What really helps me is to, once in a while, sit down with pen/paper and look around my apartment. I'd look around and see for example dirty clothes on my sofa. I'd ask myself, "why are they on the sofa?" Well, because the laundry basket is full. "Why is the laundry basket full?" Because I haven't washed anything. "What is stopping you from washing your clothes?" It's a lot of (mental) effort to sort the clothes into lights / darks / etc. before washing. "How would you make this easier in the future?" By having multiple laundry baskets, one for lighter colored clothes and one for darker colored clothes. Basically I ask myself why things aren't done in my house and try to come up with solutions so that it's easier for me to do the things in the future :)
I put on "clean with me" videos whenever I need to say do the dishes. Help me not feel alone, which helps me actually do the thing. So I guess that's (at least similar to) body doubling?
Me too! I love Clutterbug. She has ADHD and talks about ADHD and cleaning/organizing together. She has videos and podcasts so you can watch or listen AND different length videos so you can match to your task length better. Nothing sidetracks me like trying to find a new "companion" video.
Yh i also use it as motivation because we are known to feel the impulse motivation you know what i mean to get something similar done to what we watched its a cool way to use our brain's chemicals to do a job like decluttering .
Similar for me with cleaning, listening to silly podcasts or true crime stories. It's not really about the details of the Show, but having someone in the background talking while I work. Obviously doesn't work for when I write. Then it's music at most, otherwise I can't focus.
A tool that has worked absolute wonders for me is what I call my dopamine farm. Early this year, I spent a couple of weeks training Pinterest to show me particular types of images that give me a big hit of dopamine. Of course, the specific image types will vary from person to person, but in my case it’s electric guitars and basses, sci-fi art, anime, Art Deco, 80s pop art and cute and/or colorful animals. Whenever I need help motivating myself to do or not do something, I go to Pinterest, scroll for a few minutes, feeling the dopamine build up in my brain and suddenly it’s a lot easier to do or not do the thing. Hopefully, others will find this useful.
Is "I spent a couple of weeks training pinterest" another way of saying that you had a hard time getting out of the pinterest rabbit hole, but that it somehow worked out in the end? 😅
@@gulplastgaffel No. If I was inclined to get distracted by the images, then the entire idea wouldn't have worked. It took a couple of weeks to get it to the point where every image in my feed matched what I wanted,
I know have an image in my had of an anime rabbit with an electric bass or guitar in a sci-fi setting, the image being in a combination of Art Deco and 80s pop art style.
I agree with monotasking, for anything that requires attention. BUT, for anything with significant wait time involved (cooking food in the oven, waiting for laundry to dry, etc.) that is the ideal setup for multitasking. Especially if there's a timer bell involved to help me remember to switch tasks. The challenge is to pick a secondary task that can be done within the timer countdown for the first task. This can be really fun, as I race to complete it in the minutes I have! I might try to clean the kitchen before my laundry gets dry, for example. Or I might sit and do some planning or journalling in the time it takes to bake a cake. This helps me limit how much time I spend on the secondary task, and therefore prioritize the bits of it that are most important to get done first. If I don't get around to mopping the kitchen before the dryer goes off, well maybe mopping won't happen today then. But if the dishes are washed and the counters are clean then that's good progress anyway! And I might not have started on it if I didn't gameify the countdown race.
Context switching when in deep tasks takes 20 min or so, and much less for automatic tasks that don’t need thinking (washing dishes). I like your game and find it helpful to practice *not* being distracted into a third task while toggling between two.
It seems I do something similar to what you do. I use an app called RoutineFlow and use a combination of breaking down tasks to their smallest subtasks I can so I can tick of some easy ones at first for a nice dopimine hit and then in the longer wait times (using laundry actually being washed by machine as example) I try to see how much else I can do and the time/challenge part reminds helps me not hyper focus / go down rabbit holes and gets me back on laundry task when appropriate. Since I have been using this technique I haven't left my washing in the machine once !!
Love this - I've been practising doing a little bit of washing up while my toast is in the toaster, or while my coffee's brewing. It makes so much of a difference to actually getting it done, because it doesn't feel like it's taking up time - that time was allocated as negative time through the other 'task' that doesn't require any attention until the time is gone
For me the best way is to create urgency. But it is very hard to fool myself with set up deadlines. Haven't really found a working system for myself. But inviting someone over for diner or just have a drink is pretty effective for cleaning my house.
Yeah, I can't make a deadline for myself like that either. Cleaning house? My best strategy is to put on an audio book to entertain my brain. My library has Libby that I can use for audio books, which is so helpful.
I find the pomodoro technique helps with this. I'll set a 30 minute timer and set a goal. If it's a short task, I set a physical goal. For example, I want to fold 2 baskets of laundry in 30 minutes. If I can't finish in that amount of time, I feel a mild disappointment, but I got some stuff done. Also, if I repeat this process a few times, I can start working on beating my previous time. If its a long task, I'll try to make a goal of resetting the timer as many times as possible. So for studying, I set an hour timer and every hour I complete, I get a reward. I find that this helps me build hyperfocus. So instead of trying to focus for 4 hours, I can focus for an hour 4 times. I find that this also helps me maintain focus for the full hour. I tend to get bored after 20 minutes, but having a countdown helps. So if I'm doing a task that I know I can only focus on for 20 minutes, setting a 30 minute timer means I have a 10 minute countdown by the time I check my phone.
Depends on what it is for me. Cleaning, I have found that I need to remind myself sometimes that spending 10 minutes now is better than an hour later (like for dishes) so it creates urgency in the sense of avoiding something later. When I don’t feel like it, I’ll do a task and reward myself with watching a RUclips video, but I have to have a list of tasks to complete or else I just go down the rabbit hole.
In case this helps someone, when I was in school, I could not write a paper out of order (title, opening paragraph/statement, body, conclusion). But many times you don’t really know the opening until you write the body. Most people would tell me to just start with body if I was stuck on the opening. Didn’t work. What did work, was making the most obvious opening statement possible, then going back to correct it later. Most of my first drafts started with a literal “This paper is about …”
I was the same way. I usually found that once I'd finished my first draft, my concluding paragraph actually usually made a great intro paragraph with a few modifications. I still structure my thinking this way when I write or talk--I always want to work my way through my reasoning and give my conclusion last, but people tend to take in information better if you give them the conclusion first, then go back and give the reasoning behind it.
I think having hacks is quite a neurodivergent trait! The obvious connotations of computers and gaming aside, we need something better and more useful than the perennial "just try harder".
I have my own version of 'eating the frog first' that I have found to be very useful-- I call it "killing the paper dragon" (also the title of an unrelated tech book...) ; the idea is to identify the part of a project that takes up the most visual or mental space, but requires the least amount of time and effort to complete. It helps best with cleaning-- I will find the biggest single object and put that away, and then suddenly i am presented with much more clarity and confidence. When it comes to responding to text messages or emails, i type out the message in a word doc and save it for later-- that way i have a message prepared for when i feel ready to send it. I find that it takes the teeth out of what can feel like an overwhelming obligation.
That’s a good idea because the eating the frog never works for me, doing stuff that is taking up a lot of brainspace but is quick and easy is a better way to approach it. Love the “killing the paper dragon” name
I waited tables and bartended for over a decade and I agree that all the chaos is reminiscent of whats going on inside our ADHD brains. After many years outside of the industry, I have finally stopped having recurring nightmares about waiting tables and having everything going horribly wrong!
I have never waited tables, but still have the occasional nightmare that I'm taking orders and totally botching it lol. Customer service is trauma hahahaha
I actually made my dopamenu on Notion which was from another video you suggested because I always struggle to remember what my hobbies are and how I could actually spend my time besides going on my phone
The phone is deadly for my productivity and getting things done that will enhance socialization: finding a hair salon in my new city so I can get my hair done; finding new shoes, getting makeup advice, and so much more.
I am 38 and I have been diagnosed with ADHD only this year. Everything comes together now. Watching your videos and listening to problems that you bring up and how you suggest solving them means everything to me. I finally hear points that I have always had in my head and tried to solve on my own. Brings me so much joy to realize that I am not “broken” and that this something that so many people struggle with. Your compassion in approaching this is so valuable. I couldn’t express how needed these words are and for how long I dreamt that someone would “understand” and believe that it isn’t something that I am making up. Thank you so, so much.
May I ask, what was your first step in getting diagnosed? Who did you go to first? A neurologist? Your Primary Care Doctor? a Psychiatrist? a Psychologist? A mental health facility? A doctor who specialized in ADHD? How did you find them? Did you require a referral? I'm trying to figure out what to do, but my medical teams are not helpful and always tell me to go somewhere else ( it's not their problem)
@@MetqaI just got diagnosed as well, I’m in high school. And for me I brought it up to my primary care doctor and they gave me a list of places I could go for testing in the area. And then my parents got me an appt with one of the people they recommended.
