Look at your life. Sit there and think about the things that bother you. Now, think about just how many of those things that you actually have the power to change. Do those things, and don’t worry about the others. Life goes on.
It’s much easier said than done, I know, but I’ve found just not worrying about big things helps me focus on what matters to my life. Lexapro helps.
Noise canceling headphones and white/background noise or music. Rather than true “white noise” I prefer deeper stuff like cosmic or other low wavelength noise.
For anyone who doesn’t know, Mynoise has tons of free soundscapes of all kinds, they’re all customizable with sliders with different sound tracks, and the different sound tracks never terminate at the same time, so there’s never a jarring loop. And there’s even more if you donate any amount, even just one time.
I use this a lot. Usually rain spunds, but when I’m feeling spry I also like video game sound tracks and atmospheric black metal.
Where do you find “cosmic noise”?
Youtube. I used to have a front end that would allow the phone to lock while playing but that broke so I just raw dog it now.
Audiobooks have been an amazing hack for me to stay focused on every day household tasks. Listening to an interesting book engages my upper level thoughts (monkey mind) and makes things like folding laundry or dishes much more engaging. I still have a tendency to just fuck off when it’s half done but I can keep in motion and stay in the groove and circle around again after doing other necessities.
Simply the act of writing something down, with an actual pen on actual paper, really does help with memory. I know it’s a really common thing to suggest, especially in school and classes but I completely skipped it then and only started doing this in the past decade so it’s new to me. I’ve noticed such a dramatic difference in my recall of things that I wrote down vs things that were said to me, even if I never look at the notepad again.
Also, I absolutely hate this, but having less free time. I have less free time now than I ever have before and I’ve been astonished at how much I’ve been getting done. Every day I have pressure to do as much as I possibly can within a small window of time and it’s been great for my ADHD, but I resent it and grumble about it and wish it didn’t work so well.
Amphetamines
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Alarms and timers for everything.
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Custom sounds for phone to be 10dB higher than normal, to ensure I hear them and don’t just block it out as noise.
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Putting things that need taking care of later somewhere visible, like my laundry directly in front of my bedroom door so I have to do something with it just to open the door.
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Having autism, too, so the ADHD problems just naturally balance out.
Where exactly does this ‘balance out’ part supposed to work? Cause that sure would be nice
For example My autism wants me yo keep doing the same things and stick to a routine, my adhd wants me to keep trying new things. Not everyone’s ND is the same ofc.
Different alarm sounds for different activities. E.g. shower alarm sounds like a shower running.
I was like “somebody likes lists more than me!” and in the last point, “ah, yes, just like me :)”
Putting things that need taking care of later somewhere visible
And that is why the Christmas wrapping tote is still sitting in the hallway.
Putting things that need taking care of later somewhere visible
That can work but also can lead to tons of clutter.
Yup! And you can get where you’ll step right over the garbage that needs taking out as you go outside and not even notice.
not too many alarms, though, otherwise they become noise
Timers are probably the sole reason I have a smart watch.
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Double speed audio.
I have real difficulty with listening to people speaking slowly. By the time they finish the sentence I have lost the start, so unless I actively hold their sentence until it is done I often lose meaning or misunderstand.
Listening at double speed allows me to keep up without losing what was said. I listen to audiobooks and podcasts while doing most chores and it has been a game changer.
Once i was in an executive position i hired people who are not afraid to oppose me, and who have abilities (like planning of sorts)that i lack.
This is how hiring should work. You hire people to do the things that you can’t. The managers who only hire people worse than themselves so they can one-up their own employees are super toxic.
The project manager for an engineering team doesn’t need to be the best engineer on the team. In fact, they shouldn’t be the best engineer, because then your best engineer is wasting their time with project management work. Some engineering experience will be helpful in communicating with the team, but the most important part is not that they’re a good engineer; They need to be a good project manager first.
My kids do “the board”, write a checklist for the morning on a whiteboard.
I use the heck out of the phone calendar, and set alarms in both home system and work computer to make me stop and focus.
A “we have food for” list on the refrigerator.
To some extent, just aligning my schedule to fit my better hours, which are in the afternoon. I don’t go to work so early, because I’m kind of useless before lunch anyway.
I have a todo app and have set up recurring reminders for daily/weekly/monthly tasks.
Daily for like dishes/trash/meals
Weekly for laundry/groceries/etc
Monthly for budgeting/deeper cleaningI don’t stress if I miss one (or many,lol) but at least having them in the app means I have the list handy already when I realize I should check it, and not be wondering “what was that once a month thing I meant to do…?”
If you feel like you’re struggling to accomplish a task, take a moment to think about your stimulation level. Are you understimulated or overstimulated? Sometimes just acknowledging it is enough, everyone has their own techniques.
For example, if I’m trying to work and I’m understimulated, I might throw on some metal music or something like that. If I’m overstimulated, probably means I should sit in a dark room for 5 or 10 minutes until I feel better before trying to do anything.
The part of my brain that needs to be interested in something to do it is actually very stupid and easily tricked. Sometimes when I’m stuck all I have to do is literally pretend I find the work engaging.
Related, there’s some evidence that forcing a smile can improve one’s mood.
Be the change you want to see in
the worldyourself.Fake it 'till you
make itfeel it.
I mainly struggle with the executive dysfunction part. I found that preparing anything at all helps, even just opening the document I need to write on another screen will mean that whenever my attention next detaches from whatever else I’m doing, I will automatically latch onto what I’m supposed to do as the next thing.
This is the only way I managed to make progress on my bachelor’s thesis.
Ok but this is so smart! I’m gonna try this.
So empty….
For me, it’s also putting something into my calendar (specific time) or to-do list (no specific deadline – this is mostly for shopping and a second one for ideas). After that, if I think of something I try to do it right then if I can complete it or make measurable progress against it to avoid procrastination. Finally, physically putting things in places I can’t ignore so I don’t forget them (or a post-it in place, but that’s more risky).
I will set things I need to bring with me right in front of the door so I cannot leave without picking them up
Yep. It only becomes a post-it if it’s dangerous or needs to stay in the freezer until leaving or something
So true. There’s a post-it on my car key right now because I need to remember something in the fridge when I leave for work
Being accountable to someone. Also my least favorite ADHD lifehack.
I feel personally attacked.
most effective answer, and therefore the one i most avoid
For me, those are deadlines. Nothing better.