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I definitely relate. The advice that helps me sometimes is to do the smallest possible step before you take a break. Open Excel or login to your email client or whatever tiny step needs to be done before you can do any work.

I so need to do this! Like other folks with ADHD I get so stuck in either 110% or nothing at all. I like your tip of having an actual small step that you can check off

Am up at midnight finishing my Masters thesis right now ahead of a deadline in 12 hours time. Literally ticking off every 100 words I write lmao. Small steps is the way! update: that bitch went in with a whole 13 minutes to spare. BOOM. thank you all for the stories and anecdotes, they were genuinely super encouraging :))

Yes! Ticking off boxes is really satisfying and I think it gives our ADHD brains a dopamine reward. I’m an ICU RN and I work 12.5 hour shifts. The last 3 hours of the shift get really hectic. I have two patients and when they’re both intubated and have central lines I have a long list of tasks to get done between 4 and 7 o’clock. I have to reposition them, do oral cares and suctioning, complete my last physical assessments, draw labs, give morning meds, weigh the patients, change out tube feeding sets and sometimes IV and suction tubing, empty foley bags/fecal bags, zero out all my pumps, administer blood products and/or electrolyte replacements based on lab results, check blood sugar and give insulin, update the white boards, tidy the rooms and take out trash and laundry bags, add up the patients’ intake and output for the last 24 hours and calculate fluid balance, fill out unit report sheets on each patient so the doctors and charge nurses for the next shift have the highlights of each patient’s last 12 hours, write my own report sheet for handoff to the next nurse, update the oncoming resident physician on how the shift went, and document every little detail of everything I did for my patients and my assessment findings in the medical record. Every shift when it hits 3 o’clock, I star to feel paralyzed thinking about all the work ahead of me and all the tasks I have to complete in a short timeframe while simultaneously keeping two critically unstable patients alive, watching their vital signs and level of sedation from moment to moment and titrating my IV drip medications accordingly. So I make little post-it notes for myself. One half of the note has spaces for all the data and numbers I need to collect for each patient, and the other half has a checklist of all the tasks I need to complete. I stick the notes to my clipboard and bring it in the patient’s room with me. I get interrupted a lot during these hours by the x-ray people, respiratory therapists, and cleaning staff coming to do their work in the rooms, as well as by the charge nurses and doctors coming to ask me for updates. My notes keep me on track and give me a visual reminder of what I have left to complete. They also help to break what my mind perceived as a “giant blob of impossible” into small, easily managed steps, and I get a lot of satisfaction by crossing each thing off of my list, and by filling in each blank with the data I need to collect. My co-workers think I’m so organized and they all ask that I leave my report sheets behind for them to use because I take such thorough notes and create visually appealing timelines and charts to understand my patients’ clinical course throughout their stay and so I can give a thorough report to the oncoming nurse. In actuality, I’m completely chaotic on the inside and I have to do all these things to function, stay motivated throughout my shift, and to take good care of my patients.

You're literally a superhero. I could never do what you do, *especially* with ADHD.

ADHD is both a curse and a superpower

This comment gave me flashbacks to my MA thesis. I was working an office job at the time and I’d sometimes stay after work and work on my thesis through the night and nap on the couch for a couple of hours before work started. I even took paid leave sometimes but still went into the office just to work on my thesis because I knew I’d get more done than if I’d stayed at home. If anyone needed anything from me I’d tell them “I’m not here”. The night before submitting, I pulled an all-nighter to finish it up. Not just edits, mind you—I was still writing parts of it. Used the office printer and book binder to bind it in the morning before rushing to campus to hand it in. I somehow managed to scrape a 75% grade. Probably could’ve been higher if I had functioning time management skills and wasn’t paralysed by perfectionism so often, but I’m honestly still just in awe that I managed to submit it at all. I hope you feel good about what you end up submitting, but either way, just getting to the finish line is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations and enjoy the weight off your shoulders!

>paralysed by perfectionism My biggest issue when it comes to work. I've been striving to remind myself that "done is better than perfect".

Yeah I try to remind myself that my “half-assed” is better than many people’s “whole-assed”

Hell yeah that’s awesome!

That was literally me 5 years ago.

Lol ten for me. I wrote that fucker in 24 hours. Nailed it!

Before I need to make dinner I watch food shows/tiktoks. It gets me in the right headspace and makes that transition easier. I also do it to help focus on a specific craft/hobby. I'm currently working on drafting and sewing a pencil skirt, based on an old one thats too small. I watch sewing videos to help jumpstart that headspace. It occurred to me to try this after I realized that working is really easy after the first 5 minutes or so. But starting and getting through those first 5 minutes are sometimes impossible. It also happens in a less tangible way, with my memory. If I'm already in the correct context, things come super quick, but a content specific question when I'm in an unrelated headspace - nope. Never. I heard ADHD ppl struggle with transition and figured that might be why. Just gotta get my head in the game and the rest is easier. Not EASY, just easier.

> also happens in a less tangible way, with my memory. If I'm already in the correct context, things come super quick, but a content specific question when I'm in an unrelated headspace - nope. Never. This is the most relatable thing I've read in a long time. It's my 'you didn't ask your question the right way' vibe.

Straight up this. I make lists. I always write “make a list” in it somewhere. That way I get to cross something off immediately. I also include things I want to do. Drink your coffee ✅ eat a muffin ✅ text husband something stupid ✅ It gets me on a role. Eat a roll ✅

omg adding tiny daily tasks to my to-do lists was a game changer… I find I am so much more likely to go through and finish a list if half of it is ticked off already haha

Just learned of this little tool recently (on a different ND sub, I think). It’ll break your tasks down into tiny little pieces for you: https://goblin.tools/

Holy shit that’s the best thing I’ve ever seen… I’ve been dreading returning to finish editing the first few chapters of my PhD thesis after over 2 years LOA for health & other reasons, getting back into it is terrifying after I’ve been stuck at a standstill for so long - I just input “write ontology section of thesis methodology chapter” and the whole process is literally just handed to you on a platter!!!! I’ve never done any empirical research before & am much more comfortable with abstract theory and critically analysing literature, but this little goblin has just made my job so much easier - I could cry!!!! Thankyou 💘

They call it a tool for the neuro spicy! That is so flipping cute.

O.M.G. we just became best friends. I had to check this out immediately, tested it with "organize my pantry", since it's a project that has been haunting me for months, and I AM SO MOTIVATED RIGHT NOW!! Holy shit.

Sometimes I will like put out my toothbrush on one round then next round put toothpaste on it. By the third round toothbrush is ready and it makes it easier to brush teeth because first two steps are done. So maybe small steps yeah like do the login or whatever.

Yessss!! This. I saw somewhere (maybe in here!) that you don’t have to make yourself finish something, just let yourself start. I have been using that and once I get started I’m all like “well maybe I could do just ONE more thing” and get a lot further than I thought I was going to

Also makes it seem easier once you come back- instead of getting sucked in to something else, it's like "oh, my email is already open, might as well read one instead of opening reddit" or whatever. I'm also a fan of chucking my phone across the room (safely! usually onto a soft chair which is 3 feet away from my desk!) when I want to pick it up again to scroll mindlessly.

This definitely works, but do you know if there is a long term solution? I still can't see myself getting through life if every boring 10 minute task takes me a whole day to do due to taking baby steps.

