Seasons might be a nice add. I like to go swimming in the lake in the summer. So thats a summer/sunny special. I'd like a nice herb/spices tea which is a nice winter special
entrées - exciting/fulfilling activities desserts - overdone go tos appetizers - quick dopamine/low effort sides - things to add to activities specials - occaisonal high dopamime things (temporarily omit unrealistic ones) BONUS: - prep your surroundings by setting up what you need to start activities (decrease steps) - set barriers for unwanted desserts (increase steps)
I wish RUclipsrs could pin more than one comment, because this one is really deserving. ADHD doesn't help with rewatching the video to find these points easily without rewatching a thousand times. Thanks!!!
So having 37 tabs open, with 5 RUclips tabs, a Twitch tab, a Netflix tab, with 3 videos playing at the same time is not the way to go??? Asking for myself!
I mean, it's a super common way of coping. Can't just write it off entirely. Is it satisfying? Is it working for you? Sometimes for some people it's not really, but it holds attention well *enough* that they don't need to wander off and find something more satisfying. It's SO individual though. I have friends who are incredibly content doing that at the end of the night to unwind.
But hey, I have to read all those tabs! .. One day ... Not now .. One day when I feel bored and in the mood for concentrating on old tabs?! One day that day will come! And I'm prepared!
if i could add on to this idea: menu pricing. for example, i like painting, but i know that each time i paint it'll take at least 30 minutes, so that entrée "costs" 30 minutes
Or...... can you also break it down into smaller painting sessions? I find that if I go too long on something, I get stuck, and then start to feel guilty as a swarm of other things I should be doing overwhelms me.
That's a motivation issue. There's maaaany video's on that as well. so, maybe put a specific motivation video tab seperately open for the moment you wanna do something but your but isn't moving. Makes it easier to start.
Also could be executive dysfunction, which frequently goes hand in hand with ADHD. Look up advice specific to executive dysfunction and see if any of those tips sound more helpful to you. Good luck!
I think my brain just exploded. You mean 3 hour social media binges is not just me being lazy? It's actual boredom? And I can help myself not do this. I have GOT to try this. This is genius.
@@TeresaMorgan1965 You know what? I think I'm going to drop twitter I only hate scroll it nowadays anyway so it might not be the worst idea.... (and it'll stop 4 hour scroll sessions)
I’m pretty sure I’m ADHD and I’ve just begun realizing how many of the things I’m struggling with and medicated for are actually symptoms of it. It really is both relieving and infuriating to have a single answer staring at you while you’re on 6 different medications.
6:41 I have Inattentive ADHD and Depression and it's a crazy 1-2 punch. Basically, if my brain isn't constantly stimulated, then I "fall out" and it can't be stimulated again by anything, so I just fall asleep. If I can't be stimulated, my brain's like "So.....why am I conscious, then?" I used to think that's what "boredom" meant. Apparently "boredom" is agitation that you want to do stuff but can't. I thought it referred to that physical feeling of having nothing you WANT to do. So I'd tell my mom "I'm bored" and she would give me extra chores. I'd be like "how tf is that supposed to help? Nothing seems interesting, so you give me something uninteresting?"
YESSS! I know write I hate it when you say you are bored trying to get some sort of way to not feel depressed but then they pile on more things in your way to do and when you finish you just feel more empty
I feel your pain, although I don't have depression anymore. I get that feeling even before doing something that will give me a mental boost. It's quite the struggle.
As someone who wasn't diagnosed till college, I'm glad there's more resources coming out on dealing with ADHD that isn't exclusively targeted for parents of elementary schoolers.
ugh I wasnt diagnosed until AFTER college. Trust me, I really feel your pain with that. I've been in therapy trying to figure out what's "wrong" with me and hitting what feels like a brick wall. I saw a psychiatrist to try to help address my eating issues only to realize that what it is is a lack of stimulation because I had adhd. It's a crazy revelation and now I have so much to learn about it and catch up on and teach my family and loved ones about it.
@@LieutenantSheep same here, I was diagnosed on my 27th. Went to the doctor because I thought I had a burn out. I was sent to a great therapist who in her own practise specialized in ADHD and she regocnized it immediatly. It's almost as if you get a manual for your own mind! It was really liberating for me 😁
The moment I started watching this, I started a game of computer chess for more stimulation. I finished the game precisely when the video ended. I have no idea what she said...
Psychedelic is the answer to most severe anxiety and depression ... The use of magic mushrooms completely helps one get over depression and makes you feel like yourself ... I used antidepressants for some years but it only made me feel like a zombie but with immediate use of mushroom in few months I feel like I'm living a whole new Life .
Psilocybin containing mushrooms save my life . The drastically reduced my benzodiazepine withdrawal allowing me to quite illicit pill addiction after three years of heavy daily use before it would had became medically dangerous to quit
My girlfriend has ADHD so I like watching your videos to better understand her, and in turn be a better partner. The awesome thing about a lot of the advice is that it works just as well for people without ADHD too. I always look forward to experimenting with the different techniques you suggest and seeing if it will improve both our lives ! Thank you for creating high quality videos !
You’re a keeper. I love that you watch these videos so you can learn to help your girlfriend or yourself. Being & showing Support like these creates a strong relationship.
That's something that makes me cry. Your girlfriend is lucky to have you. I don't think anyone has tried to learn me like that. You're a good person. A very good person. Oh god my eyes are pouring, I can't see the keypad properly.
@@Violencejunkie Haha thanks but before you guys praise me too much I had to end up breaking up with her. She had some really serious issues that I didn't find out about until later. I did learn a lot more about ADHD in the process and read a whole book so I can empathize with friends and family that have it a lot better now.
@@Adam-ui3yn I think the act of trying to understand your loved one, so that you can better support & encourage them, absolutely deserves praise! Regardless of how it ended, that was a very kind/thoughtful thing for you to do. I am always tempted to send these types of videos to friends and family who’ve never really taken the time to try and understand ADHD (I wasn’t diagnosed until 36, after my 10 year old son was) - I would be floored if someone actually took the initiative to learn on their own! I’m sorry to hear things didn’t work out, but it sounds like you are still making good use of the info 🤗
Definitely right about physically feeling it when it's depression. Boredom is annoying, but depression just sucks the life out of me; ADHD wants me to find things to do, depression wants to do nothing for hours and hours at a time.
This is a really good explanation of the difference. As someone who has been treated for depression for years, but is undiagnosed ADHD, I was really worried at the end of this video that I was confusing the two (and that my depression meds weren't working!!). But you've reassured me that the feeling I get, the paralysis of movement, where I feel the need to do something but can't make myself do it, is definitely an ADHD thing.
@@TheZenytram you just lay around uninterested in anything, not even social media, not sleeping well, not being bothered about eating or washing your teeth, just darkness and emptiness for days
@@TheZenytram It can be headaches, muscle aches, muscle tension, back aches, indigestion, or physical fatigue, just as some examples. Everyone gets these symptoms, but not combined with a lack of interest in everything.
No ADHD here, but prone to depression. That change of tone is the greatest thing to remind yourself this : when the world seems to lose its colours and interest... Don't ignore the alert. Thank you so much for this video, so helpful even if you're not directly concerned by the ADHD problem.
I wonder if a mild stimulant could help you?? I also can be prone to depression at times. I try to help myself minimize these times by using OTC nootropics and useful supplements and better quality energy drinks like yerba mate or Arizona's energy teas (seems to work well for me). I hope to try out an adult adhd med soon. I feel moderately adhd due to pretty persistent focus issues. Also you might have a thyroid issue that OTC iodine/selenium supplementation and possibly other OTC hormone balance methods could help. I noticed a positive effect after I started using a progesterone cream. Edit: I almost forgot to include suggesting a good vitamin D supplement. A lot of people are deficient and don't know it. Not saying it'll fix everyone's problems but if there is a hormonal lack due to that deficiency, supplementation can help.
I have ADHD and am recovering from severe depression. Really happy that the work I have done with my therapist and doctor have lead to some good results, but damn. That tone shift hit, and it was really necessary to leave the impact to take those steps to take care of yourself. 💜
Here’s the problem. At the moment I only have 2 items on my menu that don’t involve medicines; a snack (twirling the same coin during boring activities) which provides little relief, and the fancy feast ( theorizing on grand scale things like dimensions above the 3rd) but that can be hard to find an audience for and is unfeasible during work hours.
I've been really sick of doing nothing or not what i want to be doing lately. This is awesome. And, the best part is, i think i can actually complete this... it doesn't look overwhelming. It looks fun.
I have subbed to you by the way. I'm just on a public account for some reason here. I've known you since i found out about your ted talk in September and started looking into adhd way more seriously than before. You've been an awesome source of information and someone who understands and speaks things that make sense to me. Thank you and keep pushing forward. You're helping lives of many struggling. Lots silently.
