You must log in or # to comment.
I will make up a story more elaborate than game of thrones before doing something I don’t want to
“Write stuff down and put it where you’ll see it!”
— proceeds to completely see through the stuff you wrote down because it is now blends into the background scenery —
Alternative: about six years ago I was struck with an idea for a new campaign setting after watching a video about orbital resonance in tightly-packed planetary systems. I was about to get into the shower at the time, but I completely forgot about that for the next three hours as i started scribbling equations on the walls with soap and on the steamed-up mirrors with my fingers. That was the moment that made me realize I actually needed medication
I’m in this picture and I don’t like it.
Yeah, this is why I have a physical calendar with stickers that I can place for tasks (they are called family calendars and have extra space to place pictograms and notes on each day of the months) and an app that notifies me of tasks to do at the same time (for any ADHD havers here, the app is called Habitica, it’s the best app I’ve found for ADHD, try it out; it really helps).
If I blend one out completely that day, the other reminds me non-stop on my phone (post-its were not helping at all on their own and weren’t precise enough compared to a family calendar). It helps with getting more tasks done than if I didn’t use those tools at all (I am medicated, but I still struggle with not doing tasks when my motivation is very low, you all know how it is).
The distractions are all on the inside of my brain going weeeeeee… so should i just remove my brain?
Complete removal seems extreme. Maybe just disconnect some of it, as a treat.
If I don’t have something to distract me I can’t concentrate
Yep, the goal is to find the correct balance of the correct types of distractions.
Too much or the wrong ones and you veer off course and never make it back to the main task, too much the other way and the main task feels like too much to start.
This is different for everyone which makes it all the more fun. It’s a life skill people with adhd need to learn all on their own and other than telling rach other a path exists, we cannot actually guide each other from our own experience.
And the sometimes what works shifts around or stops working all together as circumstances or surroundings change.
I work best with music/podcasts/streaming all simultaneously blasting. Then I can concentrate.
My wife finds it BAFFLING that I can listen to a TV show with audio description on, or an audiobook, or a podcast, while playing a video game, and be happy as a clam.
My brother gets annoyed by me having like 2-3 audio sources at a time on my computer when I try to have a conversation with him or have him take a look at one of the things producing audio and makes me mute the rest.
It slightly annoys me when he uses headphones because I want the extra background noise. But I realize that’s an absurd thing be annoyed about and keep it to myself normally.
Yesterday, my cousin, whose computer is right next to my room was playing music loudly and when he found out I was taking a nap asked if he needed to turn it and down and I said something that sounded like it could be passive aggressive and then had to say something like “I’m not being passive aggressive. I actually like that noise while trying to sleep. Like people like fans for white noise”.
One of the best things I accidentally did for myself was put a 3D printer in my office. It’s a fantastic level of noise and distraction. I could watch that nozzle laying down plastic for hours, and my brain shower-thoughts its way to problem solving while I do. I love it.
Me with distraction: feeling fine, barely getting work done
Me without distraction: rumination HELL, feel like shit, still barely getting work done
Give me interesting work and I will give you unlimited output
Same. I don’t struggle with difficult tasks that I can dig into and use my knowledge and problem solving skills to resolve. I spent 2 hours writing a script last week that will save me 2 days of work and didn’t get distracted once. What I struggle with is tedious bullshit.
This is the bane of my existence right now. I used to bounce between jobs because my work would get boring and made me lose interest in my job. I stuck on my current employer because the company specializes in research consulting so each project has kept me interested in the work but lately with the economy in the shitter the projects we took on is more run-of-the-mill and it’s tanking my productivity.
on a related note, when i dont have anything to do i feel like mosquitoes are assaulting me every half a second, 10% are real, the other ones i probably just imagine and it was just wind on my legs
I have to, I mean HAVE to, get paperwork done today.
So far today I have mowed/weed wacked the yard, weeded and watered my garden, pulled meat from the freezer to defrost and planned dinner for tonight, and took one phone call in regards to said paperwork. They called me, of course.
I’m now on break and it’s nearly noon. This paperwork is over my head and I am overwhelmed. I could start on other chores just to avoid it, instead I uh, am taking break. I have to get this done, and I am annoyed as to why I have to do it at all… I might just pull it out to look at it. That’s step one no?
