Big-sis - Your Aggressively Wholesome Older Sister

Solutions to concentration and processing problems depend from person to person but here's some things that have worked for me:

I ALWAYS go somewhere SECLUDED. With ADD/ADHD it's VERY easy to get distracted, so DON'T bang your head against the wall trying to not get distracted while you read. Remove as many distractions as you can BEFORE you get started. I'm talking earplugs/soundproof headphones if necessary, get your phone OUT of reach, ensure as little visual stimuli as possible. Your environment may be a lot more distracting than you think just by being visually interesting. Get a setup like this if you can:

I put on some chill instrumental music. Personally, music can be VERY distracting for me whilst reading. If there's lyrics in the song?? No dice, no way. However, I've found lofi instrumentals are repetitive enough to not take my interest but get me relaxed and in The Study Mood ™️

I'd bring a bag of chocolate chips when I read but any sweet/reward will do. Every time I finished a paragraph I'd eat a few. You can lower the standard to a few sentence or just continue to munch as you read, whatever is more helpful for you. Your brain may not produce seratonin directly from finishing productive tasks but damn candy can sure make the happy chemicals, so get some while you work.

And speaking of The Study Mood ™️, keep in mind that even though reading as a whole is a great big pain, getting started is the hardest part, and it can get easier as you settle into the groove.

Something my therapist (who also has ADHD) has said to me a few times now is that with ADHD, doing the hard stuff first makes other things seem easier / more doable. I can't stress this enough. It is a pain in the BUTT to try and get to reading after a nice slow day of video games and memes and social media and tv. DON'T put yourself through that. Start the reading as early in the day as humanly possible. The concept of work before reward that comes naturally to others may not come naturally for you, but dragging your brain through such a sluggish task may be easier if you haven't started with all the fun and stimulating stuff first. Remember that the longer you put something off, the harder it'll be to work on it since you'll have a bunch of negative feelings and anxiety already built up around the task at hand.

Don't forget to take breaks! Rather than just waiting until you're tired of reading, I recommend time-locked breaks. Set a timer for 20 minutes and read, then take a 5 minute break to get up, dance, stretch, do a headstand, Cha Cha Slide, whatever you gotta do.

Above all, be kind to yourself. 💖 Keep a bottle of water nearby at all times and don't be too hard on yourself. Everyone around the world is going through a hard time right now and adjusting is difficult. You're trying your best and I'm proud of you.

I just had a reading assignment that I procrastinated and then let drag on for half a day and it SUCKS. I know what it's like to wish you could be watching paint dry rather than trying to read, but I got through it and you can too kiddo. You can do this. I believe in you.

help i cant read and might* have adhd!

okay, i have a HUGE problem with reading. i literally can’t concentrate on it and when i read i just don’t process it. i have no clue how to handle it. just sitting down and reading isn’t helping me at all. i literally don’t remember what i just read. my therapist has conducted a wais-iv test on me and i apparently have a shit working memory gee who would have known? /s

so my question is: how do you read when you have adhd?

any tips or tricks? i’d love to hear them in the replies/reblogs 💖 bc i really need help 😅

i wish everyone a good day. stay safe 💖

*i am going through a diagnostic process and the therapist who has been doing the screening said that it seems like i’m right at the border between a diagnosis and no diagnosis, but that she has to talk with my psychiatrist and figure it out. i should get an answer back tomorrow

fucked up how cooking and baking from scratch is viewed as a luxury…..like baking a loaf of bread or whatever is seen as something that only people with money/time can do. I’m not sure why capitalism decided to sell us the idea that we can’t make our own damn food bc it’s a special expensive thing that’s exclusive to wealthy retirees but it’s stupid as hell and it makes me angry

Tips from my dad about buying a car

- Go in at the end of the month - Buy the model of the year right before the model for the next year comes out (dealers get desperate to sell the old models) - Refuse to put any money down. Say that if they ask you to put down money, you’ll leave - Seriously. If they ask you to put down money say you need to go and walk out - If there’s another dealership nearby, tell them that you’re walking there right after you leave - If a deal seems unfair but you really like the car, tell them you’re going to another dealership and leave. Chances are, they’ll call back the next day with a better deal - If possible, after the first call wait till the last few days of the month and they’ll likely call again with an even better deal - Look around for family and friends that need a car. If you buy more than one car from the same dealership you’ll get a much better deal - If a family member/friend is looking for a used car while you’re looking for a new car or vice versa, still get the used car from the same dealership - If you decide to buy a new car after a few years, trade in the old car and buy a new one from the same dealership. Companies appreciate loyalty and will likely offer you a lower price