Avaxce

romanticize the SHIT out of it. Put on atheistic music, a cute outfit, etc. Hell make a tiktok. Make it as fun and enjoyable as possible

I made a cute little study with me tiktok and it was the most productive ive been in a week 💀

BUT IT WORKED

So, maybe that's a bit of an inflammatory title. But I think it still stands. The flow state is bullshit. Often described as a time "where you are totally absorbed by and deeply focused on something, beyond the point of distraction. Time feels like it has slowed down. Your senses are heightened. You are at one with the task at hand, as action and awareness sync to create an effortless momentum. (headspace.com)"

As someone with adhd, that is hyperfocus. Time dissolves and I can spend forever on what I'm doing, hell, as I sit here and write I'm in that state right now. I'm not sure if I'm simply misunderstanding, but it feels a tad bit like neurotypicals found out how to tap into the hyperfocus state -everyone can do it but adhd people do it more- and they repackaged it to be more palatable.

It's very frustrating to see something I was shamed so much for when I was younger now being sought after and praised by so-called "normal" people. But while that's my own cross to bare, I worry that it could cause things like hyperfocus to continue to fly under the radar. Hyperfocus is a very real symptom and can cause damage.

Have you ever been so zoned into something that you don't eat? that you become increasingly dehydrated? Have you ever focused so hard that you almost don't make it to the bathroom before your bladder fails because you couldn't feel it screaming at you?

"But Rachel," you say, "Flow state isn't like that, you're supposed to be able to take breaks, chugging along like a locomotive at a steady but enjoyable pace, rather than a one-stop bullet train!"

To that I say, could you tell the difference? if you're not paying rapted attention to the individual, because let's face it no one has that kind of time, how would you know? How could someone undiagnosed tell the difference between the two, if there is one? Or worse, someone attempting to explain their symptoms to a friend and family or a partner, and it's brushed off as "Oh that's just flow state!"

Depression/Adhd study tips coming from someone who has depression, anxiety, and ADHD. All of these I try to do

Make the process as bearable as possible. Put on those fuzzy socks you like, comfy clothes, pour yourself your favorite drink, and have a treat while studying

Pavlov yourself into it

I've found that when I do these, it both helps sit down and get started, and it makes my brain associate it with positive things.

If you have the option, have a specific place you do schoolwork.

I happen to have like 3 desks in my dorm, even though I live in a single 🙃 So I have a desk where I have fun stuff, like my TV and gaming console, and a work desk which has my printer, laptop, and Kettle.

Minimize your distractions. Given that I'm currently writing this in procrastination, I'm lowkey failing that, but that's okay. You're going to get distracted sometimes. What matters is getting something done.

What did help minimize distractions is that I drink tea while I work. So I moved my kettle to my desk so I wouldn't have to get up and walk across my room every half hour

Find lighting that works for you. Some people might like soft lighting,

for me if I'm studying at night I need all the lights on to minimc daylight as much as possible.

Notice what you happen to be wearing or doing when your being productive. Like after you get your work done. We're you sitting in a specific position? what was the environment like? what were you wearing, was your hair up or down? were you wearing shoes?

Oddly, for me, I'm most productive if I'm wearing a bra with an underwire. If I need to clean, putting on shoes seems to cue my brain into its work time. Music usually helps me stay focused

If you take medication, make sure you take your medication.

Look, just make sure your basic needs, like sleep, food, and water, are all met first. Trust me, it is impossible to focus otherwise. Same with anything clamoring at your brain.

Regulate yourself first, like lay under a weighted blanket, meditate, or go on a walk. Those are all examples I do that help.

If you're nervous about an exam you're studying for and your stomach is in knots, you're never gonna retain the info. So take care of yourself first.

Block off more time than you think you need. Should this only take an hour? block off 2.5 hours. Especially if you have adhd and you aren't hyperfocused, you're gonna get distracted. Sometimes, you might not finish. that's okay. The goal is to have something. A word, a sentence, a page. Even if it's not a lot, something is better than nothing.

if you're really struggling with an assignment, half ass it. something is better than nothing, and yeah, you might fail it, but at least I'll be a 20% rather than a 0%.

Me to my professor when he didnt put the power point online 

According to all group activities it doesn't exist.

About 2 hours later during a lab I then ominously got asked if I was "the Rachel who lives in the single on x floor?"

I am.

I asked who he was and he said "I'm 'Spencer'" and walked away to go look at insect