Writing With ADHD
Being a writer with ADHD can be like the seasons of the year in all its extremes. From drought to drowning in the monsoon. Let's dive into this!
I couldn’t stop smiling as I started writing this article. Before I got to the point of opening this document, I was stuck in a decision-making paralysis. Working on three different upcoming posts at the same time made me lose focus and motivation. Instead of staying stuck, I decided to write about the exact thing, that caused my paralysis in the first place!
Before I knew about my ADHD, I just thought I was lazy and unorganized. I had no other explanation for beginning dozens of projects, writing several documents at the same time and jumping in the same document, leaving sentences unfinished and then falling into writer’s block.
Since my diagnosis, though, I have been trying to find my way back into writing, analyzing and identifying the core issues of writing with an ADHD brain and some possible solutions.
New And Shiny
Who doesn’t know the thrill of starting a new project? A new idea crossing the mind can be exhilarating, pushing you to hyperfixate on the new, shiny thing while the old, beloved unfinished projects collecting dust. Only to lose motivation again, after reaching the motivational hill, realizing the effort is beyond your estimated capabilities. Sometimes this dopamine high can last for days or even weeks, or just a few moments.
This hyperfocus can be a true superpower! It allows you to deliver amazing results in one sitting, sometimes even in record time. Most ADHDers, however, don't know when this focus will hit or how long it will last. As well the neglect of basic needs like eating, drinking and restroom visits, while being in this focus mode. The only thing entering the body in light speed is coffee — unless I forgot my newest cup behind the laptop to cool down after accidentally burning my tongue.
Me: “I want to write this so badly!”
Brain: “Nope. We are going to do nothing now!”
The problem can be a lack of self-organization. Whether they haven't learned it or struggle with poorly implemented routines, ADHDers tend to procrastinate instead of doing what they want or need to do. They may need to explore new self-organization methods and unlearn those not working.
However, the problem can also come from being over-organized. Sometimes ADHDers can be extremely well organized. Yet, despite their implemented structures and routines, motivation can vary daily. The major reason for that might be an inherent dopamine deficiency.1 New ideas and also strategies can boost dopamine levels. Though, even the best strategies can become ineffective, requiring a restart at some point.
Fixed systems can become boring; new projects may require different approaches or changes in location due to distractions. Trying to force self-organization systems and strategies, that have lost effectiveness, will only result in frustration and a total drop in motivation.
ADHDers often develop many new strategies but struggle with persistence. So it can be beneficial to construct a self-organization system that works best for your way of functioning.
[…] …while individuals with a diagnosis of ADHD may report lower organizational skills, they nevertheless attempt to use various strategies to remain organized. […] It should be emphasized that people with ADHD oftentimes have many gifts and can be exceptionally creative as well as very productive in their areas of interest. To support and help individuals with ADHD and society benefit from these gifts, organizational skills are needed.2
— quote from article of PeerJ in NLM Database. For more information read footnotes
JayJay’s 4-Steps of Self-Organization!
These are simplified steps for creating an ADHD-friendly writing routine I came up with for myself. It may look different for you, as ADHD is a spectrum and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. But it may provide a basic framework to other writers.
📍 Location
Change your location if possible. Find places that work for you and either stick to them or rotate between options (home, co-working space, café, etc.).
⏲️ Time Management
Use a mix of fixed times and flexible buffers. Sometimes a vague timeframe is enough, while other times a strict plan is necessary. Have a balanced approach and use fake deadlines to motivate yourself (setting a due date before the actual due date for example).
🛠️ Tools & Strategies
Identify and use tools and strategies that work for you. Experiment with different options and stick to a few basics that you can rotate through. Consider fidgeting tools, external accountability, or co-working in body-doubling mode to stay focused.
☀️ Freedom of Mind & Being
Be yourself. Work in whatever way feels comfortable, whether standing, sitting on the ground, or otherwise. Don't adhere to conventional standards of working.
How Could This Look Like in Practice?
This four-step plan comes from my personal experience and can be adjusted as needed. I generally follow two rules while approaching each step:
Implementing basic rules to hold myself accountable
Striving not for perfection but for a method that fits my way of working and functioning (breaking tasks down into manageable pieces)
With this in mind, I created these guidelines for myself. Perhaps they can inspire you in your own writing experience or other projects:
My Locations: I use the public library, a favorite café, and a regular co-working space in an open art space (all with power outlets). I can't focus at home, so I rotate between these locations based on my needs and plans for the day. If one location isn't working, I switch to another from my list but keep it below two places a day.
My Time Management: Due to time blindness I try to measure and plan my time as clear as possible and use tricks to hold myself accountable.
I get out of bed around 7 am, this energizes me
I have semi-fixed time slots for working during my most productive hours:
9 am to 1 pm / 10 am to 2 pm
1 pm to 4 pm / 2 pm to 5 pm
I plan ahead for the week, scheduling appointments with myself and placing other commitments as early as possible or later in the day. I avoid scheduling doctor's visits around noon or multiple in a day, as they disrupt my focus time.
I use the Pomodoro Technique: 10 to 20 minutes of work followed by 5 to 10-minute breaks, managed with my smartwatch timer. — If this doesn’t work, I set a time target with a specific small goal. For example: three sentences in the next hour… or whatever I feel able to accomplish in that time (this usually leads to enough motivation to write way beyond that).
Exact deadlines usually don't work for me, so I use “fake” deadlines. For example, if I aim to finish a post by Wednesday, my real target is actually a few days later. This reduces pressure and sets an earlier date.
