You have things you want and need to do. You want to do -something- but you just can't. This is based on my recent struggles with ADHD, executive dysfunction is a bitch.

who’s gonna tell tumblr that executive dysfunction is more than Not Doing Things?

Working with Autism PDA (pathologic demand avoidance) by "strewing" (setting up an activity that u want to do for your later self even thought PDA wont do it right now)

Doing this removes barriers from doing the activity for later when the stress and pressure to do it has released without executive dysfunction of setting up the activity

Recently accidentally discovered the best executive dysfunction hack I’ve ever found

Ok so we’ve all heard of tips involving lists, make a list of everything you need to do, cross it out when you’re done, etc.

Well recently next to each item on my list, I wrote down how to start that task. This can be as simple as “get out my notebook and the assignment” or a little more detailed like “open chemistry textbook to page 235 and review the section on gibbs free energy”

Basically, you do all the executive functioning all at once before you start your tasks! Now when you get to the task, your brain doesn’t need to access that executive functioning to figure out how to start, you’ve already done it. Even stupid stuff like “take the assignment out of your backpack” helps a weird amount when it’s written down. Like it helps more than you think it should. I was rolling my eyes up until the point where it worked

If you’re someone who struggles with executive dysfunction I cannot emphasize how important it is to set reasonable, attainable goals for yourself. If your goal is “I need to clean my entire room today” but you’re not used to doing so often enough for it to be habitual, chances are pretty good that that isn’t a reasonable, attainable goal for you. Start small. Start with something you think you could do even when you’re struggling. Pick something that makes you feel good about yourself afterward. And don’t put pressure on yourself to do more than that if you’re not able to, because that pressure will make it harder to do the small thing.

For me, it’s making my bed. It’s simple, it takes me about three minutes to do, it makes my room look 300% better even if everything else looks like a lost game of jumanji so I feel proud of myself for doing it, and I don’t expect myself to do any more than that. Interestingly, once I’ve done the small thing it often gives me a burst of motivation to do more, but even on days when I can’t do more I still feel good about making my bed.

It can be anything. Make your bed, brush your teeth, pick up the clothes off your floor and throw them in a pile, remove the mugs from your room (no pressure to wash them), make one phone call, do five minutes of something creative, anything that feels small and simple to you. And don’t beat yourself up on days when you can’t do the small thing. Executive dysfunction is a bitch, but starting small is much easier than giving yourself big goals that feel completely overwhelming. 

• The “getting it done in an unconventional way” method.
• The “it’s not cheating to do it the easy way” method.
• The “fuck what you’re supposed to do” method.
• The “get stuff done while you wait” method.
• The “you don’t have to do everything at once” method.
• The “it doesn’t have to be permanent to be helpful” method.
• The “break the task into smaller steps” method.
• The “treat yourself like a pet” method.
• The “it doesn’t have to be all or nothing” method.
• The “put on a persona” method.
• The “act like you’re filming a tutorial” method.
• The “you don’t have to do it perfectly” method.
• The “wait for a trigger” method.
• The “do it for your future self” method.
• The “might as well” method.
• The “when self discipline doesn’t cut it” method.
• The “taking care of yourself to take care of your pet” method.
• The “make it easy” method.
• The “junebugging” method.
• The “just show up” method.
• The “accept when you need help” method.
• The “make it into a game” method.
• The “everything worth doing is worth doing poorly” method.
• The “trick yourself” method.
• The “break it into even smaller steps” method.
• The “let go of should” method.
• The “your body is an animal you have to take care of” method.
• The “fork theory” method.
• The “effectivity over aesthetics” method.

I took a bunch of ND courses last year after getting my ADHD diagnosis. They helped, but it was SO much information. I had a friend help me make a flow chart for it; then I turned it into index cards; then I made them pretty.

Yours will look different--my needs are not your needs, and my art is not your art. But if you find yourself burdened with the knowledge that you HAVE coping skills but you keep forgetting what they are... a pretty little visual guide won't hurt.

Also, my last therapist found it super impressive, and who doesn't like validation from their therapist?

Here is the comic series I promised with my last post!

Part 1/4

Part 2 will be neurological explanations,

Part 3&4 will be actual tips and tricks!

Please know that I’m not intentionally withholding the next parts, they’re just not finished yet and making this series takes so much time. So much Layouting to not make all this info a wall of text! That being said I hope I can upload part 2 next week to my patreon

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the woogler