TLDR: Have you any tips or resources about how to be motivated to do things which you enjoy having ADHD in mind?

Hey, recently I had to stop my ADHD meds for a while.

Additionally I have a lot of time right now bec. of medical reasons and I try to do things I want to do instead of proctrastinating, so whenever I realize that I’m just doing stuff without actually enjoying them, I try to sit back, make me some tee and think about what I want to do. Like not in the future, but right now.

But the thing is, very often I just sit there and there is nothing I want to do. I try to enjoy doing nothing but it is kind of frustrating sitting there and thinking about what I want to do and nothing comes up.

I wanted to ask if this is a me thing or an ADHD related thing, and if so how you manage that. I either am completly stressed out with 100 projects at the same time or doing nothing and having no motivation to do anything. How can I be motivated to do things I enjoy? How to find things which I enjoy without sitting there and stressing out that currently I’m not motivated to do anything?

  • @[email protected]English
    11•9 months ago

    I’ve struggled with this for years and I’ve found something recently that helps: Make a list of daily todos.

    Why this helps me: I find that my mind naturally wants to switch from what I’m currently doing to something (anything) else. When this urge comes up, instead of opening up social media or whatever other time sink I totally go to, I instead open up my todo list and try to switch to one of those tasks.

    What I’ve found is that even though this doesn’t stop me from ever procrastinating with video games or other time-sinks, I at least have found myself getting more things done that actual help my life rather than just sitting there not knowing what else I *should * be doing.

    Tips for making this work:

    1. write the todos in an app on your phone (like the “Notes” app) and do not fully close that app. Leave it open in the background so it doesn’t take long to load when you need it.
    2. don’t give yourself more than 3-4 things on your todo list for a day. Trust me, you won’t do more than 3-4 and you’ll feel great about yourself when you get those 3-4 done. (Go easy on yourself if you don’t get them all done — you’re still doing better than not having a list at all)
    3. Before you go to bed, try and create the list for the next day.

    It takes work to develop this habit, but legit just try it for a couple of days and see how you feel.

    I know this doesn’t answer your question of “how do I find what I like to do”, but I’ve found that once I start accomplishing small things, the creative juices start flowing.

    Best of luck!

    • @[email protected]English
      6•9 months ago

      Part of the problem is that with so many devices and stimulus vectors, we never let ourselves really get truly bored anymore. Being bored is sometimes good.

      That said, it takes more than a bit of effort to break reflexes and habits around just grabbing you’re phone or kindle or whatever when something isn’t actively engaging you.

    • @[email protected]OPEnglish
      4•9 months ago

      Its not that much about what I should be doing, rather finding hobbies I want to do intrinsically. Or do you say, that in the morning I should create Lists of hobbies that I want to do today until I want to do them intrinsically?

      • @[email protected]English
        1•9 months ago

        Ahhh, I see.

        Making a list of hobbies to try could help, but in the end it’s only yourself who can discover what you like.

        The end result is finding out what hobbies you like; the pathway there is trying lots of new and different things.

    • @zipzoopaboopEnglish
      1•9 months ago

      Replace social media with slack, and I think I have a new game plan now…