I love Notion. It took me a few tries to get past the "how the heck does this work... ugh it's too much" feelings. But once I actually sat down with it and messed around with various templates and editing them to fit what I want/need, I love it. It's the first organization style app I've actually stuck with for more than a few days.
Yeahhh the learning curve is a lot just because of how customisable it in -- it's like YAY ALL THE OPTIONS while also OH GOD TOO MANY OPTIONS hehe how do you use notion? :)
I did already download another Notion template before, but my problem is that everything goes soooo slow 🤯! Any ideas on how to make it on run faster? Is it just because my secondhand iPhone 6s is too old for that stuff?😬
I know for a lot of people the "ugh it's too much" is strong, but on the flip side, if you love fiddly knobs with always room for optimizing workflows (I adore fiddly bits, I can sit for hours making tiny improvements on a process), Notion is great for providing that. No other note taking program stuck for me.
@@HowtoADHD I like it as a notes app, journal, and I have very simple weekly "to-do" list that has a check list under each day of the week. I wipe it out each week so there's no record of what I've done. Which actually helps me as oppose to keeping a record in a calendar or journal. It makes each week feel like a fresh start. I think a big reason I used to give up on things like bullet journals quickly is it kept a record of what felt like my failures.
A good one I do is set a timer on my watch to go off every 5/10 min. If it goes off and I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing I stop and redirect. Side note, living alone sucks! I'm not that good at being accountable to myself.
Yessssss! That's awesome that you found something that works for you! Thank you so much for sharing!! And yeaahhhh the living alone struggle is so real. Does online accountability help? Like with an accountability group of online friends?
If online helps there is even an app called Think Divergent for the times friends aren't around or if you do it at an early or late hours. That's how I created my body double although I live alone
@@hoeyel2013 I use an Apple Watch. However phones have timer settings too. The watch is on my wrist so it gets me every time.... it's super unavoidable.
@@HowtoADHDhi, I just got diagnosed too and I was wondering what are some school accommodations that help? I’m talking to my school counselor on Monday about them and and he asked me to have some that I’ll think will help but I can’t think of any
@@user-gr4hy9vj6xone that's great that really helped me out is someone to help you with taking notes. Often those with ADHD have a great time interacting and participating in class but can have a hard time keeping track of taking notes. My school had a student or teacher's aide who was great at taking notes give me a copy of his or her notes after each class to see if I missed anything important.
@user-gr4hy9vj6x there's another channel called Olivia something who is a college student that talks about adhd and school accommodations that helped her. That may help.
I’m a writer who has struggled for most of my life to just write the manuscript. I beat myself up for not being productive enough. I struggled with low self esteem, even after getting novels published. At 60+ years old, I’m positive I am ADHD, and this channel has helped me sooo much. I’m getting things accomplished much more easily. Thank you so much, Jessica, for helping so many people!
My number one trick for house chores or yardwork, though I appreciate that it won't work for everyone or every situation, is Don't Sit Down. If I let myself take a little break after starting the laundry or loading the dishwasher I will inevitably fall down a RUclips rabbit hole, or get engrossed in a video game and I won't be able to switch back out of those modes. If I don't sit down between tasks then my boredom avoidance will find something for me to do. Maybe it will notice the clutter I've become blind to or it prompt me to wash the dishes before they get out of hand. For me it's just a whole lot easier to get things done if I build up and maintain inertia.
Oh my gosh. Yesterday my neurodivergent group watched one of your strategy videos and we were talking about how we can’t remember the strategies! So the timing of this video is perfect 😂
Main points 1. Body double 2. Monotask 2a. List 2b. Block time 2c. Batch 2d. Daily themes 2e. Dual class (if bored) 2f. Pomodoro 2g. Parking lot 3. Fill in blank 3a. Urgent 3b. Novel 3c. Interesting 3.5 Do it badly 4. Exercise 5. Point of performance
I'm 63yrs old & was just diagnosed with ADHD Executive Function Combined last week, so all of this is spot on. My brother is the one who told me to get tested because he thought I was 100% ADHD. I didn't know Body Doubling is a thing!! I always work better if someone is here, they don't even have to talk to me, just be here. Thank you for all your videos!! I've lots to learn.
68 and just got diagnosed... almost relieved since I thought I was getting dementia. I had masked before with 3 pots of coffee, chain smoking, high adrenaline activities (rock climbing, sky diving, snowboarding, and dirt biking) and a strict schedule...absolutely no time for the hobbies that now clutter up my whole house. This gives me hope for getting my life pulled back together.
Kind of related to body-doubling is the practice of rubber-duck debugging. From Wikipedia: In software engineering, rubber duck debugging (or rubberducking) is a method of debugging code by articulating a problem in spoken or written natural language. The name is a reference to a story in the book The Pragmatic Programmer in which a programmer would carry around a rubber duck and debug their code by forcing themselves to explain it, line by line, to the duck. Many programmers have had the experience of explaining a problem to someone else, possibly even to someone who knows nothing about programming, and then hitting upon the solution in the process of explaining the problem. In describing what the code is supposed to do and observing what it actually does, any incongruity between these two becomes apparent. More generally, teaching a subject forces its evaluation from different perspectives and can provide a deeper understanding.
I do this in a way by keeping a judgment-free Metacognition Log of recurring issues and asking myself what cognitive blindspot might be causing them, then brainstorming/asking for help finding solutions. Not "seeing" why my recurring issues keep happening is part of ADHD, so writing things down helps me remember to put on my glasses. ✍❤🤓
I do something similar - I think rubber ducking inspired it too! I'll write notes as a stream of consciousness and then organise them (rather than just making a list) and it can be helpful to be specifically kind to ourselves too. So I'll think about what someone who wants the best for me might say - they'd point out the obstacles I'm trying to blindly push past, remind me to take care of myself, remind me why the task is important to me.
I love that you brought up having a pet as ur body double. In the past I saw your video on how your dog has been so helpful with ur ADHD, and i got a puppy 6 months after that. I never realized the benefit of the dog being a body double and holding me accountable, until i started noticing the changes lol
My little chihuahua mix is about to turn 18 and my cat is 15. They help me stick to a routine and also help me with things not being perfect. I didn’t realize how much they help until I visited my family recently without them (hubby watched them and I am usually home with them so they are a big part of my daily routine). Getting up, having to go to the store because they needed items, even just getting out for a walk and having a comfort session, make a huge difference for me because they rely on me. They don’t care if the walk is cut a little short or if I use paper plates because I don’t feel like doing dishes that day, or if my hair is a mess.
I found going on a walk on my treadmill while watching tic toks makes it a lot more fun in the moment, and I feel so much better after and sleep better as well 😊 I just set an hour timer to kick me out of the app and then I know I’m done and can move on to my next task!
I just realised that my cargo pants are a portable Point of Performance. I always have my wallet and keys, and I also carry tissues, dental floss, nail clippers, my fan for hot flashes, and my phone. At work I add pens and markers, gloves, box cutter, and 2 different kinds of label stickers (one in 3 colors) that I use a lot. It works!
A side note that might help to try for body doubling is that (for me in this example at least) it doesn't have to be "live" either. Podcast or videos/playlists roughly the length of time I need or longer of casual topics or compatible background noise gives my focus the illusion I'm working around the environment.
This video is pretty much a collection of "Jessica's greatest hits" - and I love it! Sometimes collecting a bunch of old information into a new contact can be very useful in tying a bunch of old content together in a way that could be useful. You should try these more often! 😁 Especially once pregnancy brain kicks in, and your energy is gone. 😳
This video is really cool cuz everything is all in one place (and is kinda like a mini walk down memory lane). Also: more Chloe!!! Such a cute dog Congrats on the baby also!!!!
A video specifically about digital point of performance would be SUPER helpful for a lot of us... As someone who has managed to at least separate out my work & personal devices, but can't seem to get any more granular than that, that'd probably be really useful information. (Also, very excited to use the Notion templates! I'm a relatively recent Notion convert, and having stuff on Notion has been really helpful, I'm gonna bet this'll be FANTASTIC for me :D)
Great recap of very useful strategies, and bringing up memories of your former videos! I’ve been following your channel for years now and love how your videos have evolved! Also, I just watched your video that you’re going to be a Mom, congratulations! 🎉 I‘m so happy for you, I‘m sure you will do great! Also looking forward to any possible content related to pregnancy or children, also being pregnant myself 😊
Omg. My therapist has been fighting me about worrying about preparing and putting too much on my plate. Point of performance is the perfect term I needed today when I finally challenged him (again) on why I need an overview. On why I need to think about problems that are a month, 3 months, a year away.
