9 ADHD Productivity Hacks | The Neurocuriosity Club
Summary
TLDRThis video script from Megan of the Neuroc Curiosity Club addresses the unique challenges of ADHD and productivity. Megan offers nine practical hacks tailored for individuals with ADHD, including visual timers, body doubling, 'procras working,' and more. The goal is to help viewers work with their ADHD brains more effectively, reduce overwhelm, and increase productivity without constant self-doubt or the need for external validation.
Takeaways
- 😔 ADHders often feel the pressure to constantly search for productivity hacks and struggle with feelings of inadequacy or laziness in a productivity-focused society.
- 🌐 The speaker, Megan, aims to change societal perceptions about productivity and provide support for those with ADHD through her YouTube channel, the Neuroc Curiosity Club.
- ⏳ Many with ADHD experience a 'misperception of time' or 'nonlinear understanding of time,' which differs from the societal expectation of linear time perception.
- 🕰️ Visual timers can be a helpful tool for those with ADHD to overcome the 'waiting mode' and to better perceive the passage of time, aiding in task initiation and completion.
- 🤝 'Body doubling' is a technique where having others around can increase productivity for some with ADHD, regardless of whether they are also productive or not.
- 🔄 'Procrastiworking' is a strategy where engaging in a less disliked task can help overcome the inertia of starting a more disliked task, which might otherwise be avoided.
- 📝 Writing a to-do list with only five items can reduce overwhelm for ADHders, making it easier to start tasks without feeling overwhelmed by a long list.
- 🤔 Doing tasks inefficiently on purpose can sometimes break the cycle of getting stuck on efficiency and actually get tasks done.
- 🚫 Throwing distractions physically away can help reduce the barriers to starting and maintaining focus on tasks.
- 🐞 'June bugging' is a cleaning strategy that involves focusing on one small area at a time, allowing for gentle returns to the task when distractions occur.
- 👐 EFT tapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, can help process emotions without becoming overly agitated, potentially freeing up mental energy for productivity.
- 🎉 Celebrating small wins along the way is crucial for ADHders, as the brain's reward system may not provide the same gratification as non-ADHD brains, making continuous rewards important for motivation.
Q & A
Why should people with ADHD not have to constantly search for productivity hacks on social media platforms?
-People with ADHD should not have to constantly search for productivity hacks because they should not feel defined by their productivity or lack thereof. The world should offer more support and less severe consequences for when they lack productivity.
What is the goal of the speaker in relation to the world and people with ADHD?
-The speaker's goal is to change the world to be more accommodating for people with ADHD and to help them survive until that change comes, addressing issues like bills, relationships, parenting, and more that are affected by productivity.
Why did the term 'time blindness' become outdated in referring to the ADHD experience with time?
-The term 'time blindness' became outdated because the Blind and Visually Impaired Community requested not to use it, leading to the adoption of terms like 'misperception of time' or 'nonlinear understanding of time' instead.
How do visual timers help individuals with ADHD to perceive time more effectively?
-Visual timers help by showing the passage of time through a disappearing colored section, providing a visual representation of time that can help individuals with ADHD, who often have a nonlinear perception of time, to better understand and manage time.
What is the purpose of using a visual timer to overcome inertia when starting a task?
-Using a visual timer can help overcome inertia by setting a timer for a longer period than expected, allowing the individual to start the task and then see how much less time it actually took, training the brain to adjust expectations and reduce resistance to starting tasks.
How does the 'body doubling' productivity hack work for individuals with ADHD?
-Body doubling involves having other people present in the same space while an individual with ADHD is trying to be productive. Their presence can provide a sense of accountability and support, even if they are not actively participating in the task.
What is the concept of 'procrastiworking' and how can it benefit someone with ADHD?
-Procrastiworking is a strategy where an individual works on a different, less daunting task to overcome the inertia of starting the primary task. It can benefit someone with ADHD by providing a lower barrier to entry and helping them get into a work mode.
Why is writing a to-do list with only five items recommended for individuals with ADHD?
