and how do you deflect prying questions about you and limit these rituals to 2 minutes instead of wasting 30 minutes?
asking as somebody who, if not on the spectrum, is socially awkward, likes solitude, boundaries and to be left alone (to do the job)
I still believe none of your answers is going to help me because neurotypical solutions don’t work for me but I have nothing to lose with this question.
Socializing is a part of being at work in person. Try engaging in reciprocal conversations. Ask about them instead. At least if you’re stuck, you aren’t talking about yourself.
The FORD method can be helpsome
FORD?
Family, Occupation, Relentless existential crisis, Dreams.
Okay I was like “that sounds like a terrible method” but the R is for “recreation,” and “dreams” is more like life aspirations than what did you dream about last night. This makes more sense now.
It’ a didactic tool for people to whom smalltalk doesn’t come instinctively.