28th April 2019
I hate DIY – “Do It Yourself” which for the purpose of this blog is the activity of repairing, maintaining or making something in connection with your home or belongings. Unfortunately, it can be an essential part of home life, which is sometimes unavoidable. I am speaking purely from own experiences of DIY. I see it as small tasks that a professional would not be prepared to undertake, for example resealing mastic around a bath to stop it leaking, because it is not worth their time. This is fair enough and I am not judging any professionals that do not take on minor works. DIY could also be larger tasks that require expensive work that you can not afford, such as repairing a broken wooden gate, which would cost too much to hire someone to fix or replace.
So why do I hate it? Because I am rubbish at it. I don’t have the patience or the skills. Small tasks such as simply hanging a picture, a job which only involves putting a screw into a wall, can go wrong for me. The wall will not drill into, or the drill bit will snap, the screw will break or even a hidden electrical cable will cause a potentially life threatening incident. I have actually had all these things happen to me. If you are reading this then you might be thinking “Well Rob, you are obviously using the wrong tools or procedures for the task”… well yes this could be true but I have undertaken many different DIY tasks where I have researched the job in hand to the nth degree, bought new tools specifically for the task and still it has ended in disaster. Not all but a lot.
After recently re-felting a shed roof (which surprisingly actually went ok) I wondered if the way my Autistic mind works could be a factor of the reason why I have so many issues with DIY. Now before I go any further I am talking about exploring my Autistic nature and the “possibly” connection between it and my ability to carry out DIY work. I am not speaking on behalf of any other Autistic people or the Autistic community and I am sure that there are other Autistic people out there whose intense interest is DIY and they excel at fixing and making things, using materials and tools. I am just not one of them.
So do I think my Autistic nature effects my ability to carry out DIY? After pondering it I think it does not – I am simply rubbish at it but it can make DIY projects worse if I am not careful.
Timing can be crucial to whether a DIY project will be a succeed or not. If I am not functioning well because my mind and body is responding to issues created by my Autistic nature then this is definitely not the time to undertake any DIY. For example, if I am recovering from a meltdown or feeling really tired and drained due to sensory overload, or anxiety caused through my Autistic mind overthinking, then this is not the time to fix or make anything. Therefore I have to start any task first thing in the morning when I am rested and fresh. A colleague of mine at work often talks about doing DIY after work in the evenings and I often feel envious. I know I would be too tired and this would lead to errors, frustration and a “bodged” job. Possibly leading to more work.
Therefore DIY projects have to be planned to ensure that they go the best they can. Of course it depends on the task, simple DIY like painting, might be do-able but putting up new shelves might not. It all depends on how my energy levels are and how my mental state is. Even painting when tired could be an issue if I need to paint a straight line.
The other Autistic factor that I feel affects my ability to carry out DIY work is when I think in “Black and White” terms. Imagine I have to remove a door from it’s hinges. I might think this is a simple task. I just need to unscrew the hinges and remove the door. I plan my time accordingly and allow twenty minutes for this task. However, when I start the task, I can’t unscrew one of the screws because the head has rusted. I can’t get the door off easily and that twenty minutes start to become an hour. I get frustrated and angry as my carefully planned timings don’t happen and everything has to change. Autistic people often don’t cope well with change and this is true for me.
I try to remove the screw in various methods that fail and I get more angry and upset. I think about people that would have no problem with such a simple task and this makes me feel worse. I am now feeling with several emotions that I am not very good at dealing with and the final ingredient for a meltdown is added to my whirring brain. I can’t think through the problem any more and chances are I will do something in frustration that will make the situation worse like denting the hinges as I try to chisel under the screw to remove it. Arghhh……..…
This is just one example of one task based on actual past DIY tasks I have done. Being Autistic does not affect my ability to perform DIY, but the fact that I am so bad at DIY can irritate my Autistic traits leading to stress and meltdowns. From thinking about my own personal experiences, this is the conclusion I have reached. Unfortunately I can’t always avoid DIY by getting in professionals etc. but knowing how it can make me react I can do some things to perhaps help prevent any negative events.
Allowing time to do the tasks, thinking about what might go wrong before the work is undertaken and preparing for it. Seeking advice and help where it is available. I am not a natural DIYer though but have great admiration for those who are. You can not be good at everything in life and some people will enjoy a DIY project and some won’t. I am one that won’t.