I'm thinking the same and actually encourage me to use this tutorial to make this for me. Oh boi, but it would be the first creative thing since a long time.. i don't know if i can make it.. Anyhow. Today i'm calm and kinda happy anyways, sun and stuff. Maybe today is the best day i'll have for that kind of fun
I can understand that, I can zoom out for hours when I run out of dopamine because I either think of anything to do to restore it or I am too indecisive. Not mentioning that I easily slip into a habit of mindlessly procrastinating whenever I get overwhelmed or my mind goes blank. I hope you've managed to create that menu, that should make decisions a bit easier.
I've learned over the years that setting a timer for small increments of doing things really helps me to feel less overwhelmed. Like 1 minute cleaning, followed by 1 minute of watching, followed by 1 minute of art....(Or 5 mins, or 10 mins or whatever...) The tiny increments are weirdly stimulating.
Yes, and when I have multiple projects that I can't seem to make myself want to do, I can rotate them, working on one for a few minutes and then switching to another, then another. By the time I've gone through 10-15 minutes of 5 different things, the first one doesn't seem as boring and I can start from the beginning again.
I have found that I work best when I clean 3 rooms at once in a rotating cycle of either 5 or 10 minutes at a time. When one room gets cleaned, I add a new one to the rotation. I can get so much done that way.
I find it difficult to not ignore my timers :-( I have ones that doesn't require me turning it off, it goes quiet on it's own. Useless. If I have alarm on my phone I put them off and then continue. If I put on timer on my phone and then 3 minutes repeats I eventually get up. Being stuck is more of a problem for me than anything else. I can't seem to stop whatever I do. Hyperfocus is NOT a super power...
This is probably more to do with my depression, but I'm thinking of adding something like "leafy greens" to my menu - things I don't necessarily *want* to do but feel fulfilled once I finish the task. For me, that's like...folding my laundry or doing dishes.
Totally get that!!!! And same. I don't want to do dishes or clean or laundry and will even procrastinate them. But once they're done it feels really good. Of course they don't get done often because... 😕
Creating kindness in this world takes a lot of effort but its never forgotten. i think u can achieve your dream while helping others but make sure you never forget yourself.
The only way I get myself to eat leafy greens is via green smoothies. Figured out a decent method too.. 1. Steam the Green ( I got with Kale because don't want to worry about oxalates ) 2. After steamed you can use a measuring cup ( I use 1/3 cup ) to turn the kale in kale balls 3. Stick the Kale balls on a cookie sheet 4. Freeze and then stick them into a freezer bag. I usually stick 1 frozen kale ball in with 1 cup of frozen pineapple but steaming the kale actually helps improve the flavor. Raw Kale is like eating grass but steamed I am able to do a green smoothie with just the Kale. I know ya didn't ask but thought I'd share the idea with someone.
this is brilliant, thank you! I realized recently that ADHD might be the reason behind my lifelong sense of guilt, failure, and flakiness...I've found your channel really helpful.
Same here! Years of being told I'm great when I'm not lazy and bashing myself over not physically being able to bring myself to do tasks may actually have a cause. I have an adhd psychiatrist referral but I've been procrastinating because I'm scared that maybe I'm just being lazy or a hypochondriac.
Same. I've cried happy tears watching her videos and reading comments such as this one. I feel like the pieces of the puzzle of how my brain works is coming together :')
I have a recurring issue where the only things that "fill my bucket" require high mental performance, and on days when I have brain fog--which is quite often--I don't have the mental capacity to "fill my bucket" and all the low-mental-performance activities bore me, so I get stuck in a really bad state.
So fill a low energy needing bucket for those days Things like looking at the stars, Listening to a meditation but you have to do the things (concentrate on the breath) And as an extension Yoga, Once the energy kicks in because you have yogad out do some body exercise then you can relax, exhausted and then your body will re stimulate
My whole life had been dictated by horrible highs and lows from depression up until recently. The depression has gotten better, but then something else took over that i will have a chance to speak to a professional about on tuesday. This overriding boredom that makes me feel awful. Im never paying full attention to my friends when they're talking even though i try. I find what should be easy tasks completely agonizing. I can't sit still. I make poor decisions and take risks trying to shout over the deafening static in my head. All i can say is, these videos have made it so much easier. Im nearly brought to tears by how simple it is to just have somebody understand and know what can help. Thank you so much.
I was just having a text conversation with some an hour ago about how I tend to be doing multiple things at once to fill the attention void haha. I do try to be mindful with my tasks sometimes, but when I get bored I feel like I wander aimlessly from unsatisfying thing to unsatisfying thing!
@@HowtoADHD That's a very good analogy for it! 😄 (And thanks for making this, and all your other, videos! 😊 I shall try to allow for more fulfilling things in my personal Sim queue using these tips.. and a pinch of mindfulness!)
@@HowtoADHD WOW! This is so me! Thank you for your incredible content. My sister introduced me to your channel through your video on "The wall of awful." I wish I had that sort of analogy 30 years ago. It would have changed my life.
I clicked on this video and caught myself switching apps at exactly 1 minute and 1 second. Now, I feel awful realizing I can't even get through this one helpful video without feeling like I need another source of stimulation. 😥
It doesn't have to - it might not be. I have no trouble keeping myself amused, I pick up new hobbies regularly, and every time I do it feels like my life's calling, until it's not. Something else will replace it, but never on the heels of the last, and those times in between really do feel like depression. But they're not, they're just a time to open up to new possibilities. Ask me when I'm in one and I'll tell you I'm terribly out of sorts, but only until I find my new source of dopamine.
I have a "bored box" that is filled with activities that don't need planning, and have all the materials needed for when I'm bored so I don't end up mindlessly scrolling through social media. I wish that I could then actually do those activities! I think I need to make it more accessible
@@brittanybowles5032 What I understood from the video is: if you really genuinely enjoy it, it's not on the desserts menu :) If you only sort of enjoy it, and keep chasing more, but never feel fulfilled, it's dessert. :)
This video is exactly what I've been needing lately; at least once a week it seems, I'll spend an entire day in a cycle of needing stimulation but not having the energy to decide on or start anything. I'm definitely spending the rest of the night working on my Dopa Menu!
I have just started watching these, so I just let them arrive on the RUclips homepage. I sometimes give one a pass, but then scrolling again I realize I want to watch it. This was one of those videos....hmm I wonder if a menu list works on post it notes on the bathroom mirror?
I haven't been following her for long. Found her through Anthony Padilla's ADHD video. So for me, I'd probably go with dessert - since I'm currently putting off work to watch videos... >.>
Erick's change in tone when she asked "what if nothing is fun?" Oof, he knows the horrible lows of comorbid depression it sounds like. Definitely anyone out there who feels like they have ADHD and depression be careful and realize it's not healthy to feel like nothing is enjoyable. You deserve better as well 💜
Speaking from experience here....I have major depressive disorder, and am probably undiagnosed adhd or autistic, who knows. Depression is not always something that hits physically, by any means. It can be sneaky as heck, and you have to know your normal self to catch it. No one else can, at least not as quickly or effectively as you. So be aware of yourself and of whats going on in your head. See a good doctor, and change if this one doesnt click or doesnt listen. Definitely avoid drs or therapists who have their own issues, for they can tend to be biased in their outlooks. If you feel down, weepy, like nothing is worth the effort....or that fun things arent fun anymore....please, go find a counselor. Someone who does not judge, who listens, who can and will refer you to doctors who may be able to help you with medications. Oh and btw...it is perfectly okay not to 'love yourself', as long as you know yourself well enough to ACCEPT yourself for who and what you are, good and bad both. Then you can respect the good, and work past or around the bad to minimize its influence in your life.
I don’t have ADHD but I found this really helpful living in such a stimulating world with so many quick dopamine hits that aren’t good for you in the long run.
Yeah would be useful to have more on that tbh, I had depression for years, probably still do and nothing was enjoyable for like 10 years of my life. And I went to lots of doctors but no one could tell me how to fix that. I’m only just starting to be able to enjoy things again now tbh, and I got diagnosed with severe depression because it was so bad at 15 and now I’m 27. I feel like there needs to be more help than just go see your doctor, cause sure that helps the underlying issues but what do you do until the day that you feel semi ok again especially if that might not be for a really long time? Cause the world doesn’t just stop for you, you still have to do everything everyone else does.
@@dark_baphomet Did they prescribe you ADHD medication? If so...did that help with boredom? If it did... how much? Not trying to delve too deeply. I deal with depression and I feel like boredom / apathy is a big issue. Not completely sure if I have ADHD though. It was identified as a child but as an adult I don't necessarily fit the mold of a person with ADHD but not sure if that is the depression possibly masking it or what.
