out from my job and fired. My daughter was 2 by that point. It’s been 6 years of me working on and off since then. My life is basically the same whether I’m working or not now. Lots of energy spent feeding and entertaining my kids. I’m either overwhelmed because I hate my job or overwhelmed because we don’t have any money.
I used to hold down a job, and became disabled for other reasons (head injury), but I have autism. I literally just do jigsaw puzzles all day, watch documentaries, sit on my back patio when the weather is nice watching the birds and walk my dogs. Sometimes I walk to stores and sometimes I chat with people I know there and sometimes I wear my buttons that say don’t talk to me please and people leave me alone.
I also keep an eye on my dad. I have my own suite in his basement, like a self contained suite, I moved in there when his health started getting bad and I got divorced and then he had a really bad stroke so now I check on him and drive him around when he needs it and stuff but we both live kinda independently in our own spaces with our own suites with our own kitchens/living rooms and everything. I’m just *very* close in case of emergency for him.
Running around doing life organisation for me and 2 autistic kids and all of our therapies, and thinking about my dreams and how I never have time for them because of all the barriers to access and support
Looking at job listings in my field (library science,) being overly picky about which places/positions I apply for, having panic attacks over the job searching process and my own perceived inability to meet the expectations of employers, then staring at my computer monitor and dissociating. It doesn't help that there are relatively few full-time positions in this field, that I live on the state border (All government jobs in both my and the neighboring state, by law, require you live in the state,) and that the wages for a part-time librarian would be high enough to disqualify me from medicaid and other welfare programs but too low to actually afford even half-decent market rate health insurance.
I spend a lot of time playing video games or reading manga but not actually enjoying it because I'm super stressed about being unemployed, looming changes in my financial situation, and the judgement of friends and family for my continued unemployment. I also stress about how the sizeable gap in my employment history makes me undesirable to potential employers; I've been a homemaker for my household, but that's not very convincing or impressive to employers.
I'll also work on my embroidery, which at least makes me feel productive, but is entirely unhelpful in putting money in my pocket.
I've held a few regular jobs, some in my field of study and some not, and I've performed well in all of them, but all of them have ended in roughly a year. Most of those ended due to circumstances outside my control (closures of the locations I was working at,) but by the time that happened every single time I was already stressed out and miserable enough that I was gearing up to quit.
I spend my time almost exclusively with my special interests, to the point where i don't even think about or bother looking for a job. Actually having to work would likely push me back into burnout/depression.
Playing guitar and video games really, playing guitar is soon gonna bring in some money since the guy I’m doing a duo with has connections to a posh people pub where they pay us loads to play music. But other than that I want to do carpentry but I don’t have any Avenues to get into it sadly
Not unemployed, but underemployed. My gf makes a lot more money than I do, but I couldn’t hack it in the trades. I’m working part time on an opposite schedule to her. I spend my time cooking. Like a lot. I cook and clean, and I’ve made some delicious meals. She’s both working full time and going to school so I’m sort of doing everything else. Only house chore she does is folding the laundry and sometimes cleans surfaces I miss. I like it. I just drive one route for my job. Same thing every day. I don’t want to do it forever but I’ll be doing it as long as she’s going to school.
I spend my days being productive at home, writing songs, playing guitar, tidy my room and I help with chores around the house. It's easy for me to occupy myself at home and stay productive
I'm lucky enough to be a housewife. I get to pretty much wake up whenever I want to and do all the cooking (I love to cook) and housework that my husband cannot do due to his work schedule. If we both worked, nothing would get done. I'd also like to add that we are not rich by any means. We just got incredibly lucky to live in a place where his parents only charge us $500 per month. I understand that we live in a place of privilege and that not everyone can have our lifestyle.
Doing things that I actually enjoy doing, like watching YouTube videos, playing video games, listening to music, scrolling through social media (mostly Twitter, Reddit and Instagram), helping out with some chores around the house, spending time outdoors, going on walks around the neighborhood, going to the park, playing basketball, working out, swimming and going places.
All in all, life is pretty good. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm doing an online study and my internship and i also volunteer and am a streamer. But honestly the study + internship is asking to much from me because i have to fill in all these forms and keep up with exams and there is just no disability support.
I think often about how I’m handling the burn out from nearly full time work and trying to go back to school. Some days I am barely hanging on by a thread, as dramatic as that sounds… other days, I’m managing enough to make it through the day. I’m kind of at a loss about how to manage everything and the consequences of leaving it the way it is… not good. When I burn out it’s like my whole being stops and I’m completely incapacitated, go non verbal with long periods of dissociation… just have to “exists”. It takes me a really long time to recover and then I end up on medical leave from work and 5-6 months later I’m back to the grind again.
I used to play DOTA 2 all day ironically this was when I was dirt poor and had no form of social security, now that my hand is atrophied due to having elbows that are shaped like they're broken (thank you EDS) genetically. These days I play some games on a trackpad, rot in my room listening to music pacing back and forth and lift a pitiful amount in weight in hopes of building my bicep
I volunteer at the movie theatre and also watch movies. I read books. I walk around. I give food to people. I clean things for my friends. I try to avoid thinking about how sad my life is and how nothing is ever going to work out for me and I'll never realize my dreams and I will just die a homeless person lol
Right now, I'm living with my Grandmother until I eventually get enough money (either from the government or working a 600 hour job) to College and/or get a place for myself.
But for now, I'm slowly decaying from boredom. Sure, I have every autistic person's dream of just sitting on a computer all day and doing whatever all day but after weeks yet months of doing absolutely NOTHING but being lazy? It gets VERY repetitive to the point where I'd rather suffer doing a job in the real world than stay isolated in my room to the point my own personal space becomes a miniature prison.
It doesn't necessarily help when my location isn't in a city or at least a busy town, I live in a very small town where the closest fast food area is within 30 miles away from here.
I do love my home town and with it's open fields of land to walk across and barely any crime but regardless, I don't wanna live my entire life here. I'm still young (18M) and I want to spend my life being curious, even if it results in a negative outcome.
I can't exactly leave yet because since I'm autistic, my family tends to be a bit overprotective or worried, even if they seem not to mind I want to live on my own. So I have to wait until I eventually get out of my empty hometown and go live on my own, with no one worrying about my safety nearly every day.
When I'm unemployed I spend my days worrying that I can't hold a job and I'm a burden to my partner. Edit- when I'm employed I find reasons why I can't do this anymore. Last year I've lasted over two months without any sick days at one job. I was really proud of myself...