My Tools & Strategies:
Fidgeting Tools: I mainly use a magic cube ( something like this ) for fidgeting, especially while proofreading or taking breaks. If it loses its effectiveness, I switch to a spiky massage ball, a fidget spinner with a pop-it function, or a magic fidgeting cube with buttons and switches.
Body Doubling & Community Accountability: I participate in at least one body doubling session per week with people from my community to work on our tasks separately. This helps establish a routine and reminds me I'm not alone. On other days, when my focus wanes, I message friends or the community about my goals and deadlines. Sharing my plans helps me focus better. — check out here what I mean with “community”!
Noise cancelling, Music & Playlist Diversity: When I'm overwhelmed, I use noise-canceling headphones, either in silence or by cycling through my many playlists, specifically created to have diversity to choose from. I prefer SoundCloud over Spotify due to fewer ads.
New Ideas → Notes: When new ideas distract me during writing, I jot them down in my phone's notes app. This helps clear my mind and reassures me that I can revisit them later.
Breaking Down the Work in Manageable Pieces: The whole project can be overwhelming, so I break it down into smaller steps. I start with a rough structure, then tackle each section. I take breaks, sometimes working mentally on the post, painting, or reading related articles. Discussing with a friend for feedback can also be helpful.
My Freedom of Mind & Being: I use a few mental strategies and positive affirmations to accept my work and myself:
Restless Leg & Movement: I used to think I needed to stop moving my legs, but now I let them move to the music. If I need to move, and the environment permits, I get up and walk around. It's important to channel this energy rather than suppress it.
Don’t Mind the Mistakes: I tell myself I'll address mistakes later, but I keep this flexible. Sometimes correcting errors in the first part of the text helps me get back into the flow.
Mind Dumping Breaks & Active Distraction: To counter negative self-conceptions about my writing and myself, I include writing down my thoughts and feelings in a diary during breaks, preventing thoughts from overwhelming me. Alternatively, I actively engage in something else if I feel the need to channel my energy elsewhere—whether that's taking a walk, painting, or another helpful activity.
There are a few more things I could add, but to keep this post short, I’ll leave it as is for now. I hope you get the gist of my 4-step plan. 😁✌️
Now, here is a quote for the go:
“Since I had started to break down all my writing and get rid of all facility and try to make instead of describe, writing had been wonderful to do. But it was very difficult, and I did not know how I would ever write anything as long as a novel. It often took me a full morning of work to write a paragraph.”
— Ernest Hemingway
Happy Planning — Happy Writing!
If you found this helpful or have another system, please share it in the comments. I'm curious to hear your thoughts! Or maybe there is a similar system as mine, I did not realize exists already. I’d love to hear about that too!😅
All the Love and Lídiant Wíalë ❤️
JayJay out!
A Last Quote For Your Way:
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
―Douglas Adams, author of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
One of my favorite daily tools is Alexa (sometimes in combination with smart devices like lighting), even though it can be pretty annoying considering how dumb and buggy it is for a product that has been on the market for many years, being developed by one of the largest tech companies in the world... luckily, Amazon is slowly rolling out a premium subscription incorporating generative AI, yay... but to be fair, you can buy an Echo Dot for 25€ while it's on sale and you don't need to pay for Amazon Prime to get a great audio and smart speaker.
I can ask it all sorts of questions I have roaming around in my head. For example, when trying to find efficienct ways to get rid of remaining food in my fridge that I forgot existed in the first place (or just bought because it was on sale). Or if I want to find out how to best wash my clothes, which ones to mix,... or maybe settle an argument with my roommate or girlfriend with statistics?
In combination with smart sockets (that I bought on sale, of course), I can use it to switch on only some of my lights to not overload my ADHD senses. It has also helped my ADHD girlfriend who didn't like to use her bright ceiling light. Before Alexa, she would always feel stressed out returning home in the evening because she would have to traverse her room - which might not be tidy because ADHD, duhh - to switch on multiple lights in different places. Now, she just says the magic words "Can I make you a meal?"...no wait, uhh, the other magic words... and becomes happy.
By talking, I can set reminders and timers for different activities, and calendar entries in the moment a thought arises. This minimises friction and avoids distraction and forgetting on the troublesome path to picking up my phone.
I can also set routines that trigger based on time or different activation phrases like "Alexa, movie time!" or "Alexa, time to train!". This triggers specific lights or scenes (I own some light panels from Nanoleaf), and workout music. Again, this reduces friction which results in a higher probability of my actually doing the things I want to do like working out.
For sleep, I use it to play sleep meditation and deep sleep music videos from YouTube on a very low volume while sleeping and for setting alarms on-the-fly.
Last but not least, I created an "Alexa, motivate me!" routine that I use when being stuck in an ADHD paralysis. It says some nice and motivating words, and plays powerful music to get me moving. If I'd link it to my contacts, I could let Alexa call one of my friends or community members to get me out there, too.
Lastly, I wanted to share that....I forgot what I wanted to share last. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hope to spark new inspiration! 😎
See you. 👋🏼
"New Ideas → Notes: When new ideas distract me during writing, I jot them down in my phone's notes app. This helps clear my mind and reassures me that I can revisit them later."
I do that too. But then I forget that I made a note at all, and end up doing the same action again, repeating the mistakes or guessing et cetera. Or I remember, look it up and get distracted by all the other notes and to-dos.
How do you deal with that? How do you remember that you made a note about a certain topic and use it effectively?