brain dumps are like to-do lists but for the adhd-er whoâs always got ten million things on their mind.
so i get a piece of paper, sticky note, or open up a new page in my notebook and spill out all the tasks that are weighing down my mind in that moment. everything from the tiny, mundane tasks to the big, twenty step projects.
this allows me to just get it out on paper and not have it torment me any longer, and youâll feel this weight off your shoulders once you see all your scary tasks written out. now thatâs the big brain dump part where you throw up everything in your mind without caring about priorities or importance.
now, get out a new sheet of paper, and start sorting out those tasks from most important/most urgent and least important/least urgent. you can number the tasks or sort them into boxes, whatever works with you visually.
your big scary projects will be at the top of the list, such as âupdate my resumeâ or âwrite essay due next week,â and your smaller tasks like âtake out the trashâ and âorganize bookshelfâ will be at the bottom. my adhd self would still be a bit intimidated by this, however, letâs do the small tasks first to get the momentum rolling! so iâll go to my kitchen and wrap up the jenga tower of trash, then neaten up a few books on my bookshelf. the aim is to *get it out of the way* and make progress over perfection!
ok i realize how LONG this is, but hopefully this method builds up momentum to get started on larger tasks and make you feel accomplished that you did something small, and that counts! :)
May 30, 2024
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if a task feels overwhelming, try turning it into 5-10 smaller tasks. Trying to write an essay? maybe think about it in terms of: Write outline, write opening paragraph, write details of main argument⌠etc.
Trying to clean your house? What exactly are you trying to do? Make the bed, fold the laundry, clean the toilet.
I get mental satisfaction from checking tasks off a to-do list and maybe you will too
Feb 25, 2024
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ADHDer here who has tried so many different methods (and medications) over the years. what works for me doesnât always work for my friends who also have ADHD, which means itâs kind of a treasure hunt to figure out what works best for you. i especially struggled a lot with executive dysfunction in college and had trouble forgetting basic homework and turning in writing assignments days or weeks (and, once, two months) late.
there are a lot of simple tips that non-ADHD people will try to give you that can potentially help, but itâs not a cure-all for executive dysfunction. the big ones are planners (i have like 3-5 planners/calendars and todo lists which can help me keep on track at my current job, but that hasnât always worked for me) and âhave better time managementâ (and of course they never expand on that supposed advice). iâve been diagnosed with ADHD since i was 7 years old, so iâve heard and tried it allâŚ
hereâs what works for me now as someone who works 40 hours/week and when i was in school:
⢠BREAK DOWN TASKS INTO SMALLER BITS. this is my #1 go-to for any work or assignments involving writing. outlining, Extremely Rough drafts that i can tinker for a few minutes at a time when iâm feeling motivated, messy bullet points and half-baked opening paragraph sentences. even if iâm scribbling stuff that wonât end up in the final product, but youâre getting your brain in the habit of thinking about and planning your writing earlier in the assignment process.
⢠LETTING GO OF IDEAL PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFECTION. this is more of a personal tip, but i think some of my procrastination and executive dysfunction when it came to assignments came from anxiety around how i was expected to perform productivity in a neurotypical fashion and my own crippling anxiety around perfectionism. this may not apply to you, but i think itâs always helpful to remember that you do not have to adhere to societyâs ideas about what productivity âshouldâ look like. this is also why the tip of trying to manufacture urgency or deadlines doesnât work for me.
⢠PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BRAIN. learn what cues you to feel motivated. adjust your environment to incorporate those cues even more and reduce distractions or executive dysfunction. (for me, that includes having a clean workspace and some headphone or earbuds in even if nothing is playing. if i am playing something, itâs usually non-lyrical music at a low volume or a video essay iâve already listened to 200+ times.)
⢠TAKE A WALK. this is something that i started doing recently and iâve found that it helps me feel more alert and my brain less muddled/unable to focus.
