Sticking to plans and routine?

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Do all aspies share this trait or are there aspies who are more spontaneous?

I have set routines and HATE deviations from them. I like to have as much notice as possible of any changes to the norm. Thus people just "popping in" unannounced causes me MUCH stress. I am just as likely NOT to answer the door even.

I TOTALLY have set routines----and, like the OP, I'm not fond of anyone / anything that throws a monkey-wrench into it-----but, I go-'head-----it's the adult thing to do, isn't it? A dream for me would be to strike-it-rich with some invention, or something, move to a log cabin, out in the middle of nowhere, and spend the rest of my life with just my routines----and maybe a couple of cats!

I have my routines and ways of doing things on a day to day basis.

At work, I always have the 1pm lunch break to the point where I have steamrolled other colleagues into taking lunch at 12pm or 2pm just so I can go at 1pm. I also insist on working the late shift on a Monday (we have a 2 shift pattern- 9-5 or 12-8 ) without fail. Recently a newish member of staff wanted a Monday late shift, and due to the staff skill mix, it means both of us cannot do a late shift on any one day.

A different person than the regular person was preparing the rota for this particular week (are you keeping up with all this, guys?) and I asked for the Monday late shift, which he duly gave me. I found out the following day the new member of staff had spoken to the rota maker after me and swapped me out of the Monday. I blew up.

This week, I am currently on annual leave, and is the first week of leave I've had in a number of years where I've not had any commitments to anything or anyone. Therefore I have pretty much stayed at home by myself. I've stayed up until 2-3am every day, gotten up largely just before midday. I've played video games, hunted for Lego in town, and generally switched off from the world.

I've had no stress, no obligations and very little contact with anyone besides the occasional text message or email. During this week I have found that almost all my routines have gone. I have had no need for them. And I am happy.

Come Monday, I will get up for work, have my morning "get ready for work" routine. I will drive to work along my less than optimal route because it's the route I like to go. I will take my lunch at 1pm, which involves a walk to the nearby shop, where I will buy the same sandwich and fruit bowl I always get (unless they are out of stock, which results in a lot of swearing and effort to hold myself together, along with an extra 5 minutes procrastinating over what substitution I should get.) I drive home from work on another less than optimal route, yet different to the one I take to work. And I lock myself away with my evening post-work routines until bed.

So yeah, I think routines help me deal with the real world. If I don't need to deal with the real world, the routines melt away until I do.

I think this is common for most Aspies. I have my routines that I like (need) to stick to as well and get upset if they are disturbed.

However, when I break/ignore my routines I become severely depressed. I'm going through one of these stages right now and have been for the last 6 months

I'm pretty routine-oriented. I don't like much deviation from my normal routine. I feel an inner anger and irritation when it happens.

I've been known to overtly "melt down" whenever I know I'm going to be late for work because of train delays. When I'm late for work, it overturns my routine--and I have to fix it like an overturned garbage (rubbish) can (bin). Sometimes, my hands literally feel like garbage in these instances (I sweat because of the irritation).