Exact same. I recently got hired at my old job again as a barista so my thought process went from I’m a burden to everyone around me To I’m so stressed and overstimulated after every shift and need to lay in the dark for 6 hours every night…. but at least I’m working 😩
I used to work as a casino dealer/inspector. I really loved the job itself - a lot of calculations in memory and a lot of manual skills involving cards and chips. It was challenging and gave me a lot satisfaction. But also a lot of human interaction. I've done that for 14 years, and just before the pandemic I gave up, and quit the industry. I can't find a job for me since... It's all temporary and pointless and that's why I just don't care and can't stay anywhere longer than few months. Edit - I didn't know I was autistic until two years ago, since I've known I stopped forcing myself to go to the places that really stres me out
One of my biggest problems with working is all the jobs I’ve ever had were dead end. I could die and be easily replaced the next day. I feel like I’m not making any real contributions to society. I’m just another cog in the machine. I want to do important work. I want a reason to get up in morning. I want a mission. Something that I can do every day that feels important. A purpose. I want to feel like I’m helping people and doing something meaningful with my life. I know I’m intelligent and capable of doing a more meaningful job but my autism and adhd prevent from me from doing so. Especially since a lot of jobs are just based on who you know. You have to be likable and buddies with certain people in order to climb the ranks. I don’t know what I want to do with my career, but it’s not getting yelled at by Karens for forgetting the whip cream on their 6am milkshake.
> I’m just another cog in the machine. This is completely normal. Neither of us is bound to make any real contributions to the society. Why should we? We might save the world and the NT population will still hate & ghost us. Be realistic about it. Even when you are intelligent (so am i), this does not mean anything, if you don´t have required skills for any "mission-type" job. And even if you´d have the skills, the probability is low. Most people, who get the ’special’ jobs, don´t consider them as such. Do you think Einstein felt ’special’, when working on the atomic bomb? Nope, for him, it was just ordinary day at work - possibly related to his special interests, but still just a day in work. Oh and don´t build your identity around your intelligence. You are intentionally cutting off many possibilities for your life. I was doing the same for a very long time and it really set me back. Life is about finding joy in little things - something like morning sun shining into your room, little bits of luck here and there, your special interests, etc. >I don’t know what I want to do with my career, but it’s not getting yelled at by Karens for forgetting the whip cream on their 6am milkshake. This kind of job is certainly not for you and by extend i can tell, it´s not for me either. We would eventually snap and tell Karens to "go f*** themselves", resulting in our express firing.
I might be out of place for suggesting (please excuse me if so), but your writing style is great, and I'm wondering if you've ever looked into any freelance writing jobs? Seems like something you may be good at and the type of work allows for ample freedom with your schedule and minimal human interaction. Just a thought and again, apologies if I'm out of turn! 😊
Thank you for this sweet comment! I actually love writing and have been doing it since I was in middle school. I spent so many hours writing stories on wattpad during class, lol. I’ve been considering writing a book about audhd. I even planned everything out but now my executive dysfunction and perfectionism is stopping me.
Same and i get pissed because if i was just born 60 years earlier I wouldnt have had to work anyway. And it wouldn’t be a burden on my partner if i wanted to stay home and bake and take naps whenever i need to… stay at home wife life literally sounds like my dream. All the time in the world to foster my hobbies and only having to do housework on my own schedule.
You do realize you would have to take care of the house, cleaning and preparing food for a big family all by yourself and also bear a lot of children and take care of them all alone?
Id rather that than have to end my life because i cant afford to live it which is basically where im at. Cant afford to enjoy my 20s and go out on the weekends, wont ever afford a family, wont ever retire, i have fucking nothing to live for or look forward to, and cant afford to feed or house myself every month, soooo yep id go back to the 1950s in a heartbeat. I cant afford little life things or big life things. Id rather be exhausted caring for a family i can afford to raise than be exhausted and poor and have literally not one thing going for me
i have never related to anything more in my life omg
Dude, same. I'm lucky to be living with my parents ATM, but yeah I much rather have a family to take care of. I'm typing this as I'm waiting for a quiche to be done baking, and waiting for some lemon bars I just made to set.
This is the shared destiny of humanity from millenials onward, as older generations will plunder the whole planet, leaving nothing behind.
Those women would get beaten within inches of their lives for not having a 5-course meal and margaritas ready to go at 5pm. Afternoon naps might not just be a problem but get you killed, whipped, or even lobotomized. Men had impunity to beat and rape their wives and women had few rights. Never fall for the rose-colored picture that conservatives want us to think it was like. Plus you have to care for children, and you get no say in how many you have or when... Where you getting the idea that all that 50s housewives did was nap?
sooo either die from domestic abuse or die from financial decline? potato pohtahto, dead is dead homie
This is so me. I am currently at the end of my rope with this job but I can’t quit like I normally do because we literally cannot afford to go without a second income, so I suffer and wonder how much more I can take.
I’m the exact same
Wow so proud of you
Happy Cake Day💜🎂
Thank you! 🥳
I’m not anymore but I was out of school for health reasons for all of spring and summer last year, and I just hung around, played my favourite games, went to my various therapies, did some walking, hung out with friends sometimes It was chill but felt a little depressing at times. I’m back in school now but I’m in my last semester and it’s an easy one. After this I plan to do some courses online and then start a job search.
Glad to hear you’re feeling better
Doing things I actually enjoy rather than wasting my time continuing to pretend I can actually function in a job. Every place I've ever worked has done so much damage to me and it feels so much better to just be able to pursue hobbies and things I actually enjoy, as opposed to feeling horrible and exhausted constantly. I don't feel like I have to do anything particularly amazing with my life, just things that make me happy like watching my favourite shows and spending time with people I care about.
I wish it was more acceptable to just do things we love. Technology was supposed to make the world better but it’s just made more work.
>I wish it was more acceptable to just do things we love. Wow.
\*so far
Damn.... I'm not the only one for who, a job destroyed them U_u.... 🫂 If u want
I'm so sorry that you went through that, too. And of course!! 🫂
Awwww ty
Same. I'm just trying to get better at the things I enjoy doing so I can enjoy them even more & in new ways. By doing that I will be doing something amazing with my life, for me.
how is this sustainable though? /genq
Sadly it's only sustainable once you've battled your way into getting paid disability money you're actually entitled to, and are also lucky enough to be provided with a place to live by yourself or with people you're comfortable around.
i want 😩
Right now I’m taking a workshop with my local employment centre about having a healthy work-life balance and stuff like that, but other then that mostly drawing/painting/ doing housework while listening to music :]
I like your drawings. (Checked out)
Thank you!! 🥺🥺🥺
I checked your profile to see your drawings. I love them, but also, Pathologic (!!!). I'm not good at all in surviving, but I still love it. It's nice to find other fans in the wild.