So this probably explains why some people back in school could read a book while the teacher explained the class. Perhaps they were bored. This was back in the 80s. I'm 52 years old.
For "adding a challenge" I just wanted to share one my therapist suggested when I'm writing, which is to sit/bounce on an exercise ball. She said some progressive schools will let ADHD kids sit on them instead of at a desk and it helps with focus. It definitely helped me.
I don't agree with, "when you feel it, it's depression" as an absolute. Frustration can also feel very much like depression when it's stretched out over time. I used to think I had depression, but it turned out to be the impact of the adhd feeling heavier than usual and my frustration not being able to get things done brought on anxiety
omfg...the d20 for the exercize before going in the fridge is an AWESOME idea. I go to the fridge like 10x a day just to see if anything sparks joy... LOLOL
I love this menu idea, I also added a section to my menu called nightcap for things that help quiet my racing thoughts or buzzing energy so I can relax or sleep
For me ASMR has helped a lot with that! It's engaging enough to stop my brain from churning out thoughts, but at the same time not interesting enough to wake me up or coherent enough to make be scared of missing anything. "Follow my instructions" videos or tapping on different objects are good ones. There are even ones labeled especially for those with ADHD.
Wow this timing is insane, I've been absolutely unproductive lately (probably due to continuously scrolling RUclips instead of sleeping like a normal person 🙄😅)
It hit so close to home when he said "call your doctor". I did. I'll have to wait at least another 2 months before I get a place on a treatment program.
@@pierowmania2775 Maybe try calling again to show them you're still interested? I heard that in some programs you get a place faster if you show commitment.
I've been trying to get help the last year, had to move towards the end, so called my new doctor only to get told there's no help for adult ADHD in the area through the NHS. Phoned the private psychiatrists in my area and the initial consultation is £500 with £160 sessions thereafter. ADHD really takes a backseat to other mental health issues huh
I have a similar "menu" for when I'm dealing with a depressive episode. Things that require very little exectuvie function, but can have a big impact on my mood.
This is actually nice. I'm not diagnosed with ADHD but I recently worked on myself with meditation and now my attention span is like, almost 90mins. Often times, I'm bored as hell in the day. This DOPAmenu will have some quick activities when I'm bored, like a single legged squats cuz I'm an anxious person and I want some way to let the energy out.
Can you please make a video on how other mental illnesses interact with ADHD brains? As a teen who struggles with Tourette's, ODC, SPD, ADHD, panic disorder, and depression, I think that would be super helpful!
I hope you don't mind if I poke in on this one. There are parts of this that I, obviously, can't address because I don't struggle with them myself. However, as a person with ADHD, general anxiety, and major depression I wanted to kind of point out how they love to feed off one another. There are a lot of times that I've noticed myself doing one of my bored... need something to do activities... or I forgot about something... or heck the wall to get to the thing was hard today. And I feel horrible about it. I start feeling anxious about my ability or if it's the right choice or if I'll ever be able to do the thing and then when I realize I failed at it my depression kicks me in the teeth. It can be really rough to keep all of that from spiraling because the depression makes it hard to do the things you wanted to do making you feel more and more like a failure and like your totally unable to get a handle on it. Which in turn feeds that anxiety. What I've found helps is my own kind of flavor of meditation. Don't worry about trying to clear your mind, but grab some music. Something... anything you can use as a kind of mental reset button. Get yourself out of that feeling so you can kind of analyze it. Don't worry if it's hard the first few times. The whole point of this is teaching yourself how to recognize when you are being unfair to yourself about expectations. Yea, you didn't have enough spoons or maybe today an activity took more spoons than it usually would. That's okay. It can be really hard to forgive ourselves because of our challenges when we see other people who don't struggle with it. Learn to accept that aspect and try again later when you feel like you can. Much love and I hope this helped
Yeah I'd find that super helpful as well! Lately, I've been trying to find aout more about ADHD & Bipolar Disorder. I suspect that I may have Bipolar II or Cyclothemia on top of my ADHD-C and am going to do Diagnostics after talking to my therapist. I found it extremely difficult to find good info on the subject that a) delineates ADHD from Bipolar and discusses overlaps and when it is likely when it is both. In general I think it is tought to find out if it is either or and and when not (also with Anxiety, depression, ocd, autism etc.. there are so many symptoms that could be reasonably explained by either one or both. I don't 100% trust my mental health provider either, I feel like they just take the direction I point them in, and I think I can get biased so easily. It is just a bit tough to navigate this and to decide what is even useful here. For anyone also looking for info on bipolar/adhd, this is the best video I found on the topic: ruclips.net/video/pGUvXPL57as/видео.html
Decreasing hurdles for good stuff and increasing hurdles for bad stuff is so important. Make good things easy! Make easy good stuff a habit! Habits will help you achieve stuff.
My psych once handed me a list of about 500 activities, and asked me to make a list of 100 of them, or other activities, that are fun to do for me. Of course I have by now lost that list, but it was surprising what that helper list brought out. Things I've never thought of anymore, like flying a kite, etc. 😀
@@HowtoADHD yes! and it's stupidly simple things too that you just have forgotten over time, being caught up in adulting etc. Hahahaha I already forgot about the tomato! 😂🤣
As a “heart” I’ve learnt so much from watching your videos, stuff that I’ve started using even though I’m not a “brain” and I love the DOPA menu idea, which I’m going to use. More importantly though, this channel has been an incredible resource for the “brain” I love and I to understand and discuss ADHD and what it means for them. Thank you so much.
At least 6+ months ago I could still feel excited about doing stuff, even if I would have at least a couple of days each week of feeling "off". Now my stress, anxiety, etc is probably the worst it has ever been and everything just feels like I need to do a mental packet of paperwork to even get myself to go work on my own business that I used to get a lot of joy from. You and your channel are great, by the way!
yeahhh I'm having a harder time too, I think a lot of people are. Do you have the support you need to get through it? Can you adjust your expectations a bit?
@@HowtoADHD I'm sorry to hear that you are having a tougher time now too. I live alone, which makes everything much worse, although I do have friends I can talk to on a regular basis and weekly therapy sessions via video phone app, I think I need to make an adjustment to medication and/or reduce the overwhelming amount of stuff I need to do.
I too live alone, and I don't that combined with recent world events is helping my mental health any. Not that anyone really wants to know, but I have tried nearly every ADHD medicine on the market and none of them seem to make things much better, and, if anything, just make things worse.
What if you're just starting on ADHD treatment and you've been depressed for so long you have no idea what activities bring you joy or make you feel fulfilled? It's improved immensely since I started treatment, but it feels like I've spent so much time guilty and blaming myself that I don't really know what actually feels good.
To help you choose random hobbies, maybe start with hobbies of people you like, or at least people you think are good people (in case you're at a level of depression when finding someone you like is difficult).
Reconnect with things that brought you joy in childhood. Do they still do that now? Does it feel different? This is grounding but it also helps you find the trajectory of your life in the time since and understand what brought the anhedonia and how it may be addressed.
Go on a hike somewhere the wilderness is good for humans and research indicates it improves mental health also eat eggs they do the same eat healthy and go outside
This is so cool! I am making mine now with a special "breakfast menu" of short things I can do that will get me out of bed without falling into rabbit holes.
This channel has helped me so much! It feels like every time I need some help with an ADHD related issue There's a new How to ADHD video up. Because of this channel I got on Adderall, kicked grad school's butt (graduated this semester!!), and I've picked up reading and writing genre fiction as a hobby. I've substituted writing and reading for things to do when I'm bored. I have a phone game that I love to play too but I know I get lost in it if I don't limit my time on it.
I’m lucky my hobby is drawing and painting because my iPad has made clean-up /set-up obsolete. I can create anything I want and just lock my iPad when I’m done. I might make my menu this way also. It’s just having to come up and organize my entrees and stuff that make it not so enticing lol
Oh, right. I was confused for a moment. But then I remembered that americans call the main course _entrée_ , the french word for starter. So I was distracted for a moment, and now I have to watch the whole video over again. But I'm also a little excited, and feel a sense of acomplishment for solving this "riddle". And smugness. I like the feeling i feel when I can lecture other people. I almost said "when I catch other people making mistakes" , but this is not a mistake. It's just a quirk of american-english. I still got the smugness dopamine boost though.
Sometimes when I am struggling to be productive I have a saying: "Do anything other than nothing". And relatedly: "if you get stuck, start with the easy stuff". I find the mere act of having done something, anything productive really helps me feel like I have started my day, because I can be an Olympic-level procrastinator if I am not careful.
