Something clicked two weeks ago and I haven’t been able to loosen the thread since. A meme a friend shared made me realise that I might have ADHD and I’ve been learning about it since. Turns out, this (sometimes slightly manic) phase is called hyperfocus, which can be a blessing and a curse. The podcast was born from one of these phases, aaaaand I’ve struggled to keep a steady momentum on it since. Apparently that’s quite common with ADHD too, so I need to structure my days around the goals I want to achieve more effectively.
Anyhoo, it seems quite a few of my friends are going on the same journey, so I’ve put together this page to help save them some energy. Maybe it’ll help you too. 🙂
Good luck!
Naomi xxx
Table of Contents
🖱 Websites & Articles
Admittedly, I’ve mainly been watching videos, but these have been recommended to me:
📝 Forms
These may not be necessary to complete in advance, but would give a good idea of what to expect and for self-reflection.
- ASRS-v1.1 / Adult Screening (short, free) / Enough to take to an appointment
- DIVA 2.0 / Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults (long, free)
- DIVA 5.0 / Latest version (long, Є10)
💻 Videos
Vids I’ve found particularly useful and/or reassuring:
- How I Got Diagnosed with ADHD at 29
- Should You Be Assessed For ADHD? with Dr Stephen Humphries – Harley Therapy
- This is how you treat ADHD based off science, Dr Russell Barkley part of 2012 Burnett Lecture
- ADHD and Motivation
- What It’s Like to Be ADHD and Black (this has inspired me to write an episode on the ESEA experience)
- Yoga With Adriene She’s just great. 🙂 Also, exercise – especially mind-body activities – are great for the brain.
💡 Tips
- Practice mindfulness techniques like meditation.
- Keeping a Calm Mind (blog post)
- More posts on Mental Health
- Exercise (apparently, it releases the same chemicals used in ADHD meds)
- Body Double: Ask someone to be with you in the same room while you work, or go somewhere like a café. Their presence will be a passive form of accountability. If you can’t be with anyone in-person, set up a virtual call or team up on apps like Forest* to focus together.
- Have an AccountabiliBuddy: Team up with someone you can text updates to (and vice versa) so you can both keep on track.
✍️ Bullet Journal
Log thoughts, dailies, doodles…anything! Bullet Journals (a.k.a. bujo) are a great way of having a birds eye view of what’s going on, and you can structure it however you like, as the Index Page(s) make it easy to keep track of where things are. You can be both organised and loosey-goosey. 🙂
📖 Page Suggestions
Key
Jot down your symbols and what they mean on the first page.
Index
Use the next 4 pages to be your Index (and number all the pages in the book).
Whenever you write something in the journal, go to the Index page and log the title, along with the page number. This frees up pressure to use the book in a rigid way, ’cause if you use a page for a reoccurring theme later on, just add those page numbers next to the title in the Index. 🙂
Future Focus
A birds eye view of your year. I’ve gone for the original, minimalist route, but you can find all sorts of layouts online.
Split the following 4 pages (after the Index) into 3 horizontally, then write the month into each box. Write any important dates or to-do’s here.
Calendar/Dailies
I’ve personally skipped this bit ’cause I use Google Calendar for my appointments, and a work spreadsheet for tasks. These first three Page Suggestions are explained in this video.
Brain Offload
Need to focus on a task but often get sudden sparks of inspiration for something else? Write them all here – great or mundane – and refer back to it later. Transfer ones you think are worth pursuing into the Ideas page.
Issue Log
Stumbling on something (or many things…) and can’t seem to get out of that rut? List them here, along with why (in a mindful, non-judgemental way), and notes on how this could be overcome. It’s too easy to feel anxious when all this is swirling in your head – write them down and they’ll become less scary and more actionable.
Breadcrumbs
Hyper-focus is great for getting things done (that’s how this post is in existence), but can deplete energy needed for other tasks. To prevent this, you can set a timer* and work/indulge in that thing, then stop before becoming exhausted. Write down what you did, then the next two steps you intend to do, if you could stay in the zone. Next time you work on that particular thing, you’ll have those breadcrumbs to get you back on track. 🙂
* I use Forest App, which is the Pomodoro Technique, but with cute trees~ Please use my Friend Code (JNQ7BFSG) if interested, and we’ll both get coins to buy trees! 🌲 🌳 🌴💚
Ideas
Any cool ideas you have. 🙂 Move ones you want to work on into your schedule, or cross off ones that maybe weren’t so great. If one needs elaboration, make a page for it and add it to your Index~
Assessment
As far as I’m aware, in the UK (if going via NHS), you need to book an appointment with your GP, who will then refer you to a triage nurse. The surgery I’m with skipped that first step and I have my appointment with the Mental Health specialist in a couple of weeks…I’m guessing that, after that screening, if they think I’m applicable for a full assessment, they’ll add me to the Waiting List.
I’ve read that waiting lists in the UK span from 4-7yrs, depending where you live. I’m in Wales, and a few of my followers mentioned theirs were 9-18months away, so it really does vary depending on your location and available resources.
Alternatively, you can go private, which would cost at least £1k collectively, then more if you decide to go on meds. ADHD medication is restricted in the UK, meaning regular GP’s can’t prescribe it – you need it to be authorised by a licensed psychiatrist. Bear this in mind if going private, and make sure you have funds set aside for both the meds and consultations to adjust the dosages.
Even if you don’t have ADHD, I feel like a lot of this is helpful, regardless. I’ll keep this page update with new findings~
