how strict are your routines?

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If you have a routine, is it really strict? I have a pretty relaxed routine. I get ready the same way for work every morning but it's not EXACTLY the same every morning. Although I do notice when I do something even slightly different, it doesn't really bother me too much. On weekends or vacations my routine is completely thrown out the window. I'll wake up later and later each morning and stay up later and later each night. Usually not even bothering to get dressed, unless I have to leave the house to eat.

The only routines I have that are inflexible are the ones with a good reason:

-I have to go the gym 3 times a week (I have a body obsession)
-I have to have my MP3 player wherever I go. (to block things out when I get overloaded)
-I have to eat lunch at home every day (to save money)

Any thoughts?

My routines are very strict. I do the same things in the same order almost every day. I spend most of the day in my room because I cannot tolerate the light or small changes in my environment. I sit in the same position doing almost the same things every day for months at a time.

When I used to work, I would be completely thrown by unexpected changes. My work monitor would sometimes be removed or replaced without my permission and I would arrive ready for work and be at a loss as to what to do about the change so would go back home. One time, my monitor got replaced by a flickering monstrosity; another time, it simply got removed; another time, I arrived to find all the paperwork had been removed from my desk with no explanation; another time, my mouse had been replaced and the new one did not work.

Each time, I would rapidly go into meltdown and flee from the building. It was extremely distressing, and would have been difficult for most people to tolerate. The culprits were extremely inconsiderate and inept university staff.

I have a strict shopping routine example in the mall bookstore,clothes store,videogame store or something like that so I don't mess up and miss a store therefore missing an item. My family HATES me doing this I repeat in the car "Ok 1st card store,then grocery store than mall right?" After card store Ok so now grocery store or mall first?" (then change mall THEN grocery store since the groceries would melt (Live in FL cold meats,ice cream etc. in this heat). So my family hates this shopping routine issue I have LOL!

I'm disorganized and not much of a routine person. I don't go by routines unless it's necessary, like getting my 8 hours of sleep. Even then, I'm not too strict about routines. Routines feel so forced to me. I'm very easily bored, so I just do whatever I feel like doing at the moment.

I have a different way of looking at "strict adherence to routines". Instead of thinking of it as having a set routine I must follow every day or I am completely lost or unable to function, I look at it as "doing my own thing" and not adhering to the routines of others. I have had this problem my whole life. When people slept, I wanted to be awake, when they ate, I wanted to be doing something else. I hardly ever want to do what others are doing when they do it. That's how I interpret it.

My routines are VERY strict. I do things in the exact same order every day. It's always upsetting when anything takes me a couple of minutes longer than expected.

My routines aren't as strict as they used to be. I don't get so upset and bitchy when it changes. In fact I had to run to Walgreens to get my husband some wart liquid for his wart and emory boards. It was unexpected but I did it because he needed it and I didn't want to be selfish. He couldn't get it himself because he had to sleep because he had to get up early for an appointment and he had to work that day so he needed to sleep. Plus taking the bus would take him longer to get to the store and back and he doesn't drive. I didn't want to do this for him but I made myself knowing it wouldn't take me no more than an hour to do since Walgreens isn't that far.

But however, when I go to Spokane, I must eat at Fergusons and see the B&J locations. I am starting to get sick of it but I feel the urge to stop and do it or it doesn't feel the same. But I didn't have a cow when I couldn't eat at Ferguson's one day on my honeymoon because they had a power outage on the street. Only place I skip is the park because you have to pay to park so you can go to it so I drive by it instead. Same as I do with the building where the video store was in the movie. I don't really get out of my car anymore just to look at the B&J house and the apartment and Benny's Car Clinic because I have seen it. I have looked at the details on them. Now I wish I could go inside the house and the shop but I have already been in the apartment but never seen any of the apartments inside, just the halls and the basement. It was a fortunate someone left the door open because it's a secured building and only the tenants can get in with a key.

I don't think about having any sort of routine, but I've noticed that I tend to do as many things as possible at the same time every day and that it makes me anxious if I don't do so, without ever consciously realizing this. I've also noticed that my ability to concentrate goes down when I don't do certain things at the same time every day. Therefore, now I consciously try to stick to a routine as much as possible.

Generally, I follow a subconscious routine with meal times, shower times, and things I do after school (I generally go on the computer for half an hour, and then either do my homework or read a book). I tend to be more strict with my routines at the beginning of the day and less strict at the end.

I have routines that I follow. I do the same activities weekday mornings though not necessarily in the same order. My weekends aren't specifically planned, but I usually have a general idea, ie I am going to stay at home and do random things. If this is my plan and I suddenly am required to leave or something, I get very annoyed. I need advanced warning, if I am given that I can allow breaks in my routine.

This a weird one for me. I have always been known as a person who hates routine and is very disorganised. It was only when I started reading about asperger's after my semi-diagnosis that I started to notice mine. I go through cycles of routines for example I always eat the same thing ever day for breakfast, lunch and dinner but they will be different from month to month. Right now it's cereal, toast with jam and soups. My TV routines are very strict, I always watch my shows and if I miss them I feel crappy. And like the OP I always listen to my mp3 player everywhere I go, to keep myself in my safe bubble. I become very agitated if my plans change due to unforeseen reasons.

I think I tend to be a little bit on the strict side in keeping up with my daily routines. If a distraction of some kind should prevent or interrupt my doing one of my daily routines, I usually will try to get back to that routine, if at all possible, once the distraction has been coped with.

Dunno if anybody else is like this--maybe somebody else with my ADHD/Autism combo--but the more strict my routines are, the more competent and independent I am. Strict routines let me get done what needs to get done, without getting sidetracked along the way.

I used to have ultra-rigid routines, but nowadays, all that matters is that certain things get done.

My routines are not incredibly strict, except that there are repetitive non-productive loops that i tend to routinely get stuck in every day that I find it very difficult to avoid...

I don't have any strict routines. There are a few things I do, either in a particular order or a particular pattern, and I feel a little "off" for a while if I don't do them that way. But I don't feel impaired if I don't do them, for whatever reason.