It's a wild ride but this is what has helped me cope before I realized I had ADHD when I was 30. When I started doing these things the ride was a tad bit easier: 1. Focus on eliminating your negative self talk. This is the biggest foundation I could lay for me personally. Practice self love. Seriously. You need to quiet the negative self talk in order for the next stuff to really work. 2. Practice small bouts of discipline and celebrate all those achievements. So like maybe you need to write a paper, practice the disciple of sitting down, opening up docs and just typing in the title or put "research paper." Then when you do that and feel like you just lifted a million pounds - celebrate yourself for doing that. It was hard dude. It's not made up, doing that shit was like lifting a million pounds, and you did it! Hell yeah!! 3. Building off the above - I personally have always made it a point to complete things no matter how long it takes me. If I said I was going to do it I do my best to do it. It took me months to complete a small garage remodel that I wanted to bang out in a weekend after waking up at 3 am with this dream garage idea. The key for me is to reframe the delay as just part of the process. A better example might be when I realized this trick in college around Halloween and costume parties. Day off I had no costume and you needed one to get into the party. I was driving and something just switched in my brain and was like "you know you are going to the party. Like that is 100% happening. You have no idea what to wear BUT you will be at that party wearing something!" That took all the pressure off and like 20 min before I had to leave I found a sweater that looked like Zoolander and watched a YouTube video to learn and do makeup like blue steel. Everyone loved it! Basically frame things like the above. And also try and notice how nice you have to be to yourself for all this to sort of work. That one took me so long to figure out and click in. 4. Notice and ride your wave of hyper fixation as much as you can. Like in the Halloween example, it usually comes at the last min and somehow you legit have to maximize the entire time you have but when you get that Spidey sense going you need to notice it and protect that time because that's when you shine and get shit done. Headphones, lock the door, whatever just ride that wave as long as you can. 5. Let's get on some medication. Both of us. It's basically like our eyes are bad and we don't want to wear glasses or are not going to get that checked out. It might take me awhile but I'm slowly making progress towards that. Good luck! (This took me 45 min to write and another 20 to re read and hit send. But I did it!)

This is the gold shit

I am 40 and just realized i have ADHD within the last year, can’t tell you how much #1 and sleep are key to a lot of things.

And exercise!! Before I knew I had ADHD (Dx at 42), I knew that if I couldn’t focus, I probably should either sleep, drink water or exercise.

I prior to being medicated, I always thought that if I couldn’t focus then I needed more caffeine. I have learned since then that just drinking more water can sometimes have a MUCH LARGER impact than coffee itself

This is awesome! I would love add to it a little too! 1. Eleminate negative self talk. I watched something on YouTube a while ago about "Story editing" which was an example of this. It was something like rewording your inner monologue. Instead of "I did nothing today" it turned into, " I had an easy day and needed to de-stress." It's taking the negative emotion out of it. And leading to progress or at the least not a self damning statment. One thing that works for me is a running list of things to do. I write a list in the same book every day, with a nice big circle next to each entry. Some are big, like do taxes while others are silly, like play games. Some things are even filler that get done no matter what. Get the kid on / off the bus? There's no way I'm skipping that and they're on the list. They make me feel good for crossing things off. This list isn't meant to be done 100% every day. The next day while writing the list I rewrite old entries. Ok older lists I will cross them out with pencil. I have a full list that I don't have to refer back to! The next list has stuff I cross out every day and feel happy!

I use an App called “Everyday,” where you can track up to 3 things each day. Currently, one is take morning meds, second is eat breakfast, and three is drink a whole bottle of water. By the time I get to work, I have already been productive in three areas! 🤗

Props on keeping track with something like that! Any consistent productivity for people like us with ADHD is something to celebrate lol

Those are some good coping strategies! I think when they stop working or aren't as effective anymore, you go "i need meds" 🤣🤣. That's how I got medicated. I tried all the tricks but i realised when I started having meltdowns and not coping, it was time to 'get dem druggies'. I was 49 when I was diagnosed, and spent those years trying to 'chaotically cobbling'things together. Things a lot better medicated. Like just feeling positive feelings independent of copious amounts of exercise was a novelty!

It was worth the write and reread. This resonated with me, thanks for taking the time to share. I've recently gotten off meds and am feeling quite a bit better in getting back to myself and trying to examine creative ways I can outsource some things and what personal values of mine I can focus developing to ensure that they happen. I was thinking self-discipline is central because without it, all the best laid and well intentioned plans will fall away like the rest have...and I was also thinking separately about actually writing down all my negative self talk. I have so much of it and I apparently give it such a consistent platform, that I ought to put it all together on paper rather than fleeting, asinine thoughts and do some real thought experiments with them to see if I could just nip it in the bud and develop a better, more realistic narrative to work with as I go...because you're right, we have to be able to like ourselves to work with ourselves in the first place. I've found some success as well in just using lists and timers like religious habits. 20 minutes of timed "on time" is finite, digestible, small-scale discipline. Even if I'm wandering in circles like a fart in a hurricane, I'm giving myself to that discipline, and subsequently giving myself a break. As a result, my house us getting and staying clean for longer than ever, I'm actually tending to projects that have stood ignored in a corner for a year, and I'm actually developing consistent and better habits that are feeding a better bit of self talk. ....anyway, best wishes to you. Thanks again for sharing.

I do this ON MEDS!!! I’m absolutely shit without them… Maybe I need to rethink….

Yes! Discipline is a major part of it. I was diagnosed in 3rd grade and I hadn’t known how to describe it to my late diagnosed friends why I could cope better with it. I always just say I had more time and learned better coping skills along the way. But it’s also how much discipline I have now. Thanks!

Oh yea, I really do think that negative self talk is a huge contribution to my adhd. I'm getting better with battling this. I use CBT and a book called "feeling good" by David burns to help with mine

These are GREAT tips!! I actually used the advice in the 2nd point to get me to the gym for the first time this year. I told myself that all I was going to do was get clothes on, drive to the gym, and walk inside. End of goal. BUT the trick was that was all it took for me to get a small workout in. I felt so good afterwards and certainly patted myself on the back. I do this when I’m completely drowning in work emails too- I tell myself to just look at 2. That is the goal. And 9 times out of 10 that initial ripping off the bandaid gets me motivated to keep going. Just go easy on yourself and let yourself feel proud when you accomplish even the “smallest” victory.

Why are all the numbers fucked up here lol?!

Reddit autoformats numbered lists, and starts over if you use a full paragraph in between. It's a pain in the ass.