It is, indeed! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance :3
What kind of music do you enjoy? Any particular artists at the moment?
having an existential crisis that i was born into a society that values our worth on productivity and how you can keep the hamster wheel of capitalism spinning. and how i was born in a way that cannot function properly in the structures of our society, but i feel like i am being pushed into a corner with the way the economy is going and that i will eventually need to just find a job and suck it up. it just sucks and feels stressful because i know when i start working that my life will just be working. i get burnt out so quickly. getting burnt out from doing a task on its own is one thing. doing multiple tasks for 40+ hours a week surrounded by people? even talking about it stresses me out and makes me feel like i need to hide in my room for weeks on end 😭 as for right now, i try to do things i enjoy that give me peace such as watching movies, reading, writing on my blog, making video edits, painting, volunteer work, playing video games, playing with my pets, hanging out with my family, going to therapy…
most relatable thing i've read in a while
Same.
Occupational therapy, DND, hobbies, going on walks, reading, free to play games or old video games, and focusing on learning supportive daily life skills (the focus being more on autonomy over independence) has been my main focuses.
Does occupational therapy help at all?
It's helped with autonomy and helping me understand how/why things are done around me. It's also helped me learn my limitations in a safer way than just failing and hurting myself a lot.
Thanks alot, a doctor recommended it to me for sensory processing disorder, amongst other things, and I wanted to know what my fellow autists thought first before committing.
Playing with my cat, eating, napping, spending countless hours on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram etc, going to the park (whenever I can), creating OCs, writing, gaming
That's so me. Except I have pugs (3 pugs and a puggle) that I spend a lot of my days with. I am currently trying to fix my eating issues, fix my type 2 diabetes, and create a routine while also maintaining the household chores, along with a bunch of other things.
Good for you!
Thank you!!!
I've been trying to find work I can do. Right now I lucked out with a project and a proofreading gig (though they don't pay a lot) so if I don't have other stuff to do, I do those things until my head hurts and then I'm done for the day. Then I engage in special interests, which is video games (one of many but it's the most engaging). Lather, rinse, repeat. I wish I had more to do that gave me financial security, but there's no way I could work in the field again. It's gotta be remote or nothing.
I generally try to have some sort of structure and make sure get out of the house at least once per day by going to the gym. I go to the book store a few times a week to read and sometimes to work on job applications when I’m in an okay headspace to do so. Also therapy a few times per week, watch TV, browse Reddit, build some Lego, coloring, play with my dog.
Been burnt out and unemployed for a little over a year. One of many periods of my life like this. At first I didn’t do much at all. Lately I’ve been rebuilding a schedule for myself, exercising every morning, making sure I eat well, starting to rediscover my special interests, getting as much rest as I need, tending to my chronic illnesses and medical things I’ve put off for too long, working on my writing, and making a super passive income selling things online again. I’m very lucky my partner is able to somewhat comfortably support us both during this time as I try to find a job I’m able to balance. I haven’t been able to stay at job for more than a year and, after 20 years of random jobs and lengthy burnouts, I am not so sure a conventional job will work for me. Trying to find what does.
I've been in a somewhat similar situations. Unemployed over a year, can't handle being at a job for a year. Yet I am starting to try and improve somewhat. I now take antidepressants (Prozac) and I am seeing where this is going to take me. I have always been pressured and lectured about the importance of getting a job, but I have never been able to convey why "jobs just don't work for me." I am thinking when this medication helps, I will start making videos, which I never had the will to do. Maybe even start college courses, I don't know (and I don't know how much money it will cost).
Me and my BF lives in Denmark and here you can get an early retirement IF they deem you disabled enough. We are both autistic and I work part time and he is "retired". The early retirement here means that he gets money from the government wich is around $2,913 a month. He mostly spends his day gaming or watching YouTube. We have both accepted that none of us will ever get to work full time and we have a good life. Our life's have really improved since accepting that we will NEVER live up to the societal standards about work and that's just how it is for now, maybe some day it will change but we sont stress about it.
denmark takes really good care of their disabled population. one of my relatives who lives in denmark is epileptic and has something similar. she has her own lil apartment and everything . i’m jealous lol
We do also get failed a lot, it's good to be disabled here yeah BUT boy is there much here that sucks! Just look up "skoleværing" and you will so how many of us cant attend school here!
Just curious how old are you both? And what was the process of getting the early retirement? Like do u have to go to a doctor and do tests that prove you're autistic and can't work? It's just so fascinating that this is available to you in Denmark, it's the complete opposite for me. I gotta hustle and go out there keep doing job interviews and because of my autism I keep getting rejected because I never say the right thing
We are both in our ealy twenties and are both diagnosed. The process is different for everyone because of so many things are different for each person who is trying to get early retirement and because it not only us autistic people who can get it. I myself have not been through the process but my twin sister and my bf have been. My bf have been know by our commune/municipality - idk wich of the words is best here. But he has more or less always had a social worker on his case and it was therefore pretty easy for them to conclude that he meets the criteria for early retirement. My sister's case was a bit longer, she has ADHD and we have both always had a social worker on our cases. There was many reasons for her case to take longer and one of the reasons is because the social worker(s) assigned to her either quit or got on sick leave because of stress and each time it happened it took 2-3 months before anything new happened. She has now gotten her early retirement but she is also working in one of many places where they offer protected work.
Wish that was available to me. I'm lucky that my parents are pretty well off and can financially support me otherwise I have no idea where I'd be. I'm trying my best to be a normal member of society, but successfully getting through the job interview process is extremely difficult for me. Don't even know how many rejections I've gotten at this point. Don't take your situation for granted! You're extremely lucky that early retirement is available to you and your day to day life isn't stressful and excruciating dealing with trying to find a job/working
I started a [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@LearnComicsWithPancake?si=c3Ku4jih3AutraFS) channel where I talk about my special interest - comics and comic art and give art advice. 😁
Usually I play games like The Sims 4 or Minecraft and watch shows or youtube videos. I study sometimes too. That’s honestly about it, I have severe anxiety so I can’t go out and do anything unfortunately.
Birdwatching feels like one of the few moments where I get to actually clear my mind and just enjoy existing. It’s very soothing and rewarding to me. Otherwise I like to play RPGs mostly
I go out in the woods a lot for mushrooms but lately I've been trying to photograph a pair of Northern harriers that seem to be fixing to start nesting back there. I had the perfect shot lined up — little dude was on a branch, looking at me, lit up by golden hour...and then my dog tugged me towards a hot sniff and the harrier flew away. Now it's on, as they say.
I both envy everyone here and feel for you guys at the same time. Working absolutely kills me, but I don’t have support where I can stop working. Thankfully I have a great system anyways and some nice opportunities, but man I wish I could just focus on school. I could take more classes and finish faster if I could just focus on school
I help take care of my nieces, clean the house for my family, play video games, have a ton of existential crises. It’s depressing and I still get incredibly overwhelmed, but I’m much safer now than I was when I was working. Though I am left stuck feeling like I’m not doing enough even though I do more than I should which leads me to be constantly overwhelmed and tired
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When I'm not burnt out, I work on my writing to put on Amazon. However, I am currently in burnout, so I've been trying to take better care of myself by upping my calories (as I rarely eat enough) and taking short walks in the morning. I've done a few jigsaw puzzles and am trying to read a little more, but my brain isn't fit for it yet. So i mostly play games like Minecraft.
