Having trouble with transition from one activity to another

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Thanks, Bluefins, for that link! It was really interesting. I´ve been thinking about this problem lately....I definitely have this inertia thing, to some degree. I tend to do fine when I make a routine out of the things I need to do. It also helps to have a break, maybe a cup of tea and a "wind down" between activities. I get stressed when I have to do too many different activities in one day.

My biggest problem is starting new things, or when I want a certain result, but have trouble figuring out how to begin....maybe I get overwhelmed with all of the steps involved, so I psych myself out and don´t even start....then feel guilty for not doing anything....and so on and so on....

Anyway, I recognized myself in some of those descriptions in the article, so I´ll try some of the solutions that were mentioned.

jojobean- good luck! Sorry I don´t have much advice.

ditto the OP.

I use the chair for a combination of reasons, at this point largely a muscle condition, and then also rapid fatigue and a motor condition among other things. The reason I have such extreme trouble with this is the motor condition (sometimes known as autistic catatonia) which also makes it hard to use a lot of body parts at once and I can freeze up for extended periods. I wasn't using the chair specifically for the transition problems but I found it greatly helped with them as well as various cognitive issues I didn't know were as bad as they were until I suddenly wasn't having to concentrate on walking as often. I still of course can have trouble getting in and out of the chair but have some tricks to trigger my body into that movement. Having increased trouble with transitions is pretty normal with this condition.

I have drugs to help with this.

It also helps writing down a list and ticking each task off.

I still can feel uncomfortable with transitioning from one task to another but then the discomfort decreases as I get into the next task. And again become unable to stop.

I have this issue when tired.

Ya I take adderal for same reason....it helps some cuz without it, my mind is a puddle of mush....but it does not touch the transition issue thing. I am going to try to extersize before doing my work, maybe that might help.

People with autism need treatment beacause they adapt to change.

I do this as well. I’m horrible with procrastinating and “switching gears”. Have been my whole life. The cards idea is similar to what i do. I always have a small memo pad in my back pocket and a pen clipped to my front. I am taking notes and making lists all day long. I go through them crazy fast. I dont always get through everything, but it helps a lot to make the lists. I never really associated my procrastination with my autism until i read this post. You actually just helped shed some light on something i struggle with. Thank you for that.

Same here. I have alot of projects at home waiting to be done. I procrastinate because my wife always interrupts me when I do get started. It totally derails me, so I never start. Fortunately my job is a little more understanding.

I can relate to this a lot. I can spend days doing one thing, and get so good at it I can perfect something, but I struggle immensely when changing from one task to another. Everything you mentioned, but mostly doing smaller or unnecessary things, rather than more important tasks, because the reasoning behind doing larger tasks is more immediately obvious.

Oh yes! The process of "shifting-gears" sometimes presents difficulties. Other times, the opposite situation of transitioning from one activity to another too quickly.

Generally, I'm able to "maintain that balance" - yet other times the process of "maintaining that balance" can feel like a cumbersome, confusing process........anything but a balance!