-Writing a to-do list with only five items can prevent overwhelm and the feeling of being unable to accomplish tasks. It allows individuals with ADHD to focus on a manageable number of tasks and reduces the pressure of tackling an extensive list.
What is the 'do it inefficiently' productivity hack and why might it be helpful for someone with ADHD?
-The 'do it inefficiently' hack involves intentionally doing tasks in a less efficient manner to break the cycle of getting stuck on the need for efficiency. It can be helpful for someone with ADHD by allowing them to start and complete tasks without getting caught up in the perfect order or method.
How does 'throwing your distraction' help in reducing barriers to productivity for individuals with ADHD?
-Throwing your distraction, or physically removing it from your immediate vicinity, helps reduce the visual cues that can trigger the ADHD brain's attention regulation issues. This can lower the barriers to starting and staying focused on a task.
What is 'June bugging' and how can it be applied as a cleaning strategy for ADHD individuals?
-June bugging is a cleaning strategy where one focuses on a specific, small area and allows themselves to gently return to it after getting distracted. It helps ADHD individuals by setting a clear, manageable focus and reducing the shame associated with distractions.
How does EFT tapping support emotional processing and productivity for individuals with ADHD?
-EFT tapping, or emotional freedom techniques, involves tapping specific points on the face while processing difficult emotions. It can support productivity by allowing individuals to feel and process their emotions in a calm state, freeing up mental resources for task completion.
Why is it important for individuals with ADHD to celebrate their wins as they progress?
-Celebrating wins as they progress is important for individuals with ADHD because their brains may not release dopamine in the same way as non-ADHD brains, making delayed gratification less effective. Continuous rewards can help maintain motivation and a sense of accomplishment.
Outlines
🕒 Overcoming Time Perception Challenges with ADHD
The speaker, Megan, introduces the Neuroc Curiosity Club, a YouTube channel tailored for individuals with potential autism or ADHD, or both. She addresses the common issue of 'time blindness' or misperception of time among individuals with ADHD, which differs from the societal expectation of linear time perception. To combat this, Megan recommends using visual timers to provide a tangible representation of time passing, helping to overcome inertia and trick the brain into working for shorter periods than anticipated.
🤝 The Power of Body Doubling for ADHD Productivity
Megan discusses the concept of 'body doubling,' where the presence of others in the same space can boost productivity for individuals with ADHD. This method does not require the company to be actively helping or even productive themselves; their mere presence can provide a supportive environment. The speaker emphasizes that this technique is beneficial regardless of whether one is introverted or extroverted.
📝 Procrastination Work and the Art of Inefficient Task Management
The script introduces 'procrastination work,' a strategy for tackling undesirable tasks by starting with something else that has a lower barrier to entry. Megan also suggests writing to-do lists with only five items to avoid feeling overwhelmed, and doing tasks inefficiently at times to break out of the loop of seeking the most efficient approach, which can be particularly paralyzing for those with ADHD.
🚫 Eliminating Distractions and the June Bug Cleaning Strategy
Megan describes the technique of physically removing distractions to reduce barriers to starting tasks. She also introduces 'June bugging,' a cleaning strategy where one focuses on a specific, small area to avoid getting overwhelmed by larger tasks. This method allows for gentle returns to the task at hand after distractions, promoting productivity without inducing shame for momentary lapses in focus.
💆♀️ EFT Tapping for Emotional Regulation in ADHD Productivity
The final paragraph introduces Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) tapping, a method combining specific facial tapping points with verbal processing of emotions. This technique is said to help with emotional regulation, which can be a significant barrier to productivity for those with ADHD. By addressing emotions in a calm manner, EFT tapping can free up mental resources for task completion.
🎉 Celebrating Wins to Enhance Dopamine Release in ADHD
Megan emphasizes the importance of celebrating small wins for individuals with ADHD, whose brains may not release dopamine in the same way as non-ADHD brains. This can lead to a lack of gratification after completing tasks. Continuous rewards, even in the form of self-praise or simple physical gestures, can help release feel-good hormones and maintain motivation.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡ADHD
💡Productivity hacks
💡Time blindness
💡Visual timers
💡Body doubling
💡Procrasworking
💡To-do list
💡Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
💡June bugging
💡Celebrate wins
💡Neuroc Curiosity Club
Highlights
The struggle of individuals with ADHD to find productivity hacks and the need for societal change to support them better.