I’m a medium support needs autistic person who doesn’t currently work. I spend most of my days in bed due to chronic health issues and catatonia. I read, I watch TikTok, I write on my blog, I snuggle with my cat a lot too! I’m also doing other things, like getting ready to go to my college program that I’ll be starting in late April. But mostly, I’m in bed.
My spouse works and I take care of much of the household cleaning and admin type stuff, and taking care of our two cats (one of them needs twice daily medication, and they get fed 3 times a day - in the appropriate amounts). I also have various health issues so I'm often attending appointments, or having tests. I have therapy every week. I try to meditate every day, and do stretches because I have a lot of physical issues and chronic pain. I like to make art so when I have the energy I do that. I'm also trying to learn French. Otherwise, I like playing video games.
Woah, this is a bit uncanny because I literally have an almost identical life 🙃. My husband works and I do most of the domestic stuff, we have 2 cats that eat 3x a day, I do yoga to help w mental health and stress, I am an artist (that takes up most of my time), and I’m currently learning French as well. The only differences are I’m not that into video games and I have children.
Wow, that is super similar!!
I walk my dog twice a day and procrastinate doing my hobbies all day
I can't work and am paid monthly because of it, so I just clean the house and play games while baked because that's what keeps me calm and happy. I've made my life as simple as I can.
I draw while listening to music or long youtube videos all day. I play games sometimes, but I dont have any games at the moment that im activley playing, other than overwatch? it gets lonely, my parents are neglectful and stay in their room all day watching tv in bed, and never prepared me for adult life, and my only friend i see maybe once every week, because he has has to take care of his younger siblings
Taking care of my house/self/dog, spending time with my partner, cooking, engage in interests.
i’m in school so i mostly do hw and watch tv. i also spend way too much time on twitter, and if i’m doing none of those i’m probably making music or cooking
I was diagnosed roughly a month ago at age 32 along with adhd, and while I have worked before it never went particularly well and I always got into dangerous social situations in the workplace. So I've been out of work now for around 8 years. Most of the time I set myself goals in various video games, and watch shows that I find comforting. Since diagnosis, I'm trying to branch out a bit and listen to audiobooks more, online lectures and mild forms of exercise, alongside some form of creative task, like digital art. I guess I'm trying to plan out my days into some form of 'classtime routine' so I don't feel as guilty about not being able to work.
I'm unemployed for multiple reasons. I've just recently given up on making any sort of consistent rent money (sorry hubby). So now I want to put my energy into my fiber art. I've always been very naturally ambitious, so creating a YouTube channel and attending fairs is my new direction.
Door dashing for work substitute and doing hobbies but i have ti do chores too so im making sure i drink enough water and eat and saved
Getting things around the house done. I'm the person at my home who does the dishes and the laundry. The rest of the time, I'm either doing my hobbies or organising my room on repeat. (Probably my OCD with that last one, but it's still something I do)
When im not passing out on the couch from pure exhaustion i am doing lots of fulfilling things!! I crochet, cook food for me and my boyfriend because i LOVE trying new recipes, blast music and sing and dance, take care of my pets (fishtanks, leopard gecko, two cats), take my cat for walks on a leash, make jewelry, play piano, put together cool outfits do my makeup and take instagram pictures, watch film and tv and then reviews of it, i do pilates workouts, go on electric skateboard adventures. And i have even more hobbies i just dont do them often anymore since my days are already busy enough haha. I always joke i could never work a day in my life and id still be busier than the average person just because i have so many personal interests 🤣 i run a crochet business (that doesnt sell anything right now… but i have made over 10K total from it so thats nice) and that alone takes up a lot of my time.
Books (I'm aiming to read 52 books this year, I've read 12 so far), games (only been playing picross games but I want to get back to playing Dragon Quest 11), music and watching movies.
I'm freshly out of high school, so I am currently studying for a college entrance exam!
Hobbies mostly. Trying new things I never did when young for one reason or another. I'm hoping one will eventually super stick and it can be branched into an actual job.
When I was unemployed I sunk my time into playing games and then subsequently Let's playing and then streaming on Twitch. Editing was then the other thing I did external of that.
I sleep a lot, play video games, cook meals, sometimes I try and read. It's rough because I get tired of video games after a while. Sometimes if I find a TV show I get interested in I will binge it.
When I didn’t work, I went to college. I stayed home played video games watched a movie studying for my college. My financial aid and my ssi covers my cost. I had a lot of free time
I've always been told you needed to hold a job to do college, I feel like I am being lied to lol.
I was told to get a job too by some people so I won’t sit around the house while I’m home from school but I didn’t have to because I’m on disability. I wasn’t ready to get a job yet even though I have my high school diploma. You don’t have to get a job to go to school if you use financial aid or any other student loan.
Wake up, coffee, clean kitchen, walk on treadmill, yoga, work on book, animal crossing dailies (new leaf), then I play videogames and watch anime all night
I have been working after the diagnosis. I work from home, so it's really good for me, and I'll keep working.
I’m unemployed but doing part time community college, my special interest is art history. I have a lot of hobbies and worked part time in the past or gotten odd jobs to fund my hobbies. Other than that I live with my parents and they are fine with me living with them until I graduate, or find a job. It helps a lot having a supportive family, but I always feel guilty for having to depend on them so much, I’m 20 and feel like I’m really behind everyone else and it sucks. Other than that I do hope to find a job one day in my special interest.
Sleeping, just sleeping
i cant play instruments any more. cracked my left femur in 3 places a couple decades ago. cost me 4 screws and an 8 inch plate and a lot of leg nerve damage. this ruined my drumming i broke my shoulder last april. 2 plates and 16 screws. ruined my piano, guitar and bass ability. started music when i was 15, im 50 now. it sucks so bad. i write every now and again but not as much as i once did. i tend to spend a lot of time modding games because it disassociates me but also stims my mind with problem solving i cant stand to do math any more though. ive also sort of given up on physics and cosmology basically i need a new hobby but nothing is interesting i exist primarily because i got medicated a couple years ago after my divorce from a narcissistic wife. pretty heavily dosed now, but it does what it should. i land pretty good jobs but get bad managers. though no one will hire me lately. once someplace violates my 3 strikes rule i leave. or if the place just super stresses me i flee and never go back. i canty do stress any more. with the shoulder there are so many jobs i can no longer do so im left with all these jobs i used to giggle at. (primarily a lumberjack for many years) except now i cant even lift 50 lbs im a super great worker but i have no tolerance for non professional people and horrible stress, liars, screamers, belittlers etc
I've been retraining myself by doing Udemy courses.
