Related Recs

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Break the task up into pieces

if a task feels overwhelming, try turning it into 5-10 smaller tasks. Trying to write an essay? maybe think about it in terms of: Write outline, write opening paragraph, write details of main argument… etc. Trying to clean your house? What exactly are you trying to do? Make the bed, fold the laundry, clean the toilet. I get mental satisfaction from checking tasks off a to-do list and maybe you will too

@vin

Feb 25, 2024

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some (hopefully) helpful tips from a formerly exhausted adhd student

ADHDer here who has tried so many different methods (and medications) over the years. what works for me doesn’t always work for my friends who also have ADHD, which means it’s kind of a treasure hunt to figure out what works best for you. i especially struggled a lot with executive dysfunction in college and had trouble forgetting basic homework and turning in writing assignments days or weeks (and, once, two months) late. there are a lot of simple tips that non-ADHD people will try to give you that can potentially help, but it’s not a cure-all for executive dysfunction. the big ones are planners (i have like 3-5 planners/calendars and todo lists which can help me keep on track at my current job, but that hasn’t always worked for me) and “have better time management” (and of course they never expand on that supposed advice). i’ve been diagnosed with ADHD since i was 7 years old, so i’ve heard and tried it all… here’s what works for me now as someone who works 40 hours/week and when i was in school: • BREAK DOWN TASKS INTO SMALLER BITS. this is my #1 go-to for any work or assignments involving writing. outlining, Extremely Rough drafts that i can tinker for a few minutes at a time when i’m feeling motivated, messy bullet points and half-baked opening paragraph sentences. even if i’m scribbling stuff that won’t end up in the final product, but you’re getting your brain in the habit of thinking about and planning your writing earlier in the assignment process. • LETTING GO OF IDEAL PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFECTION. this is more of a personal tip, but i think some of my procrastination and executive dysfunction when it came to assignments came from anxiety around how i was expected to perform productivity in a neurotypical fashion and my own crippling anxiety around perfectionism. this may not apply to you, but i think it’s always helpful to remember that you do not have to adhere to society’s ideas about what productivity “should” look like. this is also why the tip of trying to manufacture urgency or deadlines doesn’t work for me. • PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BRAIN. learn what cues you to feel motivated. adjust your environment to incorporate those cues even more and reduce distractions or executive dysfunction. (for me, that includes having a clean workspace and some headphone or earbuds in even if nothing is playing. if i am playing something, it’s usually non-lyrical music at a low volume or a video essay i’ve already listened to 200+ times.) • TAKE A WALK. this is something that i started doing recently and i’ve found that it helps me feel more alert and my brain less muddled/unable to focus. • finally: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. i definitely made my executive dysfunction worse in college by not eating well or—more specifically—not sleeping enough. speaking from experience, the psychological connection between your brain and body is critical in how effective these tips for dealing with executive dysfunction can be. this may not be as simple as you’re hoping for, but i do hope that this helps. ❤️

@eiza

Mar 23, 2025

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adhd brains are different, so they need different advice!

i relate to almost everything u said, i was unable to do anything until literally an hour before the due date. one thing i’ve learned over the years is that normal advice like “make a schedule” and “develop habits” do not work at all for adhd ppl, bc our brains are not made to do those things. this makes things difficult, but it doesn’t mean achieving our goals is impossible. here are some things that have helped me personally: - pomodoro method (there are timers on youtube). sitting down and actually timing myself has helped me a lot. also it helps me feel better with just how fast time goes by. working very hard and getting the notification that 15 minutes has passed, helps me to remember that sometimes small steps are easier than they feel like. - my therapist told me that instead of worrying so much about how much work i could be doing all the time, i should just work on it when i actually feel like doing it. so if i only have motivation an hour before, that’s when i would do it. the stress i used to feel a month before an assignment was due, significantly decreased bc of this new mindset, and it actually felt like my ability to do things increased. it’s not a good long term solution, but when ur in a tough spot, allowing urself to sacrifice some late time in order to not feel as much mental stress is worth it for ur mental health. - realizing that a lot of my motivation was based on what i thought would please others. i feel like this isn’t commonly talked about among ADHD circles, but once i learned about it, it kind of changed my life (fr). i realized that i couldn’t work the most productive way i could, if i was being watched or within someone‘s sight. i also procrastinate a lot in order to avoid being judged by others for how slow or disorganized i work. even then, procrastinating causes me to feel more judged by others bc im scared they are thinking im being lazy. so to avoid this, i try my best to work alone or ask someone to do parallel play instead of help me directly. however, i know some ppl benefit from the opposite, having someone around to keep them accountable. it all just comes down to personal preference. - making sure my needs are met. did i get enough sleep? have i eaten recently within the last 4 hrs? have i drank enough water? did i take my medicine? do i feel too overstimulated; if so, how can i change my environment? do i need headphones? do i need to wash my face or take a shower? do i need to change the lighting? is the temperature too hot or too cold? are my clothes too overwhelming / scratchy? these are some of the things that can keep me from working productively, so i have to keep track of these questions whenever i feel distracted. - don’t beat urself up. giving into shame and causing urself mental distress will only increase ur anxiety and make u more unable to work. remind urself that ur just now figuring urself out and u are trying ur best. plus, u have good intentions. ur just trying to figure out how to work better and more productively! i think thats all anyone can ask for. anyways i hope this helps maybe. everyone has a different way of getting things done, so not all things will help or apply to u (which doesnt mean something’s wrong with u, just that the advice wasn’t meant for u!). also seeking specifically adhd related forums / groups / blogs / youtube channels / etc. helps a lot when trying to find different types of advice other than “work harder” lol. good luck and u r not alone! 🫶🐛

