Ways I work with my ADHD (and Hormones)
Hey friends,
TLDR;
- List are friends
- Digital & paper planning
- Taking breaks in between tasks and then coming back to review
- Lean into hyper focus interests
- Cleanliness – all things go in box (cute boxes, but boxes)
- 2 Minute Rule (don’t put it down, put it away)
- Buy a timer
This will be related to my hormones and I know not everyone cares or has these, so feel free to skip this part to the more ADHD habits below.
I work mostly with my hormones. I am fortunately very regular – I know many women are not. So I track my cycle very clearly in my Google calendar and adjust as needed.
Purple week is ovulation week. I think it is technically the week after. So I feel great up until actual ovulation, then I know at least a few days, I will be zonked out. My symptoms are mostly emotional. I am sad and just overall grey, or depressed. This is how I feel during this time. Nothing feels good, hobbies are pointless, hell why are we here there is no point really. It’s so weird to only be depressed a few days and have it switch off so cleanly.
Then a normal week.
Then Red week is week would be my period – I use continuous birth control but track it for this reason. I am normally OK this week. Typically I just can’t deal with as much BS from people and have a lower threshold for being nice. Worst weeks I am super tired and headachy or get a migraines. I also tend to get acne this week which is just fun and sometimes alerts me ahead of time. Thanks body.
So I work around these best I can. I swear its like a switch as soon as the hormones stop. It’s so unfair. For example, I am writing this ahead, but over the weekend I got so much done, sometime SAT I stated feeling better, so I started down the list. SUN I was still tired but feeling good. I hadn’t gotten much done the WHOLE week and got more done on SUN than the rest of the week. It was a great day but such BS.
Something to note, I am sure it can be different for everyone, but my medication doesn’t work as well during these weeks either. I’ve actually dosed up, and am working on getting an RX for that, during these weeks and felt better. Again. Some BS. I feel amazing today, the MON after.
Some things I’ve heard work for some people if you are a PMDD girly – Allergy medication (didn’t work for me) and specially, Peptide AC I’ve heard. I haven’t tried that but plan to after my medication that interacts with it ends. If you think you may have PMDD, you know and will try anything that might help. I have a friend who started SSRI’s for half the month and I’ve heard success with that too. With my ADHD medication I am SO much better than I was and happy with my progress.
In 2019 I would say I was guaranteed a week of suicidal idealization, then a few good days, then a really irritating week of irrational angry vibes where people absolutely noticed and avoided me. It was awful and I am glad to be diagnosed. I figured out the PMDD thing around 2017 and started tracking it, but had no real solution until I got diagnosed with ADHD in 2020. I feel much better, and while I am tweaking my doses, its night and day in difference.
Anyway, that is how I deal with my hormones changing every damn day. Being a woman means you are on anywhere from 21 to 30 day cycle of ups and downs. BS.
For ADHD in general I’ve realized so much about myself is some BS symptom and it’s taken a long time to really accept that, A. this is a real disability in the way the world is built currently (so I take advantage of what I can) and B. I just think differently and that is OK we just may need to communicate more. So much more. The -tism side kills me on this. I am thankful for a great partner.
List are friends
I tend to rewrite and plan list as needed. Even if its the same list, my brain refreshes after a day or so and writing the list back down is the best way for me to keep it top of mind if I actually want to get the thing done.
Digital & Paper
I now use Notion and my physical planner. I was taking pictures of my weekly spread to carry with me to remember things – I just straight up committed to Notion. List start on paper, but then are added to my Notion pages and arranged on days as needed. I’ll share my layout and current sources this next week.
Taking breaks in between tasks
I cannot slow down. I have one speed. So I get the work done, then take a break and check it. Trying to do a task slower is just torture for me. This has been the best method for me that has stuck way better. Great tip for jobs if you are having issues. For example, I wrote this a week+ ago, and reread as I prep for scheduling. It’s a quick review, but I can tweak as needed.
Lean into hyper focus
I lean into my interest. Some times I am unmotivated and nothing gets done that is on the list. I am fortunate and can do this in my life. I know not everyone can. Then there are days I get a week’s worth of work done in a day. These are great days. I’ve learnt to just lean into it. I can sometimes jump start my interest by setting a timer and doing it anyway, trying to get into a focus mode, but not always and that is OK for me in my tasks currently. It hasn’t always been. I have stared at office walls more than I care to admit. I thrived in Retail, it was a blast for my brain.
Cleanliness – all things go in box
I organized my room in Ikea Kallax shelves and bins. It makes keeping it clean easier. I sort them by theme and have a few that are just junk ones. It helps so much and I highly recommend. Also my partner is super clean and organized so I really only have to focus on my office and clothes area. I’ve only started to appreciate this in the last like 5 years – he use to drive me nuts with it, but now I am thankful and he helps me remember things I need to do and keep to it. A clean house is surprisingly nice to come home to.
So yeah, bins are your friend.
2 Minute Rule (don’t put it down, put it away)
I follow this rule for most things. Especially in the kitchen. Don’t put it down put it away. If it will take a few minutes just do it now. I fail at this on bills and stuff a lot (god forbid I need to make a phone call), but yeah I try to keep to it as much as a I can outside of my little office.
I have not mastered:
I struggle with the order of operations if you will. I never know where to start and I struggle to organize a story, etc. I always have. this is the biggest issue I’d say I have. 🤔 This prevents me from starting projects, etc. I don’t have a solution yet.
I also struggle with food. I didn’t realize how much I struggle with this until I got diagnosed because I just thought I was ‘picky’ or whatever. My mother does this too so I never considered it abnormal to just rather die than eat what you have. I hate it. Being an adult has enabled me to just go get something else, but not always the healthiest solution which is it’s own problem.
A timer is life changing
I want to emphasis I am not perfect and I don’t do those things all the time. Particularly the 2 minute rule. I use a timer too, fricking love my timer. I just got a new one, I loved my cube 🟪 cause it was square, but I found I needed additional times and so I got like this D20 now that has more options.
Places I use my timer: video game time set, reminders for the next meetings or to feed the bunny in X time. I set the small timers for like 3/5 to remember I am cooking ><; I have forgotten and burnt things. If I say I’ll get up to go to the bathroom in a few minutes, I set it so I remember and actually do the thing instead of forgetting and having to rush later. Bless the timer. If you take nothing else from this go buy a damn timer. This is mine, not a affiliate link FYI.
I started picking tips of in the productivity circle around 2017, I 10/10 recommend it. Somethings work and some don’t. But its nice to try out ideas. For example morning routines don’t work for me. Just don’t. Evening ones do – winding down helps. Morning routine just bores me and that is okay. I’ve found helpful programs through podcast and books as well. You never know what might end up being a good option. I picked up a Happy Planner in 2016 randomly in Micheal’s and here we are.
Hope some of these tips helps, it has been a journey for me 😮💨 to accept what I can and can’t do, but I feel happier and more positive than I have ever in my adult life. I know it feels morose but I was so depressed with how many days I lost in a month due to hormones and just feeling bad. I felt like ‘this is the best it will ever be’ and that did not feel good enough to continue to be here.
I share this not to bring anyone down but hopefully push someone to keep trying to find the solution. I think we are getting better with getting diagnosed and just overall with mental health. I never thought I’d feel totally excited to be here on a regular basis.