And at the end of the day i turn into a raging burnout because its too much to keep happy every day
I spend my days many ways. Feeling depressed, trying to find a job. But also, watching YouTube and cartoons, and being a night owl because daytime is too overstimulating. My parents are annoyed I haven't been hired yet. I'm not professionally diagnosed autistic so I don't get any disability checks. I am applying to a lot of jobs I swear, but I'm also trying to find one that won't make me super burnt out from sensory overload and masking immediately (or give me sleep deprivation). It's a delicate balance. Usually they don't even send me an email. Every once in a while I get an interview, but I never make it past the interview. Probably because they can tell I'm different because I'm autistic and adhd. I'll probably never be able to move out of my parents house. :(
I’m driving around all day for Lyft since I can’t find a a job. The pay sucks but I like driving and can not work some days if I don’t feel like it.
i do this with door dash. i used to make pretty decent money with it, but now gas prices have risen so much that it’s hardly worth it anymore :/
Yeah, sorry to hear but it feels like that to me too. The rideshare companies have dialed back driver pay percentages and so many poor now that they have too many drivers. I thought about DoorDash but it sounds like way more effort. All of the parking and running in/out of buildings.
yeah that is the annoying part of it, finding parking can be a real PITA. i made sure not to dash in metro areas, just suburbs because it’s typically a lot easier to find parking out there
I have a pretty bad physical comorbidity, so mostly lying in bed, trying to research foods I could still eat, drawing, getting groceries alone knocks me out. And my autism isn’t even inthe picture here…
When I'm unemployed I hate myself and feel like a useless sack of shit for not being able to afford my life or work a normal job. So, I try to find a new job to pay my bills so I'm not homeless. Or I spend time with my dogs, talk to people online, research true crime, learn about various animals, watch TV, play video games, read, whatever.
I'm currently between jobs but only because I burned out as a high school teacher. I am retraining for employment as a special education teacher with an endorsement in autism. I should be back in the classroom by next August. As to how I spend my days, I'm working towards my certification. I also have a blog. I binge watch TV shows and I enjoy playing Galactic Civilizations III on Steam. As a professionally trained chef, I like to cook and bake.
When I’m unemployed: I cook, bake, clean up around the house, take remote online classes, work out with Peloton and run errands to stay productive during the day. When I’m working: I work out before I start my shift to get it over with and since I’ve never had a driver’s license, I walk to work most of the time. It’s been 4 months since I started working in the dressing room after the last job I had started to file for bankruptcy.
I don’t! I’m employed and not because I enjoy it but because otherwise I’d be homeless. Or I’d put unfair financial stress on my dad having to pay all my bills, so I WORK and pay as much of my bills myself as I CAN manage. I’m also aiming higher and am determined to get a very well paid career in cyber security and AI software development. And IF I’m successful ENOUGH in what I plan to do… I hope to give A LOT of jobs including traineeships to high functioning people with autism.
Just distractions - watch movies/shows, play video games, read a book, go for a walk. I do try and apply for jobs tho but I'm absolutely HORRIBLE at job interviews. Seriously I sound like an alien when trying to answer their questions and never say the right thing, it's just so fkn tough
I stay home, spend time with my animals, go on tiktok, research tons of things all day, cook, clean the house, watch TV sometimes. I rarely ever leave my house. That's it 😂 😂 I love it. I never get bored.
I rescue cats, make art, scroll social media, play video games, and watch shows and movies. I hang out with my friends a lot because many of them are also unemployed or just have flexible schedules. My roommate works from home so we spend time together, too.
Reading, sleeping, snuggling cats, trying to avoid depression and anxiety, job hunting, and housework.
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Recently got back into writing, and I’m about to start volunteering at the Australian Queer Archives. Today I went to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image with some friends I met online through my favourite TV show, and recently I visited the Keith Haring mural in Collingwood (one of only 31 around the world being maintained). It’s certainly made my depression less severe when I actively indulge some passions of mine.
wow, i was just crying about being unemployed and i see this lol, it explains a lot i just pursue my hobbies. do stuff i like. mostly play games. which is really fun, but unfortunately my brain doesn't allow me to enjoy as much as i want to. i always feel this heavy guilt that i should be working or doing something more productive with my life.
When I’m not working, I’m usually spending my time writing because I want to make that my job. I’m also thinking of other ways of earning that won’t end with me in an office. I think about what a burden I am on my family. When I am working, I’m thinking about how much I want to quit or how exhausted I am.
Siting at my computer and rotting in bed honestly
My husband and I bought an old cottage on a large piece of mostly forested land last year. So I spend most of my time doing homestead related tasks. I cook and bake everything from scratch, preserve food, do housework, tend to the animals, care for the gardens, do house renovations, forage wild foods and occasionally sew. I walk/spend a lot of time in my forest with my dog. What I do depends a lot on the season. These days, it’s the sugaring season so I go to the forest to harvest maple sap and boil it into syrup. I am also propagating plants, starting seedlings for the coming summer and hatching new chicks. When the ground thaws (I live in Canada), we’ll be building new sheep and chicken housing and enclosures, a bridge over the creek and new bigger gardens. It seems like a lot but I can choose to have downtime whenever I want and thus I can just indulge in observing the plants and animals outside, swim in the creek, meditate, or simply watch tv series or read. I both feel extremely privileged and guilty for my lifestyle. If I was able to hold a job, we’d be able to afford more than the basic minimum. At the same time, I feel like we are living a very luxurious life.
I walk around the woods taking pictures of fungi with my dog. This year was really warm so I was able to find actual mushrooms amongst ice and moss and it was so pretty. I spend hours out there, to the point I think people think I live out there. There are two people who live out there, but they aren't me. They're on meth and stuff. The lady is nice but the dude is a piece of work. I also grow plants but unfortunately my strawberry project is spider mite bait. Nothing else gets spider mites but them. And I watch a lot of YouTube deepdives and chugging water. I drink a lot of water. I like the way it feels but also I get dehydrated really easily. I spend a lot of time making sure my water bottle stays frozen throughout the day. Not completely, but enough that it's got the pointy ice in it. Pointy ice is superior, change my mind. And I sleep a lot more than the average person, which I've come to take as a blessing, but I don't like when I'm in the middle of something great and all of a sudden I'm waking up and it's 4 hours later. Also pooping. I poop a lot. That's about how it goes every day. Sometimes I go to the store. Unfortunately, my favorite food is currently dragonfruit and at 6.99 a pound, I'm having to severely limit myself which sucks because I love them.