@@victoriamclachlan4596 like, deep clean the fridge/sink, or take donations to the thrift store, or email that person back, or complete that art project - just any of the hundred things that pops into my brain when I'm "supposed" to be thinking about the day's top priorities 😅
I say to myself: "SWE" - Start With Easy! I pick the absolute easiest thing on my list to do - that's better than the self-shaming of doing nothing. Also: "BTJ" - Boil The Jug! - because it feels like you have done something by flicking that switch and in the 2-3mins that it takes for the jug to boil you may have decided what it is you are going to do next - even if that is having a cup of tea/coffee/herbal, or doing the dishes. It's about snapping yourself out of that mental rut. 😊
@@katetoolate234 I'm in a DnD and in a Star Wars tabletop RPG campaign. Also, the droid I am playing in Star Wars definitely has ADHD. However that is supposed to work for machines.
I have both Severe Depression and ADHD, and finding your channel has actually helped. I recently came out of a probably one of my more severe breakdowns, where I was crying, but also started laughing hysterically, I felt insane.
6:50 I know it was edited this way, but the speed and tone with which Eric responds with "call your doctor" was so powerful. Like...of course thats an issue. Thats what depression is. No judgement, no beating around the bush. I wish someone had said that to me 7 years ago.
5:35 "I put my guitar on a stand by the couch" (to make it easily accessible) Me looking at the MIDI Keyboard (Piano) that's always connected on my side while I'm sitting at my desk (where I work) in awe... I keep discovering ways where I had subconsciously fixed some of my adhd issues. I often take music-playing breaks while working from home at it's great!
I love this idea of a menu. I did something similar and made a spinner wheel that are filled with hobby choices (play video games, read book, sew, watch netflix/amazon/RUclips -all different choices). I use it to plan my week, which more or less works on the day of.
I'm not sure if I have ADHD, but I do share many traits to the point that friends who do have a diagnosis have pointed them out. This videos have help me a lot after a year of not knowing how to overcome these challenges.
i don’t know if I have adhd personally, but I’ve related quite a bit to the things you talk about on this channel. your videos encoraged me to get a fidget toy and make a bullet journal, and it’s been doing wonders for me regardless!! I’ll have to try this out too :D
I’m intp.. this just amazes me . I wonder if all ppl in comments were to comments their type if there would be trends . In real life it’s almost like always whenever someone tells me their adhd I ask them their type and so far their mostly Np types .
3:09 timestamp for anyone revisiting the video who just wants to rewatch the D.O.P.A. menu tutorial : )
omg thank you. torture for add/adhd brain to take so long to get to the menu.
THANK YOU. I was hoping a mini overview would be in the description, but it wasn't :p
@@crystalabarr lol I know right?😂😂😂
@@andrew4635 here's the next best thing :)
❤❤❤
Seasons might be a nice add. I like to go swimming in the lake in the summer. So thats a summer/sunny special. I'd like a nice herb/spices tea which is a nice winter special
entrées - exciting/fulfilling activities
desserts - overdone go tos
appetizers - quick dopamine/low effort
sides - things to add to activities
specials - occaisonal high dopamime things (temporarily omit unrealistic ones)
BONUS:
- prep your surroundings by setting up what you need to start activities (decrease steps)
- set barriers for unwanted desserts (increase steps)
I wish RUclipsrs could pin more than one comment, because this one is really deserving. ADHD doesn't help with rewatching the video to find these points easily without rewatching a thousand times.
Thanks!!!
Doin' the lord's work.
When you have ADHD but also addictions. This would literally be good for over coming cravings.
So having 37 tabs open, with 5 RUclips tabs, a Twitch tab, a Netflix tab, with 3 videos playing at the same time is not the way to go??? Asking for myself!
I mean, it's a super common way of coping. Can't just write it off entirely. Is it satisfying? Is it working for you? Sometimes for some people it's not really, but it holds attention well *enough* that they don't need to wander off and find something more satisfying. It's SO individual though. I have friends who are incredibly content doing that at the end of the night to unwind.
But hey, I have to read all those tabs! .. One day ... Not now .. One day when I feel bored and in the mood for concentrating on old tabs?! One day that day will come! And I'm prepared!
@@teigjie I will probably never be that kind of bored, but I am ready!
@@aNytmare We're ready! 💪
Ha ha ha...so true
if i could add on to this idea: menu pricing. for example, i like painting, but i know that each time i paint it'll take at least 30 minutes, so that entrée "costs" 30 minutes
I love that idea. Brilliant.
Oooh, that's a really good one.
That is so well-thought out! I like it!!
Or...... can you also break it down into smaller painting sessions? I find that if I go too long on something, I get stuck, and then start to feel guilty as a swarm of other things I should be doing overwhelms me.
@@montannatilton9114 awesome! Thanks!
watching this about generating dopamine, to generate dopamine, so I have enough dopamine to do tasks that require dopamine
The problem isn’t that I don’t have fun activities, it’s that I can think about it but I can’t actually get my body to get up and do it 🙄
That's a motivation issue. There's maaaany video's on that as well. so, maybe put a specific motivation video tab seperately open for the moment you wanna do something but your but isn't moving. Makes it easier to start.
Could be the leaden limb syndrome of depression.
Also could be executive dysfunction, which frequently goes hand in hand with ADHD. Look up advice specific to executive dysfunction and see if any of those tips sound more helpful to you. Good luck!
I set up alarms for fun things and chores. It helps.
@@dandygardner9404 oh that's interesting, could you explain why that could be the case?
I think my brain just exploded. You mean 3 hour social media binges is not just me being lazy? It's actual boredom? And I can help myself not do this. I have GOT to try this. This is genius.
How did that work out
@@mamemckee2190 Also Wondering... lol
I take the facebook app of my phone when I need to work. I also limit myself to ONLY ONE social media platform.
@@TeresaMorgan1965 You know what? I think I'm going to drop twitter I only hate scroll it nowadays anyway so it might not be the worst idea.... (and it'll stop 4 hour scroll sessions)
RUclips shorts are what kills me. Start with one then it's 4 hours later and the sun is gone. 🤦♂️
What about when you are not bored but overwhelmed or exhausted instead? But don't have the possibility to just wait to do the thing another day?
I never realized sending too many texts message is brain seeking stimulation. Or realized how many things my own ADHD impacts my life
That hit home for me too. Watching Jessica "type" her "texts" on screen felt like I was looking at my own phone.
I’m pretty sure I’m ADHD and I’ve just begun realizing how many of the things I’m struggling with and medicated for are actually symptoms of it. It really is both relieving and infuriating to have a single answer staring at you while you’re on 6 different medications.
Take medicine and you’ll see the difference 😂
I’m sure this was a great video but I couldn’t get past 3:00 min mark
6:41 I have Inattentive ADHD and Depression and it's a crazy 1-2 punch.
Basically, if my brain isn't constantly stimulated, then I "fall out" and it can't be stimulated again by anything, so I just fall asleep. If I can't be stimulated, my brain's like "So.....why am I conscious, then?"
I used to think that's what "boredom" meant. Apparently "boredom" is agitation that you want to do stuff but can't. I thought it referred to that physical feeling of having nothing you WANT to do. So I'd tell my mom "I'm bored" and she would give me extra chores. I'd be like "how tf is that supposed to help? Nothing seems interesting, so you give me something uninteresting?"
This is completely right, this is the holy grail of things
YESSS! I know write I hate it when you say you are bored trying to get some sort of way to not feel depressed but then they pile on more things in your way to do and when you finish you just feel more empty
This was my childhood too.
Of course I never did chores to entertain my brain. 😂
I feel your pain, although I don't have depression anymore. I get that feeling even before doing something that will give me a mental boost. It's quite the struggle.
@@scooterwango your depression went away? I was told mine will never really go away :/
I’m still needing to know about the tomato 🍅
I've never been super entertained or entranced by social media. RUclips however, yeah been through quite the rabbit hole there.
As someone who wasn't diagnosed till college, I'm glad there's more resources coming out on dealing with ADHD that isn't exclusively targeted for parents of elementary schoolers.
Or boys.
ugh I wasnt diagnosed until AFTER college. Trust me, I really feel your pain with that. I've been in therapy trying to figure out what's "wrong" with me and hitting what feels like a brick wall. I saw a psychiatrist to try to help address my eating issues only to realize that what it is is a lack of stimulation because I had adhd. It's a crazy revelation and now I have so much to learn about it and catch up on and teach my family and loved ones about it.
@@LieutenantSheep same here, I was diagnosed on my 27th. Went to the doctor because I thought I had a burn out. I was sent to a great therapist who in her own practise specialized in ADHD and she regocnized it immediatly.
It's almost as if you get a manual for your own mind! It was really liberating for me 😁
Tell me about it 🙄
It can be hard trying to be your best with this as a full-grown adult
Esp 35+
I'm saving up for two full protocols of neurofeedback. After that I expect to be fully cured. I will report back with my results!
