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Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#171

Post by scns »

kharak wrote: post #70
hsartoris wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fellow ADHD sufferer here to second this. Thinking about ADHD as a deficit of motivation, which is much more accurate than an attention-oriented view, tends to clarify this sort of situation.

I have trouble focusing on work most of the time and lack the motivation for almost everything, unless not doing it would cause problems. But everything I've read about ADHD doesn't sound like a me at all. Never heard of your way of describing it though.

Some Researchers propose 7 types of ADD, which are quite different on the surface symptoms. Check out this talk by Dr. Amen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWnJ4wjVu9k

Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#172

Post by davzie »

Hey. I literally have struggled with this and found a way to help turn the corner. I wrote about it only yesterday here: https://davidthorpe.dev/kick-the-shit-out-of-procrastination...

I hope it helps. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat since this is a topic very close to home.

Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#174

Post by Cthulhu_ »

p2t2p wrote: post #86
hliyan wrote: post #42

I had a similar problem where the the bigger / the more complex the task in front of me was, the more my brain resisted to getting started and the more i procrasitnated. I came up with a fundamentally "agile" solution: break the problems down into smaller tasks until the first task is too small to offer resistance. E.g. rather than "write architecture specification", start with "outline the heads for architecture spe…

Same. I open my favorite moleskin A4 5mm graph notebook (graph paper is the only correct paper for notebooks btw), which is a treat to write on, I grab my favorite pen and start listing the tiniest, smallest steps I can make towards the solution. Like "Open IDE and two terminals and point terminals to correct branch". First, I enjoy the process - moleskin + favorite pen. Second, my brain started to think about the ta…

I tried notebooks, but my writing is poor and I don't enjoy it. I usually stick with just opening a text document and writing bulletpoints. I can express myself a lot faster as well that way. Mind you I probably write too much thanks to being a pretty fast typist.

Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#175

Post by Cthulhu_ »

spawarotti wrote: post #117

Some people here suggest you might have ADHD. I encourage you to consider this, but suggest for you to be very skeptical towards this possibility. You can find extended discussion on this here: [1]. Focus first on fundamentals like sleep, exercise, diet, good social and romantic ties. Even if just one of your fundamentals is off, it might cause your brain to tell you “Hey, you want for me to put some long, hard, focu…

I live with two people with ADHD and I'm not seeing it. The OP describes giving up too easily for hard tasks, which is fairly common (I mean I have it) without any other indications for ADHD.

Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#176

Post by kharak »

dvcrn wrote: post #82
kharak wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have trouble focusing on work most of the time and lack the motivation for almost everything, unless not doing it would cause problems. But everything I've read about ADHD doesn't sound like a me at all. Never heard of your way of describing it though.

I just posted a comment below that sounds like that - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22920256 Adhd feels like knowing how to do something and knowing you should do it, but not actually doing it. It’s like your inner drive is very weak unless there is an external consequence involved, like a deadline. Dumb examples are - your homework unless the deadline comes closer - a amazon box that you know the contents of…

Adhd feels like knowing how to do something and knowing you should do it, but not actually doing it. It’s like your inner drive is very weak unless there is an external consequence involved, like a deadline.

Yes, that would be me. I know what I need to do in so many ways. But doing it? If it isn't a habit or some form of negative emotion forces me to do it, almost impossible. There are, of course, exceptions. But in general, absolutely.

Homework

Yes, same with tasks / Jira stories today.

Amazon box

There is a printer inside a box in my living room that I need to print a work related document. It's now there for like 8 days? My office wrote me, that they need that document and boy don't I care about it, as it is merely a formality. So yes, total check.

Dishes

See, this is why I'm not completely convinced ADHD matches me. I never leave dishes behind. When I'm done cooking, even before I take the first bite, the kitchen is in perfect condition. Vacuuming my room on the other hand...

Todo lists

I need them to be productive, but my personal todo list tends to remain on my whiteboard for weeks or months until I do everything possible in one rush. I guess that is also a match?

Your last paragraph sounds like doing things compulsively, things that aren't important right now. That is also a no match for me. I get hyper focused from time to time, although that has gotten quit rare in recent years. But I've never not went to a meeting or something similar because of it. If I need to do something, if I start to feel negative about it, I'll get it done no matter what. I'd feel quite awkward not getting to meetings, so that doesn't happen. Maybe this is still a match?

