Experience Tumblr Like Never Before
i can not overstate the importance of realizing that it is never too late. if you like a sport but youre scared to try it because you havent been in it since you were six or something like you think everyone else is, still do it. same with art or music or cooking or any other skill that takes practice and time because the time that these skill take isnt specific. you dont need to hit certain milestones at certain ages if you just want a cool hobby or community or anything like that. anyways just do the thing i love you go to the thing now
Hi!
I've read your post on the science of ADHD and was wondering if you could help me? (Feel free to say no!)
I'm trying to find articles on that symptom where you're unable to do anything even when you want to. Tumblr seems to refer to it as Executive Dysfunction, but since that term is very broad I have been unable to find anything specifically on the above symptom. Do you have any tips? Do you have any idea whether it has a more defined "name"?
Again, don't feel any pressure to answer!
Kind regards,
Hello!
Well, I can try to help 😅
Ah, yes. I'm afraid that executive dysfunction is in fact the official scientific / medical term for this, and there isn't a more defined name for this – at least not an official medical or scientific one. But I see how that might be a bit frustrating when looking for resources to deal with a specific issue or situation.
Just to clarify, what kinds of "articles" are you looking for? Scientific articles, or popular media articles / lay literature?
What you could try to look for are specific presentations of ex. dys., specific ways in which it manifests; there are a number of lay terms that describe more specific aspects of it. For example some people talk about "decision paralysis", or "ADHD waiting mode" – obviously neither of those are official terms, but it may help you find more resources on them, especially in popular/non-scientific media.
If you're going for scientific literature itself (which I personally do recommend), consider looking for executive function instead. Executive function is a fundamental cognitive ability and plays a role in many many things, and thus has a lot of research to back it up. Try searching it in connection to ADHD, and that should lead you to some beginning at least.
Now, you say that you couldn't find anything for "that specific symptom" – a lot of the time, it is a matter of recognising how the same concept leads to different outcomes. So even if you don't find articles that describe your exact situation, the concept discussed in the article might still be helpful to understand your specific symptoms. Furthermore, while it is true that this "inability to do the thing" is often based in executive dysfunction, there are also motivational aspects that have to be considered in ADHD. By motivational aspects I do not mean that you do not want to do the thing, or that you are not trying enough to do the thing. Rather, the motivational circuits in ADHD brains are different from those in neurotypical brains, which can thus lead to some difficulties.
I am guessing part of what you are looking for are ways to deal with this kind of issue. In my experience, understanding it helps to work around most symptoms to a certain degree already, so I do thing that learning about the mechanisms of it is beneficial in any case. Still, there are hacks that help with ADHD paralysis – I'll list a few and how they might help. [All of these are based on urgency, novelty, or personal importance, which are generally the factors that determine how well ADHD vibes with a task or activity.]
The three second rule; sounds stupid, but try it out! If you're trying to start doing something that requires you to move (e.g. take a shower, make food, do the dishes – whatever) and you find yourself stuck on the couch/at your desk/in bed/on the floor, take a deep breath, count down from three, and when you reach 0 you have to move. It can be any movement, but since you're not giving your brain a lot of time to think, the easiest movement is usually to get up – which gets you started at the very least. Try to ride that momentum.
Pomodoros; time your tasks for mini-deadline pressure. Pick a thing to do, e.g. you want to draw because you like drawing, then set a timer to around 20-30 minutes (at least that's the norm, but hey you can also do 16 and a-half minutes!). Start the timer, and while it runs you focus only on the previously specified task. When it's done, take a break of 5-10 minutes (again, you do you), then the next timer starts. I use this a lot for studying and writing, because it creates little focus windows that are easier to handle.
Increase or decrease stimulation; music, fidgets, anything that vibes for you. Maybe the hurdle is that you're simply over- or understimulated – play around with your activity-environment to see if it makes a difference!
Body doubling; personal favourite, simply hang out with your friends! The presence of another being/person often helps to stay on task, and it can be energising (at least to extraverts like me)
External incentives or accountability; aka threats and bribes 😏 my favourite variant of this is a concept I introduced on several of my Discord servers – Drabbles for Dopamine, where people literally bribe each other with little drabbles so they do the thing. But this works with anything! Tell your friend that you want to be out of bed in 30 minutes and ask them to check in on you; the pressure of having someone else know often already is enough. If the "threat" of them checking is not enough, add a "bribe" to it, for example a picture of their pet – whatever is at hand and motivates you.