Came here for the title, stayed here for her personality (oh and the content is also great.... i guess).
I just want to take a moment to appreciate the animations in this
Wiggy waggy brain
The overall writing, too. It's extremely funny, I can't help but feel engaged.
Totally agree. This channel is awesome
2:24 this happens to me a lot
The moment I started watching this, I started a game of computer chess for more stimulation. I finished the game precisely when the video ended. I have no idea what she said...
did u won tho?
@@janabroflovski2572 That's important thing to be asked
@@crazzyflynn2433 exactly
lmaooo I gave it 4 minutes before I was looking for the next "hit"
I put it on 1.25x speed bc it was too slow, spaced out looking at the wall and only got the very last point of the video 😅
"Hes a professional" "Will these tomatoes fit in my nose?"
😂
Professional ADHDer 😅
...The kind of professional I insist on having in my life
@@cherylmaryland4726 for real!!!!
The scientific method at its best
im just here for the " ill never choose to write a novel over posting on twitter" comment after the latest video
Tip: a fun thing to do with ADHD is to learn languages. try to focus on one or two at a time. it even helps memory
till you get at b1 level and start to get super hard to progress and you stop completely, story of my life.
I would but I have a problem with giving up when it gets too hard to understand
I started this 3 weeks ago! When I'm working on that launguage learning, I feel engaged and I'm learning useful skills for work!
@@itsMARIKO that’s awesome! I’m gonna give it a try. How is your French now? 😊
@@mikebasketball11 I’ve learned so much! I definitely recommend it, gonna start watching French movies (with english subtitles) in 2021 😊
Psychedelic is the answer to most severe anxiety and depression ... The use of magic mushrooms completely helps one get over depression and makes you feel like yourself ... I used antidepressants for some years but it only made me feel like a zombie but with immediate use of mushroom in few months I feel like I'm living a whole new Life .
Psilocybin containing mushrooms save my life . The drastically reduced my benzodiazepine withdrawal allowing me to quite illicit pill addiction after three years of heavy daily use before it would had became medically dangerous to quit
💀
Now I have to find the attention span to do this.
Legend says he's still looking for the tomato
😂😂😂
Dang it, now I can't stop thinking about the tomato.
Any news on the runaway-tomato yet?
The sun dried tomato!!!
I kept thinking he's going to tread on it.
Oh my gosh that transition at 4:38 from the specials menu being up on screen to a physical piece of paper was SO SMOOTH!
Ben Saltz ikr
Great comment.... I almost backed that up to see it again!
I wanted to see it in more detail so I put it on 0.25 playback speed and oh my god : DD
LOL yes! I watched it twice
@@annafantasia I wish i could say I only watch it twice 😂
Blood circulation. Your brain benefits more from a 20 minute walk than it does from sitting down and doing a crossword puzzle
My girlfriend has ADHD so I like watching your videos to better understand her, and in turn be a better partner. The awesome thing about a lot of the advice is that it works just as well for people without ADHD too. I always look forward to experimenting with the different techniques you suggest and seeing if it will improve both our lives ! Thank you for creating high quality videos !
You’re a keeper. I love that you watch these videos so you can learn to help your girlfriend or yourself. Being & showing Support like these creates a strong relationship.
That's something that makes me cry. Your girlfriend is lucky to have you. I don't think anyone has tried to learn me like that. You're a good person. A very good person. Oh god my eyes are pouring, I can't see the keypad properly.
omg ur amazing trying to understand ur partner 😭
@@Violencejunkie Haha thanks but before you guys praise me too much I had to end up breaking up with her. She had some really serious issues that I didn't find out about until later. I did learn a lot more about ADHD in the process and read a whole book so I can empathize with friends and family that have it a lot better now.
@@Adam-ui3yn I think the act of trying to understand your loved one, so that you can better support & encourage them, absolutely deserves praise! Regardless of how it ended, that was a very kind/thoughtful thing for you to do. I am always tempted to send these types of videos to friends and family who’ve never really taken the time to try and understand ADHD (I wasn’t diagnosed until 36, after my 10 year old son was) - I would be floored if someone actually took the initiative to learn on their own! I’m sorry to hear things didn’t work out, but it sounds like you are still making good use of the info 🤗
Definitely right about physically feeling it when it's depression. Boredom is annoying, but depression just sucks the life out of me; ADHD wants me to find things to do, depression wants to do nothing for hours and hours at a time.
This is a really good explanation of the difference. As someone who has been treated for depression for years, but is undiagnosed ADHD, I was really worried at the end of this video that I was confusing the two (and that my depression meds weren't working!!). But you've reassured me that the feeling I get, the paralysis of movement, where I feel the need to do something but can't make myself do it, is definitely an ADHD thing.
watching this on 1.5x speed, cause i cant focus on one thing for too long
"We feel it physically when it's depression"
Mind blown. This is so helpful.
like how?
@@TheZenytram For me it’s in the tear ducts... 😅
@@TheZenytram you just lay around uninterested in anything, not even social media, not sleeping well, not being bothered about eating or washing your teeth, just darkness and emptiness for days
Zenytram Searom for me it is like this: my body feels really heavy and it’s harder to move and everything seems kind of grey and silent and sad
@@TheZenytram It can be headaches, muscle aches, muscle tension, back aches, indigestion, or physical fatigue, just as some examples. Everyone gets these symptoms, but not combined with a lack of interest in everything.
No ADHD here, but prone to depression. That change of tone is the greatest thing to remind yourself this : when the world seems to lose its colours and interest... Don't ignore the alert.
Thank you so much for this video, so helpful even if you're not directly concerned by the ADHD problem.
I wonder if a mild stimulant could help you?? I also can be prone to depression at times. I try to help myself minimize these times by using OTC nootropics and useful supplements and better quality energy drinks like yerba mate or Arizona's energy teas (seems to work well for me). I hope to try out an adult adhd med soon. I feel moderately adhd due to pretty persistent focus issues.
Also you might have a thyroid issue that OTC iodine/selenium supplementation and possibly other OTC hormone balance methods could help. I noticed a positive effect after I started using a progesterone cream.
Edit: I almost forgot to include suggesting a good vitamin D supplement. A lot of people are deficient and don't know it. Not saying it'll fix everyone's problems but if there is a hormonal lack due to that deficiency, supplementation can help.
I have ADHD and am recovering from severe depression. Really happy that the work I have done with my therapist and doctor have lead to some good results, but damn. That tone shift hit, and it was really necessary to leave the impact to take those steps to take care of yourself. 💜
Here’s the problem. At the moment I only have 2 items on my menu that don’t involve medicines; a snack (twirling the same coin during boring activities) which provides little relief, and the fancy feast ( theorizing on grand scale things like dimensions above the 3rd) but that can be hard to find an audience for and is unfeasible during work hours.
I've been really sick of doing nothing or not what i want to be doing lately. This is awesome. And, the best part is, i think i can actually complete this... it doesn't look overwhelming. It looks fun.
I have subbed to you by the way. I'm just on a public account for some reason here. I've known you since i found out about your ted talk in September and started looking into adhd way more seriously than before. You've been an awesome source of information and someone who understands and speaks things that make sense to me. Thank you and keep pushing forward. You're helping lives of many struggling. Lots silently.
Stick it up somewhere.. not just on phone..(a tip more for myself..😋)
I have literally started a list titled "How to stop doing nothing" some time this year. It's not a dopa-menu, but I will try to integrate it there 🙂
I'm thinking the same and actually encourage me to use this tutorial to make this for me.
Oh boi, but it would be the first creative thing since a long time.. i don't know if i can make it..
Anyhow. Today i'm calm and kinda happy anyways, sun and stuff. Maybe today is the best day i'll have for that kind of fun
It looks very tiring to my eyes 😭
Wait, the DOPAmenu has entrees, appetizers, sides, desserts, even specials, but no MAINS? What sort of a menu is that? 😮😮
How to populate a menu when - you don't have any favourite things - your mind goes as blank as the paper........
I can understand that, I can zoom out for hours when I run out of dopamine because I either think of anything to do to restore it or I am too indecisive. Not mentioning that I easily slip into a habit of mindlessly procrastinating whenever I get overwhelmed or my mind goes blank. I hope you've managed to create that menu, that should make decisions a bit easier.
We are doing this for the kids as we're headed into summer. "Daaaaad, I'm bored" check the menu!
Brilliant!
OMG I hadn't even thought of that. YES!
Brilliant!
Hi bored I'm Dad
Yes great idea!
@@stm7810 I've already used that one on my kids. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
I've learned over the years that setting a timer for small increments of doing things really helps me to feel less overwhelmed. Like 1 minute cleaning, followed by 1 minute of watching, followed by 1 minute of art....(Or 5 mins, or 10 mins or whatever...) The tiny increments are weirdly stimulating.
