ADHD Work Days: Can't Do Anything vs. Have To Do Everything
In a recent post, Alex Partridge of the ADHD Chatter Podcast shared that, as someone with ADHD, he experiences 3 possible types of workdays:
- Days where nothing gets done.
- Days where about 4 hours of work gets done at a random time.
- Days where 40 hours of work seems to get done in just 4 hours.
The ADHD community resonated deeply with this post, which garnered over 200k likes and tens of thousands of comments, including:
"You can never have two consecutive type 3 days"
"Type 1 will make me doubt the worth my whole existence. Type 2 makes me quite frustrated. Type 3 makes me feel like a superhero and it is ALWAYS followed by a Type 1 kind of day."
"And when it’s option 3 days, you’re absolutely buzzing and swear you’re going to work like this every day. But the next day turn out to be an option 1 day"
If this sounds familiar, we have routines and tips that might help you change things up for the better! Try one or more of these to see what works for you:
For The Do Nothing Days
On those days where nothing is getting done, you can try “tricking” yourself into small tasks. These days are often well-suited for ideation, research, and learning. The great part about those is there are no confines, no restrictions.
When you feel a day start like this, accept that execution tasks—writing, filling out spreadsheets, or building presentations—won’t happen magically. So, ask yourself, “What else can I do?”.
Before starting any project, research and idea generation are essential. Google related terms, scan for examples of similar projects, or look for inspiration to enhance your work. Go wild with creativity! Save interesting links and snippets of information, and don’t stress about whether they’ll directly contribute to your project.
Taking a few detours may be exactly what you need to re-energize and return to your project with new motivation and ideas. Even if you don’t do any non-research work that day, you’ll have fresh insights for when you’re ready.
Here’s an easy, downloadable routine for those days when you know nothing will get done. This routine might be just what you need. The Brili app allows you to download these routines with a tap—try it for 10 days free!
For The Do Something Days
The good news is these days are completely average! Great job getting something done, and stop being so hard on yourself.
In a survey done by Blind, 45% of employees from top companies like Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft work 4 hours or less a day. So, appreciate these days and the work you accomplish during them!
For The Do It All Days
These are exhilarating yet exhausting. Getting a full week of work done in a day is impressive, but the effects can be draining and compound long-term. While you may laugh it off, continuing to push yourself like this may lead to bigger struggles.
Even if the work was great, you know how much time you put into it and will not be able to shake the feeling that you could have made it 5x better. Yet... you do not. Over and over, you consistently rush the process and still get by, so you keep on doing it. This cycle can lead to imposter syndrome.
What you may not notice is how this effects other areas of your life. Since you were not able to start early on the project, you worried away your entire weekend or were not able to enjoy your planned vacation and stayed in bed avoiding the thoughts with consistent stimulating distractions.
We know you are all too aware of the effects, but it still works, it still is just how it goes. So, let's return to the positive side of this and work backwards from there.
YOU CAN GET A WHOLE WEEK'S WORTH OF WORK DONE IN 1 DAY!!!
Now that's a power, one to be harnessed, not overused.
Here is a routine to help you make the most of these days, because changing behavior doesn't happen after reading just one article. This routine is designed for 3 hours of focused work. The next time you feel a 'do it all day' come along, try starting with this routine and see how it feels.