The Neuroc Curiosity Club's focus on supporting people with potential autism or ADHD, offering a community for understanding their brains.
The concept of 'time blindness' or misperception of time in ADHD and its impact on daily life and productivity.
The use of visual timers as a productivity tool to help with the nonlinear understanding of time experienced by many with ADHD.
Strategies to overcome inertia when starting tasks by using visual timers to set and track time more effectively.
The 'body doubling' technique, where the presence of others can increase productivity for those with ADHD.
The 'procrastination working' method, where engaging in a less disliked task can help overcome the avoidance of a disliked task.
The importance of creating short to-do lists with only five items to reduce overwhelm and increase the likelihood of completing tasks.
The approach of doing tasks inefficiently to break out of the cycle of seeking the most efficient method, which can be a barrier for ADHD individuals.
The physical act of removing distractions, such as throwing a phone away, to reduce the barriers to starting tasks.
The 'June bugging' cleaning strategy, which involves focusing on a small area and returning to it after distractions, as a method for managing ADHD.
EFT tapping, a technique combining physical tapping on specific points and emotional processing, to aid in productivity by managing emotions.
The role of emotions in productivity and how processing them through methods like EFT tapping can free up mental resources.
The importance of celebrating small wins to counteract the delayed gratification often experienced by those with ADHD.
The 'get [task] done' program, offering a community and practical skills to help ADHD individuals improve productivity.
The live round of the 'get [task] done' program, providing additional live lessons and weekly coaching with the creator.
The continuous rewards system as a method to overcome the lack of dopamine release experienced by ADHD individuals after completing tasks.
Transcripts
adhders shouldn't have to be constantly searching for productivity hacks on Instagram or Tik Tok or
here on YouTube we shouldn't have to constantly ask ourselves if we're actually trying hard enough
or if we are just lazy we shouldn't have to feel defined by our productivity or lack thereof and we
shouldn't have to do any of that and we do we live in the world we live in and my goal is to change
that world but also help you survive it until that change does come our bills relationships
parenting and more is affected by our productivity it shouldn't be we should have way more support
and way less dire consequences for when we lack productivity but that's not how things are right
now so I want to teach you the productivity hacks that you need to work with your ADHD
brain hi there my name is Megan and this is the neuroc Curiosity Club the only YouTube channel
that I know of that is specific specifically made for people who think they might be autistic they
might be ADHD they might be both but they're just not sure let's get curious about our
brains together all right ADHD productivity hack number one is visual timers so a lot of adhders
experience something that used to be referred to as time blindness although the Blind and Visually
Impaired Community has asked us to move away from that term so instead a lot of us have started
using the terms misperception of time or nonlinear understanding of time and what this is how this
works is basically it's like being colorblind but with time instead of color it's not that
we aren't checking the clock often enough or that we are late because we don't care it's that we do
not perceive the passage of time in a linear way this is unfortunate because even though there is
lots of interesting research about the passage of time and how it's actually far less linear than we
think we live in a society that practices linear time and expects people to perceive time linearly
and so we end up being late to things missing things entirely forgetting about things or rushing
out the door at the last minute or in order to prevent all of that we end up in something
called waiting mode this is where you have an appointment at 3:00 p.m. it's 9:00 a.m. and you
can't do anything because you are so terrified of missing that appointment at 3:00 so you just
kind of sit around afraid to get too engaged with anything so I love my visual timer but uh so does
my four-year-old so I'm not totally sure where it is right now but this is what they look like this
is a really cute rainbow one that I kind of wish I had but mine's just pink and purple and normal and
it's fine um but visual timers basically allow you to set a timer and then as the time passes
the colored section slowly starts to disappear in order to show you what passing time actually looks
like I primarily use my visual timer in two main ways number one is to overcome the inertia that
keeps me from starting a task in my head things take so much longer than they really take most
of the time like cleaning the kitchen feels like a 4H hour thing for me but when I actually do it
it usually only takes about 15 or 20 minutes but no matter how many times I clean the kitchen for
some reason my expectation of how long it's going to take stays at 4 hours and that creates a lot of