@urbfbear

Mar 23, 2025

Top Recs from @noisefervor

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nyc activities for the cheap INTROVERT nightowl 🦉

have the itch to go outside even though it’s 11pm at night? here’s some things you can do without spending much and having to interact with anybody… (mostly based in lower manhattan) 1. play street fighter for $1 at the waypoint cafe (65 ludlow st between grand & broome st) skip all the clubs and bars on ludlow street and head straight to the late-night video game cafe outfitted with cheap arcade cabinets and PCs. there’s plenty of table top games, board games, and card games to play if you ask. open until midnight everyday. 2. read a book at book club bar (197 e 3rd st / ave b) finally a non-overstimulating bar for the bookworms! take a book off the shelf or bring your own and chill out on the comfy couches. this place is the perfect sanctuary—quiet chatter, a pleasant coffee aroma, and relaxing music. open until 12am sunday–wednesday, and until 1am thursday–saturday. 3. grab cheap coffee and eats at caffe reggio (119 macdougal st / w 3rd st) walk past washington square park into the dimly lit green cafe, an iconic spot known for its classic italian eats since 1927. order some hot pasta, sandwiches, or soup to warm you up on a cold night. this place is next to lots of comedy clubs, so beware of the rowdy crowds, but if you grab a seat in the corner you’ll be a-ok. open until 3am sunday–thursday, and until 4am friday–saturday. 4. contemplate at the water and brood go to the east river or hudson river and sit at the pier to sink into deep thought and zone out. watch the boats and birds and trains pass by. highly recommend waiting until sunrise to watch the sun wash all the buildings with a beautiful pink-orange glow. i personally love hanging out at the skate park under the manhattan bridge and sitting on the swinging benches at pier 35. open 24/7. honorable mentions: - manousheh (403 grand st) — lebanese cafe that serves delicious dishes and coffee. open until 11pm. - black cat les (172 rivington st) — comfy cafe with a living room vibe that hosts weekly comedy nights. open until 10pm. let me know if you try out any of these places! feel free to use this as a map to guide your night and crawl from the lower east side to the west vilage, or check out each spot individually whenever you see fit. hope my introverted night owls find their new late-night sanctuary. 🌙

@noisefervor

Jun 2, 2024

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sewing patches onto shirts, pants, totebags, etc. 🪡

i love collecting cool screenprinted patches or embroidered badges from art markets or online shops and sprucing up any item i own with them! or you can use scraps from clothes you’ve cut up previously if you wanna upcycle and not throw waste away. it’s like a sticker in cloth form, and i can customize my belongings and give it my personality :D just take a needle and thread, and learn some basic backstitches or zigzag stitches, and handsew on some cool looking squares! you can take this project wherever you go, and it’s good to put on music or a movie and zone out ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

@noisefervor

May 30, 2024

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18+ venues that host $10–$30 shows

i’ll mostly list small or medium-capacity venues that host relatively cheap shows! mostly 18+ or all ages: - trans pecos - mercury lounge - bowery ballroom - tompkins square park or maria hernandez park sometimes hosts free shows occasionally has 18+ shows, but is 21+ most of the time: - baby’s all right - market hotel (usually earlier shows that start at 7pm aren’t 21+) - elsewhere - le poisson rouge - gold sounds highly recommend going through each of the venue’s websites and sifting through the show listings to double check! also the oh my rockness website and bandsintown are great places to check for shows happening tonight in your area and stay on top of shows!

@noisefervor

Jun 4, 2024