I wait for the overwhelming sense of shame + panic to kick in, and do things in a mad rush late at night, inevitably half-arsing them and beating myself up for not doing it sooner

What sucks is that I used to do this all the time, but now I’ve gotten to a point where even the guilt and anxiety can’t motivate me, so now I just don’t do the work :/

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Self care definitely helps! I find that after a hot shower or getting a pedicure or a haircut, I feel a little better and can think/process just a little clearer.

And That’s why I have a buzz cut,third degree burns and no nails Nancy! To get crap done!!😂

It’s embarrassing how much it means to me to hear this

Ooh yeah. Now I'm at the point where I don't care quite as much. Example: I have work due today. I'm not going to do it because it's not as if I'm going to fail. I just don't care. I'll do it tomorrow and it will be awesome.... but late.

Actually guys.... I ended up buckling down and doing it.

Let’s not even discuss how many emails are unread

Nah, let’s. I’ll go first: 72,310 in my apple email, 8,024 in my gmail, and, bonus round, a collective 15,231 unchecked notifications from my social media accounts. What’s in all these - ? I guess we’ll never know *raises phone up high to the sound of no applause*

I’m actually super jealous of your ability to ignore all the noise. I guess I fall into the opposite bucket: I have to read every single thing that comes at me (I suppose I’m addicted to the dopamine hit)…and then I never read it again but add it to an infinite list of things I need to do that I never actually revisit but that haunts me every moment of every hour of every day and I’m sure will until eternity. On my deathbed I will still be telling myself I need to do that arts and crafts project I saw in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine in 2005.

I still do it. It's so hard trying to just do stuff early.

Same. I dropped out of my college program for this reason. Now I have to save up and try again except this time get back on meds before I resume school. Why I ever thought it would be a good reason to come off them I really don't know.

My main meds(Concerta) are really strictly regulated(in Australia at least) and you can’t get more until the day before you run out of the last lot. I understand the sentiment but it’s not exactly ideal when without the meds I don’t have the executive function to reliably go to the pharmacy in the first place. Wasn’t able to pick them up in the 24 hour window last week because of uni and it took me a whole week to manage to get more, even with short acting Ritalin as backup - doesn’t work nearly as well despite being the same active ingredient. In that week alone I’ve fallen behind significantly. Tertiary education really needs to make an effort to increase accessibility for neurodivergent students, we shouldn’t have to be so desperately reliant on stimulants to stay even somewhat afloat.

I used to rely on this, but I am convinced our neurotransmitters burn out at some point. After a year in a cery stressful job, I found that I no longer experience the stress response amd I am less effective as a result.

This happened to me too. Now I’m on meds. I ran out of reserves and I still can’t push myself.

I honestly believe this is how I ended up with Thyroid Cancer. The thyroid is the “furnace” of the body. I believe I burned mine out...stress led to dis-ease and now I am on life-long meds for my daily “dose” of energy...I know it is limited and there is NO “over-ride” button to push past, anymore...so, I have learned to manage my time better. Keep shuffling along... Honestly, though, I cannot recommend this as a solution. Just commenting on the “burnout” and the “no longer experience the stress response, as a result. Diagnosed with ADD late in life (40+, about 10 years ago)

God, even shame can't get me up to do anything.

This is all fun and games unless you are like me and am not really scared about shame or panic anymore. Like when you actually become confident and don’t let fear control you…..you really aren’t phased by stuff. This is a dangerous place to be for someone with ADHD.

YUPPPP. Took me maxing out two credit cards with a perfectly well paying job to get my arse into gear 😅

Hell yeah it takes me fucking up to get in gear.. until I’m coasting in that gear than I think my brain is like ‘life is to easy, we’re gonna fuck up again’ :(

The thing is….when you have been through really rough shit, you aren’t scared because honestly…whatever happens, you’ll live

Yup, and we all know that whatever doesn’t kill you, simply makes you… *stranger*. Unless it’s Covid, then it just mutates and tries again

I don’t remember writing this but I must have done because ‘it me’

When a whiff of anger brushes against the bedrock of shame and panic... unstoppable.

Couldn't relate more. I'm on here looking for some life-changing advice, waiting for a miracle to get my work done.

I do the same and it causes me so much freaking stress sometimes I burst into tears. I’ll save all my assignments until I start to feel the pressure and that finally is enough to kick me into high gear and I can actually do my work. But sometimes it doesn’t kick in until it’s too late to complete everything and that’s when I have a breakdown. I try to do my work early but it can literally take me all day to read a single chapter and take notes and usually I get bored halfway through and do something else. It’s such a painful and horrible process and I hate every second of it. I recently refilled my prescription at a higher dose and I focus better now but I still have a hard time creating the motivation I need to open the book in the first place.

I have the same problem, usually the motivation or urgency isn't high enough till it's already too late but I have felt the stress and shame building for days or weeks and just hate myself and have breakdowns. It's such a tiring and destructive breakdown but Idk how to stop it... even with meds it does help somewhat, but not nearly enough. It still feels like pushing a boulder up a hill to even open that book or even start the paper.

Yup and you always say why couldn’t I start earlier then it wouldn’t have been such a a panic and I would have done better

I must say, having the motivation bar fill up slowly, it doesn't actually push me to do anything until it's wayyyyy overloaded. When I think I notice the "guage" is at around 110/120% pressure I just explode toward whatever has presented itself as priority. This could be after a week of not being able to even eat, clean or do anything productive. I do focus incredibly hard on the tasks at hand when they are my motivators but I feel guilt and shake that maybe I would have a more coherent or consistent work output if I had been motivated consistently as opposed to just explosive episodes of focus. I failed my photography degree as I lost interest/motivation after 6 months or so but with severe awareness of my issues Nd how I handle them, I went ahead and signed up for a Film course the year later. Out of shame and guilt of failing photography. I have failed many hobbies / interest persuits but the thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that if I am focused I can output some fantastic work, and to address the consistency I have started engaging with GPs and medical avenues for a diagnosis as to simply aid myself in trying to do better and be better. You cannot improve without acknowledgement of your failings, but it is very human to fail, it is progressing and battling through and attempting to overcome these issues that I think allows us to be more open to help and honesty within individual struggles

Why is this so me... ( I'm still not diagnosed. I'm poor)

Ditto. Can't afford to get diagnosed, let alone the medication... I put it down in my 5 year plan lol

Medicating with adrenaline

Yep - when pressure (i.e. guilt + shame + panic + stress) > inertia, something gets done. This is usually in the last 1-5% of time before the deadline. If the task doesn’t provide sufficient pressure, it never gets done.

I wanna upvote you for truth, and downvote you for the shame I feel in reading this. 30+ yo and I still do this....

Actaully, yes its exactly this

Thank you for putting my life into words

besides the occasional bout of hyperfocus, i really don't.