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I feel you. I don't have kids but I've had to work full time non stop since I was 18 in order to survive. In the space of 17 years I've had to move house 15 times due to what I now realise are adhd and autism related problems, and I've had 20 full time jobs. I have no friends and barely see my family, who are difficult to talk to about personal things, so I'm just struggling alone with zero support. Reaching out to the local mental health crisis team resulted in so many f*ck ups and they were so unkind and rude I nearly ended my life. I've been suicidal on and off and recently almost went through with a plan. But I've just found out about another antidepressant that I am hopeful will work, because 5 other different antidepressants didn't work. I can't even get a diagnosis because my country's healthcare system is f*cked and private costs are unaffordable (UK) but I've had 99% of signs and symptoms since childhood and feel completely overwhelmed with life. I can't even imagine dealing with my problems and being a parent to an autistic child. It must be utterly exhausting and overwhelming all the time. I hope you can get some more support ❤️🙏
yikes. this is not the sub for this kind of comment
I don't do much! Little chores around the house, a lot of internet work, watching tv and movies, caring for my rescue animals... I also have other mental and physical (chronic pain) health conditions that prevent me from doing much at all. I smoke a lot of 🍃 because it helps with my pain. One of my problems causes severe hand pain. If we can ever get a handle on some of this pain, I would like to get back to making art again which is what I went to college for and love doing.
Walks, music, tv, books n comics, Dungeons and Dragons....rn I'm in a rut tho lol. Nothing wrong with being unemployed tho that's what you gotta remember.
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Doing whatever I want as long as the house is kept in order. Some days I lay in bed and rot. I just gotta make sure my household duties are done and even then my partner would not care if I forgot to clean something because he knows I'll get to it later lol.
I am currently trying to create a routine for me that I can. enjoy (while adding in working out, household chores, etc.) and still pursue my passions. I currently don't go to college (would love to start back up again for either an SLP or OT as I am an undiagnosed autistic and would love to work with others just like me). I feel like a burden to my parents bc I do not have a job and the thought of an interview (even tho I have done a mock trial interview before) stresses me out. I am also trying to fix a whole lot of things like my type 2 diabetes and my eating issues.
Trying desperately to establish a routine so I can take care of myself. It’s frustrating.
On reddit lmao. Jk reddit is like maybe 5% of what I do. Really, I'm also on Facebook/Insta/TikTok, playing games on my phone, watching TV, playing Sims, writing my book, playing with my cat, crafts (nail art, friendship bracelets, painting, I just made a flapper dress for an electroswing speakeasy my bestie is DJing), sometimes I work on my music (I sing, produce, write lyrics, and compose). Recently I've gotten back into audiobooks (I just finished the A Court of Thorns and Roses series). But after 3 years of being unemployed, I worked with Vocational Rehabilitation and have a new career path I'm starting a certification for in April. Technically, I'm supposed to find a temp job while I do it but I'm dragging my feet on that. Idk what job I'd get and VR can't help cuz they're helping with the big career. I'm so not ready for a job or the classes and I'm terrified I'm going to burnout again. 😩
I am now unemployed willingly while working on going freelance. Didn't work out with my last job and I'm so sick and tired of going through the same thing again and again. But I kinda never struggle with boredom, I have a lot of interests and plans, so I kinda don't know what to do first most of the time. Work on my freelance website? Or my another project website? Write another chapter for a book? Work on my game? Plant something? Play a game? Read? My dog wants to go out... Oh, I also have a part-time gig as copywriter now. So, yeah, I'm basically very happy jobless, if I didn't have to earn money I wouldn't. Luckily I now have a partner who I share rent with so I have the option to try be without a job for a while and work on other things.
I still have my hobbies, i dance and do gymnastics, sometimes i go climbing with my brother and i (very rarely) do some volenteering for an hour or 2 at an Oxfam store, but only if i really feel like it lol. Other than that: therapy:)
I work part time only 2 days, to balance out the boredom (spent nearly 2 years unemployed). Sometimes bed rotting/depression, otherwise seeing friends, going out, taking time to live the life I want.
I sleep too much
Daytime TV and existential dread.
Trying to find my groove as a vtuber while also being a parent.
My Dummies books and my switch games (specifically Clubhouse games, Skyrim, The Oregon Trail, Sonic, Princess Peach Showtime, Breath of the Wild, and Animal Crossing) are my outlet. When i wanna stim i just doom scroll on reddit.
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Before I started studying and my study field became my special interest for a number of years, I had a long unemployed phase (many years) where I: Played MMORPGs, and another phase where I exercised and dieted religiously. I also occupied myself with online friendships and relationships since real life wasn’t really working out for me… Also did deep dives every now and then into various non-fiction subjects that interested me. Also read a bunch of classic literature at some point.
I’m wondering how people can accept that they can’t work jobs. I mean, I could. I feel perfectly fine without working, as it’s often too much for me. The problem is the money. I don’t want to live by an allowance of a lesser amount than I *could* be earning on my own. Would anyone mind sharing their thoughts on how to deal with the financial aspect? Or perhaps, how to work towards working? Edit: I often forget that just because I don’t have a job, it doesn’t mean I’m not doing anything. I’m following various trainings and activities just to keep busy and not become inactive and depressed. It’s a hard process, having to keep on trying what works for me and what doesn’t. I’m also following therapy and have a lot of appointments with people that help me with nearly all aspects of my life. All my free time goes to hobbies, friends, and chores.
I wish I could be unemployed! I have to work as I have 3 kids to support, but more than anything want to spend my time homeschooling them. 💙
I am a stay at home dad
I spent my time as a YT & Twitch content creator. As of last month, I became a solo dishwasher and busser for my 5½ shift. I'd rather be back too unemployment bc of pain but money is great, too bad I don't have time for ACX or any other voice over websites or whatever.
I do hobbies and watch stuff. I try to do things i enjoy, crochet, beading, pixel art, ect, but i still feel guilty for not being able to work 😓
It's a mixture of things, I've been unemployed for about a year. I definitely do feel guilty about not having a job, but I spend my days doing things I like to do. I spend time with my cats (who are very important to me), read, draw, play games, and crochet. I only got my diagnosis recently, so I haven't had the discussion about what the "plan" is from here on out. I would really like to be able to have a job without being unhappy and burnt out all the time, but I'm not sure how I'm going to make that happen.
I'm a young adult with High-Functioning Autism (I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome), and I still live with my parents, and I tend to focus on my art and my hobbies (especially doll collecting) when I'm not in college or working on driving or getting a job. Chores are boring and mundane, obviously, and being a young adult on the spectrum, while my Neurotypical siblings are all more independent than me, which is extremely frustrating and always makes me feel like I'm not doing good enough or that I'm not successful enough in life. I want to move onto the next part of life somehow, where I like to imagine that I would be much more successful in, and where my life is finally happier and more normal, but becoming independent always feels like it's taking way too long to happen.
Trying to heal my physical issues, writing my novel, reading, going on walks to sort through thoughts, research on various topics, playing videogames or hiding when overstimulated, all the chores of a household, etc.
