Living With ADHD

“It’s only 8 pm and I feel like I’m gonna pass out on my feet.”

I did so over the past year so absolutely.

Start with your basic barebones schedule, put in things you have to do, for example for me:

Don’t put in time or anything (except for the obvious time constrained ones) if you know you can’t stick to it. You want to increase your chance of sticking to it, so don’t make it too hard.

Building a structure around external things and obligations makes things easier.

Here’s the thing, you already have a totally viable structure going. Its hard to go from 0 to a perfect timetable so something barebones like this helps you get into the mindset.

For example, following the above structure, I remember to to eat three times a day, and shower before I sleep. That’s better than what I would have done previous which is not eat and not shower.

Obvious next step would be to add times, especially to the obligation and time constrained ones. If your work starts at 9 am, and it takes you half hour to get to work, then you have to wake up before 8 to give yourself time to eat/ get ready.

It helps if you pair the habits together; so for example, develop a habit to eat, clean dishes and directly to shower. Or maybe, throw in exercises at some point so you’re forced to shower afterwards.

How do you make sure you stick to it? Fuck tonnes of self discipline. ADHD makes it hard for us but not impossible. I have really bad executive dysfunction but I’ve managed to start eating healthily out of sheer will and desire to improve my health. 

Me: (has had an official ADHD diagnosis for 2 years now)

Me: (reads another post talking about ADHD symptoms and behaviors)

Me, feeling like my life makes sense even though I’ve been made aware of these symptoms for the 500th time:

• i don’t get stuff

Generic tips

Selfcare guide

Self care by @kimanoir

Eleven self care tips for students by @theorganisedstudent

12 steps for self care

Self-care to do list

Some little self care things by @irinastudies

Self-care guide by @thetrevorproject

101 self care ideas when it gets too much by @microstvdy

Self care by @littleredstudies

Finals self care by @rubypolar

Self-care instruction manual by @hufflepuffwannabe

Some self care tips by @lovefulls

Self care by @lazyhermione

15 self care ideas by @kaleylearns

Little self care things by @flowerais

Self-care by @mlstudies

Self care by @likelyhealthy

A very brief guide to selfcare by @ejlandsman

My favourite selfcare tips by @rubynerdy

26 selfcare activities by @sheisrecovering

Sleep

Guide to sleep by @educatier

Tips for balancing sleep & education by @brbimstudying

The perfect night sleep starts long before you get into bed by @paintitbright

How to go to bed early and actually fall asleep by @post–grad

Water

How to drink more water ft printables

Hydration masterpost

Breaks

Take a break

Types of study breaks for every situation by @samsstudygram

Tips for getting better rest

Treat yourself

Simple ways to treat yourself by @anitastudy

Pennyfynotes guide to treating yourself by @pennyfynotes

25 No/Low cost self care acts by @gaygirlhustle

Feel good

How to feel better by @bbangstudies

Feel good by @librarystudies

7 ways to feel better by @p-antarei

If you are having a bad day by @theblacksiren

Destress

Easy ways to destress by @parisgellerstudy

Stress relievers by @noteology

How to deal with stress by @studywithclover

Apps to help you destress by @gracelearns

Burnout

How to deal with study burnout by @eintsein

How to avoid education burnout by @neuroticmedblr

Mental health

Saving your grades from a mental health crisis by @smartstudy

Chronic illness + studying by @studysenior

Coping with mental health by @overstudies

Studying with depression by @rannedomblr

Anxiety

Anxiety distraction games by @peachou

Anxiety masterpost by @dotgrids

Why doing something relaxing does not help with your anxiety by @merrybitchmas91

Meditation and focus

Study sounds

Others

What to do with notebooks by @tbhstudying

Podcasts for students by @studyquill

Period masterpost

Dealing with eye strain by @studylikeaslytherin

Listen by @studyblr

50 healthy, productive and fun things you can do without looking at a screen

How to live a better life by @wilstudies

Fitness and health for the busy student by @abby-studies-art

Friendly reminders taken from @cwote

Your mental health is more important than your grades

You are good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, and strong enough

Don’t just be good to others, be good to yourself too

Embrace all that is you

You will be okay

Just breathe. It will be okay.

Be proud of yourself for how hard you’re trying.

Be nice to yourself

Don’t beat yourself up. You are doing the best you can.

Be gentle with yourself, you’re doing the best you can.

Better things are coming.

Loving yourself is the greatest revolution.

Remind yourself, you deserve to be happy

Respect yourself. Don’t let others tell you who you are.

Learn to say no to people and things that make you unhappy.

Enjoy your own company.

Forgive yourself.

Never apologise for how you feel

Give yourself some credit. You’ve come pretty far.

Mental health is just as important as physical health.

Surround yourself with good vibes

Stop worrying about people who aren’t worried about you.

If you find you are surrounded by toxic people… Cut. Them. Out.

Other masterposts made by me

notetaking masterpost

college advice masterpost

apps for students masterpost

Mate, pal, buddy, friend,

I do it now,

I used to have a caffeine addiction. 12-15 cups of coffee a day. I would drink an enormous cup of coffee just to fall asleep. I did this because coffee was the ONLY thing that slowed my brain down enough to do anything, including sleep. I knew cigarettes and alcohol would probably work but refused to touch them for personal reasons.

I’ve since gotten an ADHD diagnosis and take 7.5mg of adderall twice a day. I drink one, maybe two cups of coffee and will sometimes go days without any coffee at all. I sleep soundly for a full 8 hours most nights.

Before you point at countries like France where ADHD “doesn’t exist”, I ask you to sincerely consider how normalized self medication is in those countries. Smoking, coffee, and alcohol are all ways people with ADHD self medicate when they can’t access medications.

Stimulants don’t work in ADHD brains the same way they do in brains without ADHD. While many of our medications are stimulants because of how they work to fix our broken dopamine systems, some ADHD medications aren’t even stimulants.

From this perspective, three defining features of ADHD emerge that explain every aspect of the condition:

1. an interest-based nervous system

2. emotional hyperarousal

3. rejection sensitivity”

me: sorry but unless I’m reading it myself at least 5 times I will not comprehend what you are saying because my brain wanders within seconds

person: just listen

my adhd: elephants think humans are cute