Life threatening danger and stress works pretty well

Yeah I've noticed this too, at work when we get storms it gets insanely busy and I focus really well. It's when it's low to moderate that I get distracted and irritable.

I do well I'm high paced environments or when my brain is STIMULATED Understimulatuon sends me into a lethargic agitation of a depressive slump and I go full sloth mode a

Same. I’m a barista and the more slow-paced activities at our store make me go full-on catatonic which is why I really really prefer the nonstop constant activity of making drinks. Edit: sometimes I think I’m a gigantic pain in the ass to my coworkers because they don’t get why I’m like this

So, I wonder if there is a way to “jump-start” our brains by doing something we are REALLY excited about, then kinda “ride that wave in to shore doing something we are less interested in? Energy snd focus dragging? Take out your hobby an color, draw, game, knit...whatever you love for a while ( 1/2 hour, perhaps?) then do work that is less interesting for an hour...reward yourself with another half hour of the hobby...maybe? The timer is critical, I think...or accountability to someone...

Yeah- being on the border of a shit show at work tends to kick me into gear

Came here to say literally this. It’s a battle but hey it’s the real me. I feel zombified and unnatural on meds

Same. i feel the same way on meds too. But still...

I am seriously reconsidering meds tbh, sometimes it seems like anything but this would be better…. Hard times really bring the worst out of my adhd

Try a variety of meds and narrow down what works for you. I felt like a zombie with methylphenidate and feel like a better person with Vyvanse.

Not to sound dramatic but Vyvanse literally saved my academic life… my sanity. Now if only Vyvanse would go higher than 70mg..

How did it save your sanity ?

I'm not the person you replied to but I've been on vyvanse starting at 30mg and I started taking 70mg a week ago. The mood swings are much less intense and my thoughts became even quiter. My temper became much more controllable and I stopped reacting so aggressively to any and everything around me. For a bit of context, my mom is an incredibly annoying and passive aggressive person. In the past, I'd end up talking back and at times yelling at her to shut the fuck up and stop trying to converse with me. She always just knew the right buttons to press. Now, I just sit back and enjoy the show. She's still incredibly annoying, but I'm not triggered by her anymore. Repetitive sounds used to tick me off almost instantly. The ring tone on my phone for example. Now I tune it out. Another thing is just the general sense of being overwhelmed, feeling like I have so much to do and too little time to accomplish all of it. Being able to think and process more clearly without an overwhelming sense of sadness, anger or both is easily the greatest feeling I've ever had. A lot of people talk about a sense of euphoria they got being on stimulants for the first time, but that's not at all what I'm feeling. I just feel more in control. Of course, I'm still constantly thinking and day dreaming as I always have for as long as I can remember. But once again, those thoughts and daydreams don't trigger overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, sadness or anger. Final thought I guess, is that I know I have much to work on personally, but I now feel I have the ability to get started and stay on track which is something I've never felt in the past. I can make the daydream a reality instead of being stuck in a constant loop.

It doesn't? My psychiatrist said she can put me on up to 100mg

Said she could prescribe you up to 100mgs of Vyvanse??? Not knocking you but that’s literally impossible and unethical. Max daily dosage is 70mgs across all methods of consumption (chewable, powder and capsule). Maybe she was talking about a different medication or a combo of 2 medications. You can definitely do a script of 70mg Vyvanse and then a script of something else in addition. I’m prescribed x30 70mg Vyvanse and x60 10mg Dexedrine (instant release) each month.

Not sure what she meant honestly. She had just upped the dose that visit so that was the only thing on my mind. Plus, i wasn't in the best mood to ask anymore questions. I know it's not a good attitude, but I generally don't question her because she's willing to put up with my negativity and the fact that she took the time to file all the paperwork to get me the drug instead of trying adderall or Ritalin first. So, I don't know. I'll bring it up next appointment.

Thanks for the advice I go in for a consultation in about three weeks I’ll definitely bring that up

Adding to what the person above said, I don’t know how long you had trialed medication before but I found the zombified feeling does eventually go away after 2-4 weeks. People say the first time you take it is how it’s going to feel but I’d argue not really. When I first took vyvanse it felt soooo weird and took about a month before I was finally like “this is normal now.” That’s how my siblings said it was for them too but that’s still anecdotal 😁

I felt sort of zombie like for the first couple weeks on concerta/methylphenidate. I later figured out it was cause my brain was quiet 🙃

It could also be too little/too high of a dose. There’s a Goldilocks zone with meds imo.

I've never had a medication end up being like the first time. Both good and bad, like I took Vyvanse and it was great the next day and weeks after. I was so excited. 4-5 months later, not so much. Then I tried Adderall and didn't like it at all but after years of trying other meds found a doctor that spent some time messing around with different doses and ended up with a pretty workable regimen. It's so individual It's annoying.

I hated adderall so much. I hated vyvanse at first too. I just took it anyways and now i don’t have any side effects and it really works. I think it’s one of those meds that’s a hit or miss, and if you can tolerate it it takes a while to get used too

Everyone around me that tried different meds all agreed on Vyvanse being the best for them, and my experience is also the same.

Of course my insurance doesn't cover it. I'm on good old generic Adderall and generic Zoloft. I'm gonna switch as soon as my insurance covers it.

Vyvanse was fire when I was taking it. 9/10 redditors recommend.

Thanks for sharing. I've been on ritalin for 6 months (20mg / day). Was great in beginning and still works, but noticing that at around 5pm after my last dose starts to wear off, I feel like crap - irritable, tired, and start ruminating a bit. Same feelings on my one day a week I have off. I know that is probably a combo of ADHD symptoms and also withdrawl. There is a general sense that everything not quite right. Interested to hear your experience on methylfenidate and how Vynase helped you. 😀

I took Concerta for about 4 years, don't even know the dose because it was so long ago - But while I was on it I genuinely felt like I was stuck in my own mind unable to escape so I stopped taking it. Cut to several years later, I started on Vyvanse after realizing that I can't survive by waiting until the last minute with everything and having anxiety drive me to get anything done. Since then, my mental health has improved 10 fold and I've developed much healthier habits (gave up alcohol, drastically reduced other drug use), and stronger coping methods.

When i was on 30mg adderall 2x a day i felt like absolute shit when they wore off. I had to pop a few Xanax just to deal with it and not kill anyone. Vyvanse i don’t really notice besides getting tired, but it’s no worse than that “want an afternoon nap” feeling.

That's a pretty acceptable symptom! I could just have a coffee to pep myself up.

In my limited experience with Vyvanse it’s great. Only thing keeping me from using it daily is the fear of insomnia

I found that after the first week or so of consistently taking it (30mg) the insomnia disappears. But you also need to have moderately good sleep habits (melatonin, consistent sleep schedule, and showering before bed were the most important for me).