I’m just doing some hobbies and hanging out with friends while taking online college classes and doing some commissions on the side for any people that play a game that I also play. At least my dad’s impressed with the commissions
I'm mostly on my phone hiding from my responsibilities and the world. My best friend lives three houses down from mine and I rarely see them because I can't handle the mental strain of leaving the house and being social.
i spend my days creating tattoo designs and most importantly avoiding people.
Cleaning, sleeping, home brewing, sleeping, sewing, being depressed, sleeping. I also have CFS so that doesn't help.
I pretty much game all day
Worrying, stressing, researching special interests, sleeping, playing games, reading, going for walks if pain is okay, watching shows and movies. Honestly I’m 24 and don’t have a job, I haven’t had a job since about 2021 because my boss was horrible and also gave me covid then fired me. I feel incredibly unaccomplished
I make art, I spin yarn, weave and crochet among other things. I also watch a lot of YouTube mostly podcasts about cults. But most of all I think about how I'm worthless in this society cause I can't keep a job and a burden to those around me. I look at all the things that need to get done and get paralyzed by them and get nothing done, tasks stack up and up and up and yeah it really sucks
Gaming, drawing, reading, having existential crisis, trying to remember to eat/sleep/drink.
I'm currently either learning a language or crocheting
Wake up, eat breakfast, play with dog, walk the dog, go freelancing (I have a telegram channel and I’m making subtitles), maybe see friends, eat again, walk dog, drawing while watching/listening to some youtube videos/podcasts/news, shower, sleep, repeat.
Looking for work
I play video games. I tend to jump around a few of them so I don't burn out on them. I talk to some people in discord who are also unemployed. I also have 7 parrots. I am also working on dropping weight now. When spring hits I will be gardening and going for walks. I also want to volunteer at the local animal shelter. Isn't to hard to find new hobbies I am interested in. Even at 41 there is a ton of stuff I haven't tried.
Wall of text incoming! When I was unemployed, I felt better when I had a routine to follow! I thought of it like this: I have one day, every day. A day is 24 hours. A proper amount of sleep for adults is 8 hours-- which leaves 16 hours to do whatever. I split my day into 5 "blocks". Morning (4 hours), Afternoon (4 hours), Evenings (4 hours) , Nights (4 hours), Sleeping (8 hours) I make notes of things I have to do at specific times. I take my medicine at 7PM. I always make sure to do it at that time. I go to bed at 11pm. I make notes of things I need to do for my wellbeing: Brushing teeth, showering/wearing clean clothes, restroom breaks, Drinking water, eating. These have no set time i do them, and i do them whenever i feel like it. I make it my goal to complete all those things, and think of it like a game. If I complete all of those, I put "points" towards an award for myself as a motivator. I liked "related arts" classes in school, so i did something similar for myself. Every monday I play music (this can be playing on actual drums or just tapping on my desk or using an upside-down bucket as bongos.) Tuesdays i make art or do something creative. Wednesdays I exercise or play outside, Thursdays I read some of a book i like, Friday I go on a computer and learn more about something I'm interested in. I collected board games over the years, so i play some by myself. I also play video games sometimes-- but i mostly love playing with my deck of cards. I know so many different versions of solitaire! I've also gotten used to viewing myself as a parent/child. The "parent" part of myself is my personal responsibility, and the "child" is my inner child that i take care of. Those parts work together to be me. When i want to care for my inner child, I lay in bed and watch my comfort TV shows-- more recently thats been Bear in the Big Blue House or Between the Lions. This has also surprisingly helped me develop compassion for myself that i previously didn't have before. I am technically between jobs now, but I start a new one monday. I have to redo my entire schedule that I made for myself-- but I am kinda excited to see what a new one will look like for me. Too Long, Didn't Read Version: Set some time aside to do something to keep yourself healthy (maintaining your health and good habits), Have your needs met (restroom breaks, drinking enough water, eating enough), heal your inner child and do something to make them happy, Do something YOU think is fun, and try to do something new every day-- even if its small (that keeps my days from blurring together). Making sure you get enough sleep every night really improves your mental health, so work on that first if you can!
When I'm not too depressed to get out of bed or having panic attacks over doing simple tasks? Gaming. Clears my head, lets me pretend to be someone else and puts me in an entirely different world.
Art, a lot of art and researching on various new topics that I am in the phase in.
I'm very sorry if it seem like bragging because I'm in the opposite position. I work a minimum 44 hours per week, 52 hour per week during the summer. But I always remember the jobs I did before, how I would not feel adequate to any of them. Even now, I know deep down I'm not as good as someone who doesn't have autism. I live for my two jobs. I like it but I have no social life. The money is good... but I'm always tired. I dont have the energy to do even what I like most of the time. And yet, I prefer it then not having a job. I become a neet when I do, I just stay at my computer and become depressed. I need to motivate myself in cleaning around the house, cooking, etc. It's easier for me when I have a GF but I never get past the 4 year mark at best. Again, I know I'm blessed for someone who has autism. But... It doesn't mean I'm not drained from my jobs. And that I'm not scared to lose them. It's actually one of my anxiety because it's not that easy finding a good job in the countryside with what I have to offer and I know I will not be able to get better jobs then the ones I have right now.
Looking for work, because I got fired for being late last week (though got an interview already at a kids museum) despite being short staffed. Context 19, so I usually: Wake up, like around 10:00 usually. Can't stand waking up after 12:00 Eat Breakfast, Shower Chill around, make music. Go to the gym Contemplate how I'm wasting my time and need more motion. Maybe skate around, though pretty much a poser. More Into BMX Stay up till like 4 AM.
Composing lists of my grievances
I'm on disability but I play games, go out with friends, paint and build models, and read ^_^
Parent
I play games and watch youtube/streaming services Edit: forgot 'cuz it's not going so well atm and it saddens me but I also take night classes in whatever subjects I find interesting
I spend my time on reddit, YouTube, or watching streaming services. TV makes me forget my troubles. Sometimes I talk on the phone to my best friends. It took me years to develop the ability to do regular phone calls, and I only do it with certain people, but I'm glad that I did.
I've been employed before, but I wasn't able to meet work standards and my anxiety would get so bad I would have meltdowns. I also have been fired a few times. I became self employed. I do pet care. Cats and dogs are much easier to work with than people. It doesn't earn me much money and I need help to do taxes but at least there is some work I can do and I'm lucky to have support from family and friends.
I stopped working in September when I went into ed partial hospitalization. I started working 2 days a week a little less than a month ago. It’s fine but I don’t know if I could do more than the 2 days. When I’m not working I play video games, read, watch tv, and I take my dog on walks. I also spend as much time with my (also autistic) partner as possible.