Doing this with different subjects/assignments is how I survived high school
living life 1 hour at a time helps too.
in 1 hour I have 3 20 min chances to passively complete a task.
Yes, and when I have multiple projects that I can't seem to make myself want to do, I can rotate them, working on one for a few minutes and then switching to another, then another. By the time I've gone through 10-15 minutes of 5 different things, the first one doesn't seem as boring and I can start from the beginning again.
I have found that I work best when I clean 3 rooms at once in a rotating cycle of either 5 or 10 minutes at a time. When one room gets cleaned, I add a new one to the rotation. I can get so much done that way.
I find it difficult to not ignore my timers :-( I have ones that doesn't require me turning it off, it goes quiet on it's own. Useless. If I have alarm on my phone I put them off and then continue. If I put on timer on my phone and then 3 minutes repeats I eventually get up. Being stuck is more of a problem for me than anything else. I can't seem to stop whatever I do. Hyperfocus is NOT a super power...
this has been the biggest callout to me that i may have adhd. adore this dopamenu idea
This is probably more to do with my depression, but I'm thinking of adding something like "leafy greens" to my menu - things I don't necessarily *want* to do but feel fulfilled once I finish the task. For me, that's like...folding my laundry or doing dishes.
For sure I noticed a big improvement in my mood after trippling my intake of raw greens
for me one would be going on a walk outside!
Totally get that!!!! And same. I don't want to do dishes or clean or laundry and will even procrastinate them. But once they're done it feels really good. Of course they don't get done often because... 😕
Creating kindness in this world takes a lot of effort but its never forgotten. i think u can achieve your dream while helping others but make sure you never forget yourself.
The only way I get myself to eat leafy greens is via green smoothies. Figured out a decent method too..
1. Steam the Green ( I got with Kale because don't want to worry about oxalates )
2. After steamed you can use a measuring cup ( I use 1/3 cup ) to turn the kale in kale balls
3. Stick the Kale balls on a cookie sheet
4. Freeze and then stick them into a freezer bag.
I usually stick 1 frozen kale ball in with 1 cup of frozen pineapple but steaming the kale actually helps improve the flavor. Raw Kale is like eating grass but steamed I am able to do a green smoothie with just the Kale.
I know ya didn't ask but thought I'd share the idea with someone.
this is brilliant, thank you! I realized recently that ADHD might be the reason behind my lifelong sense of guilt, failure, and flakiness...I've found your channel really helpful.
Exactly. I told my mom yesterday, “I don’t hate myself anymore.”
Powerful stuff.
Welcome to the tribe :)
Same here! Years of being told I'm great when I'm not lazy and bashing myself over not physically being able to bring myself to do tasks may actually have a cause. I have an adhd psychiatrist referral but I've been procrastinating because I'm scared that maybe I'm just being lazy or a hypochondriac.
Same. I've cried happy tears watching her videos and reading comments such as this one. I feel like the pieces of the puzzle of how my brain works is coming together :')
I feel the same way :(
I have a recurring issue where the only things that "fill my bucket" require high mental performance, and on days when I have brain fog--which is quite often--I don't have the mental capacity to "fill my bucket" and all the low-mental-performance activities bore me, so I get stuck in a really bad state.
So fill a low energy needing bucket for those days
Things like looking at the stars,
Listening to a meditation but you have to do the things (concentrate on the breath)
And as an extension
Yoga,
Once the energy kicks in because you have yogad out do some body exercise then you can relax, exhausted and then your body will re stimulate
My whole life had been dictated by horrible highs and lows from depression up until recently. The depression has gotten better, but then something else took over that i will have a chance to speak to a professional about on tuesday. This overriding boredom that makes me feel awful. Im never paying full attention to my friends when they're talking even though i try. I find what should be easy tasks completely agonizing. I can't sit still. I make poor decisions and take risks trying to shout over the deafening static in my head. All i can say is, these videos have made it so much easier. Im nearly brought to tears by how simple it is to just have somebody understand and know what can help. Thank you so much.
I was just having a text conversation with some an hour ago about how I tend to be doing multiple things at once to fill the attention void haha. I do try to be mindful with my tasks sometimes, but when I get bored I feel like I wander aimlessly from unsatisfying thing to unsatisfying thing!
SAME. I'm like a SIMS character when they don't have tasks lined up and end up sitting on the couch and missing work.
@@HowtoADHD That's a very good analogy for it! 😄
(And thanks for making this, and all your other, videos! 😊 I shall try to allow for more fulfilling things in my personal Sim queue using these tips.. and a pinch of mindfulness!)
@@HowtoADHD WOW! This is so me!
Thank you for your incredible content. My sister introduced me to your channel through your video on "The wall of awful." I wish I had that sort of analogy 30 years ago. It would have changed my life.
I clicked on this video and caught myself switching apps at exactly 1 minute and 1 second. Now, I feel awful realizing I can't even get through this one helpful video without feeling like I need another source of stimulation. 😥
When he said you feel it physically when it’s depression, my heart just sank. 😢
Same here
"what do you do when nothing feels interesting?" *perks up*
It doesn't have to - it might not be. I have no trouble keeping myself amused, I pick up new hobbies regularly, and every time I do it feels like my life's calling, until it's not. Something else will replace it, but never on the heels of the last, and those times in between really do feel like depression. But they're not, they're just a time to open up to new possibilities. Ask me when I'm in one and I'll tell you I'm terribly out of sorts, but only until I find my new source of dopamine.
thevalkyri so much this
and what is that feel? cuz i feel something and i wanna compare it.
Time to procrastinate on making this for the next month!
your analogy of dopamine "hunger" might have just changed my life.
*KIDS IN 20 YEARS* : Why'd she rip up the Specials?
*ME* : _Bruh._
Such an underrated coment here
Corona lol 😆
Literally the best part of this video I had to rewatch it a couple times :D
Their History and Science books gonna be so bulky
Not looking forward to teaching history of 2020 to future students. . . .
Putting the dopamenu on the phone lock screen is brilliant, to remind us we could be doing something else just as cool. Thanks Jessica
Yes! My jaw dropped when she said that! It's so simple yet so brilliant!
Sounds helpfull, though I think I'd turn to "static clutter", like I won't even notice it anymore and just forget about it...
2 yrs ago appeared in my algorithm, its telling me i need to change 😅
I have a "bored box" that is filled with activities that don't need planning, and have all the materials needed for when I'm bored so I don't end up mindlessly scrolling through social media.
I wish that I could then actually do those activities! I think I need to make it more accessible
What sort of activities do you add to it? I'm at a loss - it seems like everything I enjoy is on the desserts menu.
@@brittanybowles5032 What I understood from the video is: if you really genuinely enjoy it, it's not on the desserts menu :) If you only sort of enjoy it, and keep chasing more, but never feel fulfilled, it's dessert. :)
@@brittanybowles5032 I added cooking and writing to mine
I want a bored box now!
This video is exactly what I've been needing lately; at least once a week it seems, I'll spend an entire day in a cycle of needing stimulation but not having the energy to decide on or start anything. I'm definitely spending the rest of the night working on my Dopa Menu!
"You just feel the depression."
Me, here, with depression: Yup.
And now I know what I'm doing tomorrow instead of spending 8 hours switching between Facebook, Instagram, and reddit. Thank you Jessica!
I wonder where I’d put “watching ADHD videos” on the menu.
Well it takes a bit for the videos to come out so I'd put it on specials
As I just discovered this channel (who changed my life btw) I would put it in entrees (main dishes for me)
@@kameliaamar1978 Keep an eye on it-it’ll become a dessert before you know it! I’m hyperfocusing rn too 😅
I have just started watching these, so I just let them arrive on the RUclips homepage. I sometimes give one a pass, but then scrolling again I realize I want to watch it. This was one of those videos....hmm I wonder if a menu list works on post it notes on the bathroom mirror?
I haven't been following her for long. Found her through Anthony Padilla's ADHD video. So for me, I'd probably go with dessert - since I'm currently putting off work to watch videos... >.>
The going to the grocery store while hungry analogy was perfect 🤯
Erick's change in tone when she asked "what if nothing is fun?" Oof, he knows the horrible lows of comorbid depression it sounds like. Definitely anyone out there who feels like they have ADHD and depression be careful and realize it's not healthy to feel like nothing is enjoyable. You deserve better as well 💜
Sadly i`m exactly such a case.
NOTHING makes fun for me.
@@Acacius1992 same here :/ got also the diagnosis bipolar 2 (which can be common alongside ADHD), so that kinda explains it for me
Speaking from experience here....I have major depressive disorder, and am probably undiagnosed adhd or autistic, who knows.