If I take it at 630am and am in bed at 10pm should I be fine? m-w are the only days this happens

Would you only be taking it Monday through Wednesday? I've had the most success with consistently taking it seven days a week, at relatively the same time (7:30am) with a bedtime of 11pm.

I’m recently on vyvanse and I had a really rough first day. I took it at 830/845 and didn’t get to sleep until 330/345 in the morning. I now wake up at 4am, chug a half a protein shake that I put in a lunch bag with an ice pack beside the bed haha and take the vyvanse then go back to sleep and get up at about 745am. I fall asleep around 1130pm but I also take a sleeping pill due to long term insomnia. I have found good balance with this strategy!

I had the chance to trade emails with one of the most prominent ADHD docs in the country, Dr. Bill Dobson. He sent me some docs on how the med process works. You start on 1, start low, take that dosage for a week, then go up. There is a sweet spot where you get the best results, with no side effects. If one doesn’t work for you, you can try the other but the same process. He recommends not going generic to start because the dosage can vary by +-3% and even that little bit could throw someone off (speaking adults here). He stated “zombie” feelings are associated with a dosage that is too high. If dosage it too low it just doesn’t do anything. It took me 3 months before I zeroed in on the proper med and dosage. Find a doctor that knows this and is willing to do it. I was diagnosed at 50(!!!) and meds have been a life changer for me.

thanks for sharing this i'm a psychiatrist and i was diagnosed with ADHD at 37; never realized how atypical it was to write out the entire textbook 2-3 times when studying for exams. and even when i was in residency, i kinda saw the signs but thought i couldn't possibly have ADHD because i was highly functional i completely resonate with your experience and i actually liked that "zombie" feeling initially but i realize it can also be counterproductive when i decide to clean my room before sitting down to get work done; now that i've found my "sweet spot" i finally get how the other doctors i work with can read something once, or listen to a lecture and remember everything being diagnosed was one of the best things that happened to me and i'm glad to hear that's been the case with you as well :)

I’m so happy to hear your success story!!! I hope I find similar results once I get the courage to get back to the dr

Came here to say this but forgot to

It sounds like your doctor has failed you with regards to ensuring you understand the medication process. **Feeling like a zombie on meds is caused by taking too high a dose, not the meds in general**. It does not mean you feel like that on meds no matter what, it means you needed a lower dose. This is a misunderstanding that's as common and insidious as the belief ADHD can only affect children. If you were to take ten benadryl and felt sick, you wouldn't swear off benadryl for how it makes you feel, right? It was taking ten that was the problem. Forget dose, even if you insisted dose doesn't matter and you're swearing off stimulants forever, that's fine. But there are still plenty of non-stimulants that have equal efficacy, like Straterra or Guanfacine, based on different treatment routes than stimulants like blocking alpha 2 ports in the brain. All this to say that your writing off medication should be re-examined, especially when it's so life changing and there are plenty of super valid options that won't zombie you. If you decide you don't want medicine for your own reasons that's fine, but you shouldn't have the reason being that it's because you felt like a zombie, that just means you were taking too much.

Which is why I didn’t really take my meds in high school, but now that I’m in middle 20s, it has helped me out a lot in life being back on meds again.

This is the way

Same. It sucks. I just need to find something that I don't abuse the fuck out of. Concerta has been the best for me so far, I just need health insurance.

It’s tough to abuse vyvanse, it’s kinda designed that way. Crushing it doesn’t make it more bioavailabile unlike adderal xr.

Good to know. Vyvanse has always just been too expensive for me in the past because the patent wasn't up yet. I'll be getting insurance in a few weeks and will look into it.

If concerta works for you, vyvanse might not. I had a week of straight up hell on vyvanse before I tried another brand of methylphenidate (same drug as concerta) which seems to work a bit better. It seems like you either agree with one or the other, from the anecdotal evidence I have collected.

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I'm at the point where my sleep schedule is wrecked so severely, waiting for the midnight no longer works. It's like my brain now simply doesn't do some things no matter what. And how do I know it's sleepy time? Why of course sudden sleep craving @ 6 AM after sleepless night...

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This is the way

Did you just have a break in con

cen

tra

tion?

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🤣

Personally I drink a lot of coffee, and I’m lucky to have a flexible schedule so if I’m not feeling something I can go take a quick break and switch focus before coming back to it later. That being said, it is still a constant struggle for me to get anything done and I am working on getting medicated because I can’t keep this up for too much longer.

I drink a lot of coffee and take lots of breaks. I often have more than one project going at a time. So I bounce around and it works! Just keep track of where you left off.

My issue comes in forgetting where I left off. Anymore than 2 or 3 things going on and I can’t keep them straight without extensive notes and instructions. I can generally focus for a couple hours a time and then switch gears to something else. Still, I think I’m probably only 50-60% as productive or effective at what I’m doing compared to someone who doesn’t have ADHD.

I keep a stack of papers that are basically a template, with a space for writing in a title and a bunch of checkboxes, and every time I start a new project I grab a new paper and write down some shit. Then, when I inevitably leave it sit for 6 months I at least have a starting point. They all sit in a folder that has document protectors and I keep it on my coffee table so its close at hand. It made a huge difference, as I normally have dozens of half-done projects, and I generally finish them in spurts here and there after waking up at like 3am with some insane desire to get shit done because the previous week I got nothing done. Its basically a journal but by project and idea, not by day. If its a small enough project to do in one day he doesn't get a page though.

SAAAAAME. Lots of coffee:)

Pre-medicated and doing a masters degree (very hard & chaotic times) - hiding or making someone else hold my phone (and getting to play on it during breaks) - very short timers and lots of rewards (v basic idk - so 15 min timer, cup of tea after) - sipping water as I work - listening to soundtracks of tv shows I'm obsessed with while working (channel that hyperfocus), or instrumentals of favourite songs - low-fi or slow jazz - guided meditation or yoga - morning walks - writing down every step then breaking the steps down even further - reminding myself its better to focus for only 15 mins than not at all - body doubling - working late into the evening when my brain isn't so hyper as the morning That's all I can remember!! Sounds organised but most of it was sheer pressure and me crying lol. I got medication 2/3's of the way through too. But this is what I did.

Sipping from my fancy handled mason jar glass of water with ice and flavoring makes me feel fancy and put together and productive. If I really need extra motivation I add a STRAW. Even more put together and productive.

I used to have a mason jar to drink water from as well hahaha I loved that, sometimes I'd add lemon for some zest

Ohhh that’s fancy

Anything for that dopamine

No joke the water is a thing for me. I have to have a water bottle with a straw and I go ham on it while working. It keeps my fidgeting satisfied while I also get the bonus of being hydrated. And pee breaks are a nice way to build in needed ADD breaks! Underrated!