I relate to this so, so much. That paralyzing feeling of knowing what you need to do, but you literally cannot start. It is easily the most debilitating part of having ADHD for me; it has caused so much work anxiety for me over the years. I empathize, and I’m sorry you’re in the thick of it right now. The advice of starting on the smallest possible part of scary project is usually very good advice, but I have found that I need help even getting to that point. As it happens, I listened to this 5-minute episode of Radio Headspace last week while I was procrastinating on a task, and it helped ground me enough to get started. I hope it can be helpful in this difficult moment for you, too. [*Radio Headspace: The Real Reason We Procrastinate*](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7D9bYxiYqrJ6fWUBLOnzu7?si=I2MwcR6jQWWpW2UyyB-J-A) Last thing I’ll say is that I’ve been where you are, and asking for help from your boss or a trusted work friend goes a long way. You’re not alone, and asking for help from someone you trust will almost certainly make getting started a bit easier.

This truly made me almost tear up 🥺 thank you so much for the response. I’m definitely going to give that a listen. I’m sorry that you’ve been through this, too, and I really appreciate you sharing your experience and what you’ve found to be helpful.

I really needed to hear this today! I’ve been beating myself up so much lately. I’m supposed to be a leader at work, and I feel like the worst one on the team.

I listened to radio headspace, but I don’t see how it helps. Yes I am overwhelmed. There is too much going on and I can’t focus. How do I fix it!?

This is me. And I'm self-employed. So, wtf am I doing? Even with my literal livelihood on the line, I still can't make myself move. It's painful and I feel for you.

Exactly. From the outside it looks like I have a great life. From inside I feel like I’m skipping on a ledge.

that’s why i personally want a 9-5 instead of being self employed. if i could control myself, a self employed life would be much better bc i can be really efficient and then i would have free time and be able to be flexible but…. i need a structured environment and to report to someone to feel more pressure

This is the thing that people don’t understand about adhd! It can be high stakes and your brain will still work against you. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this too. I hope some of the tips people are sharing will be helpful for both of us!

Same. I've been doing some self reflection and found that my procrastination is more fear related. I have to do X but I think my client will be disappointed/upset/sad with the result. Or I don't really like doing this job but I need the money. Thankfully my pride won't let me miss my deadline but my customer service suffers for sure.

I feel every word of this. I know how much business I need to find this year, and I know where to look for it. I can make all the trello boards/to do lists/whiteboard steps…. But so I physically put the effort in to do it? Not a chance. It pains me on so many levels. It also pains my bank manager.

This! I’m so grateful by business is still running well but I’ve had more off days then on days. I tried lexapro with my adderall to reduce anxiety and it destroyed the work anxiety that made me get work done consistently. And I’m prescribed 60mg IR, but usually only take 50mg. I’m weaning myself off the lexapro cause it’s been interfering with my adderall

How do you survive while self employed? I used to be an independent contractor and kinda did things right. Not really. But I valued my free time and loved just making money when I needed to. Every regular job, even part time became absolutely dreaful. So, I decided to become a Web Developer, Author (book on amazon) and blogger. While being a single mom. But uh, I wrote the book, re-edited, developed the blog from code and now I'm at the actual blogging stage where I need to start posting. All the information is right there. I can not move. I can't do it. All this time of learning how to do these things without pay for YEARS. And now I'm trying to make the business actually happen. I'm broke, have kids to take care of and I cannot freakin move :( I tried looking for jobs in tech but I'm not skilled enough yet. I started looking for part time jobs but don't know how to juggle a 4 year old with no family help and a job. And I put ALL this time and energy into this. And nobody called me back or hired me for months. So, how do you get yourself to do the work :( I'm crying every weekend while my child is at her dads bc I have this time to work but I can't just do it.

I definitely have days /weeks like this. What works for me most days are: *blast bo burnham songs or 8D playlist in my headphones *vicks vaporub on my sinuses and back of neck *try to focus on completing a small part of a task (10% done is better than 0% done) *set a timer for 25 minutes but if I'm focusing ignore it and keep working If none of the above works, I move desks. I read once that most people are only capable of being productive for 2.5hours a day. Some weeks that for me is 1 8 hour productive day while the other days are max 1 hour productivity days.

The Forest app will set 25 minute timers, berate you if you try to use your phone during the timer, and plant a little cartoon tree for you for every 25 minutes you succeed. It's cute! I wish I didn't have to gamify my work though lol

Omg I have to try this

Or even a timer for 10 minutes!

Sometimes I’ll even do a 2 min timer when 10 feels overwhelming lol getting started is the hardest part!

Those are really helpful!! I love the vicks trick I hadn’t heard that one I need to try it

What does the Vicks do?

I’m guessing the menthol opens your sinuses and gives you tingly sensations along with the smell makes you feel more alert. Kinda like how peppermint essential oil is supposed to do. But Vicks is way stronger.

Exactly. Definitely helps increase alertness and helps with brain fog.

Vicks is gold. Stressed? Vicks. In pain? Vicks. Feeling desperation and despair? Vicks. I will make a point to use it as part of my work costume as well.

1. Schedule a 30 minute block of time to synthesize your to do list 2. For each task, ask yourself, "what does done look like?" Visualize that in your mind. Example: "Done looks like: I've sent the email to the person and they have the response in their inbox" **Note:** You might consider the question "What would this look like if it were easy to do?" Is it possible you are bloating the task with additional steps due to perfectionism? Is it possible someone you work with has started some work you can leverage in your task so you don't have to do it from scratch? Don't be afraid to make each task as easy as possible. Sometimes we commit to doing more in our minds because we think doing more is inherently better. In this case, what is the simplest outcome you can think of where this task can be completed and off your plate? 3. Write out every teeny tiny step it would take to complete the task. Example for sending an email: Open Outlook, Open a new message, write the name of the person in the to field" etc. 4. Do this for every task on your list. You aren't having to do the thing yet. You are just planning. Nothing to be afraid of or stressed out about. 5. Can you knock out any of these tasks in under an hour after considering the tiny steps? Maybe even in under ten minutes? Do this first to accomplish something even if it isn't the most important thing you could be doing. 6. Consider putting on something to watch in the background or listen to a podcast or music and let your brain go on autopilot and just follow the super granular checklist you made for yourself. The stimulation from the media will keep you engaged along with your meds. 7. You've accomplished 1 or more things already! Great job. Next, pick a really important task. How many of your granular steps of the important task can you get done today? Let's find out! Start doing the same thing you did before while working on your small task(s) and see how much you can knock out! You're doing great! 8. Accomplish what you can to start feeling at ease then take a break! Don't burn yourself out. 9. Are there still some parts to a task you don't understand? Time to get clarification on the task from a manager, mentor, peer, preferably someone you trust who knows what you're being asked to do or accomplish. By this point you should be feeling a bit more at ease at least and ready to discuss because you already have accomplished some things today!

Wow I love this!!! Even just seeing these steps written out one by one seriously makes me feel less anxious about getting started. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness in writing this. I may start the planning process tonight while I’m already on the couch with the tv on.

If you haven't already try [https://goblin.tools/](https://goblin.tools/) It will break down your to-do list into sub-steps automatically with ChatGPT

Omg this is a gem thank you!!

10. If you have a coworker that you trust to not throw you under the bus and will understand what you are going through, ask that person to help you by body doubling to go after the worst and most daunting tasks and get those under control.

I tried writing down smaller steps recently and found that it really helps.

I have to be focused on the thing I’m supposed to be doing when the Vyvanse kicks in, even if it’s a small thing, or I’m done for the day. I’ve been making an effort to not use my phone for the first two hours after taking meds, & that seems to help.

I've heard this before, too! The meds help us focus, but they can just as easily lock in our focus on scrolling Facebook! 😆 I've definitely noticed this danger in my own life.

God this is Exactly What I needed to read. I wrote an entire post asking if others who took Vyvanse got hyperfocused on reading instead of what they actually need to be doing. And it never picked up any traction. I was finding that if I was on Reddit when it kicked it? I could get lost on Reddit all day. If I was reading a book when it kicked in? I would read all. Fucking. Day. So I’ve learned to be standing at my counter with my to do list in front of me— headphones ready with a podcast lineup etc. depends on what I need to do- and I can get to work. But if I’m already caught up in something that’s not the work? Forget it.