Edit:

On the other hand, I should complete a Jira story right now. But now I'm here and listening to a ADD related talk from another comment. But I really should work on that story to finish it. But I kind of have an open deadline. But it gets steadily more embarrassing that I haven't finished it. Uh oh.

Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#177

Post by tsukurimashou »

sharkweek wrote: post #55
hliyan wrote: post #42

I had a similar problem where the the bigger / the more complex the task in front of me was, the more my brain resisted to getting started and the more i procrasitnated. I came up with a fundamentally "agile" solution: break the problems down into smaller tasks until the first task is too small to offer resistance. E.g. rather than "write architecture specification", start with "outline the heads for architecture spe…

I don’t know what the true source is but I always enjoyed this little intro to a song by The White Stripes: “When problems overwhelm us, and sadness smothers us, where do we find the will and the courage to continue? Well, the answer may come in the caring voice of a friend, a chance encounter with a book, or from a personal faith. For Janet help came from her faith, but it also came from a squirrel. Shortly after he…

BE LIKE THE SQUIRREL GIRL BE LIKE THE SQUIRREL!

Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#178

Post by petemir »

eru wrote: post #138
apostacy wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I highly recommend checking out this thread about stimulant medications: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16033574 As someone who has ADHD and has taken stimulant medications for a long time, I would like to share my experience. There is a very faustian aspect of taking these medications. Don't think that you can change your brain chemistry and not change who you are. I would not have the career I have today with…

I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago when I was 30. I tried a few medications. When I as on Vyvanse, I noticed similar personality changes as what you described. Most notably, my sense of humour suffered. (And before on dexamphetamine, I was really grumpy when it wore off. So I did get into fights.) Things got better after I changed to methylphenidate. For me, it's milder in the side effects. Modafinil and nicot…

I know that the plural of anecdote is not data, but modafinil can have some not-so-mild side effects.

I have been pretty healthy my whole life, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet, never had any allergy nor anything alike... until I took (ar)modafinil. After 2-3 weeks of occasional consumption (1 pill every 2/3 days) I started with a mouth full of ulcers (aphthae), which progressed to a full-body rash. Apparently I had Erythema multiforme major, one of the potential side-effects of Modafinil, and honestly it was worrying.

Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#179

Post by DanielBMarkham »

"Lazy" is just another way of saying that you're not doing something somebody else thinks you should be doing. Nobody is lazy at playing video games or eating a favorite food. If you like doing it, you do it. You can't be lazy. You can only be lazy in some kind of context where you or others judge you and find you wanting.

So two pieces of advice. First, stop judging so much. Do what you love doing and don't feel the least bit guilty about it. Second, find things you love doing that generally make you a better person over time and do those things. This might require trying out new things every weekend for a while. Once again, don't judge yourself; instead find things you truly love that you feel are also good for you. There are plenty of these things for everybody, and each person has his own mix. Never feel like you have to have somebody else's.

A lot of commenters here are using the mountain metaphor. I'd like to say the same thing a different way. Stop being so goal focused and instead become habit focused. You don't want to accomplish some big goal, all you want to do is do fun stuff that makes you a better person. As a result of that, you'll probably accomplish some cool goals. But you'd never do that if you started from zero and tried to guilt yourself into striving towards some goal you couldn't care less about.

Habits are easy to change. The trick is to try new things and start with really, really small changes. Most of life is Zen anyway. You either enjoy doing things and die or you suffer and die. It's your choice.

Re: Ask HN: How do I overcome mental laziness?

#180

Post by the_dege »

sharkweek wrote: post #55
hliyan wrote: post #42

I had a similar problem where the the bigger / the more complex the task in front of me was, the more my brain resisted to getting started and the more i procrasitnated. I came up with a fundamentally "agile" solution: break the problems down into smaller tasks until the first task is too small to offer resistance. E.g. rather than "write architecture specification", start with "outline the heads for architecture spe…

I don’t know what the true source is but I always enjoyed this little intro to a song by The White Stripes: “When problems overwhelm us, and sadness smothers us, where do we find the will and the courage to continue? Well, the answer may come in the caring voice of a friend, a chance encounter with a book, or from a personal faith. For Janet help came from her faith, but it also came from a squirrel. Shortly after he…

That song theached me this way of overcoming issues and always comes back to my mind when splitting problems <3
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