Depression is not always something that hits physically, by any means. It can be sneaky as heck, and you have to know your normal self to catch it. No one else can, at least not as quickly or effectively as you.
So be aware of yourself and of whats going on in your head. See a good doctor, and change if this one doesnt click or doesnt listen.
Definitely avoid drs or therapists who have their own issues, for they can tend to be biased in their outlooks.
If you feel down, weepy, like nothing is worth the effort....or that fun things arent fun anymore....please, go find a counselor. Someone who does not judge, who listens, who can and will refer you to doctors who may be able to help you with medications.
Oh and btw...it is perfectly okay not to 'love yourself', as long as you know yourself well enough to ACCEPT yourself for who and what you are, good and bad both. Then you can respect the good, and work past or around the bad to minimize its influence in your life.
@@RICDirector I sadly have tomorrow endure the shame having to go to a therapist for this...
That moment hit me as well, I had to pause the video for a few seconds a take a few deep breaths
1. Design 3:14
2. Omit 4:35
3. Prep 5:11 (+ Barriers 5:42)
4. Advertise 6:08
Deleting social media has been incredible.
I used to waste so much time just aimlessly scrolling and chasing that dopamine fix
I don’t have ADHD but I found this really helpful living in such a stimulating world with so many quick dopamine hits that aren’t good for you in the long run.
"What do you do if nothing seems enjoyable?"
"Call your doctor, maybe that's depression"
Oh :
Ooooohhh! 😬
Hit hard
Yeah would be useful to have more on that tbh, I had depression for years, probably still do and nothing was enjoyable for like 10 years of my life. And I went to lots of doctors but no one could tell me how to fix that. I’m only just starting to be able to enjoy things again now tbh, and I got diagnosed with severe depression because it was so bad at 15 and now I’m 27. I feel like there needs to be more help than just go see your doctor, cause sure that helps the underlying issues but what do you do until the day that you feel semi ok again especially if that might not be for a really long time? Cause the world doesn’t just stop for you, you still have to do everything everyone else does.
@@dark_baphomet Did they prescribe you ADHD medication? If so...did that help with boredom? If it did... how much? Not trying to delve too deeply. I deal with depression and I feel like boredom / apathy is a big issue.
Not completely sure if I have ADHD though. It was identified as a child but as an adult I don't necessarily fit the mold of a person with ADHD but not sure if that is the depression possibly masking it or what.
I was like yes a tip finally! Then oh. Okay.
So this probably explains why some people back in school could read a book while the teacher explained the class. Perhaps they were bored. This was back in the 80s. I'm 52 years old.
For "adding a challenge" I just wanted to share one my therapist suggested when I'm writing, which is to sit/bounce on an exercise ball. She said some progressive schools will let ADHD kids sit on them instead of at a desk and it helps with focus. It definitely helped me.
I wish work would let me do this. It would be better on my joints, too. Office chairs are not...humane
@@panthercat38 They really aren't!
So that's why I love sitting on a yoga ball
I spend my childhood playing with those on the trampolin. Always helped me think and I never knew why :)
I always end up in the weirdest positions and it's really uncomfortable lol xD
I don't agree with, "when you feel it, it's depression" as an absolute. Frustration can also feel very much like depression when it's stretched out over time. I used to think I had depression, but it turned out to be the impact of the adhd feeling heavier than usual and my frustration not being able to get things done brought on anxiety
omfg...the d20 for the exercize before going in the fridge is an AWESOME idea. I go to the fridge like 10x a day just to see if anything sparks joy... LOLOL
I love this menu idea, I also added a section to my menu called nightcap for things that help quiet my racing thoughts or buzzing energy so I can relax or sleep
I love this idea!
For me ASMR has helped a lot with that! It's engaging enough to stop my brain from churning out thoughts, but at the same time not interesting enough to wake me up or coherent enough to make be scared of missing anything. "Follow my instructions" videos or tapping on different objects are good ones. There are even ones labeled especially for those with ADHD.
Wow this timing is insane, I've been absolutely unproductive lately (probably due to continuously scrolling RUclips instead of sleeping like a normal person 🙄😅)
@Maartjie Mulder, I can relate. My sleep schedule has also gone out the window. XD
Are you me?
Jij bent ook nederlands?
Help ons allemaal
Omg same yesterday i stood up until four binging how to ADHD videos...
Anyone else watching too many videos on procrastinating to procrastinate? 🤣
It hit so close to home when he said "call your doctor". I did. I'll have to wait at least another 2 months before I get a place on a treatment program.
I hear you. I called in February just to get "an assessment." Still waiting for the call back to set up the appointment...
@@pierowmania2775 Maybe try calling again to show them you're still interested? I heard that in some programs you get a place faster if you show commitment.
I'm also waiting, ETA 5 months..
may i recommend a site called donefirst.com
I've been trying to get help the last year, had to move towards the end, so called my new doctor only to get told there's no help for adult ADHD in the area through the NHS.
Phoned the private psychiatrists in my area and the initial consultation is £500 with £160 sessions thereafter.
ADHD really takes a backseat to other mental health issues huh
I have a similar "menu" for when I'm dealing with a depressive episode. Things that require very little exectuvie function, but can have a big impact on my mood.
I should do this.
I mean, I'm gonna do this :-)
Petting my rabbits always seals the deal 😅
funny, I kinda have that too - it's weird it never occurred to me before to do this for boredom as well
@@Scalemailmailmail 🤣🤣🤣 great comment. Love your sense of humor.
Need a tutorial or steps for this!! Haha
This is actually nice. I'm not diagnosed with ADHD but I recently worked on myself with meditation and now my attention span is like, almost 90mins. Often times, I'm bored as hell in the day. This DOPAmenu will have some quick activities when I'm bored, like a single legged squats cuz I'm an anxious person and I want some way to let the energy out.
Loved this exercise! Now I just have to remember to do it 😅
This is a friendly reminder 😆
And here's another. Just bookmark the video or something :P
Hope you did it❤
another annoying reminder for ya 🤭
This is another friendly reminder, but this one is meant for the people who have already replied so that they'll remember, too ^^
Can you please make a video on how other mental illnesses interact with ADHD brains? As a teen who struggles with Tourette's, ODC, SPD, ADHD, panic disorder, and depression, I think that would be super helpful!
I hope you don't mind if I poke in on this one. There are parts of this that I, obviously, can't address because I don't struggle with them myself. However, as a person with ADHD, general anxiety, and major depression I wanted to kind of point out how they love to feed off one another. There are a lot of times that I've noticed myself doing one of my bored... need something to do activities... or I forgot about something... or heck the wall to get to the thing was hard today. And I feel horrible about it. I start feeling anxious about my ability or if it's the right choice or if I'll ever be able to do the thing and then when I realize I failed at it my depression kicks me in the teeth. It can be really rough to keep all of that from spiraling because the depression makes it hard to do the things you wanted to do making you feel more and more like a failure and like your totally unable to get a handle on it. Which in turn feeds that anxiety. What I've found helps is my own kind of flavor of meditation. Don't worry about trying to clear your mind, but grab some music. Something... anything you can use as a kind of mental reset button. Get yourself out of that feeling so you can kind of analyze it. Don't worry if it's hard the first few times. The whole point of this is teaching yourself how to recognize when you are being unfair to yourself about expectations. Yea, you didn't have enough spoons or maybe today an activity took more spoons than it usually would. That's okay. It can be really hard to forgive ourselves because of our challenges when we see other people who don't struggle with it. Learn to accept that aspect and try again later when you feel like you can. Much love and I hope this helped
@@KatShaw Thank you for this!!
Yeah, that's a project I'd really like to tackle. Thank you!
@@KatShaw What a lovely comment.
Yeah I'd find that super helpful as well! Lately, I've been trying to find aout more about ADHD & Bipolar Disorder. I suspect that I may have Bipolar II or Cyclothemia on top of my ADHD-C and am going to do Diagnostics after talking to my therapist. I found it extremely difficult to find good info on the subject that a) delineates ADHD from Bipolar and discusses overlaps and when it is likely when it is both. In general I think it is tought to find out if it is either or and and when not (also with Anxiety, depression, ocd, autism etc.. there are so many symptoms that could be reasonably explained by either one or both. I don't 100% trust my mental health provider either, I feel like they just take the direction I point them in, and I think I can get biased so easily. It is just a bit tough to navigate this and to decide what is even useful here.
For anyone also looking for info on bipolar/adhd, this is the best video I found on the topic: ruclips.net/video/pGUvXPL57as/видео.html
Decreasing hurdles for good stuff and increasing hurdles for bad stuff is so important.
Make good things easy!
Make easy good stuff a habit!
Habits will help you achieve stuff.