inertia a lot of resistance for me I don't want to start a 4-Hour task so what I'll do is I'll
set my timer for a full hour which is the longest amount of time it can measure and I'll just start
working and then when I finish I hit the little pause button on top and I look at the time and
I see how long it took and I just I'm trying to train my brain that way to accept that this only
takes 20 minutes and not 4 hours because it's not sinking in without the visual element but
I'm hoping with the visual element over time I will start to absorb the knowledge that this only
takes 20 minutes the second way that I use this is to kind of trick myself into working more or
doing something for longer so basically I'll set the timer for 5 minutes and say you only
have to do 5 minutes just 5 minutes and and then you're allowed to be done but the thing is the way
a lot of ADHD brains work mine included is that uh we have a difficult time starting things but
we also have a difficult time stopping things we have an inertia problem and um if I set my
timer for 5 minutes and I tell myself I only have to do five minutes but then that 5 minute
Mark hits and I'm in the middle of something I will likely keep going and finish whatever
is I'm working on in order to get to like a good stopping point if that makes sense um so this can
like trick me into working more than 5 minutes by saying I'm only going to work 5 minutes it's
a little bit of self- reverse psychology ADHD productivity hack number two is body doubling
if you haven't heard of body doubling yet you need to it is so helpful especially for ADH
deers what is body doubling it's basically when other people just exist around you while you're
trying to be productive these people don't have to help you with your task heck they don't even have
to be doing anything productive themselves they just have to exist in your space this could mean
your partner sits in your office with you just scrolling on their phone while you try to get
a YouTube video edited or it could mean that you call your sister and you both kind of sit on the
phone in silence while you do your taxes together now I would say that this only works because I'm
such an extrovert and I just like love being around people but the ADHD Community actually
seems to be pretty much in agreement on this that this is really helpful for many of us introvert or
extrovert ADHD productivity hack number three is procras working if you absolutely cannot stand the
task that you're supposed to be doing and you cannot make yourself do it no matter how many
of these hacks you try there's a really nice SL terrible thing about being an adult and that is
there's always more [ __ ] to do don't want to clean out the garage how about you do some meal
prep laundry sounds like a nightmare maybe it's time to go through the mail this doesn't always
work if the task that you want to avoid is time sensitive but if it's just another one of those
tasks that yeah it needs done and it probably needs done soon but I can convince myself to
get into work mode by working on something else first again we have an inertia problem if you can
overcome that not through sheer force of will because that's nonsense but if we can overcome
that by doing something that has a lower barrier to entry because it interests us more or it just
sounds less terrible for some reason do that ADHD productivity hack number four write a to-do list
but only five items the problem so many adhders have with to-do lists is that they quickly spiral
out of control and lead to so much overwhelm that we end up doing nothing I am the queen of this my
to-do lists are like 40 items long and like part of me expects myself to get this done in like 2
days I'm one person one person taking care of three little humans and managing a household
and running a business like and I have 8hd it's not going to happen so when I look at my 40 item
to-do list I just feel discouraged so what I've started doing is making five item to-do lists I
don't try to pick the most important things by the way or try to do them in the most efficient
order like oh okay I'll have a 40 item to-do list and I'll just chunk it up into five and I'll go
in order of like the most important and then the most urgent and then you know all of that with
like the Eisenhower Matrix I don't do any of that I just write down the first five things that come
to mind that I know need done again this won't always work if you do have time-sensitive things
that need done and you do need to find ways to prioritize them but in unless something is
truly times sensitive don't arbitrarily make it time sensitive do things in an order that feels
good I think this is something that comes up a lot for adhders so like autistic and ADHD folks
the autistic part of our brain really wants to do things the most efficient way like I don't
know about you but for me that's a huge part of my autism is like I get so stuck when I can't
do things the most efficient way and this kind of list helps me break out of that because it's like
okay I'm just going to write down five things that come to mind and it's like but what if that's not
the most efficient order it's more efficient to start than to do nothing that has been a
huge breakthrough for me and that leads to ADHD productivity hack number five do it inefficiently