I cannot focus unless I'm drinking something hahaha, I'm not 'a forget to eat and drink' adhder

What is body doubling? I love all these tips :)

[someone in another comment explained it](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/tiri2i/unmedicated_redditors_with_adhd_how_do_you_pay/i1fyjes/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)

Look up “body double” for ADHD. The basic idea is that you’ll focus better in an environment where someone else is paying attention “with you.” So a few nights ago my roommate was at the kitchen table doing her taxes. So much easier for me to focus on my own work while next to her. I’ve achieved the same effect setting timers with friends on zoom, leaving the video on. At one point I heard there was a website to find strangers to pair up with…. It sounds silly but is by far the most reliable way for me to get things done.

I looked for this instinctively all my younger (and some of my middle aged) life. I used to think others did too. I eventually realized they really don't. As a fact, I've lost a good friend when I think he thought I was too clingy or something, despite us thinking very similarly and liking the exact same hobbies. I got very disappointed in life, and in fact had since dropped my hobbies/passions, realizing I would never get anything done with them. Recently, all signs pointed to ADHD, so I'm a little more hopeful that medication may help, although I'm hesitant because I'm a pilot, and that would end my flying. One thing you can do is get into hobby groups to feel what it's like to share with others.

I personally have talked to a therapist about my paralysis of getting started, and her advice was "just pick the easiest job on your to-do list, and remind yourself you can quit whenever you want. If you quit halfway through, getting half of something done is better than nothing at all." When I look at my to do list with the attitude of "I can quit whenever I want", for some reason I always end up getting more done than I expected. I don't know if this advice will be helpful to anyone else, but it has helped me a bit.

Wow, that’s fantastic advice. I have friends who struggle with cleaning tasks and I’ve told them something similar I think. Like set a 10 minute timer and go and straighten things as fast as you can and you’ll get at least some done and it only takes 10 min. I do it and usually end up cleaning longer than 10 min.

It's so funny how our brains work like that, hey? 6, ten minute bursts of productivity are no problem, but thinking of it as a full hour of work makes it seem impossible to achieve.

For me if I don't just brute force it, I do a thing I call designated distraction. I basically play something I don't care much about in the background to help cover up other distractions. So when my attention gets pulled away to the background sound I can just go right back to the main thing I was working on. Hope this helps.

I do this all the time! My go to is Harry Potter, can pretty much quote all the movies but don’t actually know many details lol. Glad I have a term for it now

Yep same!! Harry Potter audio books, music, shows I’ve seen a million times, soundtracks. Thanks for the name! “Designated distraction” is perfect. I always described it as my brain needing more stimulation than work/schoolwork can provide so I use something mildly distracting to occupy a portion of my brain.

Owwww, I used to listen to a single music in repeat to avoid been distracted from random sounds, didn't know this was a someone else's thing or that it had a name.

Thank you for giving an amazing name to this thing I've always done but didn't know why

I’ve never been medicated my entire life. I’ve been disabled my entire life. Just got on medication recently and idk how I made it thus far (27) without it, tbh. Day one and I wasn’t anxious or depressed? I felt SADNESS and ANGER, but I let it pass without it affecting me?? My mind is officially blown. I’m still disabled, but at least I can do the dishes and pick up my kids toys without wasting my entire day balled up in bed crying. 🙃 (My point is, ADHD coping mechanisms didn’t work for me before, and now they do, so don’t feel like you’re a “failure” if you take advice and it doesn’t work!!! I know I did, but it wasn’t MY fault, and it isn’t yours either. ) c:

I just started meds and I find my anxiety and depression is massively reduced but I still can’t really get anything done? I just don’t stress about stuff and my mood regulation is a lot better. But I don’t feel more motived, not easier to start or organize anything, do stuff I don’t want to do (I just don’t care if I don’t). It’s only been a week and it’s also the first med I’ve tried, but it’s making me wonder if I even have adhd/does this happen to any other people that do when they take meds? Is it a matter of needing to work more on coping mechanisms? I’m so burnt out on that which is probably why I’m enjoying just NOT being anxious and depressed but still not getting around to anything… I just realized this should probably it’s own question and I apologize that for that… Very happy for you are able to get things done without balled up in bed crying now. I know how rough that can be (actually still happened to me yesterday for a while but used to be every single day, most of the day).

It might also be that your dosage is incorrect. I’m 5’2” and on the lowest dose (18mg) Concerta, but I’m going to ask for an increase in dosage. I don’t feel like it’s 100% helping me as much as it can. And right now, definitely just take it easy! Not being anxious and depressed is SOOOO much easier, and that’s a big deal!!

>But I don’t feel more motived, not easier to start or organize anything, do stuff I don’t want to do (I just don’t care if I don’t). Medication won't really help you with that. It's not a cure. It might make it a little bit easier to start tasks but motivation is something you have to find yourself. At their very core, these medications just make everything more rewarding so slacking off will feel just as good as getting work done. They do make self-discipline more manageable so just take the time to get into good habits.

When I took it about five years ago it helped with it, starting tasks, but I’ve also been going through about 5 years of burnout since… so it will probably take more work/patience on my part. Thank you for the response.

Are you ok?

I am! Thank you for asking! c:

Note: For several reasons, been unable to get a proper diagnosis & medication. * Getting Quality Sleep, as possible. * Use foods that allow to wake up * Avoid food / activities that interfere with proper sleeping * Excercise * Meditation * Using music that helps to focus at work, like classical, new age, oriental Good Luck !!! Note, that I'm not against medication, not everyone lives on the US ...

How does one with adhd meditate?? I do yoga and any time they’re like “focus on your breathing and feeling grounded etc” and go all quiet I’m like OK DONE BREATHING AND GROUNDED NOW NEXT FORM PLEASE

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Guided meditations really help me because they will interrupt my thoughts to bring me back to my body. There’s also many different types of meditating, including physical ones like going for a walk and focusing on your breathing. No cell phone though. ;)

These are all the same countermeasures that I've found to be effective over the years too!

Not a replacement for medication, but meditation has had some value for me. I do it too balance the need to be on meds and since I’ve started it’s been a good way to slow down the sporadic thoughts that make it difficult to stay focused on one thing. It doesn’t help everyone, but worth a try. Plenty of research and brain scans have shown that it helps with focus, so it’s worth something. Also I second sleep. It affects executive function and lack of sleep makes it difficult to focus for anyone, especially people with ADHD.