Woohoo! I already use Notion to manage so much of my ADHD stuff, this is perfect for me! I love using it to put everything ever in one place it really decreases the amount of "forgetting that things exist" that happens to me lol
"Body doubling" Does this also mean I love working out at the gym and can't get motivated when I'm at home with my large home gym. People at the gym keep me focused and on task. With no lazy time, only what needs to be done ❤
I definitely think it's related, good point! I feel embarrassed enough getting my phone out to put down what I've done on my log; sitting around doing nothing or even just not putting full effort in feels a lot more wrong when people can see you I think for me there's also two other aspects: - once I've got to the gym I'm in a place where exercise is what is supposed to be done, and it's a significant hassle (timewise) to get back home to do other things, so I don't get the 'oh, I just want to check on ... ' which I do at home, and I often keep exercising longer than planned while procrastinating leaving (the annoyance of the trip home making stopping exercising something that needs more motivation than keeping going) - because I'm paying money for the privilege of accessing a gym, I feel guilty about not using it, which acts as a motivator towards getting started in the first place
I'm so excited that we've partnered with Notion to create our very own ✨template✨ that let's you create your own ADHD Toolbox 🧠 🧰 and track the tools and strategies that work best for you! You can get the template here (you just need to sign up for a FREE Notion account if you're not already a member): ntn.so/howtoadhdtemplate [EDIT] Hello! We're looking into an issue regarding the template where it returns a 'Not Found'. [/EDIT]
Thank you for this endorsement. I think that it’s just the nudge that I needed to make me want to try without giving up at the first sign of too many confusing choices. Cheers :)
Somehow it doesnt work for me. I already am a notion user and familiar with it, but everytime it auto logs out on the host site so doesn't allow to duplicate.
Just by watching this, I feel space opening up in my brain and my head getting lighter. Now, onto doing stuff! Thank you for your content. You deserve all the hugs in the world.
Re Body Doubling: Sometimes I video myself doing the work. I just do it on my phone on timelapse, selfie mode. It’s like a body double coz I can look up and see myself! And at the end of the session I get the dopamine hit of watching the timelapse and seeing myself being productive 😊. It works best for things like dishes but I need it most for computer work! I learned this hack here on YT and it helped me break through a period of paralysis. Thanks for everything you do Jessica! You’ve helped me so much ❤
I came here looking for a simple Notion template that could help me with my adhd organisation and motivation and I end up getting a so much needed reminder of how my adhd brain works and hacks to help me get things done!! Thank you so much for what you do! It can feel lonely many times. Back on track!
I already had a lot of stuff in point-of-performance spaces before I heard about the formal concept. I have a tray that has my teapot, favourite type of tea, the tea strainer, and sugar right beneath the cupboard where my favourite mugs live. There's a mister and plant food on the shelf beneath the shelf with all the plants. Now I'm doing it more deliberately, but it definitely was something that I'd already worked out as a thing that was helpful.
Point of Performance was a game changer for me, especially when my home became too cluttered and I could barely function. Started with my coffee/tea station. Super grateful. 🙏🏾
Notion is such a great tool to keeping everything in one place! Also love 'Structured' for the phone as it's really easy to use and you can colour code it to make it look more exciting ✨
I know exercise works for me, but but didn't realised it works so much for ADHS. And also I am literally a person that always works better when someone is next to me, or can see me, like in a library, because of that accountability feeling! Omg, these videos to me are life-changing! Now I am determined to keep up with exercise and mediation and body doubling!
Pomodoro has never worked for me, but the random timer works muuuuch better bc I never know when it's gonna go off and that motivates me to work quickly and run against the clock
So amazing!! I realized recently how much regular exercise affects my motivation. I have been going to the local gym for about a year twice per week (yeah!!!!). Last week, it didn't work out because of holiday and work commitments. At the weekend I noticed how unmotivated I was. When I started thinking about it, I realized that since going to the gym, many things work better, I finish my projects or start new ones, have set up better routines etc. What also helps is that I am sharing an appartment, so the 'body double' also helps me to stay on track. I benefit from pomodoro principles with or without timer!! Thanks, Jessica! I have made so much progress since watching your channel😂😊❤
I love notion!! The main part i like is that its REALLY customizable. I can organize things the way it makes most sense to me. And I can decorate it :)
I was at the point of almost crying because I’ve been trying to sit down and do what I need to get done-a single task-yet kept failing and failing. Then, I found this. Thank you for making adulting easier. I live with chronic pain, brain fog, and ADHD, so life feels impossible quite often. Your videos are a life saver and are a huge reason I am able to peruse my college education. Thank you
Body doubling isn’t always possible with an actual person so one thing I do quite often is set up my phone to take a Timelapse of me working, this holds me accountable, keeps me off my phone, and you get a satisfying video when you’re done! Also for exercise Go to your local climbing gym climbing has such a supportive community, it’s also very mental working out how to get up the wall is such an important part of climbing and it’s fun (contrary to popular belief you do not need to have upper body strength in order to get into climbing) just try it I promise you’ll love it
I find body doubling helpful sometimes, but other times (especially virtually/via zoom meetings, etc!) I find it just makes me feel anxious and watched, even if the other person is not someone that would judge me at all! I have actually turned off my video feed and then opened distractions to help calm the anxiety. 😅 I find it works for me when the task is something we can do together - not necessarily the same task but a common goal - like my kid or partner tidying the house at the same time, even if one of us is working on the kitchen and the other the bathroom, etc! I wish I had more success with virtual body doubling.
The most useful thing for me at work is using Trello and writing down tasks every day and moving it to „doing” and „eventually to „done”. It helps to track the workload and makes me feel good about things I did this week. (I archive completed tasks every monday.)
Such a great video to go with all the other great videos on this channel! I was diagnosed about 3 months ago, and this channel has been so helpful in figuring out how my brain works. I have laughed, cried, and been moved to start a youtube channel to help others as well! Now to get that first video done 😂
The body-doubling technique is awesome! I logged in to that discord server you mentioned in your other video and it magically glued me to my desk and my computer screen for 6 uninterrupted hours today. I finished the most daunting task that I’ve been putting off for a year today in those 6 hours. I can’t thank you enough for your educational content. This is the first night in a long time that I’m going to sleep feeling good about myself. I’m so glad i found your channel.
Even tools that don't work for me have definitely still gave me knowledge about myself and ways I may want to tweek things or make it my own. I am glad you are including this.
I just heard the term “body doubling” on a short yesterday evening. Now I understand why I so like being physically in the office with others, even if we are working separate things. Thank you!
Thank you for this For putting time & effort into making life feels less overwhelming. I was diagnosed PRETTY EARLY in life at the age of 3 because of my hyper-aware mom who noticed patterns in my behavior and comments from relatives. In my early years and even through middle school I was the (Gifted Child) yet no one realized it took me triple the work just to do the bare minimum in daily tasks. Thank you for this, for YOU
Hi Jessica. I just discovered your channel after recently discovering that I may have ADHD. I am 45 years old and have put the way I am down to a number of things throughout my life, being shy, social anxiety, maybe autism, bit of a temper, bit forgetful etc I recently started having therapy following a 6 month period of sick leave from work with Anxiety and Depression and after 2 sessions my therapist said ‘I’m pretty sure you have ADHD’ I said ‘Don’t be silly’ but then started researching it and oh my…it could not describe any better how my brain works…or doesn’t🤪 I look forward to watching through your back catalogue and checking out your TED talk(s). Thanks for the content. Al. (UK)
Listening to music helps make Sundays more fun. Maybe "fun" isn't the right word but I use Sundays for cleaning (and early mornings for other responsibilities the other 6 days of the week). It's what works for me so I stick with it. Nothing's open here on Sunday anyways so it works.
OMG JESS! i've needed EXACTLY this notion template forever-THANK YOU so much for creating exactly what your fellow brains needed! i'm sharing it with pretty much everyone i know! thank you!
Scheduling time for tasks, the build up helps me climb the wall, and be more focused and ready when the time arrives, and helps with urgency, because i don't want to bookmark another time to finish it. And keeping something to write down toughts to review later, usually the phone, sometimes a notebook feels good to write on.
Another great video. I do deadlines for myself alot, especially in school. I did it last semester not realizing why I was doing it. I just got a recent diagnosis of ADHD so I didn't even know why I was doing it, other than I work better with deadlines and structure. I don't function well outside of a structured environment. I need guidelines. I love the plank idea. Thanks again for the videos!
Thank you for helping me put a term to the concept with Body Doubling. I do this whenever I can and it consistently helps, but didn't have a word for it. Thank you!
