Productivity Advice and ADHD
After a lifetime of struggling with my ADHD, I ended up figuring out that a lot of productivity advice for neurotypical people doesn't apply to those of us with ADHD and I was wondering if anyone has anything that has worked for them or what hasn't really worked...
For me, that whole "swallow the frog first thing in the morning", where you try to do the hardest task first just doesn't work....because my dopamine is low and being I usually struggle with sleep the night before so I'm not well rested.
What works for me is having a checklist and checking off a few simple tasks before I start working on anything major.
At work, it might look like checking e-mails and replying to a few first thing in the morning, writing down what has to be done during the day, and any tiny tasks that will set me up for success for the rest of the day.
When writing an essay, it helps me to do mind-maps and write whatever I already know about the topic or any questions I have, which gives me a framework for how to approach researching the topic...and when I sit down to write, I create a title page and an outline first, and then it's almost like filling in the blanks....so I'm never starring at a white page and feeling overwhelmed.
I also find it useful to highlight key terms and ideas, or cut and paste into a separate document if it's possible.....also creating cue cards for studying helps so much because it turns it into a trivia game...and you can even reward yourself with aa snack once you get a certain number right.
In general, turning studying and work into a game can be very helpful.
Some ADHD advice that I haven't found useful but other people might find useful:
1. Using fidgets while listening to lectures
2. Body doubling: working alongside someone else who's also quietly working on their project
I hope these ideas help someone with work or school....and I might have more if people want to hear them!
What has helped you with productivity and what hasn't?
@Lonelyfox2017
I recently started using chat gpt to help me get started on my to do lists. I ask it to break things down into smaller steps for me to get started.
I also use it to do a lot of stuff, like read and summarize things for work, write emails and help me do a whole lot of tasks. Its actually a bit disturbing on how much more productive its made me at work.
Those tips you shared are very useful! I do well with body doubling and found focusmate a desktop app that does this very thing but virtually. Also moving to a new environment to do work has helped me too. So cafe hopping.
Sometimes the strategies work for a while and doesn’t anymore when my brain gets used to it and have to search for a new strategy to focus. Its an ongoing process of finding new ways to focus which is quite tiring.