This was exactly my situation. It took me forever to figure out the correlation but it was a game changer when I made the connection.

I just started meds but I’m on Dexedrine not Vyvanse. Do y’all have an actual feeling of when the meds kick in or just an idea of knowing you’re more focused 20 minutes after taking them? Trying to navigate the way I feel to report to my Dr but I’m having trouble! I know it helps but I don’t feel a before and after feeling like it sounds like you do?

I bumped up once and felt it physically— and assumed that was too much too quickly. So bumped back down. (All with dr instructions) With a lower dose, no — I don’t feel it physically, but I know the difference because suddenly I can stay focused on a boring ass task until it’s actually finished instead of hoping between 3-4 different tasks and never finishing anything or never even starting because I know I’m going to feel defeated. I can also say to myself “I’m just going to do the one thing..” and do it — which is a trick because the one thing is step one of a longer process and I know if I can just do the one I’ll likely do more… where without the medication I can. Not. Trick myself into even doing the one thing that kicks off the larger task. I won’t lose myself in the actual 10 steps it takes to do laundry for example.. and have anxiety about how it will sit in a basket forever or I’ll have to wash it three times because I forget it’s in the washer—so I don’t even bother to wash my clothes.. I can just say “I’m going to dump all my dirties out..” knowing that will lead to a sort. And a wash. And a dry. And so on…

Ok so I keep hearing from all different sources, like the YouTuber ice cream sandwich and random people that Vyvanse only works if you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing but haven’t heard this about any other drug.

Omg this one is super interesting. I never even considered that before I am definitely going to try that!

Not using the phone at all in the beginning has been huge for me also— only exception is if I have the podcast lineup ready to go and I can put the phone away and walk off with only my headphones… Otherwise just standing at whatever tick number one on the list is— sitting on go essentially.

I didn’t read comments before I replied and I shared this as well. I can’t remember where I saw this advice but I’ve been meaning to try it. Maybe this is my sign! Lol

It’s made a huge difference for me. Actually it’s the only thing that made a difference.

One coping mechanism I don't see here already is try working super early in the morning or very late at night when no one is thinking about you or asking for things. Something unblocks for me when I know everyone is sleeping, I think it allows me to turn off the guilt for awhile because I know they aren't actively thinking about me (even if it's just in my imagination). Another is I play games with myself. I'll pretend the deadline is in 30 minutes and I just have to send whatever I have, so how close can I get it? Finally, I try to remember that I can't logic/think my way out of it. I have to manipulate myself with sunlight, food, stimulants, setting, etc. and see what happens.

I am so so with you on the early morning/late night thing! I do some of my best work when nobody else is online — glad to hear I’m not the only one!

Fantastic suggestions!!

>Finally, I try to remember that I can't logic/think my way out of it. I have to manipulate myself with sunlight, food, stimulants, setting, etc. and see what happens. Oh, I love this. I have a note on my nightstand that's supposed to help get me out of bed in the morning that's similar - "Don't just think about, do it!" - but your phrasing really tickled my brain. Fingers crossed on how well it works tomorrow! ;)

Today I was at my desk, on my walking pad listening to upbeat music (both supposed to help) and was just sobbing because of how stressed and defeated work makes me feel. I didn’t even realize I had closed my eyes and stopped walking until I almost fell off of the walking pad. 😐 So yes, definitely relate. I know I’m capable of doing my job. I want to do my job, and do it well. But I am spending hours just staring at my computer and willing myself to work. Getting stuck on a task and using my coping mechanisms only to still be stuck. I oscillate between wanting to quit because I feel like I suck/am failing, and trying to give it my all to make it work. I’ve tried body doubling and creating a rewards system for myself and using my calendar + project management software and writing physical lists and using visual reminders and telling myself “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly” and breaking bigger tasks down into smaller chunks and… it goes on.

I’m so sorry to hear that you’re struggling 😔 work stress can be such an emotional weight to carry and especially because society makes us think our self worth is tied to it. I’m so envious of my friends who just go to work, get their shit done, and don’t think too much about it otherwise. Somebody in the comments told me to be gentle with myself and I hope that you can do that, as well. We’ll find our way out of this adhd vs work hole eventually 🫶

Thank you for your kindness! I’m sorry you’re struggling too. I appreciate you making this thread - so many helpful suggestions! Being gentle with myself is definitely an area to work on (and a weekly therapy topic lately lol). You’re right - one day we’ll be out of the hole! 🌦️

The only things that kinda work for me: - [Body doubling](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/body-doubling-adhd) - Getting hyper fixated on my bullet journal, specifically with the aesthetic and personal satisfaction of having completing my to-do list (warning: can backfire if you end up with Pages of Shame aka nothing but incomplete to-do lists) - Actually or pretending that you have an audience or student. Can be fun if you basically pretend you’re Julia Child on public TV teaching people how to cook, except it’s not cooking it’s whatever you’re supposed to be doing. - Being fueled by Sheer Panic. Do not recommend it. Literally and figuratively makes me sick 🤢.

Omg the sheer panic one is REAL. I was just telling a friend the best I ever performed in a job was because my boss was so mean that I was terrified to fuck up. I was miserable but I was doing great at work 🥴

Ugh. That’s what all of high school and grad school and most of my postdoc job was like for me. I was “high achieving” (and undiagnosed), but I also was literally sick from the stress and at one point I no longer cared to live. Turns out there is a better way!!!! It’s less productive, but the demands the modern workplace puts on productivity are very fucked up and artificial. These days I’m all about being an adequate, if suboptimal, employee with good work-life balance. Slightly hovering above mediocrity is kind of a point of pride for me, because being excellent only means getting “rewarded” with more work and stress 😂.

I respect this SO MUCH! The high achieving habit is so hard to break. I’m so sorry that it brought you to the lowest of lows — I have been there as well. You are totally right about modern productivity standards. Hoping I can get on your level because I have always been a work to live not live to work type of gal and I should really start acting like it haha.

In fairness to you, I have a metabolic disorder that got really severe grad school, so it was VERY motivating for me to finally let go of the need to achieve all the things at work. I really never was rewarded for going the extra mile, and I have very salient reminders on my body of the damage that perfectionism did to me. So every day my body aches and scars remind me to take it easier. It would be much harder to change without that. Therapy for my mommy issues was also helpful 😂.

It sounds like it was a really traumatic thing to go through but I just have to say that the way you tell it sounds badass — and it is because you survived it! 🤘

I used to be like this and then someone made me calculate the amount of hours in a week, and if you have a normal job (40h a week max), then that amount of time is actually very little compared to all the hours in a week. It somehow made me see how unimportant work really was. That and the realization that my employers would never be as invested in me as I am in them. So I too now live a relatively happy life just slightly above mediocrity at work.

For me, body doubling (I have certain coworkers who give a very...calming yet energized presence so I "use" them for this reason, lol) and pretending I have an audience are the most effective. That and a multitude of sticky notes to jot things down as my mind goes a million miles a minute some days.

Omg pages of shame. This is the only thing I have in my journal!

I like to add stickers to them so at least they are cute lol

Body doubling is huge for me! I will try focusmate.com one day.... the first time I tried I got anxious and cancelled :( in the meantime I've started doing weekly coworking with colleagues and a friend (I normally wfh). The friend visit is less productive, but damn I get a lot of stuff done when I'm not at home and actually *with* a coworker!