I have struggled with ADHD for 58 years. I learned #2 from you and it has been extremely helpful. I appreciate your videos. I feel you totally understand my struggles.
Oh My ADHD! First time viewer. I got as far as "I'm putting a link to "Notions" below (5 seconds or so in) which led me off of a tangent to look up that system, then back here where I started reading comments and WOW! I have found my Peeps! Now I'm on pause reading some of them to my long-suffering "neuro - brilliant" husband as I keep exclaiming " they are just like me!" and he is trying to gently, ever so gently guide me back to my "To Do" list which includes learning her strategies not finding new besties. L0L!
I only recently accepted that I am probably affected by ADHD and have more recently clicked around YT where I stumbled on your channel. As far as coping, I am seeking mechanisms. One technique I use while I watch videos is that I have power/speed metal playing in the background at a low-medium volume to engage the part of my brain that wants to play 'shiny' so I can focus on watching the whole video and maybe absorb some of the material in it.
Thank you so much for compiling this video and making the ADHD toolbox template (I'm just signing up to access it now in another tab as I type this comment so not mono-tasking right this minute... ha!). I have been subscribed to your channel for nearly a year and I absolutely love your content! It has helped me so much with my recent diagnosis and this video and template is EXACTLY what I need at this point because I feel I've consumed a lot of information but sometimes can't recall which strategies/approaches have been most effective for me and in which specific situations. You're amazing and I'm really thankful for this channel :)
I just wanted to say, that your channel, and your tedtalk, was the single most influential force in me finding strategies for my adhd and my decision to get myself meditated to help to treat some of the more severe, difficult to manage aspects. At 33 years old I finally feel like I have some semblance of control without the thought that my willpower is the issue, the thought that I just am not driven enough, or smart enough. I don't know how many people you know that you have helped, but I am here to say, my son and myself have reaped the benefits of you putting yourself out there trying to make life better for those like us. You are appreciated, I hope this comment finds you well, but if it doesn't, I hope it you the boost to get back to being the neurodivergent badass, and overall great person that you are.
Thank you for setting up this template. I often watch videos and resources at work for both ADHD (which I'm 80% sure I'm undiagnosed for) and C-PTSD, and oftentimes I really enjoy the video but can't remember the strategies or information I liked about it afterwards because a work task or distraction will pull me away.
Right in the moment when you began the Exercise Topic and said "Wait, where are you going?" I started scrolling down to read the comments. You caught me right there :D
Just a tangent off of the “Point of Performance” for finding things: we’ve added air tags to important things that get misplaced a lot. We have them added to our “Find My” app on our iPhones and laptops. So we have an air tags on each of our kids water bottles using a special AirTag carabiner as well as on tucked into a hole in my daughter favorite stuffie. The hole is open enough so I can remove it to wash the stuffie.
Learning about body doubling was one of the best AND worst moments of my entire life. When I first heard the term and went down the rabbit hole of what it was...I broke down crying. And I don't mean gentle tears swelling in my eyes and trickling down my cheeks; I mean full-on, hour in the fetal position in the dark, total body-wracking sobs. That concept broke me--truly, literally BROKE me--on a deep and fundamental level...and IT HURT. It hurt so, so bad. It ALSO allowed me to start forgiving myself for certain, deeply personal and meaningful past interactions, and to begin genuinely healing, in my heart and mind, for something I truly never thought that I would learn to come to peaceful terms with. Just becoming educated on body doubling literally changed my life. The realization was gut-wrenching, but in the end, it helped take the pain away--and even became a tool I can lean into now, and use to my advantage (rather than detriment).
Oh my god, your part about getting distracted while making coffee hit me so hard! I have walked my dog with an empty cup before. Your videos are sobhelpful for my newly diagnosed adhd brian.
This is the greatest video of you of all time. I had my Notion-Hyperfocus about a year ago and have been organizing my studies with it ever since. Helped me a lot and now we get a notion template from our ADHD-Internet-Mum? - It cant get any better! THANK YOU
i am a malaysian math tutor, thank you so much for your sharing, they are increasing numbers of adhd students in malaysia ( or they not diagnosed with adhd but showing trait of adhd) , will attempt ur technique in my class
I'm sitting here trying to focus, and I see the crocheted elephant in the background, and I'm like OOH, I can make you something!! Totally distracted! I love your videos, they explain what has been going on with me SO MUCH! It's good to know that I have others that understand me!
I hate exercise so I have over the years come up some hacks to trick myself into enjoying it more😊 First is to take long walks, I set a destination like the beach or something else beautiful and listen to an audiobook or podcast the whole way. The other one is even better for me myself😅 I get a physical sidejob, so I don't have to pay expensive gym membership, but get paid for "working out". I get hyperfocused and love cleaning anywhere else but home, so I have had some cleaning jobs😊
Your videos are so eye opening. So helpful. I’m just figuring this out at the ripe old age of 56! It explains so much about my life. I so wish that I’d known these things and the other tips I’ve learned from you earlier in life.
I do that point of performance with coffee. Everything is right by the Kcup machine. I need to set up a paperwork center near the file cabinets. Kathy B
What really helps me is to, once in a while, sit down with pen/paper and look around my apartment.
I'd look around and see for example dirty clothes on my sofa. I'd ask myself, "why are they on the sofa?" Well, because the laundry basket is full. "Why is the laundry basket full?" Because I haven't washed anything. "What is stopping you from washing your clothes?" It's a lot of (mental) effort to sort the clothes into lights / darks / etc. before washing. "How would you make this easier in the future?" By having multiple laundry baskets, one for lighter colored clothes and one for darker colored clothes.
Basically I ask myself why things aren't done in my house and try to come up with solutions so that it's easier for me to do the things in the future :)
This is such a good idea! Jessica actually has a video about this I think haha.
That´s a tool I used at work called the 5 Why, I never thought about using it at home...
Why is the laundry not put away? Cos the drawers are too full. Why? Cos I haven’t cleaned out the kids outgrown clothes.
the irony of me trying to listen to her talk about monotasking but having to repeat it 3 times because I'm trying to multitask
I zoned out a dozen times already but I’m sure this will be useful. 😂
Same🤣🤣🤣
like going to read the comment section while listening !!!
Had to pause the video😅
OMG, same.
I have to repeat parts of videos so often that sometimes I’m listening to the radio and I try to rewind it but I can’t and it’s gone forever! 😂
I put on "clean with me" videos whenever I need to say do the dishes. Help me not feel alone, which helps me actually do the thing. So I guess that's (at least similar to) body doubling?
it is! i do that too
Me too! I love Clutterbug. She has ADHD and talks about ADHD and cleaning/organizing together. She has videos and podcasts so you can watch or listen AND different length videos so you can match to your task length better. Nothing sidetracks me like trying to find a new "companion" video.
Yh i also use it as motivation because we are known to feel the impulse motivation you know what i mean to get something similar done to what we watched its a cool way to use our brain's chemicals to do a job like decluttering .
Similar for me with cleaning, listening to silly podcasts or true crime stories. It's not really about the details of the Show, but having someone in the background talking while I work. Obviously doesn't work for when I write. Then it's music at most, otherwise I can't focus.
Listening to Taylor Swift albums makes me clean. I don't know why. I discovered it by accident
A tool that has worked absolute wonders for me is what I call my dopamine farm. Early this year, I spent a couple of weeks training Pinterest to show me particular types of images that give me a big hit of dopamine. Of course, the specific image types will vary from person to person, but in my case it’s electric guitars and basses, sci-fi art, anime, Art Deco, 80s pop art and cute and/or colorful animals. Whenever I need help motivating myself to do or not do something, I go to Pinterest, scroll for a few minutes, feeling the dopamine build up in my brain and suddenly it’s a lot easier to do or not do the thing. Hopefully, others will find this useful.
Is "I spent a couple of weeks training pinterest" another way of saying that you had a hard time getting out of the pinterest rabbit hole, but that it somehow worked out in the end? 😅
@@gulplastgaffel No. If I was inclined to get distracted by the images, then the entire idea wouldn't have worked. It took a couple of weeks to get it to the point where every image in my feed matched what I wanted,
That sounds great!
This is genius!!!
I know have an image in my had of an anime rabbit with an electric bass or guitar in a sci-fi setting, the image being in a combination of Art Deco and 80s pop art style.
I agree with monotasking, for anything that requires attention.
BUT, for anything with significant wait time involved (cooking food in the oven, waiting for laundry to dry, etc.) that is the ideal setup for multitasking. Especially if there's a timer bell involved to help me remember to switch tasks.
The challenge is to pick a secondary task that can be done within the timer countdown for the first task. This can be really fun, as I race to complete it in the minutes I have! I might try to clean the kitchen before my laundry gets dry, for example. Or I might sit and do some planning or journalling in the time it takes to bake a cake.