There is more of course, but those are the few that come to mind off the top of my head. Feel free to message me if you have questions about any of them.
Besides that, here are a few links that might be of interest:
Popular / non-scientific sources (sorted by how useful I think they'll be for you)
What is executive function and why do we need it? – How to ADHD (video)
ADHD and Motivation – How to ADHD (video)
Motivation | How to ADHD (YT playlist)
Executive Dysfunction & ADHD - when you can't 'do the thing' (article)
What is executive function? (ADDitude mag article)
Scientific articles / research (no particular order!)
Validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analytic review
Executive functions and adaptive functioning in young adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Are There Executive Dysfunction Subtypes Within ADHD?
Disturbance of the emotion and motivation in the adhd: a dopaminergic dysfunction
Executive dysfunction in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: cognitive and neuroimaging findings
Hi!
I've read your post on the science of ADHD and was wondering if you could help me? (Feel free to say no!)
I'm trying to find articles on that symptom where you're unable to do anything even when you want to. Tumblr seems to refer to it as Executive Dysfunction, but since that term is very broad I have been unable to find anything specifically on the above symptom. Do you have any tips? Do you have any idea whether it has a more defined "name"?
Again, don't feel any pressure to answer!
Kind regards,
Hello!
Well, I can try to help 😅
Ah, yes. I'm afraid that executive dysfunction is in fact the official scientific / medical term for this, and there isn't a more defined name for this – at least not an official medical or scientific one. But I see how that might be a bit frustrating when looking for resources to deal with a specific issue or situation.
Just to clarify, what kinds of "articles" are you looking for? Scientific articles, or popular media articles / lay literature?
What you could try to look for are specific presentations of ex. dys., specific ways in which it manifests; there are a number of lay terms that describe more specific aspects of it. For example some people talk about "decision paralysis", or "ADHD waiting mode" – obviously neither of those are official terms, but it may help you find more resources on them, especially in popular/non-scientific media.
If you're going for scientific literature itself (which I personally do recommend), consider looking for executive function instead. Executive function is a fundamental cognitive ability and plays a role in many many things, and thus has a lot of research to back it up. Try searching it in connection to ADHD, and that should lead you to some beginning at least.
Now, you say that you couldn't find anything for "that specific symptom" – a lot of the time, it is a matter of recognising how the same concept leads to different outcomes. So even if you don't find articles that describe your exact situation, the concept discussed in the article might still be helpful to understand your specific symptoms. Furthermore, while it is true that this "inability to do the thing" is often based in executive dysfunction, there are also motivational aspects that have to be considered in ADHD. By motivational aspects I do not mean that you do not want to do the thing, or that you are not trying enough to do the thing. Rather, the motivational circuits in ADHD brains are different from those in neurotypical brains, which can thus lead to some difficulties.
I am guessing part of what you are looking for are ways to deal with this kind of issue. In my experience, understanding it helps to work around most symptoms to a certain degree already, so I do thing that learning about the mechanisms of it is beneficial in any case. Still, there are hacks that help with ADHD paralysis – I'll list a few and how they might help. [All of these are based on urgency, novelty, or personal importance, which are generally the factors that determine how well ADHD vibes with a task or activity.]
The three second rule; sounds stupid, but try it out! If you're trying to start doing something that requires you to move (e.g. take a shower, make food, do the dishes – whatever) and you find yourself stuck on the couch/at your desk/in bed/on the floor, take a deep breath, count down from three, and when you reach 0 you have to move. It can be any movement, but since you're not giving your brain a lot of time to think, the easiest movement is usually to get up – which gets you started at the very least. Try to ride that momentum.
Pomodoros; time your tasks for mini-deadline pressure. Pick a thing to do, e.g. you want to draw because you like drawing, then set a timer to around 20-30 minutes (at least that's the norm, but hey you can also do 16 and a-half minutes!). Start the timer, and while it runs you focus only on the previously specified task. When it's done, take a break of 5-10 minutes (again, you do you), then the next timer starts. I use this a lot for studying and writing, because it creates little focus windows that are easier to handle.