sometimes I go out of my way to do a task or a series of tasks in the most inefficient way why
would I do that you ask and it's because I get so stuck and hung up on doing things efficiently that
sometimes it's helpful to be like no I'm going to do this in the most backwards kind of way that I
can let's say I know I need to work out well in my head that means okay I need to work out that
means I need to shower after I work out I can't shower until I work out and then I get stuck right
I get stuck in this Loop of I have to work out I have to work out I have to work out I have to
work out if I don't work out I can't shower and I really want to shower cuz I feel gross but I can't
work out because I feel gross and I just get so stuck so what I will do is I'll shower first and
then I'll work out which makes no goddamn sense right no sense at all completely nonsensical but
I actually go work out whereas I wouldn't go work out before and then I wouldn't shower and then
the next day would come and I would get stuck in the same Loop and I would go far too long without
showering like I would just be uncomfortable and why am I doing this to myself when I could just
do it inefficiently ADHD productivity hack number six throw your distraction what do I mean by this
I mean literally take whatever is distracting you and Chuck it across the room now this is
not me advocating for you to throw your laptop across the room so please don't take it that way
but what I mean is whatever is distracting you get it physically away from you for me this does
sometimes look like physically throwing my phone I mean I gently toss it onto a blanket or something
I don't just like Chuck it at the wall but I do physically throw my phone a little bit away from
me just so that I can like Escape its grip this is another example of reducing the barriers to
getting started with whatever it is you want to get done distractions serve as barriers because
ADH deers often have trouble regulating our attention it's not that we have a deficit it's
that we have a regulation issue so if there are four things that we can see that we want to do
but the task we need to do we can't physically see we're going to run into a lot of barriers
because we're going to have to get through all of those visual cues to do something more interesting
now if we can remove those visual cues by say throwing your phone gently onto a blanket that's
slightly out of sight you're going to reduce the barriers ADHD productivity hack number seven is
June bugging now I did not invent June bugging I found it on Tumblr back in the day actually and I
will go ahead and tag in the description the link to the original post so that the original creator
of the term gets full credit so wait what is June bugging it's a cleaning strategy that works
exceptionally well for ADHD folks but also anyone else who struggles with executive functioning the
gist is this basically June bugs when they try to get through a screen door they kind of pick a spot
and then they'll like Adventure away but then they come back and they Adventure away and then they
come back it's like they think this spot is how they're going to get through the screen somehow
but they keep like looking for other Alternatives our brains work much the same way if we gently
focus them on one task right so let's say you're trying to clean your bedroom way too big of an
area that would be like if the June bug was like I'm just going to try to get through this whole
door you know no the June bug picks a specific spot and so should you so instead of your whole
bedroom maybe you're just like okay the top of my dresser is a wreck I just want to clean the top
of my dresser okay so that's your specific spot you're going to keep coming back to you but let's
say you're looking at the top of your dresser and there's some clothes so you go to the closet to
put those away and in the closet you find an old purse and you go through it because you know you
left something important in there that you forgot about and so you find the important thing but you
also find some concert tickets and that reminds you you were going to make a really cool shadow
box for all the concerts you've been to so you pull out your phone and you get on Amazon you
start searching for shadow boxes do you see the problem this happens to so many of us and it makes
cleaning really hard what June bugging does is it basically gives you permission to get distracted
but it also encourages you to gently return to your area without shame when you find yourself
on Amazon searching for shadow boxes instead of saying well I'm already this far I might as well
keep going don't get into the sunk cost fallacy just acknowledge that you're not doing what you
set out to do and that's okay set down your phone and return to the top of your dresser if you want
to learn more about June bugging and how to implement it as an ADHD I have a whole module
on it in my get [ __ ] done program which you can check out more about in the description below ADHD
productivity hack number eight is EFT tapping so if you haven't heard of EFT tapping at first it's
going to sound very out there but I'm telling you it is scientific supported both according
to traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Western medicine so EFT stands for emotional
