As a fellow autistic, I rarely even answer that question. Most people don’t really care or need an answer, so I just ignore it completely and change the topic. If I must answer, I’ll usually say something like, “I’m hanging in there.” It’s not pretending that everything is fine, but it’s got a sense of positivity to it. Like: I’m handling it and you don’t need to worry about me. That way it’s neither pretending, nor dragging down the mood.
Brought to you by overthinking this question for decades.
I say “I continue to be blessed with gainful employment.” My voice is flat enough that people can either take it as gratitude / positivity or (more likely) as a bit of my classic dry wit.
As a fellow autistic, I rarely even answer that question. Most people don’t really care or need an answer, so I just ignore it completely and change the topic. If I must answer, I’ll usually say something like, “I’m hanging in there.” It’s not pretending that everything is fine, but it’s got a sense of positivity to it. Like: I’m handling it and you don’t need to worry about me. That way it’s neither pretending, nor dragging down the mood.
Brought to you by overthinking this question for decades.
I say “I continue to be blessed with gainful employment.” My voice is flat enough that people can either take it as gratitude / positivity or (more likely) as a bit of my classic dry wit.