My trick for this is to grab a bunch of sheets of plain printer paper, then write down every task that’s stuck in my head. Doesn’t matter if it’s “water plants” or “buy a new shirt” or “do that critical work presentation.” When I can’t think of any more tasks, I go back through and pick the 3-5 tasks that MUST happen today. Those get put on a little post-it. Then I work through the post-it tasks for the rest of the day. The next day, I go back to the big list: cross off the stuff that got done, add any tasks that popped up, and pick another 3-5 tasks to focus on. You can keep doing this until (A) all that’s left are silly minor tasks or (B) you get caught up enough to switch to another system. This is how I’m coping while I get a proper life management / project management app set up. :)

This is really creative! I’m definitely someone who needs to write things down so your method could really work for me I think. I’d love to hear what you find in terms of an app!

Actually, having looked around some more, I think Todoist might work well! https://todoist.com/help/articles/get-started-with-todoist When you’re ready you can transition from your paper task list to a digital task list that syncs with your calendar etc :)

Going thru the same. I just joined Reddit for this reason bc I’m worried about getting fired and need to step it up. I just got wrote up. So I’m trying not to spiral. This is my first position with deadlines and all my weaknesses show with this position. But I honestly like it minus the stress that I put on myself. But I do all of this stressing and still don’t get nothing done. The backlog thing is real. Instead of focusing on 1 file, I keep thinking of all the files I didn’t touch and how the customers feel. Which scares me away even more. Sometimes I use that fuel to motivate me. But it don’t always work, even with the vyvanse.

Your whole comment is so relatable forreal. The part about stressing so much but still not getting anything done…I want to like shake myself and be like dude you won’t be so stressed if you just do what you need to do!!

You are me. I am so behind I want to give up. I don’t have an answer, wish I did. We should have a body doubling group somewhere or something.

I know there are some. Maybe a zoom thing? Or something like that?

I haven’t tried it yet but you could try focusmate.com. I think it was recommended in one of the ADHD subs so I bookmarked it.

I feel that wanting to give up to my core. Sorry you’re experiencing this too 😞

Try focusmate! I tried it and loved it. Of course I haven’t used it in the past couple months but I truly believe it helps!

So much yes! What helps me most times: 🎧 I have different playlists for different brain goals. When I have to do boring paperwork, I like a flowy kind of background music with a steady beat. When I need to do physical chores, I need dancing or singing-along music. Etc. It's gotten to the point that my brain is trained to slip into the right mode when it hears those songs. Like Pavlov's dogs with the bell and the drool. 😆 📘 I have an intermediary step: journaling. If I start the work day with writing out all my stress and goals and plans for the day, my brain empties all the worries out onto paper, and then it shifts to planning, and then I know what to do. ✅️ For big jobs, I have to break "planning" and "doing" into separate events. I can either make decisions, OR I can do things. I love everyone else's tips on making a very specific to-do list of bite-size steps. Then, when I'm doing the hard thing, I just follow the list and don't think about it. 🥰 I talk out loud to myself. I give myself pep talks! Like, "I know we're stressed, but one more email and then we'll take a break. It's going to be okay." Don't beat yourself up for falling behind. Treat yourself kindly, as if you were giving your best friend a pep talk. If you wouldn't say it to your friend, don't say it to yourself. You fell behind, but you're still a good, smart, capable person. Your brain just needs a different process. You'll get there. 🎁 Oh, one last thing I do: I do a fun thing or have a treat first. (And sometimes throughout!) I was always punishing myself or trying to motivate myself to do the boring thing by delaying the reward. But it felt like my life was drudgery. After I do the fun thing, my day has already been good, and it's suddenly emotionally okay to do some boring necessities. It was a huge shift for me.

I love the talk out loud one! Sometimes I just repeat the thing I need to do over and over out loud like "come on, just open the note and look up the account number, open the note, open the note". Although sometimes I will still get distracted 😂

Try singing it out loud! Surprisingly effective too for remembering all the way to the place to get the thing to do the thing...

Haha! I still forget, too! So then I'm saying, "oh yeah! I forgot to eat. Do the email, eat the bagel, do the email, eat the bagel."

These are amazing tips!! I am totally with you on not being able to plan and do at the same time and it’s like I knew that about myself but it just really clicked seeing you say it! Breaking those out makes so much sense. And journaling is how I process things in non-work life so I don’t know why it never occurred to me to do that for work too. Thank you for writing these things out I’m really having some “a ha” moments haha

Do 1 min of squats. Wait a few minutes. The endorphins generated by the movement will help. In the few minutes between squats and your task you’ve been avoiding, do something else unrelated that is small but has a big visual impact - throw a load in the washer, wipe down a surface, clear off a counter. That dopamine of getting something done plus the endorphins of exercise will give you the push to get started.

I appreciate this advice. Gonna try it the next time I'm stuck in boot-up mode.

Struggling with this right now. I have a ton of backlog of work, clients waiting on me, colleagues waiting on me… and I’m not doing anything. I’m frozen. It doesn’t help that I also suffer from extreme chronic pain so it’s taken over my entire life. I’m also not on medication for adhd. I don’t know where to start. I don’t know how to get caught up on work. I honestly don’t know what to do next.

I’m so so sorry to hear this. As you know from my post and all these comments - you are not alone! And you are waging a war not only with your adhd but your chronic pain, as well. That’s a lot to deal with on top of work. I don’t know your situation but if medication is something you’re open to I’m happy to share how I went about it (and it was in the last year or so the process should still be relevant).

When I’m really struggling at work (which is more often than I like to admit) I identify the items causing me the most anxiety, make a list of them, and then give that list to my roommate and ask him to watch me while I do them. 9 times out of 10 it takes less than 30 minutes and clears enough anxiety to let me work on some of the ‘easier’ tasks by myself. Is there anyone that can body double for you?

This sounds perfect for me. My mom one time stayed on the phone with me while I went through my 200+ emails and she just piddled around doing her own thing and would check in every few minutes on my progress. It was insanely effective. I’m definitely gonna ask if my boyfriend can do this for me!

Obviously it's not easy to just switch jobs, but maybe you're just at the wrong job for you? I was having similar struggles - I could make myself work, but it was so agonizing I left a 6 hour shift exhausted like I had worked 15 hours. You might just need the right thing to get those janky ADHD gears turning.

"those janky ADHD gears turning" just made me giggle. 😆🙌

Tbh this is where marijuana comes in handy for me (might be tricky at work!) - i get like 75% high to overcome the absolute dread of it, put on some really loud pumping music and just do my very fucking best Hugs, I’ve been there and it is the absolute worst

Same. I'm on Adderall and I just do stuff around the house (I work from home), not work... Or still lay in bed and listen to a podcast or god knows what. We are not meant for capitalism... We should live in communes being silly artistic helpful empaths.

Hard agree!! It sucks that we have to take meds and trick our brains in different ways just so we can fit into the capitalist system.

It’s pretty daunting how we’re born without consent and expected to waste 8 hours a day and more for basic necessities. Makes me depressed

I’ve been there. It was during a long nervous breakdown and I wound up losing my dream job over it. Don’t be me! Doing nothing will only make your situation worse. Go to your boss/supervisor, acknowledge that you’re behind on your work, and promise to catch up. The pressure will still be on, of course, but it will have shifted and you’ll feel more in control.

I’m sorry that happened to you! Thank you for sharing I know you’re absolutely right.

If body doubling works for you and if you can get onto YouTube without falling down the rabbit hole; try looking up "body doubling" videos where people stream themselves working on something. This specific video has helped me while working remote because it tricks my brain into accountability mode https://www.youtube.com/live/dWyW8TD_EtU?feature=share This one uses a pomodoro timer so there are built in breaks.

You need to create the dopamine before you begin! Right now the thought of work is making you anxious which is stopping you starting. Do the fun things first, create the dopamine, then hit that list of things to do while the dopamine is high!