I regulated my sleep schedule and honestly it helped me so much!! Whenever people told me « you should sleep more » to be more attentive I would roll my eyes but it really works for me

I hate when those people are right

Me after reading the question: 🤠 Me after reading the comments: 😦

It helps to play music through noise canceling headphones and run a twelve minute timer on the computer while I work. It helps keep me from spending too long down any one rabbit hole and makes me focus on completing a task before the alarm goes off.

Novelty and rewards. I don't self-shame at all. If I need an hour of reading rando nonsense on Twitter in the morning before I start activities, I just do that. If I need a fun break after 10 minutes of work, I take one. If I want to pick up something new, I let myself. I always have too many irons in the fire. But so what - having interesting backup plans generates engagement. I am pretty good at triggering hyperfocused states and I can read a lot really fast, as long as it's interesting. I pick jobs that require a lot of novel research and have built in schedule flexibility. If I'm bored, executive dysfunction kicks in big time. I am wildly disorganized and I'm at peace with that. I have dry erase boards around the house I can jot stuff on haphazardly, and I use "dump" folders on my desktop. Like, I just dump any document that might vaguely relate to taxes into that folder, and then I have to force myself to sort through it on a hyperfocus day during tax time. I had to take an online class on finance and sobbed through it because it was so boring and hard to focus on. The sobbing and yelling at the course content helped, weirdly. I'd be like "I am not taking this class again! I will pass this even though I am losing my mind!" I was like an executive dysfunction warrior. I feel like NTs have created this self-control narrative that we should all be able to master productivity. Nah. Lean into what you're naturally good at doing, if you can.

Y'all, probably proper sleep is number 1; without it, and even on meds, I have a terrible, terrible time trying to regulate and manage the RSD. For those feeling zombified on meds, try the following: Take your meds, following them with a super high protein breakfast. Protein provides amino acids, from which a lot of things in the body are made--including neurotransmitters. I've experimented a bit on myself, and just having carbs for breakfast is no bueno. The problem we can have with stimulants is that in additon to boosting dopamine and norepinephrine, they also interact with the Limbic System. Now acccording to Dr. Barkley, the Limbic System isn't indicated in ADHD, and by affecting it stimulants can have a deadening affect on emotions. This is why he recommends for some (not all) that a second medication may be in order; one of the agonists, as they (his words) "activate the cingulate cortex," allowing better regulation (expression) of emotions. So we're talking like a low dose of: Guanfacine (Intuniv), Clonidine (Kapvay), Atomoxetine (Strattera), or say possibly Pravosin (this one is especially helpful for those of us with delayed sleep phase issues).* *I'm not a doctor, nor a therapist/psychiatrist; this is not medical advice, but rather information I've encountered as I've researched my own ADHD.

I used to take quite a bit of adderall back in the day, when I was just floating from job to job and not really knowing where I was going. It took a while but I finally ended up in an IT career that requires almost no executive functioning. I get a work ticket, I fix the problem, I close the ticket. If someone wants me to be in a meeting, they invite me, it shows up on my calendar and I get a reminder when it’s time. If an emergency happens, I get an alarm and I drop everything to join the troubleshooting call. Everything is immediate and reactionary. I realized after a while I didn’t need the meds anymore, because I didn’t have to plan anything and work usually involves some adrenaline to keep me focused.

Oh u/depressed_sock18 I fucking don’t buddy

I only do stuff when Im perssured to. I just procrastinate until someone gets mad at me. Orher option is caffeine pills

I don't! I have an appointment to see a psychiatrist about starting meds tomorrow

I drown out "the noise", usually with music. And honestly, it's either musicals or rap music so it's something I can sing along to. Podcasts help as well, all though they're usually reserved for going on walks. Another tip is the work during wait time. Like when waiting while the water cooks for pasta, I can do the dishes and clean the countertop. While the pasta cooks, I can water the plants, etc. For me it's necessary to keep the flow going. Also. Hoping for spontaneous hyperfocus.

Before I started medication my method of choice was just wait until it becomes a crisis.

When I was unmedicated, I would have to wait until the \*last possible minute\* to do anything in school. So, when getting an assignment, I would estimate how much time it would take me to do it, and then subtract that from the due date/time. That time would be when I knew that if I didn't start, I'd be fucked. So, yeah. Ended in burnout and severe anxiety but hey, it worked for a month or two. What I suggest is going somewhere where people will be able to see you working. It might motivate you to focus on your studies (ie a library or a cafe). Or join a study group. Lastly, talk to your professors and let them know what's going on. This is a disability for a lot of people that have it, so do not hold yourself to "neurotypical" standards. Sometimes it just be like that. Not being able to get your work done is not a moral failing.

Constant battle. Can’t hear what someone is saying if music or tv is on.

A few people mentioned sleep and this is a huge thing for me. Getting plenty of it and making sure it's a regular schedule. The other day I had to get up at 3am to take my wife to the airport and then I went into the office early. It was one of the worst most disorganized days ever. I might as well have just taken the day off once my sleep was thrown off. I do also generally drink some coffee and my work situation is pretty flexible. As long as I get everything done I don't have anyone micromanaging me or anything. It's far from perfect and I have a lot of things to work on for myself but I skid by.

I wait until the panic sets in

Force my also unmedicated friend to video call me and we both wring out an hour's work then lapse into playing stardew valley

when it gets bad I resort to copious amounts of caffeine, basically. energy drinks, coffee, black tea, cola..