This helps me limit how much time I spend on the secondary task, and therefore prioritize the bits of it that are most important to get done first. If I don't get around to mopping the kitchen before the dryer goes off, well maybe mopping won't happen today then. But if the dishes are washed and the counters are clean then that's good progress anyway! And I might not have started on it if I didn't gameify the countdown race.
Gameifying can be such a great strategy! That's awesome!!!
Context switching when in deep tasks takes 20 min or so, and much less for automatic tasks that don’t need thinking (washing dishes). I like your game and find it helpful to practice *not* being distracted into a third task while toggling between two.
It seems I do something similar to what you do. I use an app called RoutineFlow and use a combination of breaking down tasks to their smallest subtasks I can so I can tick of some easy ones at first for a nice dopimine hit and then in the longer wait times (using laundry actually being washed by machine as example) I try to see how much else I can do and the time/challenge part reminds helps me not hyper focus / go down rabbit holes and gets me back on laundry task when appropriate. Since I have been using this technique I haven't left my washing in the machine once !!
That is a great idea to make the waiting like a challenge to hustle. I needed this right now. Thanks!
Love this - I've been practising doing a little bit of washing up while my toast is in the toaster, or while my coffee's brewing. It makes so much of a difference to actually getting it done, because it doesn't feel like it's taking up time - that time was allocated as negative time through the other 'task' that doesn't require any attention until the time is gone
Timestamps:
0:55 Body Doubling
2:30 Monotasking
5:19 Fill in the Planks
8:03 Exercise
10:31 (Put things at) Point of Performance
13:29 Using Notion
Thank you so much
I think she should create those "Chapters" in the video, really helpful for those with ADHD.
@@karara5532she probably thought about it, but ADHD happened. 😂
@@karara5532 I love your profile pic!
Totally spaced out at using Notion. 😅
For me the best way is to create urgency. But it is very hard to fool myself with set up deadlines. Haven't really found a working system for myself. But inviting someone over for diner or just have a drink is pretty effective for cleaning my house.
Yeah, I can't make a deadline for myself like that either. Cleaning house? My best strategy is to put on an audio book to entertain my brain. My library has Libby that I can use for audio books, which is so helpful.
I find the pomodoro technique helps with this. I'll set a 30 minute timer and set a goal.
If it's a short task, I set a physical goal. For example, I want to fold 2 baskets of laundry in 30 minutes. If I can't finish in that amount of time, I feel a mild disappointment, but I got some stuff done. Also, if I repeat this process a few times, I can start working on beating my previous time.
If its a long task, I'll try to make a goal of resetting the timer as many times as possible. So for studying, I set an hour timer and every hour I complete, I get a reward. I find that this helps me build hyperfocus. So instead of trying to focus for 4 hours, I can focus for an hour 4 times. I find that this also helps me maintain focus for the full hour.
I tend to get bored after 20 minutes, but having a countdown helps. So if I'm doing a task that I know I can only focus on for 20 minutes, setting a 30 minute timer means I have a 10 minute countdown by the time I check my phone.
Depends on what it is for me. Cleaning, I have found that I need to remind myself sometimes that spending 10 minutes now is better than an hour later (like for dishes) so it creates urgency in the sense of avoiding something later. When I don’t feel like it, I’ll do a task and reward myself with watching a RUclips video, but I have to have a list of tasks to complete or else I just go down the rabbit hole.
Yeah the having someone come over trick is the only thing that works for me too. 😅
I cannot fool myself with deadlines, bribes, rewards... and the house always gets tidied for company :)
In case this helps someone, when I was in school, I could not write a paper out of order (title, opening paragraph/statement, body, conclusion). But many times you don’t really know the opening until you write the body. Most people would tell me to just start with body if I was stuck on the opening. Didn’t work.
What did work, was making the most obvious opening statement possible, then going back to correct it later. Most of my first drafts started with a literal “This paper is about …”
I was the same way. I usually found that once I'd finished my first draft, my concluding paragraph actually usually made a great intro paragraph with a few modifications. I still structure my thinking this way when I write or talk--I always want to work my way through my reasoning and give my conclusion last, but people tend to take in information better if you give them the conclusion first, then go back and give the reasoning behind it.
I have a paper I need to start in a couple of days that I've been dreading and this is great advice. Thanks friend! 😊
I found drafting the micro concepts onto sticky notes helped. I'd put them in outline form, then rearrange until they seemed logical.
@@Kaibigan39 That's a great idea!
Same. Beginning and ending was so hard so the beginning was usually a placeholder to get me going. Sometimes I’d put a placeholder ending too.
Autistic brain here. "Working with our brains not against it" is the best advice I have ever heard. thank you :)
I just realised all the study hacks that youtubers used to give are more applicable for ADHD people
Might be because a lot of RUclipsrs have ADHD. You’d be surprised.
Also if something is useful to an ADHD person it's likely to be useful too for someone without that condition.
I think having hacks is quite a neurodivergent trait! The obvious connotations of computers and gaming aside, we need something better and more useful than the perennial "just try harder".
Buy nothing groups(baby surplus ier), dads are sharers too. Baby's eahy!
@@fmdjbut the opposite is not true ;)
I have my own version of 'eating the frog first' that I have found to be very useful-- I call it "killing the paper dragon" (also the title of an unrelated tech book...) ; the idea is to identify the part of a project that takes up the most visual or mental space, but requires the least amount of time and effort to complete. It helps best with cleaning-- I will find the biggest single object and put that away, and then suddenly i am presented with much more clarity and confidence. When it comes to responding to text messages or emails, i type out the message in a word doc and save it for later-- that way i have a message prepared for when i feel ready to send it. I find that it takes the teeth out of what can feel like an overwhelming obligation.
That’s a good idea because the eating the frog never works for me, doing stuff that is taking up a lot of brainspace but is quick and easy is a better way to approach it. Love the “killing the paper dragon” name
Thanks for sharing! Great ideas for me to try.
I waited tables and bartended for over a decade and I agree that all the chaos is reminiscent of whats going on inside our ADHD brains. After many years outside of the industry, I have finally stopped having recurring nightmares about waiting tables and having everything going horribly wrong!
I have never waited tables, but still have the occasional nightmare that I'm taking orders and totally botching it lol. Customer service is trauma hahahaha
Me, occasionally still dreaming about being late for class.
Only job I’ve ever had nightmares about was waiting tables 😂
I STILL have them almost 20 years later- it was the worst to do back to back doubles and then dream about it the night in between!
@@rainpooper7088 For me it's recurring 'failing my final highschool exams' dreams; waking up in cold sweat every time. I'm 32.
I actually made my dopamenu on Notion which was from another video you suggested because I always struggle to remember what my hobbies are and how I could actually spend my time besides going on my phone
omg the dopamenu!!!! that's so smart!!
The phone is deadly for my productivity and getting things done that will enhance socialization: finding a hair salon in my new city so I can get my hair done; finding new shoes, getting makeup advice, and so much more.
I am 38 and I have been diagnosed with ADHD only this year. Everything comes together now.
Watching your videos and listening to problems that you bring up and how you suggest solving them means everything to me.
I finally hear points that I have always had in my head and tried to solve on my own. Brings me so much joy to realize that I am not “broken” and that this something that so many people struggle with.
Your compassion in approaching this is so valuable. I couldn’t express how needed these words are and for how long I dreamt that someone would “understand” and believe that it isn’t something that I am making up.
Thank you so, so much.
May I ask, what was your first step in getting diagnosed? Who did you go to first? A neurologist? Your Primary Care Doctor? a Psychiatrist? a Psychologist? A mental health facility? A doctor who specialized in ADHD? How did you find them? Did you require a referral? I'm trying to figure out what to do, but my medical teams are not helpful and always tell me to go somewhere else ( it's not their problem)
@@MetqaI just got diagnosed as well, I’m in high school. And for me I brought it up to my primary care doctor and they gave me a list of places I could go for testing in the area. And then my parents got me an appt with one of the people they recommended.
Same here - diagnosed at 38. Suddenly, my brain made sense.
I see you! We are doing this together
Have any of you got a swirly
I love Notion. It took me a few tries to get past the "how the heck does this work... ugh it's too much" feelings. But once I actually sat down with it and messed around with various templates and editing them to fit what I want/need, I love it. It's the first organization style app I've actually stuck with for more than a few days.
Yeahhh the learning curve is a lot just because of how customisable it in -- it's like YAY ALL THE OPTIONS while also OH GOD TOO MANY OPTIONS hehe how do you use notion? :)
I did already download another Notion template before, but my problem is that everything goes soooo slow 🤯! Any ideas on how to make it on run faster? Is it just because my secondhand iPhone 6s is too old for that stuff?😬
I would love tools to get past the “ ugh, it’s too much” feelings.
