Does anyone else with ADHD have some days where your executive dysfunction is worse than normal, and you end up barely doing anything and feeling like crap? I’m having one of those days, and I’m hoping I’m not alone in experiencing this.
Does anyone else with ADHD have some days where your executive dysfunction is worse than normal, and you end up barely doing anything and feeling like crap? I’m having one of those days, and I’m hoping I’m not alone in experiencing this.
Absolutely. The most useful “habbit” I have for managing my ADHD is being brutally honest with myself at all times.
If you learn to reflect on your patterns and feelings, you start getting a good idea early on when you’re gonna be in one of those dysfunction days.
Best thing I’ve found to do about it is “take the day off”. If I know everything is gonna be uphill in a unique way, I take it easy. If I’m at work, I try to focus on the most accessible micro-tasks, or “tedious” things that take zero cognitive work.
For me those days are a sign of burnout and I know little will be accomplished if I force myself to overwork that day anyway. So I prioritize resting my brain. Sometimes it means doing nothing at all, sometimes it means video games or folling around with in GarageBand with a keyboard and bass.
Letting your brain do whatever random bullshit it’s craving can be just as restful as doing nothing. Sometimes these days can actually be really productive for my hobbies, or housework, or spouse time, just depending on what my brain wants.
I’ve never learned to know when a dysfunction day is coming. Do you have any insight on how you figured that out pattern-wise?
yeah “taking day off” works best for me too, if I try to push myself too hard on those days, I don’t succeed and get exhausted from the self induced stressing.
Or if I really really need to get things moving I drink coffee on that day, seems to work. Not very effective when drinking coffee on multiple days a week though