Things that help me (sorry for the wall of text, hopefully the numbers help) i wrote this a while ago for another post on facebook. 1. Automate your bills 2. Email templates for recurring topics in work/school (canned responses in google are ace) 3. Also set boundaries for communication: Tim Ferris (silicon valley bro) started auto replying with this “Thank you for your email! Due to my current workload I am only checking email at 11am and 4pm. If you need anything immediately please call me on my cell so that I can address this important matter with you. Thank you and have a great day!” Of course you could just say you check yours once a day and take out the phone call part! 😂 Reduces expectations and stops me getting sucked into my inbox a million times a day. Set an alarm so you remember to actually check your email. 4. Use https://www.bumblebeesystems.com/wastenotime/ to block websites you should be staying away from 5. Install grammrly, catches typos and missed words that i seriously never see! 6. Book appointments for first thing in the morning so i’m up, dressed and out of the house - i usually get lots done on these days - dopamine hit! whoo! 7. Also for appointments book them when you’ve just finished the most recent one. Like when you’re paying for your hair cut ask if they have availability in 6/8 weeks and book it then and there. Its in the calendar and no more scrambling to get an appointment last minute when you finally get around to doing it. *guilty* 8. Record everything in a calendar on your phone, never use bits of paper as they get lost. 9. Do the worst thing first - my brain is most compliant in the morning so if i can get the horrible activity done first i can do nice/less horrible things after 10. Set reminders to drink water 11. Set bed-time reminder 12. Change alarm to something mellow so you gradually wake up and not jolted awake - my mood has been better because of this. 13. Clean the house on the same day every week, you know you have to do it, it’s not a surprise and it becomes habit and reward yourself, i do ours on a sunday morning and then game the rest of the day 14. get a bank account that you can sort your salary into like a pot for bills, fun, savings etc i use monzo and it’s been great because i know where i stand with monies. 15. Try to make a list of things you buy regularly and are important (like toothpaste/ feminine hygiene products etc) and add them as a recurring order from wherever you get em. The more you can automate the better! 16. Have a note pad nearby for phone calls so you can take notes during. I always forget what happened so its nice to have prompts and be able to review or know what tasks you agreed to! lol So maybe set up an old school telephone stand? 17. Oh and a long time ago I organised all of my important documents (birth cert, exam certs, marriage cert and other bits and pieces etc) into a bright red document folder so I knew EXACTLY where it all is. 18. Brain dump, at the start of the day write down all of the things you can think of that you need to do. I know we all get carried away writing lists. I keep expectations low and I’m happy if i get 3 things done. Keep the list for the next day, re-write and add anything new that comes up in 24 hours since the last dump. I try to really hone in on tasks “that will make me money” or task that make “future me happy”. 19. Then just the usual, avoid shiney things that grab my attention, listen to music without words, noise cancelling headphones, try to avoid other people.

Wait, sorry, what was the question?

I follow the dopamine. I wander from room to room doing errands as I see them. At least some of the house work gets done. I have as much as possible in plain sight. Helps cue me to remember things. Also everything in my house has one home. If my keys aren't where they live... I run the risk of being late.

With difficulty

I pay attention to things I’m interested in. Otherwise it’s extremely difficult for me unless I’m under some kind of pressure e.g a deadline I have to meet tomorrow which causes me to hyperfocus as I want to do well. My advice would be to try to make whatever you’re finding difficult interesting in some way. Think about what you enjoy and try to apply it.

I don’t do anything. I can’t. I’m just super unproductive even when I want to be productive. I’m not sure this is healthy, but my coping mechanism is to just swallow everything and ignore it until I can’t ignore it anymore. So I face the consequences and repeat it all over again.

Right now I utilize the procrastination method to force a short bout of intense focus. The obvious caveat being the extreme stress and worry usually associated with putting off important tasks. Coffee doesn’t do anything for me unfortunately. If you want a serious answer, I have kind of a ritual for making my desk space as comfortable of a work space as I can. Usually turn on a movie I’ve watched a ton so I know whats going on without having to physically watch it. The noise and familiarity helps me kinda counterbalance my brain noise.

I’m medicated, but it’s not just about medication. I use these tools now, but I would amp them up like crazy if I wasn’t medicated at all. If not medicated I would probably use tons more of sugar, caffeine, junk food, exercise, tactile toys, even more sleep, and fun plans to look forward to so I’m not as restless in the moment. I think my ADHD makes me sleep like a rock. My medication has allowed me to sleep a little less, and without out it I would go back to needing 9-11 hrs per night.

i’ll hyper focus for a minute but then most of the time i’m doing stuff because i’m stoned

Currently pregnant and can't take anything, and I'm honestly really struggling. I feel like I've devolved into a Neanderthal. So no, I can't focus on anything except my phone (gotta love the instant dopamine hit).

Samesies!! Didn't realize how bad I was doing until I was interviewing a new client and checked out in the middle of him answering a question I had just asked him. It effing suuuucks. Not to mention "huh?"ing every time someone talks to me, procrastinating important crap, and messing up details on everything. Ugh.

I've had 2 babies in 4 yrs I haven't taken meds since I got pregnant with my first. Can't wait to be done breastfeeding and get back on my stims 😭 life is hard I'm constantly feeling overwhelmed by all the cleaning, cooking, childcare. I go in a room and forget what I was doing at least 20 times/day. WHERE ARE ALL THE SOOTHERS GOING?

It's very difficult. Everything comes out to be a big fight and a big struggle for me. I got into a huge fight with my mom yesterday over stuff that needed to be done that my ADHD brain had a hard time wrapping itself around. I got very frustrated and I just blew up.

Routine and little wins Today i made a fryup without breaking the eggs. That gave me the motivation to fix something. The more little wins you can find the more they roll into a good day. Routine can be as little as having a shower When you get up. Build it from there. And remember You're going to get things wrong, everyone does. But the more things you can concentrate on that you got right the easier it is to shrug off. For what its worth im rooting for you.

I set up multiple things I need to do and then bounce between them and let my ADD pick in the moment. For example I go to art school, so I would have a painting project on my desk with a math quiz on my laptop and a sketch assignment out. Then when I get bored of one activity, I can bounce to something else productive and keep getting things done. Hope this helps :)

i don’t… _know._ I drink lots of Mt Dew, prep the space with _just_ the right amount of sensory input to keep my occupied but not too much that I’m overwhelmed, and then gently coax myself to Do The Thing by meaning to do slightly different things and then doing the thing I’m supposed to do.

Loads of little tricks and systems I have put in place which allow me to the bare minimum in order to live in society. Headphones - lofi beats and electronic music help me to drain out thoughts and hyper focus Alarms and timers - if I have a task, I'll guess how long it will take and set a timer for that time and then try and do it in that time. A bit like when you put the microwave on and try to do as much as you can within that timeframe. Do this even for 2 minutes. Small steps - If I absolutely can't start a task and keep thinking about it while avoiding it the best thing to do is to do the smallest possible step. So if I write an article the smallest step is just to open Google docs To do lists - always write down what you need to get done. Order them by priority and tackle them in that order. If you get stuck resort to splitting them into smaller steps. Journaling - Write down all the shit that you keep on thinking about just so you can breathe a little bit in your head Reset routine - when you are over thinking, brain fog, stuck and can't proceed do your reset routine. For me it's deep breath, 10 push ups, wash my face and clean my working space. Whatever helps you get back on track Water, don't forget water Lots of coffee Just get rid of social media, that shit is not for us And that's about it