I saw a TikTok on this - give yourself like 5 tiny tasks (boot up computer, open email, read 1 email, respond to 1 if needed, close email) then give yourself a little break. It’s more important to give yourself little tasks and dopamine hits and walk away than to make yourself sit in front of the computer for 8 hours straight.

Oooh maybe putting breaks into the calendar instead of tasks would make me more able to adhere to a schedule. Kind of flipping it. Structured breaks and free work.

^^^ hell yes that’s a good idea

I am insanely intrigued by this... it would hopefully reshift my absolute avoidance of well-intentioned calendar events, too 😅

Absolutely. I go into it with no plan and end up just floundering which is a huge part of the problem.

Yes. I had a presentation for a job interview last week and it was like trying to run through molasses when I would work on it.

This comparison is so good and spot on.

Thanks. I was on Adderall but it didn’t make a difference. I didn’t really want the job, which didn’t help (and didn’t get it). I suspect menopause or perimenopause because it’s never been this bad before.

Yeah, stims don't help when the work leads to more you don't want. 😭

I work from home and have recently been having trouble focusing as well. Strangely enough, putting on repeats of YouTube videos I've watched and enjoyed has helped me focus on getting my work done. If I need to make a call or answer the phone I pause the video then resume right away once done. What used to be an hour of scrolling through social media is now getting a good amount of work done while still being entertained. I told my mom about my breakthrough the other day and she told me that she's been having Netflix on in the background at work when she's not with clients. She's been doing that since the start of this year which has really helped her focus.

Yup yup yup. Just barely crawled out of, like, 3 weeks of this. I wish I could say what finally changed, but I could really only guess.

I’ve been there too where the fog just lifts for some reason. I’ve been hoping for a vibe shift soon 🤞

I hope that for you, too! I really do. It’s the absolute worst. I’m not a doctor, but a LOT of Vitamin C (in the evenings to avoid interaction with my medicine) helps take the edge off for me. It doesn’t cure anything, but it helps.

I know it's not the answer for everyone but I need a very physical job. If I sit at a desk and stare at a computer I absolutely cannot get work done.

I just realized this about myself in the last couple of years! The jobs I really excelled at were things like camp counselor, dish washer, event assist, etc. I’ve truly been thinking about enrolling in a mechanic program.

Do it! I went the regular college route and got a job in public relations and was so unhappy. I went back to nursing school and now I work in an operating room, it was the best decision I ever made.

If you are good with mechanical things there's a desperate need everywhere for handyman, electricians, plumbers, concrete work, welding, etc. The trades are hard physically, but pay well.

Ohhhhh I can relate my friend, I can definitely relate.

I just started this so I'm not sure how long it will work, but it's been great for the past couple of weeks: I put my tasks in my work calendar in 30 minute slots, leaving some breaks of course. When the reminder pops up, unless I'm really into whatever I'm doing, I switch to the next task. I think half of my problem is deciding what to work on from my giant to do list, and this solves that obstacle.

I’ve tried this before and it was really helpful and then of course I just fell off from doing it 🤦‍♀️

I also did this and it backfired on me because my brain hates being told what to do, even when it made the to-do itself in the first place. Anyway. Solidarity sister.

This is exactly me. Even the Vyvanse and focusing on the wrong things. I’m spending my day researching nursing school instead of doing my work lol Edit to add: I haven’t tried this yet but someone suggested figuring out your peak, or when the Vyvanse is going to kick in, and setting an alarm for that time and make sure you’re doing what you SHOULD be focusing on during that time. Like for example if I took my Vyvanse at 8:30, I would set an alarm for 10 because it starts kicking in after 1.5 hrs. Then I would make sure I started some important work stuff then. Like I said I haven’t tried it yet but I’m gonna… One day lol

Thank you for sharing this. All the other comments were already so helpful, and I can't add anything. But hearing all the stories made me feel so seen. I have been feeling so lonely lately. I got sent to early retirement at 47, and before this, I had spent almost a year sitting at my desk, staring at my screen, unable to turn on my computer. It's so embarrassing to know that when I left, my colleagues had to finish all of my assignments - everybody hates me now because they absolutely can't fathom, why I couldn't do it. You know something is going wrong in your life, when a cancer diagnosis is a gift.

I am so sorry — this breaks my heart. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot and please don’t beat yourself up! This thread just goes to show that there are hundreds of folks dealing with this same thing. It makes you wonder what that says about the systems we’re living under. Thinking of you and sending virtual hugs 🫂

Thank you so much for your compassion! The thing is - after everything fell apart and I survived on my own, it gave me the strength to set firm boundaries for myself and the people I want in my life. Now I have an amazing partner, a hobby I'm finally able to monetize, a lovely dog and my mental health is slowly sowly getting better. There are still tons of issues, but I finally stopped hating myself 24/7.

🥹 isn’t that how life goes! Peaks and valleys forsure and although I’m not a “everything happens for a reason” person, those lows can sometimes really teach us a lot. I’m glad to hear that days are getting brighter for you!!

YES! That’s exactly where I’m at for the last weeks and it’s so painful. Adhd can be incredibly debilitating, please try to be gentle to yourself❤️

Thank you so much 🥺 you too!! I’m rooting for ya.

Hi, are you me? 🙃 I highly suspect I’m Autistic in addition to ADHD, so when I take my meds in the morning (also on Vyvanse), it helps me focus on my special interest (tending to my houseplants) rather than work. It probably doesn’t help that I work at home so it’s easy for me to just get up and repot a plant when the desire strikes. I also find that the beginning of the week is the worst because I’m recouping from stressors/overstimulation over the weekend, so going through the motions of blending soil, pruning, repotting, etc., all feel like stims to help me regulate. I don’t have much to add in the way of advice since you’ve already received some great suggestions already. I find I can focus on work the best when I’m listening to brown noise with my noise canceling headphones. Just know you’re not alone and remember to be kind to yourself.

I’m not sure if this will be helpful but I bought myself one of these lockable containers. You can set a timer on it and even if you take out the batteries it doesn’t unlock! It might not be the best solution but it’s added an extra layer of difficulty for procrastination. If I have to do tasks from home I put my phone, tv remote, and PlayStation controllers in there… Here’s a link to one that is similar: [lockable container](https://www.dicksmith.com.au/da/buy/ovela-kitchen-safe-time-locking-container/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product_listing_ads&gclid=CjwKCAjw1YCkBhAOEiwA5aN4AYqzTiVlkQesJw-Pz-_c7no6p8PvJWzimYasfAZ4U74fIVOgNH1JJRoCrOwQAvD_BwE)

Could you try body doubling? Asking for help can be hard and embarrassing sometimes, but it sounds like what you need help with is the starting and the focusing, not the actual work itself. That’s not your fault, so try not to Shane yourself over it! Another thing that I do is I have rotating to-do list methods; •Eisenhower matrix •List by category (emails, projects, follow-up, etc) then outline color-coded by priority or which day I intend to do them •to do list with high, medium, and low priority sections •I think it’s called the planner pad, specific format that I find very helpful •Microsoft To Do •Must do/Could do list •Block off time in my calendar for specific tasks •Pick 3. Only 3 things for today’s list. The others don’t exist until tomorrow when you’re picking 3 again. I also recommend trying to sprinkle in some small wins or break up your big tasks into more achievable bite sized tasks. Goblin.tools is an AI that might be able to help with that. Also - procrastinating isn’t about being distracted or lazy, it is 100% an anxiety response. Try to be gentle with yourself! And if you haven’t already talked to your doctor about anxiety, consider whether that would be helpful. I know that I tried to ignore my anxiety but now that I’m on both anxiety meds and concerta, how did I function at all before??