Increase or decrease stimulation; music, fidgets, anything that vibes for you. Maybe the hurdle is that you're simply over- or understimulated – play around with your activity-environment to see if it makes a difference!
Body doubling; personal favourite, simply hang out with your friends! The presence of another being/person often helps to stay on task, and it can be energising (at least to extraverts like me)
External incentives or accountability; aka threats and bribes 😏 my favourite variant of this is a concept I introduced on several of my Discord servers – Drabbles for Dopamine, where people literally bribe each other with little drabbles so they do the thing. But this works with anything! Tell your friend that you want to be out of bed in 30 minutes and ask them to check in on you; the pressure of having someone else know often already is enough. If the "threat" of them checking is not enough, add a "bribe" to it, for example a picture of their pet – whatever is at hand and motivates you.
There is more of course, but those are the few that come to mind off the top of my head. Feel free to message me if you have questions about any of them.
Besides that, here are a few links that might be of interest:
Popular / non-scientific sources (sorted by how useful I think they'll be for you)
What is executive function and why do we need it? – How to ADHD (video)
ADHD and Motivation – How to ADHD (video)
Motivation | How to ADHD (YT playlist)
Executive Dysfunction & ADHD - when you can't 'do the thing' (article)
What is executive function? (ADDitude mag article)
Scientific articles / research (no particular order!)
Validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analytic review
Executive functions and adaptive functioning in young adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Are There Executive Dysfunction Subtypes Within ADHD?
Disturbance of the emotion and motivation in the adhd: a dopaminergic dysfunction
Executive dysfunction in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: cognitive and neuroimaging findings
Ive been seeing an increased number of people in fandom tags going “I want to do this- should I do this?? would people be interested if I did this?”
and im
i am holding all of you gently
be “cringe”! if you let the amount of attention you get on the internet be the main motivator for your fun you will end up in a spot where you resent having fun because you’ve stopped having fun for YOU, you’re having fun for people you don’t know and it sucks!!
fandom is for fun not for making consumable content (ick)
do the thing! do it!! do it do it!!!
I'm back in fire fighting mode. This is the most stressful mindset to be in. Why is it comfortable? Why do I keep defaulting to this. This isn't healthy for me.
I scheduled a therapy session. I don't know what's wrong. I'm just tired of things being the way they are.
Ok. Long time since I've posted.
I had some great weeks working out three times a week. Awesome!
Not so great with house work and even got behind in school work. But, I'm caught back up and trying to maintain again.
Let's see how this week goes.
Today: 2/4/25
Week been consistent with work out and homework. Don't know why the melancholy has been at me lately. We're getting through it. Always seems like so much. There's always more to do. Always more to get done.
Today: 1/25/2025
I'm up. Calf cramping like hell. It's ok.
Plan:
Dishes,
Laundry,
Trash out,
Workout,
Fishing.
I want something fun today.
Today: 1/19/25
I didn't very good last week. Not sure what happened. I had to go back to understanding why I want these things. Took the oldest to a splatter room. They seemed to enjoy it. It helped me get out of my head. Work is picking up and going to be taking a lot of time. Did five 12 hr sifts last week.
Today: 1/13/2025
Slept too little. Mentally drained after work. Not achieved step goal. Not achieved physical goal. Not achieved housework goal. Complete all assignments for school yesterday and steps.
Reflection: I need sleep. I don't work right when not sleeping. Even caffeine doesn't help. Sad about missing all targets for the day. Angry about people being closed minded at work. Confused on if I'm being closed minded. Lingering effects of not enough sleep. Booooooooo. Did manage some reading for school. Not sure I absorbed any of it. Tomorrow will tell.
Next day goals: 4000 steps. One load of dishes cleaned and put away. One load of laundry cleaned and put away. Draft discussion board post. Do the work things. Connect to the kids.
Catch up:
Been consistent in achieving step goals and dishes. Not getting the help I've been requesting. But, that's ok. This is my journey and my goals. I cannot expect others to participate. 🙁
It makes me sad I'm not getting help. So, I have to strengthen my resolve to see them through. I'll allow myself the sadness here during reflection.
I have not been doing my homework. If I want to get that masters degree, I have to focus and dedicate time to the effort.
