this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2024
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ADHD

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TLDR: Have you any tips or resources about how to be motivated to do things which you enjoy having ADHD in mind?


Hey, recently I had to stop my ADHD meds for a while.

Additionally I have a lot of time right now bec. of medical reasons and I try to do things I want to do instead of proctrastinating, so whenever I realize that I'm just doing stuff without actually enjoying them, I try to sit back, make me some tee and think about what I want to do. Like not in the future, but right now.

But the thing is, very often I just sit there and there is nothing I want to do. I try to enjoy doing nothing but it is kind of frustrating sitting there and thinking about what I want to do and nothing comes up.

I wanted to ask if this is a me thing or an ADHD related thing, and if so how you manage that. I either am completly stressed out with 100 projects at the same time or doing nothing and having no motivation to do anything. How can I be motivated to do things I enjoy? How to find things which I enjoy without sitting there and stressing out that currently I'm not motivated to do anything?

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[–] Bennettiquette@lemmy.world 19 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

from what i understand, dopamine plays a massive factor in contributing to motivation in most people.

made a todo list? here’s some dopamine. finish a task? have another drop of dopamine.

meanwhile, the dispensing system in an ADHD brain is faulty and thus does not deliver the same sense of accomplishment that would generally fuel an NT to continue their productivity.

warm take: while i agree finding strategies for “manual mode” are import, so is, imo, learning how to sit comfortably in that unproductive space. counter productive as it may seem, sometimes it’s the weight of that pressure to feel motivated that’s the stressor, not the lack of motivation in and of itself.