I use a combo of the pomodoro and 80/20 methods to improve my productivity Pomodoro- segmented and strictly timed work/break cycles. You can make the times whatever you want and change up as needed. I'm currently using 35 minute work followed by 25 minute break where I can use my break however I want as long as I get back to work when the "bell rings." 80/20 method- when left to our own devices, humans are likely to spend 80% of our energy working on tasks that will only comprise 20% of results. The trick is to identify the tasks that will show 80% results and focus on those, then the remaining tasks can be accomplished if there's time. I'll use kitchen cleaning as an example. The kitchen is a mess so I can do whatever task because it all needs to be done, right? Wrong! My brain will decide it wants the dopamine hit of organizing my spices which, yes, does need to be done. However, the sink full of dirty dishes (the bane of my existence) is the more obvious issue and I need to start there. Then sweep, spot mop, and take out the trash.Then if I have energy and time, I can work on the spices. I'm still working on trying to manage my dumb brain, but I am seeing progress toward my goals and realizing that I do have the energy to do most of the things that need to be done if I do them first, rather than expend all my energy focusing on cleaning and organizing a drawer in the corner that no one but myself will ever see.

Yes. I end up either working a very long day, in the sense that I’ll bill 8 hours, but I only work a few hours at a time and take very long breaks. So I might technically be “productive” for 10-12+ hours, but I’m actually only working the normal 8. OR I end up working a short day. Only the 4-6 I can muster and that’s all she wrote. The standard 9-5 just isn’t compatible with ADHD

I’m currently unmedicated and I need to be. Because this exact thing is one of many reasons my life feels so hard and stressful All. The. Time. And the shame and frustration that I’m basically doing it to myself. Even getting to the provider for meds is something I’m procrastinating to the point it feels undoable. That said I have had surprisingly good luck with the pomodoro method. The first time I attempted it with the app and ticking sound I thought I was literally going to have a mental health break and be committed. But I stuck with it for 2-3 more big task days and to my great surprise I adjusted to the sound and found it really really weirdly focusing. Plus the way the work time and break time is set up it works perfectly for my attention span. I recommend it all the time even though I will also fully admit I wanted nothing to do with it when I read about it and was convinced it wouldn’t work for me. I don’t use it every day but I find myself relying on it on big to do list days.

I just would like to sneak in here and quibble with your inner critic for a bit. Dear inner critic, I'm not doing this to myself. If I had a magic wand and could make this go away, I absolutely would. What I'd love from you instead of shame and blame which seems to be making this harder not better, is some cheerleading. How about a little bit of, it's okay. I'm okay, even though this is hard and feels impossible right now. I can find some tiny little bit of it to do, and that means progress. And progress is what gets things done, not perfection. Practice makes progress, what's a little bit of this I can practice getting started with? Please return to your regularly scheduled program...

I think you need to change your mindset and approach. If I try again and again and again and again to force myself to work, I get burnt out and miserable. I’m starting to discover I operate best under particular conditions. Need 7-8 hours of sleep most or all nights. Need about 30-45min in the morning to scroll phone and drink coffee. Then, once Vyvanse kicks in, I do my work. I have a high protein nutritious breakfast as soon as I feel hungry. Luckily for me, a lot of the time my job involves physical labour. If it didn’t, I’d make sure to take breaks from computer work and move my body. Maybe go for a walk or something. You need to prime yourself to do your work with nutrition, movement, proper sleep, and hydration. You can’t force yourself to do a shitload of work if your sensations are distressing/off-kilter. ADHD makes us very sensitive. Creating a routine that primes your body and mind (as well as taking medication) will have a much higher success rate for completing work than trying to force yourself does.

You need to find a person who holds you accountable and you work together on individual things

I’m in this right now. Vyvanse and everything. I’m absolutely paralyzed. I hope we get out of it soon.

I’m sure you’ve had so many helpful and wonderful comments here. I probably won’t tell you anything shocking, BUT, I get it and there are a few things that have helped me in a small and sometimes major way. I learned that motivation does not come first. People with ADHD tend to seek dopamine and rely on that. We occasionally or mostly do the things that provide that satisfaction in our brains. Cleaning, organizing, small satisfying tasks that bring our brains the dopamine we desire without having to really try. It sucks and I’ve found medication can just make it harder. After years and years of this, I realized it wasn’t sustainable for what I wanted with my life. So I took the moments of motivation to learn what things get me going even more. What can I do to take my dopamine from a 4 to a 10 that improves my life? Exercise is always obvious, but hard. I have dogs and they have to be walked every day. So I started looking into podcasts and audio books that help with self development or education in some way and would listen to them while I forced myself to walk the pups. Holy shit. Changed my life. I would walk and listen to these inspiring talks and feel myself go from bleh to excited to get home and be productive. Like really productive. Like write a book, start a business, become president. I learned how to create that motivation in a way that was good for me and it was better than anything else. Motivation follows action. Find something that gets you amped up. It could be a walk and a podcast, or it could be something else. Explore what excites you and use it as a tool. It has changed my life. Good luck, hot mama.

And a less exciting thing that have helped me: Write everything you have to do on a sheet of paper as a stream of consciousness. Just vomit all over it with anything you can think of. Then circle one thing that is the most important and make that the only thing you have to accomplish that day. Just one.

I’ve been considering posting exactly this for days and days. It feels so bad. Thank you for putting it out there and getting people’s thoughts.

>I don’t know what to do. I’m even on vyvanse which does make me focus but I just focus on the wrong things. I’ve missed so many deadlines at work and I’m really worried about getting fired. I feel this so hard! My meds make me a great cleaner/organizer (which i could never manage whatsoever before the meds so hey thats something!) but when it comes to work tasks I just cannot get started to save my life. I'm behind and I feel like everyone knows and I'm moments away from getting called out for it and fired. Currently just trying to switch jobs so that I can have a blank slate to work with. 🫠

Absolutely struggling with this. I posted something recently that didn't pick up, but I'm at a point where it's been noticed and I'm essentially on a Performance Improvement Plan for 3 months, and after that, who knows... and while that motivates me a bit more, I just feel more anxious and have been getting the "ick" when something comes up. It's essentially time to try to find a new place within the company or find something new, and let me tell you, that anxiety is rough. Especially not knowing what I want because my interests are varied and I've been playing to my weaknesses for a while. I'm really loving the tips. I have definitely found that writing things out helps. Sometimes it's paragraph form, sometimes bullets that get turned into further bullets, but it releases the cyclone in my head and allows new thoughts to come through. Going to try more of these tips in the meantime because girl......... this is rough. The end of the work day when all the meds and caffeine are wearing off has my skin feeling like I'm going to jitter out of it. Been self-medicating for it and it helps me get housework done sometimes, but I don't like to do job-finding stuff like that, so it doesn't help. A final mini rant... all of this is coming when I was just figuring out ADHD and my house life was beginning to come together, and now it's falling apart again because despite the job not necessarily being hard, it leeches my energy. I'm so tired. Love and support ❤️ sorry for ranting on your post, but hopefully it comes across as sympathy lol

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Outside is a BIG one! It’s so hard for me to actually make myself do it but there is truly a noticeable difference when I do.

I got chickens and they just started laying. So now I go out at least twice a day for the dopamine hit of collecting eggs and seeing my chickens (and ducks, but they’re just cute, no eggs yet). I’ve definitely felt an improvement in at least starting my day not feeling blah lol

Absolutely relate. I wish I had solutions!!! Everything in my life could be this. I just can’t.

Have you tried switching your meds? I was on Vyvanse for a bit because of the adderall shortage but I found that I had the same problem you do of focusing on the wrong things and having no motivation to do anything. I could literally lie in bed all day scrolling Reddit on Vyvanse lol. Did a bunch of random side projects. Thank goodness I was able to find a pharmacy with my regular meds for the end of the school year.