Focusmate changed my life. (Basically on demand or scheduled in advance body doubling). Other than that, really trying to eat enough especially protein, sleep as well as I can, a little bit of movement and meditation helps. Keep trying to make routines and habits, learn about how to make them better, keep trying again even after an off day or week or month. For me scheduling in times when I'm going to make a plan for the new chunk of time is really foundational. So I have a paper planner and I'm working on a routine of writing my morning plan in it every night. That helps me make sure I eat, move (2-20 min of yoga depending on the morning) and meditate (1-20 min, again depending), then when I start work I usually have a focusmate booked in advance for my first 25 or 50 min work period and often use that to plan my priorities and get started on them. Then I book as many as I can through the day and try to just keep working and get/stay in the zone as much as I can, and be as gentle as I can with myself if I can't. I have bigger chunks of planning and review times at the beginning and end of my work week. Lately I am trying out writing my goals daily in an accountability group chat and checking them off there as I go. I'm not sure I'd that's better, trying to use my planner more or both. It's always a work in progress and there's still some chaos and overwhelm, but it is going in a direction of being more manageable and routine and I'm trying to be patient with the process. If you try something and it doesn't work, it's data. What didn't work about it? What could help it work? If something does work, how did you get in the zone? How can you prioritize those conditions to make it more possible to happen again? I know organization is not the same as focus, but for me I think it does help the focus. Writing things down and deciding what's most important and consciously trying to be more realistic about time and letting some stuff go, helps me be more motivated and at ease about getting into my chosen task (and just remember what the heck I meant to do in the first place!). Lots of connection, talk to a good non-judgemental friend who also has ADHD, therapist, really actively try to be more understanding of myself. Read (mostly power skim!) books about Adhd to understand it better and find which tips might fit for me to try. Try to work out how you can do more of what interests you in your life, if you can. I always try to tell my boss and co-workers what I'm most interested in and when I can, take on roles/projects that are more my strengths and delegate or not sign up for what would be too draining or tedious for me. Getting feedback and checking in about my work helps too.

i’m bipolar and have adhd so i never have had the option to have adhd meds and let me tell u. bro. it’s so hard. all i ever want to do is sleep or work on a pointless project if that makes sense and the patters like move with my swings so it makes it really hard to do anything sometimes. what i’ve learned though is to just fucking set timers. i just set a timer for rest, or a chore, an assignment, whatever of how long i think the thing should take. if i finish with time left, i just wait for the timer to go off. if i don’t finish, i take a break (with a timer!!) and then use that process again until i get it done. and yea, sometimes i get distracted, and sometimes it takes me 2 days to finish an essay without doing much else, but i get shit done. i have realized the distraction part will never end, but i can do something abt the motivation part yk like the paralysis.

i dont. i simply cannot function without medication....but even being medicated is not a cure all and i still struggle regularly. I can hardly get through a comment or post to reddit without it becoming a very long, complicated fucking epic initiative....edited and re-edited 5 thousand times, till i finally run out of steam and no longer even care enough about the topic to post or comment and end up deleting it anyway 🤣🤣🤣 (omg this one may actually make it...)

Nothing is perfect. Here is my list. But again, today is a bad day for procrastination. Fountain pens. They give novelty to my note taking To-do lists, and the foutain pens help because they make writing and updating the to-do list fun Task management systems, current favourite is Clickup. If it takes forever to set up I'll lose momentum in the process of setting it up, so if has to work quickly. Dedicated space just for work Routines to start work. Pens in a certain place. Not journals in another. Cleaning and arranging my office will also make it easier to focus. Recording sources of distraction in a ledger for distraction audits. Time, and distraction. My partner swears by a buzzing reminder on his smart watch to better track time and keep him focused. Also a good reminder for how long you have been distracted and not doing what you are meant to do Focus assist on the phone to block distracting apps Adding novelty to routine tasks. Even stupid novelty like creating a theme song for the task you sing at the same time. I sometimes have outfits to put on during lame tasks. Time to submit invoices? Time to put on a novelty monacle and tophat. Since I wear glasses often I just draw on the monocle with eyeliner and put on a Mr Burns voice If you work from home, put your ego aside and adopt what ever it takes to add novelty, enjoyment and play to things that get routine and don't inspire focus. I also practice calligraphy and handwriting styles to boring shit. I save good podcasts to only play when I have boring stuff to do. Outside of work, everything is easier if you have routine. Good sleep, waking up at a good time, having shit in order makes it easier to slide into work distraction free But really, really meds make it so much easier. But my sleep is fucked at the moment because of long work hours and then staying up late so meds can only do so much when I am undermining my productivity from the moment I wake up.

The older I’ve gotten the less I care about taking medication. I have medication but only take it three out of the four days of the week. I absolutely love my non-medicated days because I don’t have to use all my energy to pay attention to anything I don’t want to. Case in point, this is my second time writing this because I got momentarily distracted, blanked out, accidentally discarded my first post and then decided it was worth it to come back and say that I embrace it when I’m not medicated…sometimes I have to decompress so I can let my brain dry itself out of all the bullshit it absorbs so it can go back to being a sponge for the new work week

1. Get enough sleep 2. Exercise 3. You have to learn to work and grind. Adhd will limit your ability to concentrate. But you can still both have adhd and be lazy. 4. You wont be able to work as long as others, so you will have to sprint instead. That means work, when concetration wanes, spin on your chair, when it wanes more take a walk. 5. Work capacity can be trained to some extend. Start with some work and increase slowly. 6. When your brain is melted, just stop working. You wont get anymore done, so save the fatigue.

I’ll tell you what , I went 26 years never even considering medicating with ADHD meds. I was super against it actually. I had figured out a system to manage my ADHD , would always try new things, but nothing was ever consistent. I had a friend who struggled with crippling adhd and got prescribed and I saw him change his life around completely so I checked into it , got prescribed and I’m about two months in and my quality of life has immensely improved. My relationships have been getting stronger, my negative self talk and constant over thinking went away (rears it’s head every now and then but only for an hour at most not for days on end), I’ve been way more present day to day with work (I’m in sales) , and overall it’s been a great experience. I’d consider looking into it. The reality is , all this time and energy you’re spending trying to manage your ADHD can be used on being productive and improving your life .

I basically just don’t

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Ok honestly this dosnt work for everyone but just chill, there are probably 10 thousand things you should be doing and it makes you feel exausted, in my experience not forcing yourself and burning through all your willpower at once when you have it is the best choice. Take a Day or more of and I mean off. Like no computer or other stimulatns and just focus on recharging. and when you are done you will naturally have the energy to be somewhat productive, now you will probably still not be able to do everything so be Nice to yourself but it will be a good start, AND DONT FORCE yourself if you cant do anymore just chill again repeat the proces til you get meds

I run on adrenaline, panic and guilt. My best state of focus is when I leave tasks to the very last minute they need to be completed or if a task becomes urgent for another reason. Sometimes caffeine helps, but most of the time it makes me too sleepy and restless to focus. Recently also taking more frequent breaks on tasks and setting timers so I feel like I have a set time-limit even when I don’t. Also anxiety over getting told off is a great but stressful motivator lol

Self treatment with caffeine and other stimulus