I know for a lot of people the "ugh it's too much" is strong, but on the flip side, if you love fiddly knobs with always room for optimizing workflows (I adore fiddly bits, I can sit for hours making tiny improvements on a process), Notion is great for providing that. No other note taking program stuck for me.
@@HowtoADHD I like it as a notes app, journal, and I have very simple weekly "to-do" list that has a check list under each day of the week. I wipe it out each week so there's no record of what I've done. Which actually helps me as oppose to keeping a record in a calendar or journal. It makes each week feel like a fresh start. I think a big reason I used to give up on things like bullet journals quickly is it kept a record of what felt like my failures.
A good one I do is set a timer on my watch to go off every 5/10 min. If it goes off and I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing I stop and redirect.
Side note, living alone sucks! I'm not that good at being accountable to myself.
Yessssss! That's awesome that you found something that works for you! Thank you so much for sharing!! And yeaahhhh the living alone struggle is so real. Does online accountability help? Like with an accountability group of online friends?
If online helps there is even an app called Think Divergent for the times friends aren't around or if you do it at an early or late hours.
That's how I created my body double although I live alone
What watch are you using for this?
I'm the opposite, I feel like I can't think or do anything when around other people
@@hoeyel2013 I use an Apple Watch. However phones have timer settings too. The watch is on my wrist so it gets me every time.... it's super unavoidable.
Body-doubling is my favorite, most helpful hack (aid)! It never occurred to me that a pet could be a body-double. 🤔😺🐾
They definitely can be for some people!!
Unload it's a cat.... If you're not petting me we have a problem.... 😁
Problem is the pet needs to actually bother staying in the room with you lol 😹
@@Hawkeye021 duck tape? 😁
@@Ben_79 It's not just for ducks.
My adhd diagnosis was just confirmed by my therapist and phycologist! It’s such a relief to have answers! Thank you for posting! It is super helpful!
Awwwwww I'm so glad you have answers now!!
@@HowtoADHDhi, I just got diagnosed too and I was wondering what are some school accommodations that help? I’m talking to my school counselor on Monday about them and and he asked me to have some that I’ll think will help but I can’t think of any
Welcome brain!
@@user-gr4hy9vj6xone that's great that really helped me out is someone to help you with taking notes.
Often those with ADHD have a great time interacting and participating in class but can have a hard time keeping track of taking notes.
My school had a student or teacher's aide who was great at taking notes give me a copy of his or her notes after each class to see if I missed anything important.
@user-gr4hy9vj6x there's another channel called Olivia something who is a college student that talks about adhd and school accommodations that helped her. That may help.
I’m a writer who has struggled for most of my life to just write the manuscript. I beat myself up for not being productive enough. I struggled with low self esteem, even after getting novels published. At 60+ years old, I’m positive I am ADHD, and this channel has helped me sooo much. I’m getting things accomplished much more easily. Thank you so much, Jessica, for helping so many people!
My number one trick for house chores or yardwork, though I appreciate that it won't work for everyone or every situation, is Don't Sit Down.
If I let myself take a little break after starting the laundry or loading the dishwasher I will inevitably fall down a RUclips rabbit hole, or get engrossed in a video game and I won't be able to switch back out of those modes. If I don't sit down between tasks then my boredom avoidance will find something for me to do. Maybe it will notice the clutter I've become blind to or it prompt me to wash the dishes before they get out of hand.
For me it's just a whole lot easier to get things done if I build up and maintain inertia.
That is genius. I’m going to try that. Thank you!
I do the same thing. I never stop until it’s time for a meal and bedtime! 😅
Oh my gosh. Yesterday my neurodivergent group watched one of your strategy videos and we were talking about how we can’t remember the strategies! So the timing of this video is perfect 😂
omg that's amazing!! 🤣
What is a nerodivergent group and where can I find one? It sounds really helpful to discuss strategies!
@@gulplastgaffel it’s a support group at my college! I think some mental health clinics will offer them
@@smolbattybat296 i'm going to suggest this to my uni as well! :)
Main points
1. Body double
2. Monotask
2a. List
2b. Block time
2c. Batch
2d. Daily themes
2e. Dual class (if bored)
2f. Pomodoro
2g. Parking lot
3. Fill in blank
3a. Urgent
3b. Novel
3c. Interesting
3.5 Do it badly
4. Exercise
5. Point of performance
Thanks Chrystal for the list. Very helpful. I've printed it out and will make notes as I continue in the video
I'm 63yrs old & was just diagnosed with ADHD Executive Function Combined last week, so all of this is spot on. My brother is the one who told me to get tested because he thought I was 100% ADHD. I didn't know Body Doubling is a thing!! I always work better if someone is here, they don't even have to talk to me, just be here. Thank you for all your videos!! I've lots to learn.
68 and just got diagnosed... almost relieved since I thought I was getting dementia. I had masked before with 3 pots of coffee, chain smoking, high adrenaline activities (rock climbing, sky diving, snowboarding, and dirt biking) and a strict schedule...absolutely no time for the hobbies that now clutter up my whole house. This gives me hope for getting my life pulled back together.
Ok. I’m pretty sure your “do it bad, you never said you’d do it perfectly” song just changed my whole day ❤😂❤❤❤❤ absolutely amazing
8:03 Exercise, even when I dont want to I do it even if its a five minute warmup. It helps immensely. 😊
Kind of related to body-doubling is the practice of rubber-duck debugging. From Wikipedia:
In software engineering, rubber duck debugging (or rubberducking) is a method of debugging code by articulating a problem in spoken or written natural language. The name is a reference to a story in the book The Pragmatic Programmer in which a programmer would carry around a rubber duck and debug their code by forcing themselves to explain it, line by line, to the duck.
Many programmers have had the experience of explaining a problem to someone else, possibly even to someone who knows nothing about programming, and then hitting upon the solution in the process of explaining the problem. In describing what the code is supposed to do and observing what it actually does, any incongruity between these two becomes apparent. More generally, teaching a subject forces its evaluation from different perspectives and can provide a deeper understanding.
I do this in a way by keeping a judgment-free Metacognition Log of recurring issues and asking myself what cognitive blindspot might be causing them, then brainstorming/asking for help finding solutions. Not "seeing" why my recurring issues keep happening is part of ADHD, so writing things down helps me remember to put on my glasses. ✍❤🤓
I do something similar - I think rubber ducking inspired it too! I'll write notes as a stream of consciousness and then organise them (rather than just making a list) and it can be helpful to be specifically kind to ourselves too. So I'll think about what someone who wants the best for me might say - they'd point out the obstacles I'm trying to blindly push past, remind me to take care of myself, remind me why the task is important to me.
That’s interesting 😊
I love that you brought up having a pet as ur body double. In the past I saw your video on how your dog has been so helpful with ur ADHD, and i got a puppy 6 months after that. I never realized the benefit of the dog being a body double and holding me accountable, until i started noticing the changes lol
My little chihuahua mix is about to turn 18 and my cat is 15. They help me stick to a routine and also help me with things not being perfect. I didn’t realize how much they help until I visited my family recently without them (hubby watched them and I am usually home with them so they are a big part of my daily routine). Getting up, having to go to the store because they needed items, even just getting out for a walk and having a comfort session, make a huge difference for me because they rely on me. They don’t care if the walk is cut a little short or if I use paper plates because I don’t feel like doing dishes that day, or if my hair is a mess.
I found going on a walk on my treadmill while watching tic toks makes it a lot more fun in the moment, and I feel so much better after and sleep better as well 😊 I just set an hour timer to kick me out of the app and then I know I’m done and can move on to my next task!
I just realised that my cargo pants are a portable Point of Performance.
I always have my wallet and keys, and I also carry tissues, dental floss, nail clippers, my fan for hot flashes, and my phone.
At work I add pens and markers, gloves, box cutter, and 2 different kinds of label stickers (one in 3 colors) that I use a lot.
It works!
I have a very full handbag (but not a big one or I can’t find anything) for the same reason!
A side note that might help to try for body doubling is that (for me in this example at least) it doesn't have to be "live" either. Podcast or videos/playlists roughly the length of time I need or longer of casual topics or compatible background noise gives my focus the illusion I'm working around the environment.
This video is pretty much a collection of "Jessica's greatest hits" - and I love it! Sometimes collecting a bunch of old information into a new contact can be very useful in tying a bunch of old content together in a way that could be useful. You should try these more often! 😁 Especially once pregnancy brain kicks in, and your energy is gone. 😳
Wishing Jess ample energy and brain power no matter what stage of life she's in. ❤
This video is really cool cuz everything is all in one place (and is kinda like a mini walk down memory lane).