For today:
I've already cleaned the kitchen. Wiped all the walls down. I'll mop another time. I've enough clean clothes to make it through the week. So, focus is one homework. This modules assignments are due today. Once completed I'll do the work for my body.
I need to move past the regret of allowing my body to get weak. It's not easy for me. I'll work on that later. Right now, homework and body.
Today: 1/8/25
Rough day. I didn't walk before work. I did achieve my step goal. I didn't do any physical activity apart from walking. I drove home but drove right back to Austin. It's probably going to freeze tonight at home but not in Austin and I need to be at the clinic to conduct training. I'm staying in a hotel over night. Hopefully, I can get back into routine tomorrow. Didn't do homework. Going to bed soon. Able to assign someone else to do dishes and laundry.
Reflection:
I feel meh. Excited to sleep in a little and have slow morning with coffee and easy roll to work. Not going to be at myself up over not achieving as much as I wanted. Not sure if laundry or dishes complete. Should have checked.
Tomorrow's plan:
Get up, have coffee, walk around hotel before work. Finish training and start drive home. I can work from home Friday, so I'll stay up later to finish responses for class. Do one load of dishes and put away. Do one load of dishes and laundry. Do step goal. Do 20 mins of physical activity.
Today: 1/7/2025
Walked at lunch. It was cold. Step goal complete. One load of dishes complete and put away. One load of laundry complete and put away. Assignment started, discussion post complete. Still need to do responses to two other discussion posts.
Reflection:
House seeing benefit of three day consistency. Encouraged to try to add more tasks. More tasks are needed. Worried about barriers popping up and derailing routine before it's built habit. Worried about taking too many tasks on in a day and burning out. Getting really really cold. Worried I won't feel like working out tomorrow. Need to maintain trigger of coming home, changing clothes, going to the garage and doing something. Doesn't matter what it is as long as it's physically moving my body for 20 minutes. With this new term worried that school is going to derail other priorities. Three days in, have maintained consistency so far. I'm worried that I won't maintain it. I need to keep these small steps going until they're habit. Before adding additional habit steps. A little bit everyday.
Plan for tomorrow:
Won't have opportunity to walk at work. Going to be facilitating training session during lunch hour. Attempt to do A thousand steps before work tomorrow. Need to complete one additional paragraph tomorrow on assignment. Do one load of dishes and put away. Do one load of laundry and put away. 20 minutes of physical activity after work. Ask for help for additional cleaning tasks.
Today: 1/6/25
Back to work today. I love my job. It's not easy and people make it more difficult than it needs to be. But, we're making progress and the culture is changing.
I did manage to workout when I got home. It wasn't as much as I did on Friday. But, I'm building habits and something is better than nothing. I reached my step goal of 3000 steps. Fourth day in a row reaching that goal. Still 450lbs, this is not sustainable and my body is weak.
I didn't do as much as I wanted around the house. I did load of dishes, one load of laundry (wash and dry still need to put away), swept living room.
Reflections: I was worried I wouldn't work out after work. I hate the 1.25 hr commute. I didn't do as much around the house. First assignment of this term is due Thursday and I haven't even started. I do not like being a student. I love learning but the student thing is terrible. I miss my strong body. I miss doing 10 mile hikes. I miss being able to lift heavy things one handed.
Lessions learned: Keep the phone put down. Podcasts and music are better than TV and videos for me. Less distracting and helps focus. Every little bit counts.
Plan for 1/7/25: Walk at lunch break. Start marketing assignment. One load of dishes. One load of laundry wash, dry, and put away. Put away the load in dryer.
Today: 1/5/25
Well I was able to get somethings done. Not as many as I wanted to. I felt lethargic and slow. Like my body was extra heavy. Not sure
Today: 1/4/2025
For the first time in my life I rented a drained snake. Amateur plumbing. My body is tired. I've gotten way too fat and weak. The laundry room was backing up into the house. The kitchen sink was backing up into the house. I'm filthy and need a shower.
Reflection: Apart from money, I don't know why I put this off for 2 weeks. I feel accomplished. My body hurts and I feel weak. I feel relieved that this task is done. I feel encouraged to do something else. It might not be today but I have to do something else in the house. The list of things I have to do is way too long. And my body is so weak.
Lesson learned: Just do the things. Take 20 minutes everyday and do something for your body. 20 minutes everyday, something to make your body better.