Freedom techniques and EFT tapping is when you tap really specific spots mostly on your face um while
talking yourself through a difficult emotion my therapist likes to say it's kind of like an
exposure exercise you expose yourself to really difficult or frustrating emotions that you would
normally bottle up or repress or you know project onto other people and instead you really allow
yourself to feel them which can feel deeply scary but because you're tapping these really specific
spots you actually are calm while you're going through the difficult emotion instead of getting
really amped up the way this works according to traditional Chinese medicine is that the places
you're tapping are Meridian points where energy tends to get stuck and the thesis of traditional
Chinese medicine is that the flow of energy is what keeps us healthy and happy and so by tapping
these areas you are encouraging Flow by the way I'm not a traditional Chinese medicine expert
that's just like my paraphrasing my understanding of how it works if you have a better understanding
of traditional Chinese medicine please please please share what you know about EFT tapping
in the comments according to Western medicine the spots that you're tapping help stimulate the vagus
nerve and it helps stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system which is the part of your nervous
system that helps you calm down it's like the anti fighter flight so as you tap these spots
you're getting calmer and calmer which helps you deal with a difficult emotion through a
calm lens instead of through a distorted very high emotion lens so what does this have to
do with productivity exactly everything literally everything emotions are amazing and I don't think
they're bad at all but they can very much get in the way of getting [ __ ] done because our
emotions demand to be felt and when we refuse to do that it's kind of like sticking some gum in the
gears right everything just kind of gets stuck and it's really hard to move forward even with
non-emotional tasks because part of your brain is using tons of energy to shove your emotions away
so when we take the time to process our emotions especially through something like EFT tapping
where you can do so without getting super super amped up and freaked out um something that helps
you feel calm and feel your difficult emotions it can help the gears keep moving forward so you
can do some EFT on a difficult emotion and then you're like okay I have brain power freed up in
order to do this like basic cleaning task and ADHD productivity hack number nine is to celebrate your
wins as you go the ADHD reward system in our brains does not work the same as a non ADHD
reward system delayed gratification just isn't very much a thing for us and I don't mean that
in a super like entitled Millennial kind of way like give me what I want right now it's not like
that it's that the way dopamine releases in our brain is different compared to the way dopamine
releases in a non-adhd brain we can work really hard at something over a long period of time and
we can get it done but at the end of it we don't feel gratified we don't get that burst of dopamine
that non adhders get we know we should be proud of ourselves we know we should feel good but the
chemistry in our brain just isn't lining up with that over time this can really wear us down and
like I'm getting a little emotional talking about it because it sucks to work so hard at something
and then not even feel like it was worth it at the end even though everyone says they're
so proud of you and you objectively know you did something cool but you just kind of feel meh and
eventually when this happens enough you start to feel like what's the point in doing anything the
best way to combat this is with continuous rewards instead of just one big reward at the end every
time you make just a little bit of progress toward your goal I want you to freaking celebrate and by
the way celebrating yourself and celebrating your effort doesn't have to look like spending money if
money is tight and you're like well I can't celebrate myself yes you can this can be as
simple as wrapping yourself in hug and swaying back and forth and just telling yourself I am
doing so good I'm so proud this can help release some oxytocin which isn't dopamine but still is a
feel good hormone and can really help us keep going so those are my nine ADHD productivity
hacks and if you want to learn more or if you want to interact with a community of people who
are also trying to be more productive and work with their brain and not against it I really
hope you will go to the description and check out the get [ __ ] done program it is the only
program that I'm aware of that incorporates both emotional skills and practical skills alongside a
community in order to help people People Like Us get more done oh and if you're seeing this before
March 18th we're starting a live round which means I am teaching all of the lessons live in addition
to weekly group coaching with me so you get 2 hours of time with me every single week for 17
weeks but if it's after March 18th please don't stress you can still join the program is still
incredible and I can't wait to see you there that's all for me today I will see you all next
time
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