Yes definitely pull it out. Celebrate any progress in the right direction. Write down one word. Fill out one tiny section. Now positively reinforce it - that section was easy, nice. If that’s what you get done today then so be it. The next section will be easier.
Got 7000 words done, fuck yeahhhhh Dinner was never made, but got a large chunk of it done! You folks are so supportive! Thank you! Warms my heart
Hey, checking in. I know what this paralysis feels like. I do encourage you to JUST take it out. Maybe skim it if you can. Nothing else, then take another little break for a time. You got this <3
You took a phone call? You overachiever, you
I also get so insanely productive when I have something else to do. You’re on the right track. You do the minimum possible step towards what you want to do even how small it is just find something small enough that you can manage.
Paperwork and accounting are the absolute worst. Like, it feels like it was specifically designed to be torture.
Me sitting on the couch listening to my clock and making it go from “tick tock tick tock” to “tock tick tock tick” back and forth in my head for 27 minutes straight.
Ouch, this one is too real!
Would you look at that, I have hands.
I remember back when I was in school and staring at my hands seemed infinitely more important than homework. Also watching shadows change as the sun moved across the sky.
Thinking about really makes me appreciate Adderall.
You had a WINDOW?! Lucky. I got a windowless room in school all by myself to do my homework in, as my reward for even having an IEP (that was never followed)
“y’know, they call 'em fingers, but I never see them ‘fing.’ Oh, wait, there they go.”
My fingers are fucking fascinating. As are my toes. Not to mention all the bullshit going on in my head.
Whenever someone suggests the ole remove distractions, I get reminded of that Rick and Morty scene that’s like I NEED TO GET ALL OF THIS SKIN OUT OF MY PERSONAL SPACE. Then the character flays themselves.
Thinking about it, if this were possible, I’d probably continue picking whatever is underneath.
I read this post, then read this comment. All while chewing my fingers. I wish i could say i learned something.
I’m a little better these days. It takes a lot of mental bandwidth for a lot of time. I’ve retrained myself to just rub my fingers together or sth. Meds help to stay on it. Also lots of moisturizing, so 1) you get to do sth with your hands and 2) there’s less stuff to pick at. I’m far from cured though- managed to grow my nails out, but still get my cuticles bleeding regularly.
I had some success with N-Acetylcysteine supplements after my dermatologist recommended them. For me it was like a 75% reduction in urge to pick after 2 days of taking it. YMMV but it’s worth the price of a bottle of NAC to see if it’s helpful, imo
20+ years of unprompted advice (as in, when it’s not the topic at hand, just a reaction toy body; your advice is appreciated!) and I have NEVER heard of this, thank you!!
The research on it is new and tentative but promising enough I thought it was worth a shot. Fingers crossed for ya :]
When our house is filthy I tell my wife to gtfo and I overcaffinate and just “stream of consciousness” that bitch. I will hyperactively flit from room to room taking care of a small percentage of one of the hundreds of little jobs that compromise cleaning the house. The moment I get bored or the shits about one task I just wander off and find another to chip away at. Give me 6 hours and its a new house.
Drives my OCD wife utterly mad, because it takes her 6 hours to find the right size containers for the linen press, drive to 3 shops to get enough, then decide on a font for the labels she is going to make on her cricut, print the labels and get them on the tubs and I get home to the hallway full of linen and what I’m sure one day will be a perfectly organised linen press.
Even with relaxing. Just yesterday I told myself, “Hell yeah it’s Sunday I’m having a gaming day for myself!!”
I turned on my game and sat there for 5 hours doing nothing. I hate it.
Maybe I’m the odd one out, but I need some form of background noise to concentrate on anything. Whether that be music or someone endlessly yapping with a monotone voice in a video. Just anything that drowns out my endless stream of thoughts that have 0 to do with my task.
Excellent username really unique I like it
Same to you!
😁
In school, because I was disruptive, I was often told to copy parts of the dictionary as “punishment.” I can only assume this was meant for normies. I would instead actually read the dictionary as that was far more interesting than writing it down.
Anyway, afterwards when I hadn’t written anywhere near enough they’d ask what I did instead of writing. “I read it.” So they’d take it away and quiz me on what was there. Naturally I was able to answer their questions as I had actually read it. Eventually they decided that the TAG program was the best way to keep me from interrupting the kids who needed the class.