Also: more Chloe!!! Such a cute dog
Congrats on the baby also!!!!
RIGHT!? So many different eras of videos all in one plaaaaaace. I can't believe how much we've covered!!!
A video specifically about digital point of performance would be SUPER helpful for a lot of us... As someone who has managed to at least separate out my work & personal devices, but can't seem to get any more granular than that, that'd probably be really useful information. (Also, very excited to use the Notion templates! I'm a relatively recent Notion convert, and having stuff on Notion has been really helpful, I'm gonna bet this'll be FANTASTIC for me :D)
Yes! This! Pls! I can't see what it would look like in my head. Physical things, yep, great, makes sense! Digital, uh? No idea
"Now I'm walking my dog with a coffee mug..." that made me laugh out loud because that's soooo me! Ha
Great recap of very useful strategies, and bringing up memories of your former videos! I’ve been following your channel for years now and love how your videos have evolved! Also, I just watched your video that you’re going to be a Mom, congratulations! 🎉 I‘m so happy for you, I‘m sure you will do great! Also looking forward to any possible content related to pregnancy or children, also being pregnant myself 😊
awwwww thank you!! and omg congratulations back at you!!
@@HowtoADHD ❤️
Omg. My therapist has been fighting me about worrying about preparing and putting too much on my plate. Point of performance is the perfect term I needed today when I finally challenged him (again) on why I need an overview. On why I need to think about problems that are a month, 3 months, a year away.
Can you explain this further?
Sometimes I feel that my ADHD has ADHD
This is true for me too. 🤓
Those days are either most productive and/or most chaotic days
Yes! 🖐🏼 😂😅 🙏🏼✌🏼🫶🏼
I swear no one ever made me feel so understood 😭. Thank you 😂
Woohoo! I already use Notion to manage so much of my ADHD stuff, this is perfect for me! I love using it to put everything ever in one place it really decreases the amount of "forgetting that things exist" that happens to me lol
"Body doubling" Does this also mean I love working out at the gym and can't get motivated when I'm at home with my large home gym. People at the gym keep me focused and on task. With no lazy time, only what needs to be done ❤
I definitely think it's related, good point! I feel embarrassed enough getting my phone out to put down what I've done on my log; sitting around doing nothing or even just not putting full effort in feels a lot more wrong when people can see you
I think for me there's also two other aspects:
- once I've got to the gym I'm in a place where exercise is what is supposed to be done, and it's a significant hassle (timewise) to get back home to do other things, so I don't get the 'oh, I just want to check on ... ' which I do at home, and I often keep exercising longer than planned while procrastinating leaving (the annoyance of the trip home making stopping exercising something that needs more motivation than keeping going)
- because I'm paying money for the privilege of accessing a gym, I feel guilty about not using it, which acts as a motivator towards getting started in the first place
I'm so excited that we've partnered with Notion to create our very own ✨template✨ that let's you create your own ADHD Toolbox 🧠 🧰 and track the tools and strategies that work best for you! You can get the template here (you just need to sign up for a FREE Notion account if you're not already a member): ntn.so/howtoadhdtemplate
[EDIT] Hello! We're looking into an issue regarding the template where it returns a 'Not Found'. [/EDIT]
❤️❤️ thanks!!
Recently started using Notion and found it super helpful as my "second brain" looking forward to taking a look at the template when I get chance.
Thank you for this endorsement. I think that it’s just the nudge that I needed to make me want to try without giving up at the first sign of too many confusing choices. Cheers :)
Somehow it doesnt work for me. I already am a notion user and familiar with it, but everytime it auto logs out on the host site so doesn't allow to duplicate.
@@shezario I also am having issues with using the template :(
Just by watching this, I feel space opening up in my brain and my head getting lighter. Now, onto doing stuff!
Thank you for your content. You deserve all the hugs in the world.
Re Body Doubling: Sometimes I video myself doing the work. I just do it on my phone on timelapse, selfie mode. It’s like a body double coz I can look up and see myself! And at the end of the session I get the dopamine hit of watching the timelapse and seeing myself being productive 😊. It works best for things like dishes but I need it most for computer work! I learned this hack here on YT and it helped me break through a period of paralysis. Thanks for everything you do Jessica! You’ve helped me so much ❤
Picking an exercise you like makes it easier. I do Pilates 5 times a week and I love it.
I came here looking for a simple Notion template that could help me with my adhd organisation and motivation and I end up getting a so much needed reminder of how my adhd brain works and hacks to help me get things done!! Thank you so much for what you do! It can feel lonely many times. Back on track!
I already had a lot of stuff in point-of-performance spaces before I heard about the formal concept. I have a tray that has my teapot, favourite type of tea, the tea strainer, and sugar right beneath the cupboard where my favourite mugs live. There's a mister and plant food on the shelf beneath the shelf with all the plants. Now I'm doing it more deliberately, but it definitely was something that I'd already worked out as a thing that was helpful.
Thank you for making this available for free!! That's super helpful.
Point of Performance was a game changer for me, especially when my home became too cluttered and I could barely function. Started with my coffee/tea station. Super grateful. 🙏🏾
Bodydoubling and exercise are my best tools and also breaking things down so much that that tasks are impossible to fail at
Notion is such a great tool to keeping everything in one place! Also love 'Structured' for the phone as it's really easy to use and you can colour code it to make it look more exciting ✨
Body doubling, exercise, launch pads and point of performance, making time to plan
I used to be my son's body double when he was cleaning his room. Just having me there helped him focus.
Kathy B
I know exercise works for me, but but didn't realised it works so much for ADHS. And also I am literally a person that always works better when someone is next to me, or can see me, like in a library, because of that accountability feeling! Omg, these videos to me are life-changing! Now I am determined to keep up with exercise and mediation and body doubling!
Pomodoro has never worked for me, but the random timer works muuuuch better bc I never know when it's gonna go off and that motivates me to work quickly and run against the clock
So amazing!! I realized recently how much regular exercise affects my motivation. I have been going to the local gym for about a year twice per week (yeah!!!!). Last week, it didn't work out because of holiday and work commitments. At the weekend I noticed how unmotivated I was. When I started thinking about it, I realized that since going to the gym, many things work better, I finish my projects or start new ones, have set up better routines etc. What also helps is that I am sharing an appartment, so the 'body double' also helps me to stay on track. I benefit from pomodoro principles with or without timer!! Thanks, Jessica! I have made so much progress since watching your channel😂😊❤
I was in a discord once that had a music-only voice channel. Everyone except music bots were muted. It helped studying so much!
I love notion!! The main part i like is that its REALLY customizable. I can organize things the way it makes most sense to me. And I can decorate it :)
I was at the point of almost crying because I’ve been trying to sit down and do what I need to get done-a single task-yet kept failing and failing. Then, I found this. Thank you for making adulting easier.
I live with chronic pain, brain fog, and ADHD, so life feels impossible quite often. Your videos are a life saver and are a huge reason I am able to peruse my college education. Thank you
Body doubling isn’t always possible with an actual person so one thing I do quite often is set up my phone to take a Timelapse of me working, this holds me accountable, keeps me off my phone, and you get a satisfying video when you’re done!
Also for exercise Go to your local climbing gym climbing has such a supportive community, it’s also very mental working out how to get up the wall is such an important part of climbing and it’s fun (contrary to popular belief you do not need to have upper body strength in order to get into climbing) just try it I promise you’ll love it
I find body doubling helpful sometimes, but other times (especially virtually/via zoom meetings, etc!) I find it just makes me feel anxious and watched, even if the other person is not someone that would judge me at all! I have actually turned off my video feed and then opened distractions to help calm the anxiety. 😅 I find it works for me when the task is something we can do together - not necessarily the same task but a common goal - like my kid or partner tidying the house at the same time, even if one of us is working on the kitchen and the other the bathroom, etc! I wish I had more success with virtual body doubling.
I love this video! The jumping around made me watch the whole video, which is impressive
man notion has changed my life - it's radicalized my ability to get anything organized and done. I would love more future how to adhd templates !
The most useful thing for me at work is using Trello and writing down tasks every day and moving it to „doing” and „eventually to „done”. It helps to track the workload and makes me feel good about things I did this week. (I archive completed tasks every monday.)
Such a great video to go with all the other great videos on this channel! I was diagnosed about 3 months ago, and this channel has been so helpful in figuring out how my brain works. I have laughed, cried, and been moved to start a youtube channel to help others as well! Now to get that first video done 😂
The body-doubling technique is awesome! I logged in to that discord server you mentioned in your other video and it magically glued me to my desk and my computer screen for 6 uninterrupted hours today. I finished the most daunting task that I’ve been putting off for a year today in those 6 hours. I can’t thank you enough for your educational content. This is the first night in a long time that I’m going to sleep feeling good about myself. I’m so glad i found your channel.