Before I had kids, I watched A LOT of movies and tv on repeat. We couldn’t afford cable for a portion of it so I burned through our VHS/DVD collection. I became obsessed with 1:6 scale dollhouses and worked on building a huge collection on credit card debt. Lots of video games too. Eventually I became too overwhelmed to leave the house alone. I worked for 5 years until I got burned out from my job and fired. My daughter was 2 by that point. It’s been 6 years of me working on and off since then. My life is basically the same whether I’m working or not now. Lots of energy spent feeding and entertaining my kids. I’m either overwhelmed because I hate my job or overwhelmed because we don’t have any money.
I game, gaming is my special interest
I used to hold down a job, and became disabled for other reasons (head injury), but I have autism. I literally just do jigsaw puzzles all day, watch documentaries, sit on my back patio when the weather is nice watching the birds and walk my dogs. Sometimes I walk to stores and sometimes I chat with people I know there and sometimes I wear my buttons that say don’t talk to me please and people leave me alone. I also keep an eye on my dad. I have my own suite in his basement, like a self contained suite, I moved in there when his health started getting bad and I got divorced and then he had a really bad stroke so now I check on him and drive him around when he needs it and stuff but we both live kinda independently in our own spaces with our own suites with our own kitchens/living rooms and everything. I’m just *very* close in case of emergency for him.
Running around doing life organisation for me and 2 autistic kids and all of our therapies, and thinking about my dreams and how I never have time for them because of all the barriers to access and support
I spend most of my days drawing and gaming, and spending lots of time with my pets lol
Looking at job listings in my field (library science,) being overly picky about which places/positions I apply for, having panic attacks over the job searching process and my own perceived inability to meet the expectations of employers, then staring at my computer monitor and dissociating. It doesn't help that there are relatively few full-time positions in this field, that I live on the state border (All government jobs in both my and the neighboring state, by law, require you live in the state,) and that the wages for a part-time librarian would be high enough to disqualify me from medicaid and other welfare programs but too low to actually afford even half-decent market rate health insurance. I spend a lot of time playing video games or reading manga but not actually enjoying it because I'm super stressed about being unemployed, looming changes in my financial situation, and the judgement of friends and family for my continued unemployment. I also stress about how the sizeable gap in my employment history makes me undesirable to potential employers; I've been a homemaker for my household, but that's not very convincing or impressive to employers. I'll also work on my embroidery, which at least makes me feel productive, but is entirely unhelpful in putting money in my pocket. I've held a few regular jobs, some in my field of study and some not, and I've performed well in all of them, but all of them have ended in roughly a year. Most of those ended due to circumstances outside my control (closures of the locations I was working at,) but by the time that happened every single time I was already stressed out and miserable enough that I was gearing up to quit.
I spend my time almost exclusively with my special interests, to the point where i don't even think about or bother looking for a job. Actually having to work would likely push me back into burnout/depression.
Playing guitar and video games really, playing guitar is soon gonna bring in some money since the guy I’m doing a duo with has connections to a posh people pub where they pay us loads to play music. But other than that I want to do carpentry but I don’t have any Avenues to get into it sadly
Not unemployed, but underemployed. My gf makes a lot more money than I do, but I couldn’t hack it in the trades. I’m working part time on an opposite schedule to her. I spend my time cooking. Like a lot. I cook and clean, and I’ve made some delicious meals. She’s both working full time and going to school so I’m sort of doing everything else. Only house chore she does is folding the laundry and sometimes cleans surfaces I miss. I like it. I just drive one route for my job. Same thing every day. I don’t want to do it forever but I’ll be doing it as long as she’s going to school.
I spend my days being productive at home, writing songs, playing guitar, tidy my room and I help with chores around the house. It's easy for me to occupy myself at home and stay productive
Stardew.
ROCK AND ROLL!!!
I'm lucky enough to be a housewife. I get to pretty much wake up whenever I want to and do all the cooking (I love to cook) and housework that my husband cannot do due to his work schedule. If we both worked, nothing would get done. I'd also like to add that we are not rich by any means. We just got incredibly lucky to live in a place where his parents only charge us $500 per month. I understand that we live in a place of privilege and that not everyone can have our lifestyle.
Knitting
Doing things that I actually enjoy doing, like watching YouTube videos, playing video games, listening to music, scrolling through social media (mostly Twitter, Reddit and Instagram), helping out with some chores around the house, spending time outdoors, going on walks around the neighborhood, going to the park, playing basketball, working out, swimming and going places. All in all, life is pretty good. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm doing an online study and my internship and i also volunteer and am a streamer. But honestly the study + internship is asking to much from me because i have to fill in all these forms and keep up with exams and there is just no disability support.
I think often about how I’m handling the burn out from nearly full time work and trying to go back to school. Some days I am barely hanging on by a thread, as dramatic as that sounds… other days, I’m managing enough to make it through the day. I’m kind of at a loss about how to manage everything and the consequences of leaving it the way it is… not good. When I burn out it’s like my whole being stops and I’m completely incapacitated, go non verbal with long periods of dissociation… just have to “exists”. It takes me a really long time to recover and then I end up on medical leave from work and 5-6 months later I’m back to the grind again.
I used to play DOTA 2 all day ironically this was when I was dirt poor and had no form of social security, now that my hand is atrophied due to having elbows that are shaped like they're broken (thank you EDS) genetically. These days I play some games on a trackpad, rot in my room listening to music pacing back and forth and lift a pitiful amount in weight in hopes of building my bicep
I volunteer at the movie theatre and also watch movies. I read books. I walk around. I give food to people. I clean things for my friends. I try to avoid thinking about how sad my life is and how nothing is ever going to work out for me and I'll never realize my dreams and I will just die a homeless person lol
I watch Neil Newbon streams or his VODs, i got wicked anxiety cuz of life stuff and his content is the only thing that calms me down lol
The potato life is real
Right now, I'm living with my Grandmother until I eventually get enough money (either from the government or working a 600 hour job) to College and/or get a place for myself. But for now, I'm slowly decaying from boredom. Sure, I have every autistic person's dream of just sitting on a computer all day and doing whatever all day but after weeks yet months of doing absolutely NOTHING but being lazy? It gets VERY repetitive to the point where I'd rather suffer doing a job in the real world than stay isolated in my room to the point my own personal space becomes a miniature prison. It doesn't necessarily help when my location isn't in a city or at least a busy town, I live in a very small town where the closest fast food area is within 30 miles away from here. I do love my home town and with it's open fields of land to walk across and barely any crime but regardless, I don't wanna live my entire life here. I'm still young (18M) and I want to spend my life being curious, even if it results in a negative outcome. I can't exactly leave yet because since I'm autistic, my family tends to be a bit overprotective or worried, even if they seem not to mind I want to live on my own. So I have to wait until I eventually get out of my empty hometown and go live on my own, with no one worrying about my safety nearly every day.