#ADHD and #kinetic brains - do you have any good tricks for getting yourself to do mental or intellectual work when your brain is hyperfocused on something else?
Last few days, my brain is completely interested and trying to pull me towards certain entertainment content, but I have a lot of work I need to do for my dayjob that requires my brain to be able to focus and flow, at least a bit. And I am STRUGGLING to get my brain to stop interrupting my work focus every five seconds to tell me to play a game or read a comic.
My usual coping skills ain't working (e.g. basic mindfulness, using music to change the emotional context of work, trying to grab onto the tasks that interest me, etc.), and I'd love new ideas!
@JoscelynTransient Is it work tasks in general or is One Specific Task that’s the road block? IME sometimes there’s tasks that the brain just Will Not Do, and skipping that task to do others and then circling back around can work.
@JoscelynTransient Usually I just don’t give myself a choice. I power through whatever it is so I can then fuck around for the rest of the day. Alternatively, I also find it easier to focus if I have someone with me to do the task with. Like, even if we aren’t doing the same task, if we’re both just generally working at the same time it gives me a comraderly motivation.
@gallowswitch I think one of the challenges in my recent schedule has really reduced my free time (working two jobs is a heck of a thing...ugh). I am trying to carve out more down time for me in the next few days to help with this in the near term...but gosh, still having trouble today
@JoscelynTransient Reward before task releases dopamine, allowing you to then work. This is generally opposite from NTs who usually need the reward after the task. Start with small tasks to boost reward on the new focus, and then once hyperfocus shifts, then the larger or more difficult things can be tackled.
But I say that as someone who just finally had to start ADHD meds recently because these tricks weren't working to overcome my executive dysfunction anymore. So ymmv.
@revoluciana Tried this one too this morning! I was like, okay, if I give myself an hour or two of indulging this, I know sometimes that gets my brain moving and satisfies it enough...and instead my brain is screaming MORE MORE MORE while I keep trying to redirect it...ugh.
How about panicking that you'll be discovered as an imposter who has been slacking off and they will chop your body into tiny bits and then fire the bits?
For me, the main impediment is not a different hyper focus (bc my work is mostly fun and interesting to me, how lucky). The main impediment is overwhelm at the hugeness of effort or a Big Boring First Step.
Finding some route around that initial hurdle often breaks the dam.
@davidr Oof, yeah, I have that with one or two important work tasks right now, the "Big Boring First Step" (love that description!). But some of it is stuff I like doing, but is just being stubbornly hard for my brain to actually do today.
And yeah, trying to avoid the trauma response motivation of absolute panic and fury 😅
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