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.
Humans are social animals, so while you might cut the 30 minutes down to 10 (depending on work environment), questions will continue. Questions are attempts to be friendly and general conversation will rarely end after just 2 minutes per day.
Perhaps you can think of those interactions as personality development training exercises. You’d be learning a new skill. Learn to smile and nod. Take a moment to weigh if a question truly is intrusive or just a conversation opener. Example: “So, did you grow up around here? Where are your folks from?” Conversational. Perhaps you have a deep trauma about escaping an abusive dad, but they didn’t ask that and aren’t ready to hear about it.
If a person has any interest in dating/marriage/pair-bonding, they should consider what they can offer a potential partner, and being able to socialize is one of the first things that will be on display.