Is it sleeping, crying, then cursing the skies with the excess energy until I angry myself back to sleep? Becaaaaaaause... That's all I got 🤣😭❤️
Thankfully, Eric had a better idea. Cauuuse I needed it too. 😅
My psych once handed me a list of about 500 activities, and asked me to make a list of 100 of them, or other activities, that are fun to do for me. Of course I have by now lost that list, but it was surprising what that helper list brought out. Things I've never thought of anymore, like flying a kite, etc. 😀
@@Xiph1980 Right?? It's amazing how much this kind of thing can help even if we don't finish, or lose it, or whatever.
@@HowtoADHD yes! and it's stupidly simple things too that you just have forgotten over time, being caught up in adulting etc.
Hahahaha I already forgot about the tomato! 😂🤣
@@Xiph1980 heyy, that sounds awesome, I need that li... oh😅
As a “heart” I’ve learnt so much from watching your videos, stuff that I’ve started using even though I’m not a “brain” and I love the DOPA menu idea, which I’m going to use. More importantly though, this channel has been an incredible resource for the “brain” I love and I to understand and discuss ADHD and what it means for them. Thank you so much.
"call your doctor, maybe thats depression". OPE. felt that
At least 6+ months ago I could still feel excited about doing stuff, even if I would have at least a couple of days each week of feeling "off". Now my stress, anxiety, etc is probably the worst it has ever been and everything just feels like I need to do a mental packet of paperwork to even get myself to go work on my own business that I used to get a lot of joy from. You and your channel are great, by the way!
yeahhh I'm having a harder time too, I think a lot of people are. Do you have the support you need to get through it? Can you adjust your expectations a bit?
@@HowtoADHD I'm sorry to hear that you are having a tougher time now too. I live alone, which makes everything much worse, although I do have friends I can talk to on a regular basis and weekly therapy sessions via video phone app, I think I need to make an adjustment to medication and/or reduce the overwhelming amount of stuff I need to do.
I too live alone, and I don't that combined with recent world events is helping my mental health any. Not that anyone really wants to know, but I have tried nearly every ADHD medicine on the market and none of them seem to make things much better, and, if anything, just make things worse.
What if you're just starting on ADHD treatment and you've been depressed for so long you have no idea what activities bring you joy or make you feel fulfilled? It's improved immensely since I started treatment, but it feels like I've spent so much time guilty and blaming myself that I don't really know what actually feels good.
Start doing random hobbies until something sticks
To help you choose random hobbies, maybe start with hobbies of people you like, or at least people you think are good people (in case you're at a level of depression when finding someone you like is difficult).
Reconnect with things that brought you joy in childhood. Do they still do that now? Does it feel different? This is grounding but it also helps you find the trajectory of your life in the time since and understand what brought the anhedonia and how it may be addressed.
I gave anything that piqued my interest a chance and tried things with friends that did have established hobbies. Good luck on your journey!!
Go on a hike somewhere the wilderness is good for humans and research indicates it improves mental health also eat eggs they do the same eat healthy and go outside
"I think you feel it physically when it's depression."
The way he said that.
This is so cool! I am making mine now with a special "breakfast menu" of short things I can do that will get me out of bed without falling into rabbit holes.
That's a very cool idea/ useful addition!
Now I want breakfast.
Love love love this idea!!! Thank you!!!
This channel has helped me so much! It feels like every time I need some help with an ADHD related issue There's a new How to ADHD video up. Because of this channel I got on Adderall, kicked grad school's butt (graduated this semester!!), and I've picked up reading and writing genre fiction as a hobby.
I've substituted writing and reading for things to do when I'm bored. I have a phone game that I love to play too but I know I get lost in it if I don't limit my time on it.
Ope. This is my 6th consecutive video I’ve watched by you this morning. Then you hit me with “scrolling social media without planning on it.” 😅
The setup part is so key! I love these activities but the effort of starting puts me off sometimes! Brill advice 👏🏻
Am with u on that one
i swear i'm not stalking you on the internet on purpose but i keep seeing everywhere....i'm not mad
YES! I like to sew and I have to set up for sessions. It helps me a lot.
Especially when my creative area is already messy from a previous project, so I have to put stuff away before I can set up the next one.
I’m lucky my hobby is drawing and painting because my iPad has made clean-up /set-up obsolete. I can create anything I want and just lock my iPad when I’m done. I might make my menu this way also. It’s just having to come up and organize my entrees and stuff that make it not so enticing lol
5:50 Mark Zuckerberg disliked
Oh, right. I was confused for a moment.
But then I remembered that americans call the main course _entrée_ , the french word for starter.
So I was distracted for a moment, and now I have to watch the whole video over again.
But I'm also a little excited, and feel a sense of acomplishment for solving this "riddle".
And smugness. I like the feeling i feel when I can lecture other people.
I almost said "when I catch other people making mistakes" , but this is not a mistake. It's just a quirk of american-english. I still got the smugness dopamine boost though.
Sometimes when I am struggling to be productive I have a saying: "Do anything other than nothing". And relatedly: "if you get stuck, start with the easy stuff". I find the mere act of having done something, anything productive really helps me feel like I have started my day, because I can be an Olympic-level procrastinator if I am not careful.
clean one plate, and the rest don't seem so difficult
Sometimes I make a list of things to do, just to trick myself into being productive by doing other stuff that's NOT on the list. 😂
@@willbephore3086 Examples, please?! Just a few examples, to get my mind working - I can't think of anything when I actually want to!
@@victoriamclachlan4596 like, deep clean the fridge/sink, or take donations to the thrift store, or email that person back, or complete that art project - just any of the hundred things that pops into my brain when I'm "supposed" to be thinking about the day's top priorities 😅
I say to myself: "SWE" - Start With Easy! I pick the absolute easiest thing on my list to do - that's better than the self-shaming of doing nothing.
Also: "BTJ" - Boil The Jug! - because it feels like you have done something by flicking that switch and in the 2-3mins that it takes for the jug to boil you may have decided what it is you are going to do next - even if that is having a cup of tea/coffee/herbal, or doing the dishes. It's about snapping yourself out of that mental rut. 😊
I don’t have ADHD, yet I continue to find your content entertaining, educational and relatable. Thanks, Jess. 😁
I've come to use the taser to the brain stem method. Works every time. I wake up feeling like a brand new man. 😂
I see that you've also been playing a lot of DnD during the quarantine!
Yes! Games are honestly getting me through!
More people online to play DnD is one of the positives of the whole crisis, isn't it?
D&D is the best - and I have learned that it's perfect for my ADHD brain. :)
@@toni2309 Six months ago, I had barely ever played DnD. Now, I am in three campaigns! 😄
@@katetoolate234 I'm in a DnD and in a Star Wars tabletop RPG campaign. Also, the droid I am playing in Star Wars definitely has ADHD. However that is supposed to work for machines.
I have both Severe Depression and ADHD, and finding your channel has actually helped. I recently came out of a probably one of my more severe breakdowns, where I was crying, but also started laughing hysterically, I felt insane.
I got bored before watching even half of the video.
6:50 I know it was edited this way, but the speed and tone with which Eric responds with "call your doctor" was so powerful. Like...of course thats an issue. Thats what depression is. No judgement, no beating around the bush. I wish someone had said that to me 7 years ago.
5:35 "I put my guitar on a stand by the couch" (to make it easily accessible)
Me looking at the MIDI Keyboard (Piano) that's always connected on my side while I'm sitting at my desk (where I work) in awe... I keep discovering ways where I had subconsciously fixed some of my adhd issues. I often take music-playing breaks while working from home at it's great!
Where does work fit in? How do we get dopamine from work?
As a person with ADHD, I feel like a ferret living in a world designed and occupied by desert tortoises. Great video, love your channel!
This is the best description I've read thus far.
Lol great mental image
factual
I am stealing your analogy, tyvvm. lols.
Hahaha that is hilarious
I love this idea of a menu. I did something similar and made a spinner wheel that are filled with hobby choices (play video games, read book, sew, watch netflix/amazon/RUclips -all different choices). I use it to plan my week, which more or less works on the day of.
I'm not sure if I have ADHD, but I do share many traits to the point that friends who do have a diagnosis have pointed them out. This videos have help me a lot after a year of not knowing how to overcome these challenges.
i don’t know if I have adhd personally, but I’ve related quite a bit to the things you talk about on this channel. your videos encoraged me to get a fidget toy and make a bullet journal, and it’s been doing wonders for me regardless!! I’ll have to try this out too :D
What’s your Myers Briggs type?
LittleClip I know u asked her not me lmao. But mine is entp, what’s urs?
2x2 INTP gang
@@Thelittleclipstore I/E NTP
I’m intp.. this just amazes me . I wonder if all ppl in comments were to comments their type if there would be trends . In real life it’s almost like always whenever someone tells me their adhd I ask them their type and so far their mostly Np types .