⢠finally: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. i definitely made my executive dysfunction worse in college by not eating well orâmore specificallyânot sleeping enough. speaking from experience, the psychological connection between your brain and body is critical in how effective these tips for dealing with executive dysfunction can be.
this may not be as simple as youâre hoping for, but i do hope that this helps. â¤ď¸
Mar 23, 2025
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as in if u make it a requirement of urself you might obsess over having to accomplish it and that can paralyse u, as is my experience with adhd and executive dysfunction
if possible i suggest turning your brain off for a bit(use music to distract if u can) and moving kind of on instinct? wake up, make your bed, get your coffee, get your breakfast, make sure you clean the kitchen as you go and put your dishes away/wash them as soon as you finish eating, go back to your coffee and sit with it for a while to transition into the day. this is all kind of general but the point is to have casual, repetitive(everyday) tasks to slowly introduce you to a routine.
i find it important to clean/pick up anything after disrupting it because clutter and messes always distract me from my thoughts and continue to nag me if left alone-making the likelihood high that ill face a shutdown due to the task becoming another extra step to face later. it also makes it easy to think just about lunch when it comes around and theres no clutter left from breakfast
dont try to force anything and ask urself what you have the energy for, dont use up all ur fuel first thing in the morning and run out of steam later in the day- job hunting is a constant battle with rejection and managing your energy levels thru it all is important
3d ago
Top Recs from @noisefervor
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i love collecting cool screenprinted patches or embroidered badges from art markets or online shops and sprucing up any item i own with them! or you can use scraps from clothes youâve cut up previously if you wanna upcycle and not throw waste away.
itâs like a sticker in cloth form, and i can customize my belongings and give it my personality :D just take a needle and thread, and learn some basic backstitches or zigzag stitches, and handsew on some cool looking squares! you can take this project wherever you go, and itâs good to put on music or a movie and zone out ŮŠ(ŕšâá´âŕš)Űś
May 30, 2024
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iâll mostly list small or medium-capacity venues that host relatively cheap shows!
mostly 18+ or all ages:
- trans pecos
- mercury lounge
- bowery ballroom
- tompkins square park or maria hernandez park sometimes hosts free shows
occasionally has 18+ shows, but is 21+ most of the time:
- babyâs all right
- market hotel (usually earlier shows that start at 7pm arenât 21+)
- elsewhere
- le poisson rouge
- gold sounds
highly recommend going through each of the venueâs websites and sifting through the show listings to double check! also the oh my rockness website and bandsintown are great places to check for shows happening tonight in your area and stay on top of shows!
Jun 4, 2024
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have the itch to go outside even though itâs 11pm at night? hereâs some things you can do without spending much and having to interact with anybodyâŚ
(mostly based in lower manhattan)
1. play street fighter for $1 at the waypoint cafe (65 ludlow st between grand & broome st)
skip all the clubs and bars on ludlow street and head straight to the late-night video game cafe outfitted with cheap arcade cabinets and PCs. thereâs plenty of table top games, board games, and card games to play if you ask. open until midnight everyday.
2. read a book at book club bar (197 e 3rd st / ave b)
finally a non-overstimulating bar for the bookworms! take a book off the shelf or bring your own and chill out on the comfy couches. this place is the perfect sanctuaryâquiet chatter, a pleasant coffee aroma, and relaxing music. open until 12am sundayâwednesday, and until 1am thursdayâsaturday.
3. grab cheap coffee and eats at caffe reggio (119 macdougal st / w 3rd st)
walk past washington square park into the dimly lit green cafe, an iconic spot known for its classic italian eats since 1927. order some hot pasta, sandwiches, or soup to warm you up on a cold night. this place is next to lots of comedy clubs, so beware of the rowdy crowds, but if you grab a seat in the corner youâll be a-ok. open until 3am sundayâthursday, and until 4am fridayâsaturday.
4. contemplate at the water and brood
go to the east river or hudson river and sit at the pier to sink into deep thought and zone out. watch the boats and birds and trains pass by. highly recommend waiting until sunrise to watch the sun wash all the buildings with a beautiful pink-orange glow. i personally love hanging out at the skate park under the manhattan bridge and sitting on the swinging benches at pier 35. open 24/7.
honorable mentions:
- manousheh (403 grand st) â lebanese cafe that serves delicious dishes and coffee. open until 11pm.
- black cat les (172 rivington st) â comfy cafe with a living room vibe that hosts weekly comedy nights. open until 10pm.
let me know if you try out any of these places! feel free to use this as a map to guide your night and crawl from the lower east side to the west vilage, or check out each spot individually whenever you see fit.
hope my introverted night owls find their new late-night sanctuary. đ
Jun 2, 2024