From work to home: the move between places
You walk through a door and the place is new, but your head is still in the last one. This happens when you get home from work, arrive at an office, or sit down in a waiting room.
People use four things for this: a pause before going in, a first action that is always the same, a few words ready for the people there, and a small bag for the way. Each one is below, with sentences you can borrow. Any one is enough. Switching between tasks while staying in one place is covered in switching tasks and stopping when absorbed.
Why can moving between places feel like a lot?
For some people, a move between places includes more than the walk or the ride: a crowd or noise on the way, a new room at the end, and often people waiting there.
In an interview study of eight autistic adults, one person found the train to work demanding, and some avoided busy times on buses and in shops [1]. A 2024 review of 25 studies of neurodivergent workers, mostly about working from home, found mixed views of the commute: a sensory strain for some, a way to mark the move between work and home for others [2]. The review does not separate autistic, ADHD and other workers.
The ADHD ideas below come from advice pages and from what readers describe. Understood notes that moving between tasks, such as from solo work to a team project, can be stressful for some adults with ADHD [3].
If you have both autism and ADHD, some ideas here will fit and some will not. You can use only the ones that fit.
What can a landing routine look like?
A landing routine is a few steps that stay the same each time you arrive somewhere.
Some autistic adults in the interview study described placing objects near the next activity ahead of time, and a transition that gets easier once it is started [1].
ADDitude readers describe checking in with a partner before driving home from errands, and, for example, walking the dog as soon as they get home from work, then resting before housework [4][5]. One ADDitude article, written from the author's own and clients' experience, suggests a short break on getting home before choosing a task [6].
A landing routine can be very small. Shoes off, a drink of water, sit down, then the next thing.
"I'm going to sit for a moment, and then I'll start dinner."
What about leaving work?
Some ADDitude readers describe closing the laptop as soon as a call ends and then changing rooms or going outside [4].
In one study of 103 working people, not autistic or ADHD people in particular, employees who made a plan for unfinished work reported finding it easier to stop thinking about work, mainly those who usually find that hard [7]. A written plan for tomorrow's loose ends is one way people use this idea.
In the UK, the National Autistic Society gives the example of an employer changing an employee's hours to avoid rush hour [8].
To yourself, before logging off:
"I'm writing down where I'll pick this up."
What about between two appointments?
When two things come one after the other, there can be no gap for the first one to finish. The National Autistic Society's travel page suggests adding extra time for delays, thinking about how long a connection takes you, and checking an unfamiliar stop in advance [9]. An Understood podcast with an ADHD coach says some people need extra room between meetings to move in and out of tasks [10]. In the interview study, one person described leaving a little early in case of having to go back for something [1].
If someone messages you in between:
"I'm between two things. Can I reply after the next one?"
What if people expect you to talk right away?
In the interview study, autistic adults described other people as able to help a transition and also to get in the way, for example by asking many questions or acting unexpectedly [1]. One ADDitude article suggests telling the family about the steps you are trying [6]. A sentence said at the door is one way to do that.
"I'm home. I need a moment to land, and then I'd like to hear about your day."
"I'm home. I need a few minutes before I talk."
For work, a text before arriving can set the same expectation: "On my way, I'd like a quiet start when I get in."
What can go in a bag or pocket for the way?
Some autistic adults in the interview study described carrying a small object to soothe themselves during a transition, such as a piece of fur or a comb, and some described a visual fixation point, such as looking at the floor while walking through a station [1]. The National Autistic Society's travel page suggests taking items that help with self-regulation, and notes that headphones can make announcements harder to hear [9]. The sensory side of busy places is in sensory overload in adults.
People describe carrying:
- a small object to hold
- water
- headphones (they can also make announcements harder to hear)
A note with the first thing to do on arrival is another way to end the way. Getting out of the house is covered in getting ready to leave the house when overwhelmed, and the time after a day with people in recovering after time with people.
About this article
- The ideas come from the National Autistic Society and ADDitude pages, an Understood podcast, an interview study with autistic adults, a review of neurodivergent workers, and a study of working people generally. The advice pages are suggestions from their authors.
- The interview study is with eight autistic adults, mostly aged 45 to 65, so it does not stand for autistic adults in general. The review pools autistic, ADHD and other workers.
- The pause before going in, the landing routine example, the bag for the way, the text on the way, the written plan for tomorrow, and all the sentences are Mindum's own wording and ideas, and you can change any of them to sound like you.
Sources
- Aeberhard R, Sy MP, Kramer-Roy D. Doing occupational transitions: a constructivist grounded theory from the viewpoint of adults on the autism spectrum. Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional. 2024;32:e3622. doi:10.1590/2526-8910.ctoAO278136222
- Brooks SK, Hall CE, Rogers MB, Greenberg N. Homeworking experiences of neuro-divergent workers: systematic review. Occupational Medicine. 2024;kqae095. doi:10.1093/occmed/kqae095
- Understood. 5 ways ADHD can affect you at work. March 2023. understood.org/en/articles/adhd-work-job-challenges
- ADDitude Editors. How to tackle your toughest daily transitions. Updated May 2025. additudemag.com/daily-schedule-transitions-adhd-adults
- ADDitude Editors. What is your most reliable, helpful daily routine? Updated May 2025. additudemag.com/daily-routine-examples-adhd
- Dixon C. How to recharge your tired brain after work. ADDitude. Updated February 2022. additudemag.com/how-to-be-more-productive-at-home-after-work
- Smit BW. Successfully leaving work at work: the self-regulatory underpinnings of psychological detachment. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. 2016;89(3):493-514. doi:10.1111/joop.12137 (abstract only)
- National Autistic Society. What are reasonable adjustments and when can they be requested? autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/employment/what-are-reasonable-adjustments-and-when-can-they
- National Autistic Society. Travelling by train or bus. autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/transport/travelling-by-train-or-bus
- Understood. Tips from an ADHD coach: when the chaos stops (podcast). October 2024. understood.org/en/podcasts/adhd-channel/tips-from-an-adhd-coach-when-the-chaos-stops
By Mindum. An app to track and regulate emotions, energy, and focus.