Even tools that don't work for me have definitely still gave me knowledge about myself and ways I may want to tweek things or make it my own. I am glad you are including this.
Now I know why I feel so much better after I exercise! It has significantly helped, that will help motivate me more! Thanks 🙏
Notion literally changed my life, ive been using it the last year or two and i've been converting people to it slowly
I just heard the term “body doubling” on a short yesterday evening. Now I understand why I so like being physically in the office with others, even if we are working separate things. Thank you!
Thank you for this
For putting time & effort into making life feels less overwhelming.
I was diagnosed PRETTY EARLY in life at the age of 3 because of my hyper-aware mom who noticed patterns in my behavior and comments from relatives.
In my early years and even through middle school I was the (Gifted Child) yet no one realized it took me triple the work just to do the bare minimum in daily tasks.
Thank you for this, for YOU
Hi Jessica. I just discovered your channel after recently discovering that I may have ADHD.
I am 45 years old and have put the way I am down to a number of things throughout my life, being shy, social anxiety, maybe autism, bit of a temper, bit forgetful etc
I recently started having therapy following a 6 month period of sick leave from work with Anxiety and Depression and after 2 sessions my therapist said ‘I’m pretty sure you have ADHD’
I said ‘Don’t be silly’ but then started researching it and oh my…it could not describe any better how my brain works…or doesn’t🤪
I look forward to watching through your back catalogue and checking out your TED talk(s).
Thanks for the content. Al. (UK)
Listening to music helps make Sundays more fun. Maybe "fun" isn't the right word but I use Sundays for cleaning (and early mornings for other responsibilities the other 6 days of the week). It's what works for me so I stick with it. Nothing's open here on Sunday anyways so it works.
OMG JESS! i've needed EXACTLY this notion template forever-THANK YOU so much for creating exactly what your fellow brains needed! i'm sharing it with pretty much everyone i know! thank you!
This is so full of great content, thank you!
You're welcome! I hope you found some of it useful :)
Thanks!
your baby will be the luckiest person in the whole world , your really helps me a lot , your rock
Scheduling time for tasks, the build up helps me climb the wall, and be more focused and ready when the time arrives, and helps with urgency, because i don't want to bookmark another time to finish it. And keeping something to write down toughts to review later, usually the phone, sometimes a notebook feels good to write on.
The fact is that ADHD is not a problem. If you learn to use it as a resource for endless innovation.
Another great video. I do deadlines for myself alot, especially in school. I did it last semester not realizing why I was doing it. I just got a recent diagnosis of ADHD so I didn't even know why I was doing it, other than I work better with deadlines and structure. I don't function well outside of a structured environment. I need guidelines. I love the plank idea. Thanks again for the videos!
Thank you for helping me put a term to the concept with Body Doubling. I do this whenever I can and it consistently helps, but didn't have a word for it. Thank you!
I have struggled with ADHD for 58 years. I learned #2 from you and it has been extremely helpful. I appreciate your videos. I feel you totally understand my struggles.
Oh My ADHD! First time viewer. I got as far as "I'm putting a link to "Notions" below (5 seconds or so in) which led me off of a tangent to look up that system, then back here where I started reading comments and WOW! I have found my Peeps! Now I'm on pause reading some of them to my long-suffering "neuro - brilliant" husband as I keep exclaiming " they are just like me!" and he is trying to gently, ever so gently guide me back to my "To Do" list which includes learning her strategies not finding new besties. L0L!
Lists....short and concise. Checking them off keeps me focused & accountable. ❤
Takk!
You're welcome! And thank you so much for the support!
Notion is great (I use it for D&D planning). I’m definitely going to check out the template you made, thank you 🙏
I only recently accepted that I am probably affected by ADHD and have more recently clicked around YT where I stumbled on your channel. As far as coping, I am seeking mechanisms. One technique I use while I watch videos is that I have power/speed metal playing in the background at a low-medium volume to engage the part of my brain that wants to play 'shiny' so I can focus on watching the whole video and maybe absorb some of the material in it.
Thank you so much for compiling this video and making the ADHD toolbox template (I'm just signing up to access it now in another tab as I type this comment so not mono-tasking right this minute... ha!). I have been subscribed to your channel for nearly a year and I absolutely love your content! It has helped me so much with my recent diagnosis and this video and template is EXACTLY what I need at this point because I feel I've consumed a lot of information but sometimes can't recall which strategies/approaches have been most effective for me and in which specific situations. You're amazing and I'm really thankful for this channel :)
I just wanted to say, that your channel, and your tedtalk, was the single most influential force in me finding strategies for my adhd and my decision to get myself meditated to help to treat some of the more severe, difficult to manage aspects. At 33 years old I finally feel like I have some semblance of control without the thought that my willpower is the issue, the thought that I just am not driven enough, or smart enough. I don't know how many people you know that you have helped, but I am here to say, my son and myself have reaped the benefits of you putting yourself out there trying to make life better for those like us. You are appreciated, I hope this comment finds you well, but if it doesn't, I hope it you the boost to get back to being the neurodivergent badass, and overall great person that you are.
@HowtoADHD
Tag isn't working correctly. I hope you see this. I rarely comment so I'm not sure how 😅😂
Thank you for setting up this template. I often watch videos and resources at work for both ADHD (which I'm 80% sure I'm undiagnosed for) and C-PTSD, and oftentimes I really enjoy the video but can't remember the strategies or information I liked about it afterwards because a work task or distraction will pull me away.
I also added a 'things I want to work on' category! Thanks so much for this template.
4:27 (GTD) Getting Things Done system says if it takes more than 2 minutes put it on a to-do list and then schedule it.
Right in the moment when you began the Exercise Topic and said "Wait, where are you going?" I started scrolling down to read the comments. You caught me right there :D
Just a tangent off of the “Point of Performance” for finding things: we’ve added air tags to important things that get misplaced a lot. We have them added to our “Find My” app on our iPhones and laptops. So we have an air tags on each of our kids water bottles using a special AirTag carabiner as well as on tucked into a hole in my daughter favorite stuffie. The hole is open enough so I can remove it to wash the stuffie.
Learning about body doubling was one of the best AND worst moments of my entire life. When I first heard the term and went down the rabbit hole of what it was...I broke down crying.
And I don't mean gentle tears swelling in my eyes and trickling down my cheeks; I mean full-on, hour in the fetal position in the dark, total body-wracking sobs.
That concept broke me--truly, literally BROKE me--on a deep and fundamental level...and IT HURT. It hurt so, so bad.
It ALSO allowed me to start forgiving myself for certain, deeply personal and meaningful past interactions, and to begin genuinely healing, in my heart and mind, for something I truly never thought that I would learn to come to peaceful terms with.
Just becoming educated on body doubling literally changed my life. The realization was gut-wrenching, but in the end, it helped take the pain away--and even became a tool I can lean into now, and use to my advantage (rather than detriment).
Why did it make you cry? From relief? Sadness over realization it was needed?
If the answer is not too personal, I’d appreciate your thoughts.
I would be interested to know this as well
Why did it make you cry?
Oh my god, your part about getting distracted while making coffee hit me so hard! I have walked my dog with an empty cup before. Your videos are sobhelpful for my newly diagnosed adhd brian.
This is the greatest video of you of all time. I had my Notion-Hyperfocus about a year ago and have been organizing my studies with it ever since. Helped me a lot and now we get a notion template from our ADHD-Internet-Mum? - It cant get any better! THANK YOU
i am a malaysian math tutor, thank you so much for your sharing, they are increasing numbers of adhd students in malaysia ( or they not diagnosed with adhd but showing trait of adhd) , will attempt ur technique in my class
I'm sitting here trying to focus, and I see the crocheted elephant in the background, and I'm like OOH, I can make you something!! Totally distracted! I love your videos, they explain what has been going on with me SO MUCH! It's good to know that I have others that understand me!
I hate exercise so I have over the years come up some hacks to trick myself into enjoying it more😊 First is to take long walks, I set a destination like the beach or something else beautiful and listen to an audiobook or podcast the whole way. The other one is even better for me myself😅 I get a physical sidejob, so I don't have to pay expensive gym membership, but get paid for "working out". I get hyperfocused and love cleaning anywhere else but home, so I have had some cleaning jobs😊
Your videos are so eye opening. So helpful. I’m just figuring this out at the ripe old age of 56! It explains so much about my life. I so wish that I’d known these things and the other tips I’ve learned from you earlier in life.
I do that point of performance with coffee. Everything is right by the Kcup machine. I need to set up a paperwork center near the file cabinets.
Kathy B