I’m a Londoner so I still have to flatshare as a single adult in late twenties. Just one flatmate but still find it hard🥲
I have autism too so I’m always self conscious about seeming weird and am very good at masking in my personal life (usually come across as extroverted, have many NT friends who don’t even know I have ASD).
But it’s harder to mask at home and I cringe at all the weird things I’ve accidentally said to my flatmate.
I know he thinks I’m really weird and regrets choosing me as a flatmate, so I try to give him space. I wfh on days I know he’ll be at the office and vice versa. Also, I tend to be out on weekends. However it’s harder to avoid them on weekday evenings like today.
I was home alone, finished wfh and had just cooked my dinner from scratch then left it plated in kitchen before planning to eat it. Then my flatmate just came home and is now eating their dinner so I feel far too paranoid to get my food and eat at the table because I’ll awkwardly have to see him. I don’t want to bother him because I can just tell from his body language alone he thinks I’m weird, and don’t want to force awkward small talk on him.
On one hand I’d like to think I’m doing him a favour giving space but then worry hiding in my room seems passive aggressive too (not my intention!). The joys of flatsharing🥲
I’m otherwise ‘normal’ and can easily pass as neurotypical in my personal life, but I find flatsharing so difficult because I worry I’m too overbearing for a flatmate.