Hi ADHDers!
Does anyone else have ridiculous ADHD hacks?
Like the sort of hack that would make someone say '“you ain’t gotta do all that”!
I have at least 10 of them!
I know what you’re thinking, 10 is a lot. But I’m going to cut right to the chase, no fluff! Well, not that much.
Shall we begin?
👞 Keeping my shoes on
Putting shoes on when I’m sitting at my home desk. It puts me into ‘focus’ mode and somehow chains me to my desk and I’m able to focus.
Also helps me with restlessness and not fidgeting - partly because I don’t walk around my house with shoes on so I have no choice but to sit and finish what I’m doing so I can get up.
Someone else on X/Twitter said this works for them too!
🎶 Music makes me stay in control
If you sang the Ciara tune when you read the title, we’re kinfolk!
Listening to music to do chores, admin, to get me pumped up to do anything. Lots of people don’t like to work with noise as it’s distracting, but for me, the rhythm of the beat gets me going.
Listening to a song I like, helps me get over the feeling of dread and break down the mental hurdle.
🧐 Chewing gum
Might be a little weird but chewing gum helps me stay focused when I’m either drafting or reading a long document at work.
I guess the consistency and routine of the chewing helps me fixate on whatever I’m doing at the moment.
🎮 Gamification
Using game-like elements for my real-life works a treat!
Missions - I set myself ‘hard missions’ like needing to reply to texts, admin or emails before I can progress to ‘easier missions’.
Beat the clock - Timed things I need to do before my alarm goes off.
🎯 Arbitrary deadlines
This is very fake it until you make it. I do this thing where I set myself a fake deadline, but it doesn’t stop there. I have to:
Publicly announce or tell someone I’m going to do something by a specific time so I HAVE to keep my word.
Create fictitious scenarios that induce adrenaline so I’m motivated and driven by anxiety to complete something. Stuff like ‘things will go very badly’ or ‘they might ask for it earlier’
Sickening, I know.
💆🏾♀️ Declutter
Is anyone ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Like I need things to be IN MY FACE or else I’ll likely forget about it - people too!
So what does this look like?
Mini containers, shelves, mounted clothes rack, a whiteboard, sticky notes on my forehead, you name it!
🤗 RSD related
Well, if you read my last newsletter, there’s a whole heap of things I’m doing to cope with RSD. Check it out!
🕰️ Time blindness / Time agnosia
I set multiple alarms around 2 hours before I’m meant to leave, at several times. I have to use the most annoying ringtone known to man, so it irritates me and forces me to rush so I leave on time.
My Neurotypical friends are always so surprised when they find out I have to do all of this because of my ADHD.
So there’s 8, I know I originally said 10. But I have a couple of not-so-ridiculous ADHD hacks for each trait, that have been a success for thousands of people which I’m proud of here.
What are some of your ‘ridiculous’ hacks?
That’s all from me,
Rach, with ADHD.
I should have written this FIRST: THANK YOU for starting this newsletter!! I was diagnosed with severe ADHD very late in life, 47. I am 51, now, so I am super grateful to be learning anything you have to share.
I can relate to ALL of those. Currrently Gamification is the ONLY way I can get started on anything. Also I love a particular game at the moment and can't justify in game purchases so I have to EARN them by completing home chores or "advanced adulting" missions. Yesterday I paid a bill that was 8 months overdue, a bill that was due (bonus points for it not being late!) and set up a direct payment for a bill (that was threating to take me to court - an unfortunate normal form of ADHD mental tax). I also don't have a to do list (to depressing and a procrastination tool as I can spend HOURS just writing the list) - instead I have a Things To Remember List each month. When I get to the last week of the month I usual find I haven't done anything on that list, panic and do most of them! (We are currently in the last week of February so yesterday's productive day is entirely down to anxiety) I only write things down that I have actually done in my bujo.
I have some to add:
Certain emotions get me moving. Anger is the easiest. So I start an argument with myself...lol. I go over a task that needs doing, all the dumb excuses I gave for not starting, etc. My favourite argument is getting angry with myself like I am another person for not doing the job which usually culminates in my saying "Well, if your not going to do it then I will!"
I tend to get more done on busy days so sometimes I create artificially busy days.
Plan to invite someone over (I don't actually invite them!) as then I prepare for the visit. This is playing off my ADHD traits with my autistic traits. I sometimes need a body double but also hate other people observing or helping (interfering!). So I plan for someone to help me with a job as this pushes me to get the job done before they come to "help".