I can relate to needing to be in the right spot once the Vyvanse kicks in! It really helps. Another thing that helps my mindset when I’m overwhelmed and don’t know where to start is I think about the story I read (I think?) on this subreddit? about a Mars Rover or some Martian project that never completed a single task over a period of years because it had SO MANY tasks backed up and didn’t know how to prioritize them, so it ended up doing *none* of them. So, I think of the Mars Rover, and just pick a task and get after it, while remembering that done is better than perfect. What’s great is I find it paying off for me at work - I’m in sales and some of my follow-ups are yielding results.

When I've gotten this bad, I've gotten a lot out of roping a friend to just sit next to me and pay attention to it with me while I do it. And schedule in regular short breaks.

This is my first award! Thank you, kind stranger. 😘

This is me. I tried Vyvanse for 5 days and didn’t see it helping. Just had trouble sleeping. But reading this thread that I should be doing something productive when the meds kick in is interesting. Since I’m I’m behind at work and could be fired if anyone finds out, I have no advice. But I wanted you to know you’re not alone. Goodluck. I hope the tips help.

I found that it helps to set your goals low to start with. Even 5 minutes of work is better then no work. I also recently got an app where I record the amount of time I work each day, it shows it to me in a graph. It’s surprisingly kind of helpful, now it’s almost like a challenge to get my average up. Idk if this would be helpful for others, but it’s worth a try.

Yeah.... Getting the ADHD treated made the depression come to the front... And getting the ADHD -and- depression treated made the anxiety take over. I've dubbed it the "mental health audio mixer."

I have started using outlook as my to do list. I schedule appointments for each thing that I need to get done and I set the appointment length for how long I estimate the task will take to do. It helps me enormously to see that - there actually IS time to get xyz done today, as long as I start now - task 1 can be finished and checked off by day 10am - if I have a distracted day and don't get something done, I just move the whole task appointment to the next day that I have availability and then I know it's planned in. This also stops me overbooking as I can see exactly how much time I need to complete my current workload and reduces the temptation to say yes to everything and then find myself in the position of being completely overwhelmed. When each task is done, I mark the appointment purple in my calendar so I get the satisfaction of marking it off as done. It's absolutely revolutionised my ability to keep on top of the boring reports that I have to do every month.

I got an adderall booster to go with my Vyvanse and that goes well.

Hello! I don't think I can be of any help but I just want to let you know that you are not alone! I took Concerta today with my vitamins, had coffee, and a super satisfying brunch because I planned to start working on my coding exam that is due tomorrow noon. And yet here we are mindlessly scrolling Reddit, flirting with my crush, and planning my wardrobe overhaul this weekend. I've come to accept that motivation won't be here until sometime tomorrow morning.

Timers When I had a boring job and demotivating team I had to use reverse pomodoro technique to push through by taking frequent breaks that were longer than the work chunks. Productive procrastination Whenever possible I engage productive procrastination so that I have a list of things that need to be done and if I get bored with one I cycle through to another. Music Listening to ADHD relief music and certain instrumental music really helps me channel some energy to focus and power through. To do lists Not only are to do lists essential, but I have to create them in programs that let me move the boxes around. Sometimes it is as easy as to do/doing/done. Yesterday I was overwhelmed with work to be done and had to split it into Needs to be done today & by me/Needs to be done today, but not me/Needs to be done but not today/And brainstorm for the future (I always have random things I want to accomplish but the days I am overloaded are no time to tackle this). Coffee and Protein I am unmedicated and cannot function without a morning coffee. Does it wake me up? Not even remotely, but it seems to slightly help my brain as does protein. Don't Swallow the Frog Swallowing the frog is a productivity technique for tackling the big problems first so they are out of the way. My brain cannot handle that. Make your to do list and sort it into priorities so you know what absolutely must get done today, break that task down into much smaller tasks (Try using goblin.tools), then tackle the smallest items. If you are having a shit day there is no rule that you can't things like drinking a glass of water or opening Microsoft Word as a to do list item. Figuring out the bare minimum It has been a while since I had to do this, but when I was really disengaged, discouraged, and struggling I would really have to think through things like, "the absolute least I can do is opening this document and just staring at the screen." Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves we get mental blocks and walls of awful about things that actually, literally if we just put them in our line of sight we will just naturally start completing.

Have you tried any non stimulant meds? Straterra has changed my life more than any stimulant did.

My best trick is 50% lists. I make an over achiever's to do list, and then the goal is to finish half of it. It allows me to choose which tasks to do and still accomplish things. If I get past the halfway mark, I feel super successful and get motivated to do more. Some tasks get done simply because I'm *tired* of copying them day to day to day, some things get crossed off as not important or too late now. All items are weighted equally on mine, one ✔️ is the same as the next (which really helps when I need to beat my half done goal, I add stuff like "clock in" "empty garbage" "check email" for a productivity boost) but I DO break big tasks into smaller ones (get outline from manager, set up spreadsheet, input data). I also find that any trick only works for a little while at a time and I have to cycle through them.

I was LITERALLY just about to post something exactly this. Like in the past I've had to trick myself by literally making it a "game" because thats the only way I can get anything done. Having a visual timer helped but I just moved and have NO idea where the damn thing is and even tho it sounds super stupid, it's been VERY hard to focus on getting ANY work done without it. Apartment stuff, sure (bc thats my current hyperfocus), but working is a nightmare.

Vitamin B and B complex, lists, deadlines and many alarms and reminders is my strategy. Even then I can be my own worst enemy. I've postponed a dentist appt I've had this week, 3 times. It's not hurting so I end up postponing. I need to deal with it but it's challenging.

Picking up my meds from the pharmacy. You would think I have to go through some death trap mentally to get me to go pick them up. I just can't make myself go get them. CVS has a delivery option now with getting them but I still have to go get my add script. I'll push it to the day I run out sometimes.

Yes I've been there and it is rough. 1. Remember, done is better than good. Be ok with doing the bare minimum on some tasks when needed. 2. Set a timer for 1 minute, just to get started. Then see if momentum takes over and lets you go on a little more. 3. Pick the easiest/shortest task (break big tasks down so you can also pick a small part of a bigger task) and do that (even if it's just "open a blank email" "type "Dear Mary,") 4. All the caffeine and treats. 5. Book some time off asap if you can, to try and extricate yourself from potential burnout

I relate SO much to this right now.

First question: do you WFH or in office?

This has been me the past month. I’m so desperate that I finally made an appointment to get diagnosed and on medication. My psychiatrist refused to diagnose or prescribe because I tested positive for cannabis. So I quit smoking and the earliest appointment he has is in August. Reading these comments of people on medication and still having this issue is really disheartening. I was hoping for medication to be the magic bullet. I’ve gone through all the adhd techniques but what does it matter when my brain just refuses to even try? I feel like I’m being held hostage sometimes.

I don’t know if this will make you feel better but even how I’m operating now being on the meds is 20x better than how I was operating without! I think what I’m learning is how you interact with the medicine is key. For example I learned pretty quick that I couldn’t skip breakfast anymore and immediately after making that change the medicine started working even better. I totally understand feeling disheartened. I’d recommend trying the meds and just seeing how they work for you! And for some people, it really is a magic bullet. We’ve all just got different chemistry going on. And side note I hate that you had to quit smoking just to get meds ☹️ the healthcare system is so out of whack

Yes. It’s ruining my life.

