i did this really bad as a teen due to anxiety and had a lot of shame over it but i’m basically over it now! here’s the things i did that helped in different ways:
- saw a dermatologist to address my acne, got advice and prescribed the correct acne treatment (instead of continuing with random otc products)
- talked through my anxieties in therapy (i know people with depression or adhd are also prone to it bc it releases dopamine)
- i got prescribed NAC but there are mental health meds you can take too if it’s connected to that, ask your doctor for what they recommend. if it’s bc of depression or adhd they may suggest those meds to see if it helps
- trimmed my nails literally as short as physically possible, you could also consider gloves as prev recd. because they are fragile, at-home nails (like the fake nails you glue on) have also worked for me bc you can’t do much without popping them off which isn’t pleasang
- sounds weird, but at its worst i wouldn’t turn on the big lights in the bathroom ever unless i absolutely needed them and i didn’t keep a mirror in my bedroom, so that i wouldn’t see stuff on my face :/
- putting the aquaphor healing stuff on things
- these weren’t popular when i was a teen so i didn’t use them but i imagine the acne dot stickers would be helpful
i hope these help! 🫶
Nov 20, 2024
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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! 🫶🐛
Mar 23, 2025
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A lot of what’s helped me is reminding myself that I will be a bit out of control sometimes. I have a habit of letting my emotions consume me and practicing not letting that happen has been great. I also like to set a minimum amount of tasks to do each day to keep on top of self care and work/academics.
Also ibuprofen (like 2-4 capsules) !!!!
Feb 9, 2025
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Obviously we’re all so different, but that also means it’s hard to give advice because how we process stress / how it manifests physically / how we soothe it can vary so much from person to person, and even season to season. I’ve learned to take advice and TRY EVERYTHING until I find what works for me. In my experience it’s better to try 10 different things to weed out what works for you than to pick & choose what you think will work. Just try whatever is feasible from what we recommend!
Okay, rec time:
Microdose gummies were a huge help for me in certain seasons. I am not a person that wants to get high; I don’t have anything against it, just don’t do it myself. The microdose is so so so low that you don’t feel it. If anything, the ones I took felt like a light melatonin feeling. Helped me calm down a lot and often helped me sleep.
Baths were huge in certain seasons. Add some salt, dim the lights, play some ambient sounds or your fav calm album, and fully submerge into the void.
Long drives are how I make sense of life‘s puzzles. I often take the long way home if I think the extra time will help me arrive at a calmer state. I always find myself enjoying the local traffic, getting to really look at my surroundings, using red lights to breathe and refocus my thoughts.
3 practical things that are relatively easy to do. I think anxiety / stress rob you of your time and energy. I’ve spent so much of my life under stress only to get through the very thing that stressed me and realize that I had nothing to worry about. I lost days, weeks, maybe months to stress and anxiousness. At this point in my life I’m very aggressive about not living life with stress or anxiety in the drivers seat. It’s my life to enjoy and I only get one and I want as much of it as possible to be filled with joy / happiness / peace. Hope that helps! Sending you good thoughts + prayers + vibes.
Apr 10, 2024
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being traditionally cool is really quite boring and iterative, and it’s actually very cool and sexy to geek out about something you like or share bits of knowledge on a topic you’re passionate about
Aug 17, 2024
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WORKER’S DAY!!!! i love having a union, i love being a union steward and getting to support my unit. when my union won its contract, i got a pay bump, better benefits, and increased protection as a worker. 🥳
unions help address racial and gender pay gaps, issues workplaces impose on families and those having kids, addressing unsafe conditions, plus things like better health insurance, wages and overtime, weingarten rights to representation, and more!!!
if you don’t have a union but are thinking about forming one, check out AFL-CIO’s page (linked) or Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee. there’s always more power in a union!! ✊🥖🌹
May 1, 2025
a million times cooler than the lackluster “sleek” tech color palette used today
Feb 22, 2025