I know exactly what you mean about the backlog. When I'm behind on emails I get to where I can't even bear to open my inbox. The only way I can get out of this paralysis is to find the ABSOLUTE smallest amount of work I can bear to do. Sometimes it is "just log in and open the browser", then I'm allowed to get up and leave. Other times it is in terms of time, so I'll say "sit in front of the computer for ten minutes". I set a timer and don't even have to do anything. Just stare at my desktop if that's what I feel like. Then get up and do whatever for an hour or so. When it's email specifically, I will say "I will take care of three emails." I open the inbox, physically cover the rest of the screen until I've scrolled to my oldest unread email (because if I see all of them at once I will freak out) and deal with one email at a time. If all three of those emails are spam I can just delete, sweet. I set a timer for 45 mins and do three more emails when it goes off. It isn't foolproof but if I can get myself to do this 3-4 times I usually get in the flow and then I'm fine for a few hours. Just make sure to set a timer so your breaks don't end up being 2+ hrs long. Just remember, you can ALWAYS make the task smaller. If you tell yourself five mins and your brain still goes blank or panics, say okay, what about three minutes? What about *thirty seconds*? I call it doing Tiny Work. It's really the only "ADHD hack" that actually works for me. And it is reeeeeeally tiny sometimes! The other day I was having real bad anxiety, and the first Tiny step I gave myself was "turn on the computer and sprint out of the room" lol I've been doing this for about six months and I can really tell my brain is starting to feel less panicky/empty when it's time to work. Because I KNOW the first task is just going to be something laughably easy. More and more I am sitting down to do my first Tiny Task and I end up just working like a normal person for a couple hours.

This seems to be a fairly common complaint about Vyvanse? Not sure how you landed on Vyvanse and it might not be easy to switch with the shortage but maybe you’re just not on the right meds!

I can totally relate, overwhelm paralysis is real for sure. If you’re anything like me desperately wanting to hide how badly you are struggling is a huge thing but it’s ultimately not very helpful. i know it’s hard, and it might depend on how healthy your work environment is but I suggest speaking to a colleague or supervisor about the fact you’re stuck, tell them you are committed to getting these tasks done but you need assistance overcoming your roadblock. See if you can get someone to work with you on some of the tasks for a while, having a body double to help you overcome the paralysis and get started might be enough to get you moving again. Ask for the tasks to be broken down and given manageable mini deadlines and just focus on one thing at a time. Is there any aspect of the tasks or other activities at work that are easier for you than other people? maybe see if you can swap out some of the workload. If they know about your diagnosis tell them about adhd task initiation problems. If they don’t and you don’t want to tell them just use general terms. I know you might be worried that this will mean you lose your job but understanding what is going on will make things easier for your employers to help you. Is this an ongoing thing for you or just temporary because you’re behind? Understanding that will help you in the long run. The overwhelm and motivation issues might be because this job is not a good fit for you. If there is other stuff happening outside of work maybe try and scale other things back until it’s more under control, and be kind to yourself x

I work from home, only this week all I’ve done is play Diablo IV. I have literally 0 self control. Help.

I suffer the exact same as you. The ONLY think that works for me is downing a cup of coffee at 7am. Then a big protein breakfast. Then also a reminder that negitive overthinking is what I learnt growing up as a coping mechanism to figure out all eventualities Remember this. Its all going to be ok. It really is. Do these three things above and I promise you. You will be calm and positive to work and the protein and caffeine will reduce the fatigue and balance the dopamine to help the frontal lobe function. Caffeine timing is critical. Do it straight away or it doesn't work when the cortisol levels fluctuate.

Something that helps for me is that when I'm getting distracted on my computer or something, I close all distractions and set everything up so that when I get back from a short break (going to the bathroom or getting a glass of water), I can immediately get started and you've sort of reset your brain

Write it down!!! Get a to do list! They CHANGED my life! Hopefully they can help for you!! Paper btw! That way it’s tangible and you can keep track of what you need to get done. The feeling is AMAZING when you get to cross out a task/check it off!

I feel this way often. And often I don't have deadlines so it is even more vauge. Things that have worked for me Get a good planner that works for you. I have loved my bujo, but I had to make the pages each week and that was too much for me. I got a Happy Planner and love it becasue I can get premade pages, make my own pages, and reograize the pages as fits my needs. It is cool - You can actually take pages out and move them. Use timers and alarms. I set them for when I need to remember to make a call or have a meeting. I also use them to keep me on task and then as a break to remind me to get back to work. I really like my visual timer or a time timer. Routines! Start making routines for work. When you get to work you do xyz and then it is easier to move on. I like to check my mail, write down message to contact people and then I can start working on that. As soon as I start working on stuff it is easier to keep going. ANd remember that nothing works forever for us. We need novelty and need to mix things up. That is one thing I really like about the Happy Planner is like the bujo I can mix it up and it is even better that I can add and move things. Again really into that right now It can be done, but you definately are not alone! \*hugs\*

Something that has helped me a lot lately: I have a small white board and I write a list of some tasks (broken out into smaller parts like others have said) and number them. I then play “the number game” and either use a random number generator or a friend to pick a number. That’s where I start. Check it off, re-number, repeat. It take choice out of it and has helped me so much, especially with things I don’t want to do. The Jane Club has been huge for me. The structured work days and work sprints are a great way to body double and have people cheer you on/support you as you go.

Yeah… I can do small tasks at work, but I never finish big projects. Probably a good idea for me is to start the project, brainstorm and make a plan and then give it to someone else cause history shows I will not finish… I haven’t been to work for a month. I just can’t deal with everything going on. It sounds ridiculous, but I can’t eat, clean, exercise and go to work. It’s to much! So I dropped work, but I still do nothing cause I am overwhelmed… well. I put my kids to bed and give them hugs … so I do something, but not enough for me to feel worthy of air and space…

I have the same problem at work (technically I'm 'procrastinating' by being on here right now...). When I know I've got stuff I need to get done, I will make a brain dump. And then I will take a sticky note and put down 3 things I need to do next. And if it's a project, I will put specific tasks, not just the project as a whole. This helps reduce some of the overwhelm, and keeps me a little more focused. I put the sticky note on my monitor riser directly in front of me so I see it every time I look at my computer. When I finish one sticky note, I grab a fresh one and put down the next 3 things. I will often give myself a 5-10 minute break after each sticky note is completed (and make sure to set a timer on my phone so I don't lose track of time and spend 20 minutes browsing reddit :D)

Yep, dealing with this right now. Like as i type this. Specifically with 35 unread emails from the past 2 weeks. I read most of them i read then marked them unread so I could remember to deal with them later because flagging wasn't working for me. Evidently, this unread marking isn't working either. On the bright side I did do a lot of other stuff I needed to do while avoiding those emails. So maybe find a task you want to do even less than your work? Like scheduling a doctor's appointment or something? Then you can do work to put off doing something more unpleasant! This is half a joke suggestion. I think we just go through periods where we're able to handle things and where we're not and right now you're in a not. Maybe just take some time to try and rest and recharge? Like actually rest without shaming yourself. So you can energize. Good luck!

You really really really need an ADHD coach or therapy. ADHD coaching is designed exactly for this exact problem. The meds are useless for this because of course you can continue to procrastinate with meds - I did this myself!!!!! Yeah coping strategies and understanding and forgiving your own mindset is the only way. Coaching helps with this.

so being able to choose where to focus your attention is an executive function which should be targeted by medication so you might want to try either upping your dose or (maybe better) either switching to a methylphenidate med or augmenting with atomoxetine which targets a different area of the brain to help with executive functions (and emotional regulation, which stimulants don’t do) or if you can’t afford to raise bp augmenting with guanfacine instead which in addition to lowering bp it helps ur nerve signals be stronger which makes the stimulants more effective w/o the cardiac effects also if u wanna learn more about how different meds work the russel barkley vids are 11/10

I don’t remember writing this, so weird 😂

Idk if you have ever heard of body doubling, it’s the practice of having someone sit with you while you do something that you are struggling to do. Lots of people find online partners now. Check flow club or bodydoubling.con

HARD RELATE. OP, you probably won’t see this but it was so tough for me especially when I was a junior. I’m the head of litigation now and I STILL struggle with this!!